I haven't always had the best experiences with urgent care, but this place was amazing!…read more
I (this was when I was 16) went in with chest pain, and my initial observations were two things: 1) the interior was decorated very nicely and in a very kid-friendly manner, which was great, and 2) the waiting room was completely empty, which I initially took as less of a great thing. After all, if they had no customers, were they really that good?
This all changed, however, once I saw the doctor. I quickly realized that because they didn't have as many patients as other urgent care facilities (which makes sense - urgent care for children is a lot more niche than urgent care in general), each patient was able to receive a LOT more time from a doctor.
In fact, my experience here was in complete contrast to my experiences at the regular urgent care places. I mentioned earlier how I haven't always had great experiences with those. Specifically, I was once incorrectly diagnosed as "totally fine" after I had actually torn my ACL during a skiing accident. The regular urgent care doctor spent approximately a single minute talking with me (no doubt because they had so many patients), before they took an x-ray (which CAN'T see ligaments) and told me everything was alright. Due to this incorrect assessment, I ended up continuing with sports for 3 months before seeing another doctor, at which point I learned that I actually had a whole bunch of problems in my knee that 3 months of sports after an injury had only made worse.
Bringing it back to PM Pediatrics, the amount of time I got with the doctor was truly amazing and a complete contrast. The doctor stayed with me talking for about 15-20 minutes. Now, the thing is, I also happen to be somewhat of a hypochondriac. However, the doctor (Dr. Chung, I believe) was not only able to TELL me that I had heartburn, but also, crucially, CONVINCED me of it too. He spent a great amount of time explaining to me everything that I needed to know - from what I was feeling, to why, to how it wasn't any of the things I was really worried about, to what treatments I needed, and how to take them. I never felt rushed throughout any part of the appointment, with the doctor always happy to answer in detail any questions I had (at the regular urgent care place I almost always felt rushed).
All in all, based on my experience, this place is fantastic. A huge part of pediatrics is not only providing an accurate medical diagnosis but also comforting the patient and their parents - and this place does an amazing job at all of those. The waiting room is a very uplifting place, the staff are extremely friendly, and the doctors are willing to take their time to answer and assure the questions of both patients and their parents.