Before your first appointment
- Choose a primary care provider (PCP) for yourself and/or your child(ren). This will be your personal clinician, the one you will see most often and with whom you’ll discuss your health concerns and questions. View available PCPs for:
- Infants, children, and adolescents, aged birth–23 years
- Adolescents, aged 10 and older
- Adults, aged 18 and older
Filter by location (Cambridge or Lexington) to see PCPs who practice at the location of your choice. Don’t worry; if the PCP you choose turns out not to be the best fit for you or your child, it’s easy to switch.
- Transfer your medical record. Ask your previous healthcare provider to send your record to MIT Medical Records Service, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E23-023, Cambridge, MA 02139 (Fax: 617-258-6102). For a child, be sure to include an immunization record (translated into English if necessary).
- Fill out a medical history form. You’ll bring this form with you to your first appointment.
- Sign up for HealthELife. MIT Medical’s online patient portal lets you manage your healthcare on your computer or through a free mobile app. You can use HealthELife to message your provider, request appointments or prescription refills, view lab results, and more. Adults can sign up for their own HealthELife accounts, and parents can create proxy accounts for children younger than 14. Learn more.
Your first appointment
Your first appointment with your new PCP is the start of an important collaborative relationship. It’s a chance for you to ask questions, share information, and address concerns.
Arrive on time for your appointment, but don’t come into the building more than 10 minutes ahead of time. For your safety and the safety of our staff members, we’re trying to minimize the number of people in waiting rooms and other spaces.
Bring with you:
- The medical history form you filled out in advance,
- Medical records that were not already sent to our Medical Records Service,
- A list of any prescription medications and/or supplements you (or your child) are currently taking, and
- For your child’s first appointment, bring a copy of the child’s growth chart, if you have one, and the child’s immunization record (translated into English if necessary), if it hasn’t already been sent to our Medical Records Service.
Finally, think about the health concerns you want to address, and write down any questions you’d like to ask your PCP. Based on your physical exam and the concerns you express, you and your PCP will make plans for additional preventive care, immunizations, or, if needed, referrals for diagnostic testing or specialty care.
Are you expecting?
Take some time now to read about available providers, so you’ll be ready to choose a PCP for your new baby. We’ll schedule an office visit for your baby during your child’s first week at home. We also offer breastfeeding support for new mothers.
Meet one of our pediatric care providers at one of our Baby Talk sessions. Learn more about how we can support you and your family.
