How Old Is Too Old For The Pediatrician

I believe I went to the same doctor from kindergarten to about 6th grade? My Mom took me and was in the room until about 5th. I think after that she just figured if there was an issue they would just call her back to the room. Once I started driving in HS I would go by myself to the appointments. There was a time which I posted in an alternate thread about my brother taking me to the appointment since my Mom could not.

I think the age would be justified until Jr. high but, by HS I think an adult Dr. would be better. Just my opnion.

I was 18 the last time I went to the pediatrician. It was to get the meningitis vaccine and a full physical to get a release to play college volleyball. I felt very awkward sitting on the exam table in my panties and a paper vest with circus animal themed wallpaper around me.

In Germany you have to change from pediatrican to general doctor with 18. But many teenagers (especially girls) change earlier and hope they dont get a thorough exam there.

Once my family moved to Belgium when I was 13, there was never any pediatrician involved in medical matters. We all went to the same family doctor, parents and the kids. No differentiating between a GP and pediatrician.

Just one family doctor.

I would say 18, or around the time when you graduate from high school. I'm pretty sure the last time I went to a pediatrician was when I got my physical before going off to college. I used the university health services while in college and then found a G.P. when I got out in the "real world."

@Kendz description there made me remember my last visit. I was 18 or 19. Sitting there in nothing but my panties and I had a paper cover. But not like a vest or gown. Just a sheet.

There was a Harry Potter movie poster on the wall. I remember looking at it and thinking I was too old for this kids stuff. The paper on the table had like a teddy bear print.

I was trying to distract myself from the incoming prodding. On the wall there were some kids magazines. I was at least 5-10 years too old for this publication. I grabbed one and immediately turned to cross word that was already solved. This made me angry. The same with the rest of the puzzles.

Why was I here? Why couldn’t I go to an adult doctor? Oh well the memories are fun now.

@Amanda_O @Kendz I remember visiting my pediatrician for my college entrance physical as well an exam during my freshman year. It is not uncommon where I live to visit the pediatrician until heading to college. It was definitely a very awkward and embarrassing situation for me. My pediatrician didn't seem to have any concern for patient modesty and the exams were always very thorough. I remember several female students at the college I attended referring to their college entrance physical as their pediatrician's going away present since the physical was very thorough and they would probably not see their pediatrician for another exam. How did the exam make you feel? How do you feel looking back?

For general primary care, I have seen many who make the switch at 18.. We have 2 pediatricians at the place where i work, their patients are transitioned into adult clinics after 18.

I always found it kind of funny at 16, 17, 18 to be sitting in a little paper gown and having cartoon characters on the wall looking at me. Sometimes the paper on the table had cartoons on it too. Certainly a different experience for the family doctor's office. I think at 18 it's time to change.

I went to a new doctor summer before I went to university. Some of my friends were still seeing their pediatricians over the summers when home. They were told after college they would need to find a new primary care.

I always found it kind of funny at 16, 17, 18 to be sitting in a little paper gown and having cartoon characters on the wall looking at me. Sometimes the paper on the table had cartoons on it too.

That's an excellent observation. As a male, I never got a gown at the pediatrician, just undressed to my underwear. But thinking back, the pediatrician's office was always done up in bright, primary colors and festooned with childish decorations.

18 was my cut off age.

I can't really comment being from the UK and never really having any medical issues that required seeing a pediatrician.

Although yesterday, I went to my local out of hours to get another course of antibiotics for my throat infection that still hadn't cleared up - there were no adult doctors available at the time so I saw a peds doctor. I know it's highly unlikely as an adult to be able to be seen by pediatrics, but they are SO MUCH nicer. When the doctor was examining my throat, she didn't hurt me at all, like the previous doctor did I saw a couple of weeks back - of course not intentionally, they're just doing their job!! But anyway, I could have given that woman a medal for dealing with me, as I was already extremely tired after seeing a nurse hours earlier that quite frankly gave me more to panic about than not... and by this point I was running out of patience and just wanted to go home to sleep. And yes I did get the antibiotics that I needed.

But yeah I guess the point of this is - I prefer pediatric doctors, even as an adult who usually only sees regular gps.

I don't know about US, UK and other coutries, but in France, going to the Pediatrician (almost the same word in France : "pédiatre") is mostly for a young age, say from birth to 6-7 I think. Maybe 10. After that, it's easier to go the "normal" doctor. I don't recall anyone from my family or friend's kids going to the "pédiatre" until 18 or 19. I don't know why. But pédiatre always means "young age" in France.

It's definitely awkward to be a hairy teenager and to be sitting in your underpants on a padded fire truck table.

@Runner_Up: True. French pediatricians typically are set up for babies and toddlers. Furthermore, it's more difficult to get appointments for them than for GPs, so many parents just use GPs.

In hospitals however you will have special units for dealing with young patients and there you will see e.g. a specialist of pediatric heart problems. But it's a different issue.

My last visit was at 14yo.

It was very accurate. I have three male pediatricians and two females until that age. Examinations were throught expecially the genitals part from all of them. No having the possibility for an examination as adult from them it is a pity.

I wouldn’t know….I’ve always gone to D.O. Or general practice

I left home at 19 and last saw a pediatrician at 17. I didn't have a doctor when I was 18/19, then I started seeing adult providers at 20.

I saw my pediatricians until I was 20 then when I was 21…..saw my first internal medicine doctor. Same building too. Just different floor.

I’m pretty sure my pediatrician cut me off at 18…but when I had my daughter he became her pediatrician for a while

I’m 20 and live with my auntie. I was 15 when I came to live with her and she took me to a Pediatrician she knew from her church. My auntie still takes me to that same Pediatrician.

Our younger daughter was examined by a pediatrician when she was about twenty minutes old, and he did her going-to-college physical when she'd just turned 18. He was about to retire early (maybe fifty?) and remarked that it was cool to see a patient grow up, since few people stayed in the area long enough for continuity of care. He also joked how much he liked that she didn't cry during vaccinations.

She already had a gynecologist, but her other health care remained in her pediatrician's hands.

My pediatrician's office saw patients until 22 (college graduation) so that's how long I stayed.

During my final physical there, the nurse practitioner doing the exam was concerned about the tightness of my foreskin (a reoccurring occurrence at physicals for me). I asked her if she thought I should get circumcised. She laughed and said "In my head I'm like yes, but that's because the patients I normally recommend circumcision for are only like three and can't yell at me."

Is it common for a Pediatrician to take a 15 to 20 year old’s temperature rectally?

I don't recall visits to the pediatrician. I only recall visits to a regular GP. I think in France one sees a pediatrician only for very little children. Seeing a GP is easier.

When I took my kids to the pediatrician, I recall that the waiting and examination rooms were decorated towards small children, not teenagers.

I also recall being taken to a urologist, not a specifically pediatric urologist.

(However in hospital there are separate children's wings, and one can see specialists for children / teenagers, e.g. pediatric gynecology. I'm unsure about the cutoff age.)

@susie_j

Is it common for a Pediatrician to take a 15 to 20 year old’s temperature rectally?

In this day and age? Definitely not.

Thermometers and better understanding of the variability of body temperature across individuals means perfectly accurate readings aren’t often needed.

About the only time I would expect it is if the person couldn’t handle an oral temp for some reason. Injury, drank a hot/cold beverage, etc might be reasons - but even then a UV touchless thermometer would probably be more likely to be used.

Hope that helps (and doesn’t disappoint)!

He is an older Doctor with an older looking office.

@susie_j

Forgive the pun but I’d hightail it out of there and never look back.

Is he a thorough Doctor? @susie_j ?