The Berkeley Free Clinic is an American treasure. I have been going to dentist there for a long time. The room is clean, the staff is friendly, and the service is professional. I am truly grateful that BFC has stayed open all these many years to serve low income people in need. And it really is free, but I always make a donation to help keep them afloat! read more

They were really nice and helpful to my daughter. There is no parking, come prepared to pay or walk.

Came for free std destiny and there volunteer saw my quickly and were very informed. Helped through a difficult time so eternally grateful for that. read more

I wanted to like this place despite all the bad reviews my new job unexpectedly told me my tb was expired , admist all the corona virus bs you can imagine my anger trying to find a dr appointment, my job suggested i go here i waited 3 hrs for them to open and another 2 for my appointment time , i was able to schedule a tb test so i was relieved , my results were to be read on Saturday at 1pm imagine my shock to drive all the way to this clinic only to be told there wasnt any staff on duty to read my results and i had the option to wait around for an hour or two and hope someone showed up , there was still resources available for the drug addicted homeless people but there wasnt even enough courtesy to send out a email alerting patients that the facility was closed read more

Anyone with the capacity to donate money/time should give to the Berkeley Free Clinic! It is a beautiful organization set up to help homeless people with their health concerns. People who aren't insured or without a job can also been seen here. The way it works is that they open the doors to homeless people at 5:30 pm Monday through Thursday (verify Friday-Sunday hours on their website). Homeless people are seen first. At 5:45 pm the clinic starts taking calls and walk-ins for non-homeless people on a first-come first-served basis. They don't have doctors or nurses at their facility. The staff who sees clients are volunteer health practitioners. After a health practitioner asks a series of questions to the patient, he/she will run the diagnosis by a team to confirm proper treatment. If the patient's needs go beyond the scope of the clinic, the patient will receive a list of clinics and hospitals in the area. I have never seen a more caring, non-judgemental set of volunteer staff!!! They deal with tough patients, some of whom do not have the mental capacity to properly function in life. And the staff does it with such compassion. It is an eye-awakening experience to see their operations. Berkeley Free Clinic is a blessing to our community. read more

They offer free medical services and assistance to those that cannot afford it. How can you not like that?

The Berkeley Free clinic has been a Godsend!!!! I am a registered nurse and I moved from Connecticut to California three weeks ago. My CT insurance only covers emergency room visits (with a $150 co pay). My California health insurance will not take affect for another couple of weeks. I have had urinary tract infection symptoms for 10 days and was trying to hold off getting tested and treated until the CA insurance started. I went to the clinic tonight and left with antibiotics to treat the infection I do in fact have. EVERYONE at the clinic was kind, compassionate, and advocates for a better health care system. THANK YOU - especially Coleen (who will begin medical school next year) read more

Let's be real, the Berkeley Free Clinic has saved many of us who needed a TB test in a hurry or free without the hassle of traveling to our appointed local doctor or taking a huge portion of our schedule. The procedure for walk-ins is simple. Call as soon as the line opens for walk-in appointments. It might have changed but in 2013 this was 5:30pm? Or around that time. The line might be busy (they have at least 3 lines but a lot of people call) but be patient and keep trying. 75% of the time, you'll get lucky and can get seen that same business day. The Berkeley Free Clinic is located in a small enclave of a church. I filled out a few forms, read as I waited to get seen, and got my TB test! You have to return after a couple of days but the second visit is much faster. I believe they also provide free dental appointments for less fortunate community members. Super organized and every volunteer absolutely LOVES what he/she is doing at the clinic. read more

It was like 3 hours to get STD/HIV tested which is kind of long. Showing up Sunday early did not speed things up. I feel from my experience, showing up later would have been better. I don't blame the staff or volunteer at all. It's just a lot of services for the limited amount of staff they have including all the volunteers. The interaction with the staff was top-notch. Very through screening. It's really close to this yummy hot pot place so not a bad trip out to this area. read more

To be honest I was scared of going here. I was convinced I would be seated for an hour and a half next to reeking, hacking, tubercular homeless people, hippies and/or screaming immigrant infants, but the waiting room was quiet, tidy and orderly, and my name was called in about ten minutes. Wow. I was examined by cool, caring health care worker Jonathan, who helped diagnose my itchy fungal condition and prescribed and gave(!) me the prescribed Clotrimazole athlete's foot cream. The last thing I wanted to do is take advantage of this place. I want to pay something and pay for the product. I had donated $20.00 before even being seen, so according to Jonathan this "more than covered" the visit and the ointment. I certainly hope so - this place seems like a vital, necessary, well-run community resource and (hopefully) painless alternative to giving $100 to a private practitioner for what would probably be the exact same result save a more luxurious waiting room with glossy magazines about how people that have more money than you spend it. Makes me want to be a Marxist. Note: reading the other reviews, I guess these people are volunteers? Wow. That's even more amazing. Six stars, no burritos. read more

The Berkeley Free Clinic performed incompetent dental care for my cavity. Instead of fixing it, they repeatedly put in temporary fillings, which fell out immediately each time. This went on for months with the inner tooth unprotected, leading to the need for a root canal, which they also botched. The left two broken drill bits lodged in the bone, then gave up without even sterilizing the area. (When I complained, they threatened to call security!) For the next year I tried to get legal help, all the while coping with the general infection caused by the unsterilized area. I lost two years of employment, became homeless and almost died. The infection resurfaced years later, along with extensive bone loss, which required an expensive implant. The dental trainees and supervisor mutilated me like a lab animal, while management skillfully 'circled the wagons' with lies and misdirection. Do not trust the BFC for any medical care! read more

I wish there were negative stars for this institution. Wait, wait.....did I just type institution. Because institution leads an individual to believe that something is legitimate. I spent a unbelievable 5 hours at this crazy-run, back of an alley-type shitshow. It was akin to people that give abortions with hangers. How can you give my junk a look without being medically trained, draw blood without training. I was told because I was a "top," I didn't need to get certain tests.....I was also told I might wanna see a dentist because I had a cavity.....it was a filling. I wasn't opening my mouth up wide enough for one of the "examiners" and he got down on his knees and mimicked a blow job and said, "You know, like this!" Please don't go here. Spend the money to get real professionals. I can refer you to some. Or have a friend do it for free...cause I'm sure he/she would do a better job. I'm from NYC and this shit DOES NOT fly there. NYC Health Dept, I miss you. read more

I wish I could give this place more stars. They are a caring facility that has been giving healthcare to the community for 40+ years. Providing many medical services for little if any cost. One of the few clinics that do dental work in the Bay Area. They do all kinds of tests here, pregnancy, eye, TB, venereal diseases, blood, flu, you name it. The staff here is mostly volunteer and is very understanding and friendly. Sometimes there is a long wait, not all medical problems can be cared for quickly and their staff is few in number. But it's not as bad as some emergency rooms are. When you are thinking of giving some money to charity think of this place and the great work they have been doing taking care of the homeless, the poor, the uninsured, elderly, and the rest of the community, and donate some money to the Berkeley Free Clinic. read more

Berkeley Free Clinic - Berkeley Free Clinic is one of the very few places to go for dental care free or far cheaper than you can get it done elsewhere - Medical Centers Near Me - Berkeley, California

Such caring people volunteer here! They have a great energy with each other but their work ethic and knowledge is just TOP NOTCH. FYI they play movies on a flat screen so if you don't have headphones or a book, you can just hang out and watch a flick of the staff's choosing (Sicko and a film about coming out in developing countries played while I was there) I only arrived 15 minutes before opening and was there a total of 4 hours (this was on the Sunday drop in day for men). Wasn't expecting that, but that's the kind of demand the place is in. Next time I go i'll just show up an hour early and be person number 1, 2 or 3 and get in and out quicker. I have health insurance but would rather come here and donate just because the atmosphere is much more welcoming (plus it's a pain to have to go see my doctor, pay a co-pay, then go to another location for the blood work). read more

Free AND efficient? It doesn't get any better. Went in for a TB test on a Thursday night. Called at exactly 5:45pm when the lines opened but the line was busy. Called again at 6pm and the lady at the front desk jot down my info and told me that I should receive a call back in 45 minutes. At 6:40pm, I got a call back and got scheduled to come in at 7:45pm that night. Came in at 7:45pm, filled out 3-4 pages of paperwork (pretty simple - although they do ask for approximate month/year of particular vaccines/immunizations). I waited 15-20 minutes in the lobby before someone saw me. The guy who did the test for me was super nice and informative - he broke everything down and stressed key points (I believe his name was Yan?) And there was a trainee who was overlooking the procedure and she was also very sweet! The whole TB process took maybe about 15 minutes? And the two made me feel very comfortable and were very personable! They told me to come back Sunday at 4:30pm. I came exactly at 4:30pm and a staff member gave me a number and told me to take a seat. Less than 5 minutes later, my number was called (talk about quick). She checked my arm quickly, wrote down my results, gave me two copies (you can request for more), and asked me if there was anything else she could do. Very sweet girl - I forgot her name, but I know she's half Korean! Overall, I didn't spend more than 40-45 minutes on Thursday and 10-15 minutes on Sunday - which is way quicker than any PAID visit I've had at a doctor's office/hospital. They also have a donation box located at the front desk. Of course I had to show them my gratitude after my pleasant visit and the awesome service I received - and I highly suggest you do the same if you do choose to come here! read more

I am a counselor with the BFC in the Peer Counseling Collective. It is an amazing community full of compassionate, intelligent, competent people with diverse experiences, backgrounds and expertise. The BFC has been an institution in Berkeley for forty years and all of its volunteers are deeply committed to the mission of providing care in various forms to anyone who needs it and to treating each person as an individual with dignity and respect. As collectives and free services go, this might not be the best place for you if you are looking for really speedy service. But if you are looking for care from well-trained laypeople who will see you as a whole person, this is the spot for you! read more

My rating might be biased because I am a volunteer in the IRC (information resource collective) aka front desk...but looking at the previous reviews of the Berkeley Free Clinic, I sense that I am not the only one who feels this way. Here is a quick summary of my review before I even give you the details: The BERKELEY FREE CLINIC is AWESOME FANTASTIC AND DESERVES MORE CREDIT THAN ANY ONE PERSON CAN ATTRIBUTE...because: 1. EVERYONE on staff is a "health worker VOLUNTEER"...meaning they are dedicating their time, passion, care to serve the communities of the Bay Area and beyond! 2. Cooperative community atmosphere....everything at the Berkeley Free Clinic has been voted on, discussed, amended, and constructively put in place to cater to serve our customer's needs. 3. confidential HIV/AIDS testing. EXCELLENT medics on staff who treat everyone with dignity and respect 4. Free hot tea (green, black, peppermint...ect.) and CONDOMS (lubricated, non-lubricated, flavored)!! 5. EXCELLENT referrals to other low cost/free/sliding scale hospitals/clinics ( if your condition is something that the Berkeley Free Clinic can't treat) 6. FRIENDLY and OPEN MINDED volunteers who care 7. Accessible by ALL (students, homeless, uninsured, low income) 8. Clean waiting room and restroom 9. DENTAL clinic with life-long membership (based on a lottery system) ....Basically I could go on for a while...but I will save you the reading and tell you to COME VISIT US when you are in the area! Stop by and pick up some free condoms, or come and ask us about our services! read more

This is a great resource, and I'm really happy that there are some options that allow our community to have some access to health services. I went here a few months ago when I didn't have a job, & when I suspected that I might have strep throat. They were able to test me and provide antibiotics within an hour. The volunteers were very helpful and made follow up phone calls to make sure that I was improving. Thank you staff! read more

This place has been providing medical and counseling services to people in need for many years. They are a model of what communities could and should be doing. Kudos to all those who volunteer here. read more

I needed a TB test per the request of my employer and after some research, I was led to Berkeley Free Clinic. The universe truly did lead me here as I could have gone anywhere else for this test, but even after my research for places in the East Bay to be tested, I somehow still ended up here and through no particular motivation. The staff here exude an exemplary amount of empathy and compassion. Every person who entered and left the clinic gave gratitude to the front desk and the employees. That alone is telling of the intention grounded within the work that is being done here. I admire everyone who works here, though my encounter was brief. I will be back to continue supporting their mission. read more

Very friendly staff and a decent facility. I needed a PEP rabies shot which they don't offer. Still a great place .

it's free? how better can that get! of course, at the end I donated. i called at 5:45pm that day and was put on the waitlist. they gave me a call back 1 hr later to tell me if i got an apt. for that night or not. I GOT THE APPT. YAY!! On the phone they verified my name, number, and reason for visit. they also stated if it was okay to get my shots done by trained students. i was skeptical at first, but i asked them if they were properly trained and if the needles were new . ( i didn't want to contract any diseases !!!!!!!!!) she said i have nothing to worry about, so i confirmed my apt. my apt was at 8:30pm. before arriving at the clinic, i was worried for parking because they said it's very limited parking. since my apt. was late at night , i was scared to park couple blocks away and walk by myself to the clinic (berk. could be a dangerous place at night!!). luckily, i found parking RIGHT in front of the clinic! entering the clinic... the place was kinda old and dirty looking, but it didn't bother me. Although the clinic is run by students and/or just graduated nurses, it's very professional. the staff was very nice and friendly. the wait was about 10-15 min. once they called me inside, a female and male student from ucb introduced themselves and asked me health questions. they also informed me about the TB Shot and flu shot i was getting. then, they performed it on me! very good job...didn't hurt at all. the only weird thing about this place is that it's first come first serve. so, if you want to have an apt. THAT DAY, u have to call in THAT DAY at 5:45 pm to have a 50% chance of getting an apt. THAT DAY. if you don't get it, you have to call the next day at the same time to see if you get it for that day or not. you are not allowed to call in ..for example on monday to get it done for tuesday. the day u call, is the day you have that 50% apt. read more

Five stars! Friendly, non-judgmental, dedicated volunteers here who really care about your health and well-being. They're open basically every day of the week and do their best to help the community. If you're ever in a pinch, without insurance, or need a place to go where you'll get free, good quality care without the judgement, look no further. BFC will take care of you :) read more

Needed to get my TB test for school so I called this place. You have to call at exactly 5:45pm. Don't hang up! Yes the wait is long when your on hold. But once you get through, they are really accommodating. Was able to come in that night! Wait was 10 mins. Everything is FREE but they do take donations. Going back tomorrow for results! Highly recommend this place. read more

I was making TB test for school. You need to make an appointment exacly at 5:45. It's free. You guys are doing great job! Quick, politely and helpful. read more

I don't write reviews very often, but this place deserves it. I live in LA and was in Berkeley visiting friends when I got a really bad ear infection. My ear was so swollen inside I could only partially hear and felt alot of pressure in my ear. My boyfriend and I walked in to the clinic on Thanksgiving night, just before they were closing. The girl at the front desk said I'd have to come back for a full examination another day but we insisted someone look at my ear. She then introduced us to a lovely woman named Hermon, who looked at my ear right away! No wait! We didnt even sit down in the waiting room! She spent a considerable amount of time with me, taking a good look into my ear... She was going to give antibiotics, but chose to start me with ear drops first and if they didn't work, then I should come back in (Which I preferred because I avoid antibiotics!). Unfortunately I live in Los Angeles, and was headed back to LA the next day... fast forward a week later...the ear drops didn't end up working, as the infection ended up being more serious then we thought. I WISH I could have gone back to Hermon and gotten antibiotics. Unfortunately I had to go to a terrible clinic in LA to get them, sit through 3 hours of a waiting, 60 seconds with a mean doctor. If only I lived in Berkeley!... To add, I called Hermon on a Saturday to ask some questions and she called me back IMMEDIATELY with answers. ALSO, she called me a week after I spoke with her to follow up on how my ear was doing. I have NEVER had such a caring, personable experience with a clinic/doctor/nurse in my life! And I have been to some fancy Beverly Hills doctors (when I used to have health insurance) that would rush through visits and never follow up. If you go here, definitely see HERMON! She's the BEST!!! read more

I work here, in the HIV testing services! Much BFC love! From a volunteer's perspective, in my past two years here, this is one of the most rewarding experiences in my recent years. We believe in treating our clients with respect and client-centered counseling. We're always receiving wonderful feedback on our forms about how caring and comfortable our HIV counseling sessions are, and look to improve our sessions. read more

OK, I'm biased b/c I volunteered here in the HIV prevention section and needle exchange for 3+ years back in the late 90s. The BFC a long-term, stable fixture in the E Bay community, providing non-judgemental, reliable, friendly, and free health services to the public. The HPS provides a less clinical approach to HIV counseling with focus on the client needs. I encourage all to visit, or better yet donate your time or $. read more

Free medical care is apparently VERY popular and in HIGH demand. There are several things to consider before coming here. The first is that it is staffed by community health volunteers - NOT doctors. The clinic is divided into 3 sections: Dentistry, TB clinic, and all other medical issues. Starting at 5:45pm people start calling in - and the lines are often busy and then put on hold. They only take 3 people per night with the same/similar need so even if you call or walk in at 5:45pm, you may be told that there are already 5 people ahead of you and there is little to no chance of you being seen. If so, don't give up. You could still get in - if you are willing to wait. Not everyone ahead of you may "qualify" to be seen. Something else important to know is that they do NOT guarantee that you will be seen or that you will be treated if you are. Since almost every other alternative is closed between 7pm-9pm - and probably charges, coming here is certainly worth a try. They prefer that you call in (at 5:45pm) and then call you back if and when an appointment is available (usually at 7pm). Otherwise, you may be told to try again another day. The clinic's "medics" practice "procedure-based medicine" - which means they take longer than a doctor normally would to figure out what your problem is and what to do about it - plus they need to "consult" with another "medic" before actually treating you. Rather than write a prescription (which, not being doctors, they probably can't), they may just give you medication (saving you time and cost of going to a pharmacy). Overall, this is a great option for no-cost care - but be prepared to wait and be patient with their seemingly endless general question "procedure" before they even look at whatever your condition/complaint/need may actually be. read more

I needed a TB test for my job and all signs were pointing here. I show up just to find out that I should've called at 5:00 to enter my name in their lottery of who they will see that day. Then they asked me if I was homeless because they give priority to the homeless before they will assist anyone else. It was such a waste of my time. Plus, who wants to be walking around Berkeley late at night? Such a waste. read more

these saints got me the antibiotics i needed to get through the awful case of strep throat i had and back on the streets where i belong, drinking myself into comas and eating awful food and reviewing the experiences for everyone's benefit. THANKS BERKELEY FREE CLINIC! read more

I had a very positive experience at this clinic recently. The staff are friendly and efficient and I felt totally comfortable telling them my entire sexual history. The drop-in system is a little confusing so allow yourself extra time to get oriented. I went to the Saturday drop-in women's clinic for a full STD screening. They don't take appointments for STD tests. Here are a few helpful tips: 1.) They open the doors at noon, arrive 15 minutes early so that you can be seen early - they only see a limited amount of women. You can wait outside until the doors open and then they let you in and will give you a number based on who was there first. Remember the order that you got there, take note of who was there before you and who arrived after you. 2.) They are health workers, not doctors. They cannot do physical exams "down there". They draw blood, and take urine. They do not provide family planning (ie: birth control pills, IUD). But they have lots of free condoms! 3.) They are very thorough and want to educate you. Be prepared to talk to someone for a good 15-20 minutes. If you are going for STI and an HIV test it's like two appointments, so you meet with one clinician for the STI, then a different one for HIV, so if you don't have a lot of time then do them on separate visits. NOTE: The HIV tests are ANONYMOUS, which is different from CONFIDENTIAL. With anonymous testing they will not provide you with any document that tells the results. If you want a document you can get tested at the Berkeley Public Health clinic in North Berkeley (not as nice but also free). Berkeley Free Clinic is a clean, friendly, safe and respectable place to go. They will also answer any questions you have and provide lots of resources for low-cost health care. She also told me about the Family Pact program that provides free birth control. Good times! read more

they tested me for all the major stds and got my results to me within a week or two. it was completely free. the wait was very long. (apx. 90 minutes). i would go back. read more

Went for a free TB testing for a job. Called exactly at 5:45p.m to make a same-day appointment. They called me within an hour and scheduled me for 7:45p.m. Parking was horrible so expect to park far, luckily i was dropped off and arrived there 10min before my appointment. Filled out the paperwork and waited 25min after my appointment time. The staff was super nice and very friendly, walked me thru every step of the procedure and answered all of my questions. Can't beat this service!! Understand this is a free clinic so donate read more

Incredibly generous of their mighty resourcefulness, the BFC is there to help, and they do. I can't speak to their actual clinical services, as I haven't ever met the demographic and/or service of the day--which days are scheduled by clinical need--but will always remember showing up as extrasuperbonusjailbait squatter chicklet, some circa '83 boys-night, 45-60 age group hr, even, and being promptly served and sent on my merry way. BFC is just my speed: an underground, creative, not-last but certainly least formal resort ,for help in identifying, confronting, or ideally sidestepping novelties of spooky badness, or when my resource-fu is otherwise not so powerful. I was both those things, tonight, and called w/o even looking at what thing engaged their immediate attention, and was immediately, generously and precisely-appropriately provided the optimal referral. This is no mean feat. My circumstance is sadly not at all novel, nor do I guess is 6 months' dearth and damage of institutional failure. Of the hundreds of proper channels engaged, it's subterranean BFC that hooked me up to the wellspring of diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitative offerings, plus management of that suite of services for victims of violent crime. Check out the website, see what they have to offer, and keep their number handy for whenever you need the kind of help a pointy-headed intellectual volunteer type healthcare organization might provide. It might not be their thing, your need, but they'll do their best to help anyway, and that best, I'd bet, will help. read more

Berkeley's Free Clinic was there for me when I needed a TB test in a hurry for a job. I received friendly fast service from the volunteers after calling the hotline at the designated hours. Not having health insurance is difficult at times, but with B.F.C. it makes access to resources easier. read more

Really great services and caring people. I went and did free walk in counseling a few times with the Peer Counseling Collective. They don't offer any advice but it's great if you need somewhere to talk about anything that is coming up for you. Everybody I saw was really warm and I felt like they were listening to what I was saying. The only downside is that on a busy night you might have to wait a while to be seen but thats a really minor complaint when you are getting a free service. read more

This review is specifically for the dentist. The rest of the staff was wonderful, respectful, listened to my issue, and reassured me that they would be able to help, and I can't say anything bad about the clinic in general. What I am really disappointed in the "care" I received by their dentist. I waited an hour after my appointment time, which I didn't have a problem with because I assumed that soon I wouldn't be in pain anymore (I haven't been able to eat for 2 days). The dentist finally saw me, spent 5 minutes poking at my sore and bleeding gums, didn't listen to what I was trying to tell him, told me to take ibuprofen and see a dentist. That's why I'm there, because you are a dentist and the 800 mg of ibuprofen isn't helping. He said he didn't have the time to deal with my problem, and became very condescending and rude. I have high anxiety, so just the fact that I tried to get help is a big thing. To not only be told that my problem is inconvenient but also to have made it worse is such a slap in the face. I thanked the other staff for their care and attentiveness, and I left in tears with more pain than before. So, thanks for nothing, Doctor who wouldn't even tell me his name. Don't go here if you are genuinely in need of dental help. read more

I like the concept behind the berkeley free clinic. I tried to get TB testing done here and I was told that there were available spots for an appointment and that someone would call me back the same night to let me know when to go in. No one ever called me back and when I called them back, they said that they were all booked up. Since I haven't actually been there yet, i'll leave my review at three stars for now. edit: I went there and my appointment went very smoothly. The staff is always nice and friendly. You can't really complain about a free clinic. read more

I want to be transparent and say that I volunteer for the clinic. I'm writing a review about the services I received before I was a volunteer. It was easy to find out the information I needed from the website so that I could get a TB test. After calling in I made an appointment very easily and went into the clinic. Everyone was very nice and accommodating and I got results in the time I was supposed to. When I first started volunteering I was happy to learn that the clinic was giving free flu shots this last holiday season. It was a simple process of grabbing a number waiting till I was called and getting my shot. The clinic is an awesome place. I recommend going there is they can offer what you need. read more