Posted by Mark Diamond, MD · 5 Comments
A board-certified, properly trained pediatrician offers the best medical care for all teens. Unlike other primary care providers, a pediatrician spends three to four years or more of intense study and preparation to take care of all kids — including adolescents. None of the other primary care doctors has this level of education and training in dealing with the unique problems of teenagers. The massive physical and emotional changes brought on by puberty aren’t seen in any other age group. Teens, despite their protestations, are not young adults — and there’s no benefit to switching from a pediatrician to an adult’s physician until they are!
As a pediatrician with special interest in adolescent medicine, I find that there is no place better for teens than my office. We provide age appropriate, compassionate care. As a pediatrician I have specific training in dealing with teenagers, who as we all know, are NOT just little adults.
…even though they may think they are 🙂 Thanks very much for the input!
Can I interview a pediatrician?
Hi Racquel,
I’m not sure if I can help you with this one, however the pediatrician on Pediatric Safety’s expert team is Dr Joseph Skoloff. If you’d like to ask him a question, you can reach him at http://www.drjoeskoloff.com and at http://www.twitter.com/drjoeskoloff. Hope this helps
I really like they way you phrased this, “Teens, despite their protestations, are not young adults- and there’s no benefit to switching from a pediatrician to an adult’s physician until they are!”. I know when I was a teenager I had the same protestations. Now that I am older I understand that there was no benefit. The real challenge is getting them to see that a child’s doctor and a teenager doctor are the same.