One thing that I consider to be a must when selecting the pediatrician for our kids is that if they are available to receive our calls at anytime. I think this is so important because it can save us a lot of unnecessary trips to hospital and a quicker improvement of our kids. Do you consider this?
I agree, my kids' pediatrician gave me his mobile number so I can contact him in case of emergencies. I don't abuse this privilege though, I only call him if its really an emergency. For check ups and other concerns I call his secretary. During immunizations or check ups, I just call the secretary to ask the doctors schedule have a reservation so that when we arrive at the clinic we don't have to wait a long time.
We had poor experiences with our three (yes, three) first pediatricians, but finally we found a great one. Sure, I don't call her for anything, just when I really need it, but she is super accessible, sometimes I send pictures if necessary, it can't get much better than that.