Finding the best primary care doctor possible may be difficult. Finding the right children’s primary care doctor may be harder. Your children require someone who is trained in the care of children ranging from birth to adolescence. This is not only a demanding job, but also one that requires specific training.
Education for a Children’s Primary Care Doctor
The very basis of any education for a medical professional is a medical degree. He or she must attend not only secondary and post-secondary education but also take further instruction. Like the average doctor, a children’s primary care doctor must earn his or her doctor of medicine or M.D. This is valid no matter where he or she intends to hang a shingle. In San Diego, CA or Miami FL, a medical practitioner has to have the initials “MD” following his or her name.
Alternatively, you may choose a medical professional who has graduated from his or her school with a doctor of osteopathy degree or D.O from an accredited medical school. This group numbers approximately 10% of all American doctors but can practice as legitimately as primary care doctors. The only difference is their approach or philosophy to medicine. It is more holistic in nature than conventional medical approaches.
Whether it is an MD or a DO, the potential children’s primary care doctor has to have the degree as well as the postgraduate residency and certification exams. In order to meet all the requirements, the residency must be in pediatrics. The certification exam should reflect this specialization. It will be for the American Board of Pediatrics.
Credentials of a Children’s Primary Care Doctor
All doctors post their certificates on the walls of their office. This does not necessarily make them valid. It will also not guarantee they are an excellent or even good primary care doctor. While some credentials – such as the medical school they attend, may provide some indication of their knowledge base, what may actually be more important is what state licenses they have met. Look for the following:
- Board Certified: This indicates they have passed a series of examinations that have tested his or her skills. These are state tests that require your children’s primary care doctor in San Diego to take time-and-time again to ensure the upholding of state standards of medical practice.
- Professional Membership: If you have a doctor, he or she should be a member of the association in which he specializes. A children’s primary care doctor as a qualified pediatrician should post that he or she is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Children’s Primary Care Doctor
If you plan to find the right doctor, you need to understand the basics it requires to become one. Living in San Diego, allows you to access some of the finest MDs and DOs in the country. It is up to you to make certain that the individual you choose to be your children’s primary care doctor is the one most suited, capable and properly trained for the job.
