The Great Pediatrician Drama

I have read stories where people have registered their babies for preschool before they were actually born. In these stories these things happen in far off places like Manhattan. Little did I know in my rookie state that things move almost as fast here in little old Midland.

Take the recent events that unfolded involving getting a pediatrician. At my first doctor’s appointment they gave me a list of pediatricians and told me I needed to have one before I was seven months along. Naïve little me, I just tucked the thought in the back of my head and went on my way. You see, I was under the impression that our general practitioner, Dr. Best, could just handle all that. He’s a fantastic doctor, so good in fact, that his practice has been closed to new patients for the past 5 years. You either have to marry into or be born into a family that already sees him. Lucky Staylee and Baby A.

So I had Mom ask him if he could handle the baby and if not, could he give us some recommendations? He explained that he doesn’t have the shots necessary to take care of babies, but gave her two names he recommended, one of which was his kids’ pediatrician, Dr. Reese. Mom gave me the information and I figured I would call sometime this summer when things are further along to set it up.

Stupid Amber! About a week later Mom and I were chatting with Donna, who works at the college and whose daughter is due a month before me. Donna mentioned that her daughter had gotten the last appointment Dr. Reese had for August: otherwise she would have had to go on a waiting list. Mom and I were both surprised that someone would call this far out, but decided perhaps I better give Dr. Reese a call.

The secretary was kind enough not to laugh at me when I told her I needed a pediatrician and was due at the end of September. She sweetly informed me that Dr. Reese had no new openings in September. I told her that I figure the baby will be born in October and wondered if maybe there was an opening them. Nope. Dr. Reese only takes 5 new patients a month and she is booked through December. (This means, my mother later pointed out, that girls are basically crawling out of the backseat and calling a pediatrician, then taking the pregnancy test.)

The secretary suggested I go to the Midland Pediatric Association because they usually had lots of openings—not the best selling point. It sounded like a breath away from the free clinic. I’m sorry, I know that is fine for some people, but I have really good insurance so that our baby can go to a good doctor.

Well, for something I hadn’t really cared about 24 hours before, I was now really upset. I know there are other pediatricians, but perhaps it is the whole “the harder to get the better to have” thing. Mom suggested I let Dr. Best give it a try. I have to say I was doubtful. I crashed Mom’s appointment two days later to explain my Dr. Reese rejection. Dr. Best thought it was crazy that people were booking so early, but he said he would see what he could do.

Two days passed and I didn’t hear anything. I assumed Dr. Best forgot. It didn’t help that I ran into a high school friend whose new baby goes to Dr. Reese and she just raved.

Then Tuesday morning I got a call from Dr. Best’s nurse. She had called Dr. Reese’s office and told them Dr. Best was referring me. They just needed me to call in and give them the vital information. I couldn’t believe it! I called right then and they acted like it was no big deal: they just needed some personal information to start my file and to tell me to come by before the baby is born to sign the paperwork.

The moral of this story is: people get their pediatricians way too early and Dr. Best ROCKS!