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Pediatrician recs in Bethesda
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Anonymous
i took my child to joan barkin soon after moving to this area, when we were looking for a pediatrician. my husband and i both went to the appointment. it was the single worst experience i have ever had with a medical provider (and i don't consider myself too hard to please). when we arrived the nurse said we were not allowed to come with our daughter to be weighed (the scale was around the corner from the room). we felt weird about it but we let them take our daughter without us, and she started crying and got very upset. when she got back into the room, dr. barkin berated us and told us that we probably needed to change our parenting because our daughter should not have gotten that upset at being separated from us. dr. barkin then recommended that we buy her book about parenting so that we could learn some strategies. she never once asked us anything about ourselves or our child. our child was very uncomfortable with her and cried the whole appointment. typically our child is great with doctors -- she had been comfortable with her previous pediatrician, and loves her current one (capitol medical group in chevy chase). but i think she picked up on the weird vibe that dr barkin was giving off, and our discomfort. we had delayed some vaccinations for our daughter and dr. barkin was quite cruel about it. in general it was awful. my husband said he could hardly keep his composure and he generally does not get upset. we stopped dr barkin halfway through the appointment to tell her we didn't feel this was going to be a good match and would prefer to end the appointment. she told us we'd never find a doctor as good as her and that she'd been doing this however many years and if we thought we knew better than her, we 'had another thing coming'. we were really upset and shaken after this appointment as we are generally pretty easygoing people and had never had such a bad experience before. i know others who have been happy with her, so maybe she was just having a bad day, or maybe we just weren't a good match for her personality. but i thought she was awful and have told many people not to go to her.
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Anonymous
I think Dr. Wheeler is now with Capitol Medical Group in Chevy Chase. Pretty sure she saw my son there last week. Seemed good; very nice. |
Anonymous
| Not being allowed to stay with your child to be weighed, or any evaluation, raises a red flag. |
Anonymous
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pp, i had a somewhat similar experience w/barkin.
the situation was different, but my analysis is that she is a nutjob. couldn't run out of there fast enough. i do due diligence-related work for a living, and i meet/see a LOT of people of all different types. I'm pretty good at sniffing out the 'off ones' very quickly. (the sign at the desk saying she doesn't accept credit cards because of processing fees that can be up to like 15 dollars as i recall, is telling. yes, there are issues with small businesses and credit card processing fees. however, all else aside-- to blatantly make an over the top claim that it costs $15 dollar to process a credit card copayment...it just is in the realm of dramatic outlier or liaer). not the trait if someone i would care it entrust w a loved one's medical care. (her office-mate took credit cards, presumably on the same machine, btw) |
toddlermominbethesda
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Wow, how sad to make such an unfair generalization and comment about one of the most amazing physicians of all time - from here to Mass General, truly, it is very rare to find a physician as wise; current on latest studies, findings, treatments, and pediatric care. She also keeps her bills lower for her patients so she can treat everyone -- so to judge her by the fact that she prefers not to take credit cards (which the office will certainly do for bills over $100) is a real shame. Also, her office submits to accepts insurance for you. So to not take credit cards on a $15 or lower copay seems very harsh of that poster and I wonder what is really the genesis behind it.
I come from a long line of physicians who work round the clock taking calls from patients at all hours, not because they have to -- but because the genuinely care about their patients. Dr. Barkin comes from the same school and our community is so incredibly lucky to have her. Every friend whom I have referred has LOVED Dr. Barkin and referred their friends and family too. |
toddlermominbethesda
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You quoted me below and I assure you I am a real life parent of two thriving kids in Bethesda and we adore Dr. Barkin. I am not related to her in any way. I do not work for her. I actually run a business that deals with human resources and very best practices in all areas.
Perhaps your experience was in part colored by a feeling of defensiveness by you and your wife for not having agreed to vaccinations earlier, and perhaps Dr. Barkin was trying to emphasize to you how imperative they are, especially given the deaths in California and across the country for children whose parents insisted that their kids not have those protections. I don't know what your experience nor if you are the same person maligning her in the posts about not taking credit cards for co-payments and the other odd statements below, but it is patently false that anyone at the office would keep you from being with your kid for any procedure or to be weighed. Perhaps you would be better off in an office or public clinic that treats patients like a number and cares only about spending less than an allotted five minutes with each patient rather than giving you very special attention and making sure that there are no underlying issues with your kids. For us, that would not be an option. If you want very detailed care -- and someone who genuinely cares about your whole family and that your children are not just "okay for the moment" but instead that they are thriving, then you should definitely make a consult with Dr. B. If you still doubt my genuineness, you could post your email address or phone number here and I will contact you personally. Sincerely, A Mom who is indebted for the care of Dr. Barkin for the past five years. |
Anonymous
| Another vote for Dr. Kulp and Metropolitan Pediatrics! They are WONDERFUL!! |
Anonymous
| Dr. Barkin practically yelled at my friend for still feeding her 4 month old at night. |