In my opinion, both are old enough to see "adult" doctors.

My pediatrician (actually my 2 daughters pediatrician ) has a sign up, saying they will treat children until they graduate college. My two are 18 and 20, they insisted on switching to a "regular" doctor about a year ago. The older one also has her own gynecologist. The younger one, who used to wear braces, now goes to a dentist of her own choosing. Lucily, both are full-time students and are still dependents on their fathers health insurance plan. It's weird to sit in a waiting room full of squirmy kids.

I switched my kids after puberty. Once they thought it was ridiculous to get dinosaurs on their bandaids was time to go.

Most of the patients of our pediatrics group stay through high school.

My kids did too.

Then, when they went away to college, they switched to a 'regular' doctor in the town they were studying in.

It was nice for the continuity of care.

My DD had a great pediatrician, but when she turned 18 she was told she had to get another doctor as he did not treat anyone older than 18. Otherwise he'd still be her doctor.

DD(16) asked me if she could switch to a primary care physician this year. I mentioned it to the receptionist at the pediatricians a couple of days ago when I made appts for my younger kids. She told me a primary care DR usually won't see a sick patient for a couple of days vs same day service with a Ped. Thats something to think about. I don't have a primary care DR (don't worry-its my New Years resolution to get one and get a physical) so I don't know for a fact whether that is true. I plan on selecting a primary care DR soon for myself. I guess thats a good question to ask.

It never even occurred to me to have my kids see a pediatrician by the time they were 9 or 10 really. I was never one to run them to the doctor for every little sniffle anyway. DS had some ear problems but our family physician sent him to a specialist for those.

These days I would think a lot of girls in their teens have a gynie.

"These days I would think a lot of girls in their teens have a gynie."

Mine did... but she still needed the ped for shots, routine physicals, etc.

I think at 16 they should make the switch. A rite of passage.

I rember with the pediatricians, I could always get a same-day appointment, even on a Sunday. That's because there are about 4 doctors and two nurse practitioners, who rotate, and I found they were all great. Compare that to my "regular" doctor, an Internist. If I call for an appointment and say it's an emergency, I am told "Go to an Emergency Room". Takes at least two days to get an appointment. I remember once, I was sitting in the waiting room, and a woman patient came in all bent over, saying she'd hurt her back and couldn't they please "slip" her in today? The answer was No. That wouldn't have happened at the kids pediatrician. When my daughter fell and cut her forehead open, I drove her straight to the pediatrician and he did stitches right in the office!

Thanks for all the replies and interesting perspectives....

So far it hasn't occurred to my kids to go to anyone except where they've been going all their lives, basically just for annual checkups.

I assume my daughter will use campus health care services as needed during the next few years, but she is required to submit a "Physical" report before attending this fall, and the ped. office was really nice about squeezing her in since they are booked until September. I have offered for her to see a gyn. but thus far, not a concern for her.

I asked my son this afternoon and he is fine with staying at the ped. office where all his records, etc. are, so I think, at least through HS, that is where he will stay. My DD may change her mind once she is in college, and prefer to visit a general M.D.

Thanks again everyone.

I really think by the time they're in their teens, the child has a right to have some input in the decision. Some would want to stay where theyr'e familiar, while others, I'm sure, would like to get away from the 'baby' dr.'s office.

In dd's case, we had one pediatrician for the first 10 years of her life, then she had a medical problem he was unable (or unwilling) to diagnose for a couple of years (it was intermittant, and not life-threatening, so we didn't realize at first, that it was chronic, and would be on-going for many years). We took her to another ped. who diagnosed her in about 10 minutes (and also diagnosed me with the same condition--which I'd never been told before). He was right in both cases. She stayed with him for a few years, but by her mid teens, though, dd herself wanted to switch to our family dr. and it was a good fit for her.

As to the person who said a ped. will see you same day, but a gp won't--that depends upon the dr. We have no problem ever getting a same day appt. with our family dr. if we're sick, and he's in. If he's not in, there's always a dr. covering who you can call. Of course, I'm sure most families know how their gp opperates, and would be able to anticipate if it were going to be a problem.