I have taken over 24 hours to process my interaction with Dr. Mallick yesterday and I hope that…read morewith my feedback, Dr. Mallick will truly take time to self reflect for future patients and for others to take this into consideration as they search for a doctor.
I was really excited to meet with Dr. Mallick. He seemed like exactly what I was needed. I have chronic gut health issues (poor digestion, nausea, bowel issues) and he emphasized finding the root cause. This is just what I was looking for and after being so sick for 3 days, I booked a call with him. Looking back, I see similarities to my interaction on the call and the interaction we had in person.
I scheduled the call, watched the linked video which looked good, he seemed to be the type of doctor I needed to truly heal. On the phone call itself, I briefly explained my issues and the call seemed a little bit rushed but I assumed he was busy, he is a doctor. I was handed to his receptionist and scheduled my appointment, he said to think of this first appointment as an interview. My husband, who took off for this appointment and my 1 year old son came with.
The appointment begins and he talked a lot about the process, asked me some questions - but not with the intent to get to know me, understand, or to listen but because he was listening for the response he needed to decide whether to take me as a patient. During the appt, he told me he has ended consultations early in the past, once he learns that they are not the right fit for him. He asked many questions, some in repeat because he was making sure I was committed to his process and he made this very known. He seemed understanding of my son being there but when my son needed me for a moment (I was still listening, parents learn how to multitask) and said how "he will wait" before continuing.
At the end of the appointment, he talked about the investment which for 4 months (which is what he recommended for me) it was $5600 and included everything such as supplements, future appointments, etc. When we started discussing financials, we felt pressure to sign up for their financing, apply right there, and we will be all set to start. We took time to privately discuss and I decided that I wanted to give Dr. Mallick the benefit of the doubt and asked if I can discuss some concerns with him. I didn't want to write him off without trying - this is about my health after all. I shared my concerns about how the interaction felt very different than I was expecting. I explained that I was seeking a human to human interaction, someone to truly listen to me, to take time to ask about what I was experiencing, and I asked for more transparency for what the treatment plan is which he doesn't usually share in detail as to not overwhelm the patient. He said he has had 3-4% of patients that would drop out of his process. He said "it's called vetting" to describe what his initial consultation is for. Reflecting back, I consider that a small percentage when the percentage of patients who likely walk away after this type of interaction are probably much higher. When I said that I was looking for someone to truly listen, he said "Didn't I listen when I was asking you questions about (XYZ)?". There is a difference between listening for the right response & truly listening to someone. He also said how the appointment can't be like "having a coffee and chatting". Which looking back, I feel that my concerns themselves were not only refuted but again, not truly listened to. We left without signing up for anything and I went home and sobbed and prayed to God for help. I felt like I would never find anyone to help me until, with the help of God's direction, I found Dr. Joel Miller, a functional medicine doctor that loves to serve and listen. Dr. Mallick, I hope you truly reflect on my feedback and the concerns that I see others have shared in the past. I also encourage others to read his responses to previous negative reviews.