One of the Most Unprofessional Medical Experiences I've Ever Had…read more
I genuinely cannot believe I am writing this review because the experience I had today was so bizarre and inappropriate that it honestly felt unreal.
I have been a patient at this dermatology office for approximately two years and have seen Katy Jones for my skin checks. Katy has always been kind, professional, and thorough, and I have had nothing but positive experiences with her.
About a month and a half ago, I developed a rash on my face. Katy examined me, diagnosed the rash, and prescribed medication. When it did not resolve, I returned approximately two weeks later and was prescribed a different medication. I was then instructed to stop treatment. When I followed those instructions and the rash flared again, I contacted the office, sent photographs, and was eventually asked to come back in.
So I did exactly what I was told to do.
Today, I saw Dr. Borton.
Rather than having a productive conversation about why the rash had returned, I was told that the rash was essentially "in my head." I was told that I had anxiety and OCD. I was asked whether I go to therapy. Dr. Borton looked at the photographs I provided and repeatedly insisted that she had never seen a rash.
Let that sink in: I came into a DERMATOLOGY office because I had a skin problem that another provider in the same office had already diagnosed and treated, and instead of addressing the problem, I was told that it was in my head and that my mental health was the explanation.
Alyssa Croy was also in the room and witnessed the interaction.
And then, somehow, the appointment became about how inconvenient I apparently was for the office. I was told that the reason I was being asked to come in was because my two emails and two phone calls were "frankly taking up a lot of their resources."
I am still stunned by that comment.
I paid the $40 copay each time I came in. I followed the treatment plan I was given. I stopped the medication when I was instructed to stop it. When the problem returned, I contacted the office, sent photographs, and came in when THEY asked me to.
Apparently, following up on an unresolved medical issue is now considered an unreasonable drain on the office's resources.
The level of dismissal and gaslighting I experienced today was genuinely shocking. A doctor is allowed to disagree with a patient's assessment of their symptoms. A doctor is allowed to say, "I don't see anything concerning." What is not appropriate is making a patient feel as though their symptoms are imaginary, immediately attributing them to anxiety and OCD, questioning their mental health, and then making them feel guilty for contacting the office for help.
I left this appointment feeling humiliated, dismissed, and completely bewildered by what had just happened.
I will be filing a formal complaint with the appropriate medical board and documenting this experience accordingly. The fact that Dr. Borton can be in a position to give medical advice is an abomination.
I want to be very clear that this review is not directed at Katy Jones, who has been wonderful every time I have seen her. It is specifically about my experience with Dr. Borton today.
I have never had a healthcare experience this bizarre, dismissive, or disrespectful. The fact that I walked into a dermatology appointment seeking help for a previously diagnosed skin condition and walked out being told the problem was "in my head" is something I genuinely cannot believe happened.
If this is how this practice treats patients who appropriately follow up when a condition does not resolve, I would strongly encourage people to think twice before choosing this office.
I included a picture of the rash on my mouth to prove it is real.