Express Family Clinic - Allen, TX (Dr. Parihar & Dr. Modi)
I…read morestrongly recommend thinking very carefully before choosing this clinic.
Front office and access to care
The front desk and phone management are some of the worst I've experienced. They rarely answer calls, don't seem to distinguish between urgent and routine issues, and give conflicting instructions (telehealth vs. "come now") within minutes. When I was calling repeatedly with serious symptoms--itching, jaundice, and clear concern about my liver--they still didn't treat it with urgency or help me reach the doctor in a timely way.
My experience with Dr. Parihar
I initially went to Dr. Parihar based on a recommendation. I had ongoing stomach issues. During my visits, a lot of the conversation drifted to unrelated topics (like food) rather than focusing on my symptoms and history.
He ordered a breath test and urine test, but no stool test, and diagnosed me with amebiasis, supposedly from a trip to South America three months earlier. He said this condition "does not exist in the USA" and prescribed a 15 day course of Flagyl (metronidazole) without having done bloodwork first.
After about 4 days on Flagyl, I developed severe nausea. By days 8-9, I started turning yellow and became extremely itchy--clear signs of jaundice. I repeatedly called the clinic, told them my symptoms, and still had trouble getting timely access to the doctor.
Dangerous delay and lack of follow up
When I finally saw him, he seemed unsure why he had prescribed Flagyl and again asked when I had traveled. He then ordered blood tests. I did the labs on Wednesday and got the results Thursday afternoon--my liver numbers were 5-6 times the normal range.
I called the clinic multiple times that day. Despite these alarming results, I did not hear back from him. The next morning, I finally got an appointment and was told to get a CT scan. I completed the CT the same day. The radiologist considered the findings serious enough to call Dr. Parihar directly. Even then, I received no call from him that evening, despite calling the clinic several times between 4-5 p.m.
The next morning, the imaging center emailed me my CT report. It showed a lesion in my pancreas, which understandably caused a lot of fear and stress for me and my family.
How I finally got proper care
I shared the report with friends and family who are physicians. They advised me to go to the ER immediately. My now PCP (a friend I wish I had gone to from the start) directed me to Baylor Scott & White in Frisco and coordinated with a gastroenterologist there.
At Baylor, I was admitted, had an MRI, and was ultimately diagnosed with an autoimmune issue. They created a clear treatment plan, and the care from that point on was excellent. I felt heard, informed, and safe.
In the meantime, Dr. Parihar left me a voicemail suggesting I see an oncologist and get a biopsy. Given everything that had already happened, I chose not to continue under his care.
What I learned from this experience
* Question long antibiotic courses: If a doctor prescribes antibiotics for more than 3 days--especially something like Flagyl--ask what specific tests or evidence support that diagnosis, particularly if no bloodwork or appropriate tests have been done.
* Choose an accessible PCP: Your primary care doctor should be reachable when you're sick, not only when it's convenient for the office. If the staff constantly says "he's busy" while you're calling multiple times with serious symptoms, that's a red flag.
* Take your symptoms seriously: If you feel something is very wrong--like jaundice, severe itching, or rapidly worsening symptoms--don't wait for a non responsive clinic. Seek urgent or emergency care.
Bottom line
This clinic cost me 4-5 weeks of time, significant stress, two nights in the hospital, and substantial medical bills. More importantly, I felt unsafe and unheard during a serious health issue. I would urge anyone considering this clinic to be extremely cautious and to find a physician whose staff is responsive, whose decisions are grounded in appropriate testing, and who takes your concerns seriously.