I have taken my son to Dr. Shafic since birth, in fact he did his circumcision, and we love him.  He's very knowledgeable and accomidating.  I have yet to have a problem getting in to see him whereas other offices take weeks in advance.  His office staff is very friendly as well and they do Saturday appts.  I love Dr. Shafic!

Dr. Sykes is great too.  She is the one on the channel 17 news weekdays at noon.  She does a daily segment on children's issues & health.    

Yes, I have to agree with NoahJ.  We had been considering changing insurance to save some money...and when I found that the insurance carrier we were considering didn't cover Shah and Santiago - we stayed with the current carrier at a higher premium.  They are well worth the extra cost in insurance to make sure our sons asthma is under control and we understand exactly what to do and when.  Although, there are other amazing pediatricians in Bakersfield and I'm sure there is one on your insurance provider list of the same calliber.  As I suggested, you may contact your insurance carrier directly and ask if you are not able to find someone on the list, what process do you follow to express your desire to have a different doctor, what recourse do you have and how might you get a doctor added to the list?  Sometimes there are ways to get new doctors onboard.....just a thought!  

When we were visiting my brother in MT., my then 18 month old needed stitches (my brothers dalmation snipped as soon as we arrived and he had a nice gash that needed medical attention...)  Anyway, I had never seen such pleasant service, quick triage and down to earth doctors.  (I was a mess the entire time!)  I actually wrote the administators of the hospital once we got home and my son's wound healed without further complications to thank them for their wonderful service.     

 That is too bad. We see Dr. Shah and Dr. Santiago for our son and I have to say that I have never been more impressed with a doctor's office in my life (although I had to receive medical treatment from an emergency center in Sacramento and they are highly impressive). They are very kind, very helpful, great bedside manner, and they explain everything crystal clear. If you have the ability to change insurance carriers it would be worth it!

I did call Dr. Shah's office directly earlier this year and they said they did not accept our insurance.  I assume it is by choice on the office's part...  Not sure I'd feel comfortable asking if they could recommend someone who does take our insurance.

Thanks for the replies and keep them coming!  We might have to check out Dr. Thomas...

Dr Shah and Dr Santigo at Southwest Pediatrics on Truxton are wonderful. I went there when I was preganet for a prebirth interview and my son has gone there ever since. Shaw is usually really busy but santigo shares the office and is always good about getting anyone in even on a last minute basis. There is occasionally a wait so i Suggest making early morning appointments if it works with your schedule.

OOPS sorry didn't see the part about not taking your insurance. I would ask shah's office if they could recommend anyone who may take your insurance. the medical community is a close knit one in Bakersfield and I am sure they could point you in the right direction.

Too bad your insurance won't cover Dr. Shah and Dr. Santiago.  They are the best!  We switched to their group a little over a year ago and I have been 100% satisfied.  They are up on the latest with all of their patients needs (for example, my youngest has had asthma issues and Dr. Santiago has kept me up to date on the latest and best treatments.  She has changed medications and played around with them in order to keep his asthma managed and in control - NOT just for emergency treatment, she believes in the best management to ensure the best quality of life for him.  Most impressive to me....)  I will go in with a list of questions and she will sit and answer everyone of them and tell me why she wants to do this, and what to do if he has problems.  They are open on Saturday mornings, and during the holidays when you would sit in Urgent Care...they are there during limited hours.  

Finding a pediatrician that will support breastfeeding can be a challenge.  I breastfed both of my children to 12 months....nearly 13 with my second, he didn't want to give it up!  The oldest was a lazy feeder, so I pumped and gave it to him in a bottle.  Supplemented with rice cereal since he was a very hearty eater, and gave him solid (home made baby food) at an early age.  I had a pediatrician that didn't agree with my philosphy, so...I read, researched and did what I thought was best.  (plus, having family that was knowledgeable and suggested solutions to my problems helped too.)

I'm not sure if you are able to request physicians be added to your network; at one time, we did have that option to request certain doctors.  If you have a limited list of physicians to choose from, put the names out there and see what parents say about their experiences.  When I was searching, I asked every mom I met - asked every friend I had that was a mom, and I went on a few visits with them and their kids.  Since most doctors are too busy to interview with new parents, this is a great way to see their patient/parent interaction skills and see what you like or dislike about the office, staff and bed side manners of the doctor.  Good luck!       &n bsp;   

Before we switched to Kaiser, we took our daughter to

(he calls his practice The Kid Shop), who's downtown.  We have friends who still see him.  We really liked him, very personable, knowledgeable and down to earth.