What's the difference between family medicine and pediatrics?

We're switching health care providers - so i have to start over again. My choices are limited, so I'm trying to understand what the difference is between the two...

Family medicine means just that, the doctors there are knowledgeable about all different ages. That means you, your baby, and any other household members could go there and receive treatment. Pediatrics are specialized to infants & small children.

Pediatrics only treats kids. Family medicine treats everyone (kids and adults).

Family medicine is usually a doctor that will see your whole family for medical needs, including yourself, spouse, and children. Pediatrics refers to children only... a pediatrician would see your children for their medical needs, but not yourself or spouse.

Hope this helps!!

family med... is adults children and infants.
peds. is soley infants and children.

pediatrics is strictly children. a family doctor will see the whole family. my pediatrician actually switched to family med because he hated having to stop seeing his patients after they got too old.

Pediactricians are specifically for children.

family care is just a GP. pediatrics is just for children under the age ogf 13 or14

Family medicine -- Doctor treats the entire family, including parents; very convenient
Pediatrics -- Doctor treats the children only and specializes in treating kids; parents have to find a different doctor for themselves.

Family medicine covers basic medicine. Pediatrics is specialized in only children and how certain meds react to their little bodies. A family practitioner may not be as well informed. Don't you just LOVE insurance companies???

well a family practice will take care of the needs for the entire family from infancy through adult. a pediatrician specializes in children only. alot of adults believe that children are the same as adults but smaller. this is not the case. childrens medicine is alot different than a full grown adults, what works for an adult may not or may be detrimental to a child. check with the family practice to make sure they can cover any treatments that may arise for you and your entire family. give them the ages of the children and make sure that they have the Drs., physicians assisstants or nurse practioners that have the know how and knowlege to treat children. if they do then a family practice should work well for you. at least you will only have one office to go to unless you are referred out to a specialist for something. a family practice will refer you out to a specialist if they feel you problem(s) have exceeded the care they can give you or your family. either way you will be covered if something arises that they cannot handle.
to be honest they will do what they can for a particular problem usually before referring out. such as if someone had a skin complaint the family practice would treat it and if they was no resolution to the problem they would then refer out to a dermatologist. check your insurance to see if they cover referrals
most usually do if it is a referral in their network. also you may not always see he same Dr. each time in a family practice unless it is a one Dr. practice, although most have more than Dr., or a nurse practioner or a physicians assistant either of the last two can also usually write prescriptions and diagnose in place of an MD.