I don't usually write reviews, but I feel that an experience I had with Dr. Kim's office needs to…read morebe shared. I was referred to Dr. Kim by my primary care physician about a year ago. I want to be as fair as possible in my review, and will say that I actually liked Dr. Kim. It is true that she moves quickly through appointments and could improve her bedside manner a bit, but she was thorough and answered all my questions. She caught a melanoma and was able to get me in quickly to have it successfully removed. I have been happy with her treatment this past year.... Until yesterday.
On January 13, 2026 she did a biopsy on my cheek. I was informed by a staff member on January 28th that it was a form of cancer. I had questions about the 3 different treatment options the staff member presented to me, and wanted to get Dr Kim's opinion on the best course of treatment. I was told I needed to schedule an appointment for her to give me that information (which I think should automatically be included when giving a patient biopsy results), but the staff member told me she would be happy to describe all treatment options in depth. I decided to have the cancer lesion scraped off by Dr. Kim, and made the appointment for mid-February. On February 12th I had a telehealth appointment with Dr Kim for an unrelated issue. At the end of that appointment Dr Kim told me she was aware of my upcoming appointment for her to scrape the cancer lesion, and wanted to recommend a MOS procedure instead. Because it was a more invasive procedure and on my face, she wanted to refer me to a plastic surgeon. She asked if this was okay with me, and then said she would send the referral right away. She informed me she would cancel the appointment I had previously made with her office for treatment.
I contacted the plastic surgeon and scheduled the surgery for July 29th (the earliest appointment). There was NO additional contact from Dr Kim's office until June 23rd, when I called the office to schedule a body scan. I was scheduled for July 27, the earliest appointment available, but asked that my name be put on a waitlist for an earlier appointment should someone cancel.
On June 29th, Dr Kim's office called while I was on vacation, and left a very kind message asking for an update on the cancer lesion. They asked if I could call back to let them know if I had had the lesion treated yet so they could update my chart (surgery already scheduled for July 29). I planned to call them back after we returned from the July 4th holiday. On the day of my return, I received a nasty letter from Dr Kim, dated July 3rd, stating that she was terminating our physician/patient relationship, and that she would "no longer serve as my physician. She would no longer provide medical care to me, and she would no longer prescribe or refill medications for me effective August 3rd. She would remain available until this date FOR EMERGENCY CARE ONLY". The reasons cited were that "they had tried to contact me multiple times concerning my biopsy results" and "were unsuccessful in scheduling me for treatment".
I WAS SHOCKED!!! They have NOT tried to contact me multiple times, and I DID schedule my treatment with the plastic surgeon, as directed by Dr.Kim. I immediately looked through my call history and discovered there had ONLY been 2 calls from their office to me since January 27th (the day the biopsy results were shared). The ONLY other call that had ANYTHING to do with this procedure was on June 29th, and then this termination letter was issued 4 days later, July 3rd!
My husband suggested that the letter may have been sent by mistake. I documented every phone call -incoming and outgoing, as well as every email correspondence. I drove over today to speak with the office manager to show them they had clearly made a mistake and get everything sorted out. I went in expecting an apology and a correction, but left frustrated and upset. They refused to even talk to me. They had zero interest in the documentation I had with me, and just kept saying, "once that letter is sent out, it's final", and that I would have to find a new dermatology office. I told them the information in their letter was incorrect and could prove it. She told me she also had documentation, but when I asked to see it, she refused. I asked if there was somewhere we could talk quietly to avoid making a scene in their waiting room, and she just kept saying "once that letter is sent out, it's final". I told her I would be writing a review to share this frustrating and upsetting experience, and she smiled and said "OK. Thank you" and shut her window.
I would understand if there had been a long history of non-compliance with treatment requests, but I have done EVERYTHING asked of me by Dr Kim. I take my skin care health VERY seriously. I was offended and feel that their handling of this incident was very unprofessional, staining what had otherwise been a very positive relationship.
