Some years ago I was seeing Dr.Rosen periodically because I noticed a small growth on my thyroid gland. He took a sample and told me it was benign. I saw him periodically and had samples taken, and no cancer. After a while the growth was getting larger and I asked if it could be removed and he said it wasn't necessary. Maybe not, but it was definitely very noticeable so I decided to see another Endocrinologist as I was told by my PCP that Rosen was getting older and close to retiring. I did see another Endocrinologist who told me not only was the growth growing larger but there was a second growth on the other side of the thyroid (which Rosen had never noticed) and the new Endocrinologist referred me to a surgeon. I made a final appointment with Rosen to tell him I'd got a second opinion, and how come he'd never seen the second growth. He became very angry saying if I wanted to take things further then to go ahead, and he then proceeded to tell me his daughter was a lawyer! I couldn't believe his attitude. My surgery went well although after both growths (plus the thyroid) were removed I had a lot of loose neck skin, so I probably could have sued Rosen but by then I never wanted to see him again. I was very surprised to hear that Rosen is still practicing as I thought he would have retired many years ago. Please, if you feel something is not quite right with his diagnosis, get a second opinion read more

10/1/19 @1100 This review is pertaining to my experience with the front staff. I was placed on hold 4 times, in addition, I was asked to repeat statements multiple times and to spell out terms. I was asked why I was referred to the office; I told the female personnel that was on the phone that I had Hashimoto's thyroiditis. I had to spell out Hashimoto 3 times. I understand that the front staff does not have medical degrees, however, they should be familiar with basic medical terminology and disease states. She also asked for the spelling of all of my medications. If you work in an endocrinology specialty office, you should know the names of common thyroid medications, such as Levoxyl. I had to spell out Levoxyl twice. Also, your office should easily have access to Uptodate or Lexicomp to verify the spelling of medication names and disease states. I know I am being more critical since I am a pharmacist, but most patients do not have medical backgrounds and cannot give the proper spelling and explanation of the medications they are on. It is the medical office staff's job to know these things to better help the patient. I have been on hold for almost 20 minutes and have decided to hang up and call another office. I am in the John Muir network and my records could have easily been accessed through Epic. I wad able to contact another provider and make an appointment within 6 minutes. I did not have to provide insurance, personal, contact info or current medications because this office actually took the time to look it up in Epic. read more

Norman J Rosen, MD - On hold for nearly 20 mins to make an appointment, so eventually hung up. - Internal Medicine Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Lucky the doctor or doctors who are able to hire Paula Gilliam and/or Melinda Peniche. They ran the most efficient and orderly office for Dr. Rosen for years and years. And I have been a patient of his for over 40 years. I will miss him and his wonderful staff. read more

This is more of a tribute than a review. I was just informed that Dr. Rosen has passed away. My parents and I would like to express our condolences to Dr. Rosen's family. I first began seeing Dr. Rosen back in 2006 when I was 17 for treatment for my hypothyroidism. After reviewing the lab work, Dr. Rosen diagnosed me with Hashimoto's disease, and explained the condition in a way that was easy to understand. He instructed me on how to take my medication, and answered all of my questions in a very reassuring way. While it sucks to have the condition (it's one of those things that will never completely go away but can be managed with the right medication), I am grateful for Dr. Rosen's help in getting it under control. Dr. Rosen was kind, warm, funny, and extremely caring. He always was happy to see me, and we often exchanged small talk during our visits. He always told me that I looked well. My dad eventually began seeing Dr. Rosen as well, and he also really liked him. These conditions are not easy, but Dr. Rosen made dealing with them much less stressful. We will miss him very much. read more

I had been with Dr. Rosen for about 30 years. He was old school, notes not computers, professional, engaging, thoroughly comprehensive, and friendly. Actually, he could be quite chatty; especially if you liked the writer Daniel Silva, a favorite of us both. His staff, Paula and Melinda, were equally professional and comprehensive. His recent death leaves me, and many others, with a huge personal loss and professional emptiness. Without sounding trite, he was one of a kind. I am fortunate in that I have a PCP physician with many of Dr. Rosen's professional and personable traits. I hope other patients of Dr. Rosen's will be able to find a professional and wonderful human being like he was. With regrets, Jeff Idelson, Psy,D. read more

Dr. Rosen has been my endocrinologist for maybe 6-8 years now. He is an amazing doctor! None of my appointments with him were ever rushed. I love how he takes his time explaining things and answering any questions I had. I'm very thankful that he is a personable doctor that you can actually talk to! If you're up early in the morning and if you have a question about anything, obviously when his office is open that day, he'll personally answer the phone so you can ask him about a test result or any concern you might have. He is obviously very knowledgeable and I appreciated all of the help he has given me through the years. If you are in need of an endocrinologist, I highly recommend seeing Dr. Rosen. read more

The doctor was detailed and nice, but his staff was incredibly rude! He has limited business hrs. He also only takes cash and/or check, which is extremely inconvenient especially when you pay into a FSA. I had one visit and will not be going back due to the staff. read more

*** not sure how genuine the most recent review from another yelper is, new patients beware*** I was an ongoing patient with Dr Rosen, however his staff just decided to cut me off as a patient when calling in to reschedule. The doctor himself is okay, but the staff make it unbearable to see him. I do not recommend this doctor for your personal care. He needs to have a talk with his staff if he wants to keep patients around. A question was asked why this rating is a 1 and really should be a 0, is because the staff dropped me as a patient without notice and lied about the reason, stating I hadn't been seen in over 6 months, which was completely false, in addition they stopped my medication without notice, which was detrimental to my health. So I am warning new patients to steer away from this Doctor at ALL costs. A complaint has been sent to the John Muir Medical Board for this. read more

Dr. Rosen is the best endocrinologist I've seen so far! He has a terrific bedside manner and doesn't rush through appointments. He also has office hours early in the morning so if you need to get ahold of him you just need to call and he'll answer himself. How many doctors do that? read more

The main problem with this Doctor and his staff is that they have no concept of how business is conducted in the 21st century. The second issue is that while Dr. Rosen is knowledgeable, his staff is very incompetent. I've been a patient for about 2 years, and recently transferred to a better Endocrinologist that understands concepts like email, credit/debit payment acceptance and communication via telephone instead of the postal service, which this practice relies on. Dr. Rosen issued me a prescription that requires me to take one pill daily for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, they refuse to authorize refills at any major pharmacies (Target in my case). This wouldn't be a big deal if they allowed the pharmacy to fax them a request to renew a prescription, but since the fax machine is a foreign concept to this outfit, they require the pharmacist to personally call the office and leave a message. This is one of the more spectacular office failures I've seen. It's literally impossible to get a refill prescription filled during a lunch break (I work full time). Once or twice I could understand, but I've been dealing with this for the better part of two years, and with the cost of healthcare in general these days, I feel like my $500/month should at least get me some basic level of service. Lastly, the office staff is typically rude and condescending. They really don't like to be tied up on the phone for more than 10-15 seconds. This makes it difficult if you need to reschedule an appointment. I should also mention that Dr. Rosen's hours are from 6am-2pm, so there's not really an option for afternoon appointments. He's not reachable out of hours, you'll be speaking with his answering service. read more

I've been going to Dr Rosen for over 10 years - great experience every time with a truly concerned Physician with a very competent staff. Not sure why somebody would be more concerned with her ability to use a credit card then the quality of her health care... read more

I am a huge fan of Dr. Rosen's and his staff and wanted to write this review after seeing the several 1-star reviews. First, I was very fortunate to find an endocrinologist so quickly after coming down with a condition that left me dizzy, feverish and completely fatigued. Basically, soon after I began going to see Dr. Rosen, I heard from three different medical practitioners that Dr. Rosen is "the best in his field"; "so devoted to his patients" and "one of the most highly regarded doctors in endocrinology." The second comment, in particular, was from a lab technician who used to work in the Walnut Creek facility and saw a lot of Dr. Rosen's patients. The others were from another doctor and a nurse. I was not asking for anyone's opinions -- I mentioned his name, and people who are "in the know" in the medical profession just offered their opinions on their own. Dr. Rosen takes calls from his patients five days a week from 6 AM to 8:30 AM (or thereabouts); was always extremely patient and clear in explaining his diagnosis and his reasons for the treatment he was recommending; and his staff was both courteous and competent. They did not miss a detail re. necessary lab slips that had to get faxed for blood tests; explaining bills issued; and relaying messages to the doctor promptly and communicating his answers to me. He also follows up each diagnosis with a letter that clearly spelled out my circumstances, prognosis and the recommended treatment. I cannot recommend Dr. Rosen highly enough nor his staff. I believe he is an excellent doctor in his skills, knowledge and ability. Third, it is true that his office follows "old school" ways. Very low-tech. Letters are typed and mailed rather than emailed. And, yes, they only accept checks and cash. As mentioned earlier, his office also keeps atypical hours from 9-2 PM. I think they are secondary issues, however, especially if you know this ahead of time and know what to expect. I think you are in excellent hands if Dr. Rosen is your endocrinologist. I would not be dissuaded by the bad reviews here. read more

I don't know how genuine most of the 5 stars are. I have found a wonderful Dr. I can't believe I wasted my time with Dr Rosen. When I went to him, he didn't answer questions I was asking and became irritated. He yells, walks out of the examing room, The best thing I did was find another Dr. Ali Danville read more

Doctor Rosen is a nice man. That being said, his staff has no problem cancelling insulin prescriptions for type one diabetics. When I was at my mothers funeral, the receptionists called me to remind me of an appointment in three days. I said I wanted to change the date of the appt and I would call back when I wasn't at a FUNERAL. Then, they called my pharmacy and cancelled ALL of my prescriptions--insulin, test strips, sensors, insulin pens, emergency kit, keytone strips and more. They have one phone line so if they're on the phone it'll be busy, they take cash or check only, and are open limited hours. Not even one computer in the office. If you are a type one diabetic, DO NOT GO TO THIS OFFICE. Without insulin, type one diabetics DIE. read more

Sometimes it can be a little hard being chronically ill. Finding Dr. Rosen and his staff is a bright spot in the night time. This Doc and all his staff are very kind, supportive and compassionate. Dr. Rosen is very intelligent and thorough. If you are at the point that you need an endocrinology specialist you can search long deep and continuous but you will not find a better Doctor or a better staffed clinic. read more

I had been a patient for nearly a decade and he dropped me as a patient via a snail mail letter because I didn't take my meds for one week while I was on vacation and didn't have them with me. Granted I could have had a transfer to another pharmacy but they didn't have a CVS where we were staying and it wasn't life threatening (it's worth noting that I wasn't going to die). It just seems like a very odd way to treat a patient you have had in your care for many years. I never really enjoyed my visits to his ofc but I remained a patient as I was referred by my OBGN at that time as I was pregnant. I could write much more about his odd bedside manner but I'll save everyone the details- if you have any questions on that you can send me a note. read more

Dr Rosen is very nice most of the time. He has gotten very angry at other times. It is just not a pleasant situation. I will be looking for another doctor. By the way his staff seem very polite and helpful to me. I didn't mind if they didn't take credit cards and e-mail me. I can live without it. Mary read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Rosen's for several years. He is extremely knowledgeable about his field and keeps current on the latest research. I have asked him a lot of questions and he has been very patient with me giving full satisfying explanations. When I ask about any medications he gives me all of the information and prints information for me to study later. When tests are recommended he always listens to my concerns and takes them into consideration. He has always been patient, understanding and professional. Dr. Rosen is a real mensch as well, not the big "I" little "you" that you get from a lot of Drs. that think you are too stupid to understand. His staff handle all the details, appointments, lab work, insurance smoothly and professionally. read more

I am just back from Dr. Rosen. Perhaps one visit is not enough to provide a full picture, but I think I should post this review with my initial impressions. The stuff was amazingly nice and helpful. The doctor himself was incredibly kind, compassionate, explanatory, making sure he provides positive mood to me. Apparently he is taking calls from his patients himself 5 times a week! Can you imagine? What other doctor can you get to over the phone these days? So far I am very pleased to have Dr. Rosen as my doctor. read more

I was surprised to find that Dr Rosen was still practicing medicine. I used to see him a few years ago and asked him several times about the growth on my thyroid but he dismissed my concern. After seeking a second opinion I found out there were growths on both sides of the thyroid and had to have those plus the thyroid gland removed, so I now need to take meds the rest of my life. If you don't feel happy with his diagnosis, please seek a second opinion. Helen G. read more

Dr. Rosen is a decent enough guy whose time has come....and gone. He is knowledgable re endicrinology to be sure but I'm pretty sure his knowledge is held over from about 40 years ago. Very polite and explains everything until you dare to suggest that you prefer not to take a medicine that he has prescribed ("Not forever, just for the rest of your life") Then you can expect a raised voiced angry retort that reminds you that he is significantly smarter and more important than you are. Now....payment options. There are none. Cash or check. No HSA account payments with your debit card, no payment via a dastardly credit card, no e-mail, no scanning & e-mailing your id card to the office. Basically nothing happens in this office that wasn't happening in 1970. (Although I do think they are equipped with a fax machine) Staff: Quite literally the nastiest group of hens that I have ever encountered. If you don't pay on time, expect ridiculous fees to be attached to your account and RUDE, RUDE, HARASSING phone calls. Just try asking them not to call you at work...go ahead, I dare you. This doesn't end the call it just elevates the level of nasty. There are too many great doctors out there with current knowledge, decent staff, updated 21st century office environments and common courtesy to deal with this nonsense. Yeah, he takes calls from his patients...that's really nice if you can get past everything else. Doc from Gunsmoke made housecalls but I'm not looking for him either....... read more

Super old school. Felt like my grandpa was scolding me for even considering bringing up another opinion I had gotten.

excellent doctor! Excellent medical assistants _ Paula went Aboe and Beyond to help me and to showed me about my insurance card and coverage !!! I have huge bills for not being well informed in the past; But here, at Dr. Normal J. Rosen, t was completely different because the medical assistant took the time (actually more than she probably had to!!!) to check about my insurance card, and asked specific questions that patients won't probably realize Unless they have been in trouble with medical bills before... She took all the necessary steps to make sure that I knew my rights and what was involved if I wanted to continue seeing him. WELL DONE, In summary: His assistants are great ! Actually, a mirror of the great professional, easy going, respectful and patient that doctor Dr. Norman Rosen has been to me. I would like to express my BIG THANK you for them. I am currently fighting a huge bill from another source (nothing related to them !!!), because at Muir Lab office, an assistant just got my card and didn't feel like she could / wanted to help me... Not sure if this will be posted... but, at least I tried... I read more

I tried to setup an appt with him to diagnose what we thought was reactive hypoglycemia in my 9 yr. old daughter. He asked me to check her blood for a few days and call it in to him before he would let me make an appt. He asked me to read the numbers and I did. He said "The high numbers tell you you don't have to worry about the lows and the low numbers tell you you don't have to worry about the highs. She needs to see a psychiatrist about her symptoms." - WRONG. 3 weeks later she's diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia with lows in the 50's, (confirmed in a lab) but now she's having spikes over 200 and it's looking like were catching it just in time, hopefully, before she turns the corner into diabetes. read more

The Best Endocrinology expert I know of. He has been a true hero to my wife who has graves desease. She has been in expert care for over 10 years with Dr. Rosen and her condition has been completly dialed in. Dr. Rosen is the main reason I am still with Anthem/Bluecross and have not made the switch to Kaiser. This is a $5K a year difference, but being able to choose the doctor you want, "Priceless"! read more

Huh. A bit startled to see the number of 1/5 ratings. I've been going to Dr Rosen for a few years and he's been excellent. No problem in explaining what's going on and no sign of the anger some here have mentioned. His staff has been absolutely fine. And in my case the indicators of thyroid problems were conflicting and his response was to wait and see, not to medicate as a knee jerk reaction. I like that. IMHO, the less intervention that's needed or prescribed, the better. Sooo, you can count me on the plus side of the debate. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Norman Rosen for over 10 years. I can only speak for myself. Over 10 years ago I was diagnosed with Papillary Carcinoma Thyroid Cancer. This is when you find out how great your doctor is. After 2 surgeries, I became radioactive iodine resistant, which is the standard treatment after surgery for my type of cancer. Dr. Rosen revved up his game and personally wrote a letter to a premier surgeon for thyroid cancer. He alone made it possible for me to get the top surgeon at UCSF to be seen and treated. After the second surgery, it became apparent that I would not be successful in receiving radioactive iodine to treat the remaining cancer cells. Various doctors recommended radiation. Again....Dr. Rosen had my best interest at heart. He explained to me the fallout of neck radiation....which is extensive. He asked if I would be willing to travel to M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston , Texas. Again, a superior hospital in dealing with thyroid cancer. Again, Dr. Rosen personally contacts the head of thyroid cancer clinical trials and pleads my case. His staff quickly assembles all my previous documentation of surgeries and treatments. They contact me and tell me which medicare plan will access me treatment at this otherwise expensive ($35,000. evaluation fee). I have now been an active patient at M.D. Anderson Hospital. I am seen every few months, tracking my cancer growth and plans for treatment. This has been ONLY possible through the efforts of Dr. Norman Rosen and his staff. If you want a doctor that you can reach and talk to and will listen......if you want a staff that will support all your efforts to improve your health......this is the Doc you want! Thank you Dr. Rosen! Lea Barbano read more

Love him. Not sure what I will do when he retires. He saved me when another dr was going to have me do unnecessary thyroid surgery. He took my calls at 6am on days when I was scared I had cancer (actually he answers the calls himself at that hour!). He does biopsies right in his office. He has strong opinions but thankfully so -- as I needed someone to help me when I felt like I was getting so many oplnions. This was years ago and everything turned out just fine. And I still go to him now as I feel like he knows his stuff and cares. He's the best around. read more

This is the best Doctor. I am a very difficult patient and Dr.Rosen has taken care of me . He is patient and kind and tough when he needs to be and he got my thyroid numbers down in a week. Can't beat that. I love the old days. A vintage buff. His office is like stepping back in time. Same as his care. Sometimes the technology gets in the way. I prefer a pen and paper and a telephone. How about you? I also am very bothered by the whiny reviews. This staff is exceptional as well. I was so scared out of my mind and they were still kind. The other awesome thing is that he takes your call. No matter what. He will not baby you but he will make sure you just trust him. That is it. He is God to me sounds quirky but he has no idea how much he has saved my life. This is not an essay so grammar will be excused. I just can not express just how smart he is. I saw a much "younger" Doc who actually suggested I stop taking methimazole. If I had that would have been dangerous. He knows his stuff folks. By the way. He does not yell and he should have yelled at me. He cares very deeply. He wants all of us to be well. He should. That is what a real good and honest Doctor does and I think the office hours are hip. 9-2 is excellent. Who needs to be there until 5. read more

Well, he is knowledgeable about the thyroid gland, but God forbid should you ask a question about why he wants to prescribe a medication or state you would not be comfortable with it, because he will get angry! I was reprimanded for not following his advice (what happened to talking calmly to find out why?) as if I was his child who refused time and time again for not cleaning up my room. He was so angry, that in fact, he abruptly left my exam room to take a call. I could hear him talking, and it was no emergency: it was a call just about someone needing an endocrinologist. What doctor does that? I've called other doctors and no way would they ever be interrupted to take my call (which I understand). I think he HAD to leave the room, since he appeared so angry with me. So, if you follow this doctor's "advice" you should be fine. Don't question him, don't decline his prescription, because he will get infuriated and berate you as if you are a spoiled little child. By-the-way, I am not diabetic, I am not obese and I am not doing anything life-threatening. His level of anger was disproportianate to the matter at hand. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Rosen for the past 14 years. He and his staff go beyond the norm. They are available anytime that a issue arises. I became a Type 1 diabetic and was blessed in finding him as my Diabetic Specialist (Endocrinologist). He treats my diabetes and he also supports me emotionally being a Type ! is not a easy task. He has taught me I can not control the disease I can only manage it. I don't believe I have the words to define him as a physician, I can say he is very knowledgeable, he cares about each patient, he has taught me many things not only about being a Type 1 diabetic, that I am a strong person and can manage my diabetes and anything else that comes into my life. His staff Melinda and Paula when asked a question will find the best answer for me. If you in need of a Endocrinology and Internal Medicine specialist.... I strongly recommend Dr. Rosen and his staff. read more

Well my husband and I have been going to Dr Rosen 8 or 9 years they make you make your appointments for the year god forbid if you have to cancel because they will cancel you right out the office you can't miss any appointments..my husband just had a double lung transplant at UCSF has been in ICU for 3 weeks and out on next level...They let him go to a hotel for 6 to 8 weeks he can not come across the bridge..so I called them 2 weeks in advance to cancel our appointment because they UCSF has to monitor all of medication at this time so the reception that work there in Dr Rosen office said Dr Rosen will not see us because he is not giving medication to him I said to her we can't make this appointment but we will make the next when we can go home...and my husband has to be at UCSF every day for blood work CT scan Dr appointments etc.So today Lucky Pharmacy called and said what is going on with Dr Rosen office they cancelled all your medication I already have a lot going on and they are acting so unprofessional to cancel our medication wrong wrong wrong so this really what kind of doctor we want to see if you don't go he won't see you I am just about out of synthroid so I have to go find a doctor in all my spare time I have no spare time now so I want everybody to know exactly what kind of doctors office is this is they get No No STAR read more

As a Graves disease patient, if I could give Dr Rosen 10 stars, I would. At least for thyroid issues, I have found him to be far superior to the other Walnut Creek endocrinologist I was referred to and will be forever grateful for his expert care and ease of access. Office staff is outstanding. For me, the quality of care is the issue, not whether I can pay with a credit card. I know that younger people feel the need to communicate electronically and are sometimes intimidated by using the telephone, but being able to contact him directly when there is a problem is priceless. Yes, he is older, but no, he is up to date, at least as far as thyroid goes and, his years of experience have only enhanced the quality of care I have received. I know that at some point, he is going to retire, and I am dreading that day. Dr Rosen is my hero and my role model for how to age. Having him manage my thyroid problem has put me at ease and I feel GOOD. After hearing my complaints about my first endocrinologist, my surgeon recommend I see Dr Rosen instead. He runs his practice differently than the typical doctor, but that's a good thing. I just wish I had seen him from the beginning. read more