? Regarding the Hours of Child Psychiatry

[LoudBark]

This question is in regards to private practice child psychiatry. I am not talking academics where the rules are different and your day may be composed of teaching or research or administration.

In child psych, most of your patients are school age children. Yes, you may have a few that have not started school, but the vast majority are kindergarten or older.

That being the case, do you find in private practice during the school year, it is hard to find appointment slots to fill Monday through Friday from the hours of 8am to 3pm when kids would be in school? I doubt many kids are going to miss or be pulled out of school to go to their outpatient psych appointment, are they?

I am sure you can be booked solid from the hours of 3pm to 6pm since that is after school hours. You certainly won't be working weekends, nights, or holidays, when kids are out of school. The summer is different when kids are out of school and can come to day time appointments.

Considering the above, is it difficult to sometimes book patient appointments during daytime school hours? This is different than pediatrics where a large part of peds is well baby checks or toddlers who are not in school or sick kids who are not in school because they are actually sick.

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[TexasPhysician]

If you take insurance, they will come......and come quickly.

 

[drno31]

I don't know how it is in your area, but around here parents will take their kids out of school for a few hours once a month to make sure they can get an appointment with the child psychiatrist. I'm assuming cash paying patients can find a psychiatrist with more flexible hours.

 

[NJWxMan]

This is true. When the entire household is being disruptive, parents will do what needs to be done. If you can develop skill in treating the PDD population, this is another potential arena as well.