Family Practice or General Practice?

I am not sure where you live.. but it sounds like you like your kids pediatrician.. so I would call there office and see who they recommend in your area.. When I found out I was pregnant.. my general doctor is the one who told me about my OBGYN and I really like her. I live in seattle.. so if you are close to me I could let you know who I see.
Best of luck
L.

1 mom found this helpful

Dear M....Im not sure what area you live in..so I cant help you there.. But, as we age we actually need to have two Drs. A very good Gynecologist for yearly exams and referrals and a knowlegable Family Dr.
If you dont feel comfortable call around to various clinics in your area and ask some questions..in selecting a Dr. you feel comfortable with..
Good Luck to you..
C.

M.,

We use a Family Practice doc that we've been with since my 5 year old son was just a few months old. We love her, and the docs in the whole clinic. That's the route I would go, but that's me. :)

M.

Hi M.,
My kids see a pediatrician and I go to a Woman's Clinic. I found them while pregnant with my third child and have continued with them.

Family practice might be nice so your kids can see the same doctor as they outgrown their pediatrician. Either one will really do the job for you as long as you find someone that you like.

I see an internist. My OB has a policy that she won't act as a primary care physician as she just doesn't have the time. In my opinion, internists are a bit more geared toward adults than GPs.

Good luck!

I prefer family practice myself. It was kinda crazy when I saw one dr., my husband another, my kids another....finally we switched to a wonderful family care doctor for all of us. I love the fact that she knows all of us and checks up on me even when it is an appt for one of the kids.

I agree with most of the posts. Me personally, the kids go to their pediatrician and I go to a family dr (and a OBGYN). I see my family doc for genereal things and he will refer me to a specialist if necessary. General and family docs know alot but are limited when it comes to special issues.
It is VERY important to be comfortable with whomever you choose. Don't feel like you need to stick with someone even if you dont like them.
Good Luck!

I agree with the gal that told you to go to an internist! My kids have a great pediatrician! So I go to Dr. Stephen Stringfellow for myself. His office is over by Allenmore Hospital so it's not too far from you. He's an excellent doc. The downfall is that sometimes I have to wait an hour in the waiting room just to see him! Let me just tell you that he is well worth the wait! He really listens to and takes care of his patients. If I can't get an appt. with him when I need it, there is another doc in the office that is awesome. His name is Dr. Retalieu (sp?). Either one is excellent! I have been going to Dr. Stringfellow for about 10 years now! My mom sees him, my husband sees him and ,before she passed, my grandma went to him as well! The phone number to the office is ###-###-####. They are part of the Multicare system so they keep their records on a program called Epic. This is the same program that Tacoma General uses so if you ever have to go to the hospital, your medical records can be pulled up and vice versa. When you go to see Dr. Stringfellow he can pull up your hospital record. It's very handy! He also has resources to great referrals, should you ever need a specialist for anything! I hope this helps you out! Again, the phone number is ###-###-####. Good Luck! It's hard to find a doc that you like! I'm glad I was blessed with this one.

My husband and I and both our kids all go to the same family practice doctor. We absolutely love him Dr. James Yee in Issaquah. It is really great having a family doctor because he looks at the whole picture of the family when one of us gets sick. it usually helps him to diagnose us more easily and sometimes he will do preventitive treatment if it looks likely that one person's illness could affect the whole family. He also knows all of us so we can also ask about general issues like potty training or nightmares or discipline and he gives really good personalized advice.

Hi M.,

I absolutely LOVE my doctor. I find that he is extremely knowledgeable and respectful of naturopathic routes too. He's flexible and just a really good person and doctor.

His name is Dr. Michael Chen, and his practice is called About Family Health. I don't know where you're located, but he's at SE 8th and SE Morrison. http://www.aboutfamilyhealth.com/ ###-###-####.

Our whole family's care has been transferred to him. :) Oh yeah, he also runs completely on time and returns calls punctually.

Best,
L.

Hi M.,
You need to see an internist. A FP and a GP may have not done as much schooling as and internist. In the past they could start practicing right after medical school and did need to do a residency like internist do. Yes, it is a pain to have everyone seening different docs but that is the way it goes. I have worked in the medical field for years and my husband is a physician and this is our opinion.
Good luck,
L.

When my children were little, they saw a pediatrician. We eventually all switched to a family doctor because when one kid got sick, we all got sick and the family doctor could treat us all at once. Plus, he got to know us and our medical histories and could keep an eye out for family-related problems like allergies and heart disease.