De Stodgel is one of the best , he delivered two of my babies via c section . Experience was over the top . He is a remarkable dr. office staffs are amazing. I really appreciate Jenny and Giselle . Checked in quickly , appointment schedule always convenience Thank you so much for this great experience Dr Stodgel , you make pregnancy and delivery so easy , thank you read more

We found Dr. Stodgel when I was admitted a couple of years ago for a pregnancy complication and he happened to be the OB on duty. At the time, I had a different OB who was 45 minutes away. Dr. Stodgel took such great care of me, is patient and has a wonderful bedside manner. His dry sense of humor is the best part! I decided to make the switch to him and have been happy with him since. He's an excellent doctor, makes you feel at ease and takes the time to be thorough and answer all your questions. If there was a way to make him my GP, I would! read more

Dr. Stodgel is the best. He delivered my 4 children and continues to take care of me. He has been my doctor for 20 years. He has a great sense of humor and always remembers me and puts me at ease. He is the best doctor in town... read more

Dr. Thomas Stodgel is an extraordinary obgyn!!! From my prenatal care visits to labor and delivery he was on point! My daughter was born on her due date, fast and easy labor and delivery. He was committed to providing me with great advice , which lead me to greater confidence, healthy daily diet and light exercise routine knowledge during pregnancy. With all that giving me the strength to push my daughter out in 15 minutes! My review is 5 stars and up! I have a healthy beautiful daughter thanks to him! I had and amazing experience at the hospital thanks to him! He's a superstar doctor! ~Tanisha 10/26/17 read more

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Nightmare experience! My wife went to Stodgel for a simple pregnancy test (blood test) and he ordered additional tests totaling $1200. His office manager couldn't be bothered to return our phone call and when I did get a hold of her, she dismissed her lack of professionalism by commenting that she was "busy". The office manager admitted that Stodgel's "eyes got big" when she told him how much our lab bill totaled. The conversation descended into robotic responses from her claiming that no one in Stodgel's office knows how much the lab tests would cost and that they have never known these costs in the history of their practice. The authorization of these tests became an argument of he said/she said and the office manager hung up on me during the conversation. We have contacted two other OB/GYN offices and explained the scenario which we were involved and both Doctors cannot believe Stodgel requested the tests he did nor his excuse of being completely ignorant of their associated costs. Since the appointment two months ago, Stodgel's office has also not sent *ANY* test results to us. We have filed a grievance against his practice and others should be warned to maintain the highest level of scrutiny when dealing with this office. Do not assume anything and make them earn your trust before committing to his care in hopes that you don't have a similar, horribly expensive and unethical experience as we did. read more

I had seen Dr. Stodgel for a while before having to switch to a Dr. in SF (which by the way was a terrible terrible mistake). So I'm hoping to return to his practice for my second baby. He's very warm and caring and never judgmental. I think he's also very practical in his approach and makes sure that unnecessary C-sections are avoided to the fullest extent possible. That's a Dr. truly working for the mother and baby if he exhausts all possibilities before even thinking about a C-section. So many Drs. are just cut-happy to deliver the baby, get paid, avoid legal issues and have the hospital charge you oodles of money for the C-Section. Those Drs opt for such an easy way out of a powerful and beautiful labor experience that all mothers should have a chance to experience. read more

Dr. Stodgel is the best of best OB gym. I had delivery my first child with him. He is kind and super care on his patient.I am so lucky to met him. I would definitely recommend him if you're pregnant and look for the best OB gym. read more

Dr. Stodgel is an amazing physician! I switched to him as my GYN after watching the care that he gave to my sister. She had a very difficult pregnancy and labor and he was there all the way. His front office staff is not on top of it though. Hence the minus 1 star. One time they forgot I was waiting in the waiting room. Another time I had an emergency and they did not pass the message to him right away. Dr. Stodgel contacted me as soon as he received the message and apologized profusely for the lack of communication from the front office and said he would speak with them. The nurse/MA that helps out in the back is very kind. As a warning, sometimes there can be a long wait for your appointment. I believe that this is fairly common for most OB/GYN's because, of course, the babies come first! read more

I had my first baby last week and I'm very thankful to have Dr. Stodgel as my OBGYN. I had a very difficult delivery just a few days ago I delivered a beautiful baby boy he was born face up which made my delivery very painful. Dr. Stodgel delivered the baby he did a great job usually most women who have a face up baby go into having a C-Section but Dr. Stodgel and the nurses at Mills Peninsula Hospital made it happen with only second degree cuts. I'm very thankful everything went well. If you are looking for a OBGYN I recommend Dr. Stodgel he's very well experienced and knows exactly what he's doing. Thank you Dr. Stodgel read more

Dr. Stodgel is outstanding!!! He was there from day 1 for both of my pregnancies. From my first prenatal appointment to the delivery room, and the birth of my two sons. If I had any questions or concerns in regards to my pregnancy, I would call his office or send him a text and he would respond right away and instantly make me feel better. Dr. Stodgel is very hands on, with excellent bedside manor and a great personality. He is the best doctor and my husband and I absolutely love him! read more

Thomas O Stodgel, MD - Obstetricians & Gynecologists Near Me - San Mateo, California

Okey.... Doctor Stodgel is by far the most expirienced doctor you will ever find. He delivered my baby girl and took a very good care of me through out my pregnancy. Yes he has sence of humor that is sometimes offensive to other (plz read negative reviews), but I think... it's not his fault that those people have no sense of humor.... :) read more

Dr. stodgel is truly amazing. He is always on time for every appointment, doesn't sugar coat anything and is always honest and genuine. I recently gave birth in September and had an amazing delivery and have had a great recovery due to his expertise! We live in livermore but Make the drive to see him because of how great he is! His front desk staff and nurse are awesome as well! You're in great hands here! Highly highly recommend! read more

HE'S HANDS DOWN THEE BEST IN HIS FIELD!!! Too many i really mean too many great things to write. If any questions feel free to ask. I LOVE DR STODGEL read more

Dr. Stodgel delivered both of my children. He is a superb clinician, has excellent bedside manner, and doesn't order unnecessary tests. Dr. Stodgel was careful, decisive, and displayed expert clinical judgement during my two difficult deliveries, bringing both of my boys into the world safely. I am forever grateful to him for his wonderful care of me and my family. He is warm, personable, flexible, and available. Dr. Stodgel is a very experienced OB whom I highly recommend. read more

I went in to see Dr. Stodgel a few months ago because I had major pain in my pelvis area. The pain was vearavle at first then it started getting worse. Being the workaholic I am, I just popped some Advil or Tylenol and went on to work. About a month after, the pain was unbearable now so I went to the E.R. at our local hospital. Well, three E.R visits in four days and my last visit there, Dr. Stodgel just happened to be the O.B on duty. He examined me and gave me some medication with pain killers (I hate pain killers). I was admitted that night... none of the other doctors could figure out what was wrong with me and Dr.Stodgel did. I had a ruptured cyst! It took me 3 visits and 3 different doctors to find out what was wrong with me...forget the tests cause I had more than I can remember. The pain was excruciating and for a mother who has given birth 2X naturally without medication or drugs, I can say that the pain was worse than child birth!! I'm so grateful for Dr.Stodgel and his awesome team. His dry sense of humor is cery welcomed and I think he's very funny...dry and all. Haha. Thanks Dr. Stodgel. #HappyClient read more

When my Husband and I found out we were pregnant we weren't sure how you go about finding an OB. Do you just do a Google search? Ask your friends? Meet with a few physicians then choose one? Refer to Yelp! reviews? Well we did a few of those and I'm sure you are too which is why you're reading this! After talking my sister-in-law who is also a patient of Dr. Stodgel's and delivered her two children we decided to go with Dr. Stodgel and I wouldn't have had it any other way! Dr. Stodgel was fantastic throughout the whole pregnancy from answering our questions with analogies that we could understand, his great sense of humor, laid back but professional approach to my health and the babies, to how great he was during the actual delivery and stay in the hospital. I only ran into one hiccup during my pregnancy which was discovering that our daughter was breech as mentions above. I planned on having a natural birth upon discovering I was pregnant, but was totally okay with a c-section too if it meant a safer entrance into the world for our daughter. Dr. Stodgel gave us the option to either try and deliver her breech but warned us of the complications or schedule an appointment to try and flip her. We went ahead and scheduled our appointment to try and flip her, although this was a painful experience Dr. Stodgel made sure to only try for a few minutes and even managed to fill the room with humor and laughter. When it came to the actual delivery I was quiet nervous as many are expecting their first child and because I was having a scheduled c-section as our daughter did not flip and was still breech. Dr. Stodgel remained positive and his excitement about us becoming parents in less than an hour really took my nerves away and refocused me on what was to come. The actual procedure and healing was a lot easier than I expected and with visits from Dr. Stodgel during our stay in the hospital (he even came to check-up on me on a Sunday) reassured me that I was healing okay. Overall I would highly recommend Dr. Stodgel to anyone looking for an OB/GYN. He is very professional and knowledgeable, yet still lets his sense of humor shine through and will be sure to put any expecting parent at ease with his approach. read more

I went to Dr. Stogel twice, when I found out I was pregnant with my first baby; especially after reading the YELP reviews. At first, I was really impressed how quickly his office was able to schedule an appointment, as I was having some bleeding, and was afraid I was miscarrying. When he saw me at the first visit, I was impressed at how long he took to talk to me and build rapport. However, I later realized he really wasn't listening to my medical concerns; but just making small talk. At that visit, I asked him to check my progesterone, as I had a feeling it was low due to my other medical condition; and if it was I wanted to start on progesterone supplementation to maintain the pregnancy. He agreed to do the test, but stated that he didn't really feel progesterone supplementation helped. Anyway, it turned out my levels were very low, so he called in a prescription to my pharmacy for the progesterone. When I arrived to pick it up, the pharmacist refused to give the medication, stating that the drug Dr. Stogel prescribed is known to cause birth defects, miscarriage and fertility problems when taken during pregnancy!! He even showed me the drug write up to prove what he was saying. The pharmacist then agreed to call Dr. Stogel and explain to him the mistake, and ask that he prescribe something else instead. According to the pharmacist, Dr. Stogel couldn't understand how serious his mistake was; causing the pharmacist to eventually make him promise to never prescribe this particular drug to another pregnant women ever again!! The pharmacist then recommended to Dr. Stogel that I start on progesterone suppositories instead. Which I did. When I went in to see Dr. Stogel a couple of weeks later, he still didn't admit his mistake; and didn't really see the reason for the hype!! REALLY!!?? He then indiscriminately started me on baby aspirin at 8 weeks. When I asked him why, he just stated that that was his protocol. When I asked that he first make sure that I had a reason to be on the aspirin, since it's really not recommended during pregnancy unless you have a clotting disorder, he refused; and said "fine, don't take it then". At this second visit, I also mentioned to Dr. Stogel, that the women in my family have a strong condition during pregnancy where our bodies go into overdrive and produce lots of cysts on the very enlarged ovaries. I therefore asked that he check my ovaries to see if I have the same condition. He pulled out the ultra sound, and stated "yeah, you have a lot of cysts, but cysts are good b/c they produce progesterone". I again tried explaining to him that these cysts have hinder fetal growth in my nieces/nephews, as well as popped during the pregnancies. Again, he didn't seem to care, or listen. After both of these terrible, and dangerous visits, I switched to another OB as soon as I could. I will NEVER go back to him, and don't recommend that anyone else does who is currently pregnant. What medical negligence!! read more

I had the same problem with previous reviewer. He ordered some test that is not useful. Its cost us $1200. Even though we got most of the money back though our grievance appeal, it was a painful process. Expect zero help with the billing. We did one procedure that cost us $1000 in December 2014. We had to fill another grievance. Today December 2015, we never hear or got the money back. Our insurance tried to contact them for months with zero result. Not professional at all. Avoid at all cost. If I could, I will give zero rating. I think one of the biggest mistake that I've ever made is going there. read more

I love Dr. Stodgel! He is hilarious, puts me at ease when I have questions and I feel very comfortable there. Plus, he has really nice staff which is hard to come by in doctors' offices these days! read more

I first started going to Dr, stodgel back in 2003 and I've been going back ever since. Back in 2003 he delivered my first child and then i was back in 2006 and 2009 for my other babies. I never had any problems with him or never felt like i needed to get a second look at any of his advice. i will keep goin here as long as hes still practicing.. read more

About a month ago, I was taken via ambulance to the emergency department at Mills Peninsula. I had gone to urgent care earlier in the afternoon, and they diagnosed a ruptured ectopic pregnancy with internal bleeding via ultrasound. At Mills Peninsula, I waited for 4 hours for Dr. Stodgel (the on-call ob-gyn that night) to show up, even though I was bleeding internally. Dr. Stodgel's bedside manner was extremely off-putting. He very casually mentioned that I could die. He also said ectopic pregnancies are extremely rare at a rate of 1/2000. This is inaccurate - ectopics represent roughly 1/50 pregnancies. I question his experience treating ectopic pregnancies given that he quoted this inaccurate statistic multiple times. Dr. Stodgel performed the surgery to remove the pregnancy from my tube. He did not treat me with compassion or human decency - when asked how long I should refrain from work, he said 3 days. We found out later that the standard is 2 weeks, and in many other developed countries, 6 weeks. Dr. Stodgel also made a sexist remark that "many women go shopping the day after surgery". My family remarked that he seemed to treat patients as animals rather than as human beings. Dr. Stodgel scheduled a follow up appointment with me two weeks post-surgery. He did not follow up or check my HCG levels at any time between surgery and the follow-up appointment. We later found out that if the tube is not removed, it is standard procedure to monitor HCG levels following surgery and to continue to monitor every few days until the levels reach zero. It was only at my suggestion that he tested my urine at the follow-up appointment. The urine test was strongly positive for pregnancy, and he sent me to get a quantitative HCG via blood draw. Although the results were available the next morning, he was unresponsive to my calls to find out the levels. We ended up driving to the lab directly to request the lab results. We found out that my levels were in the 7,000s - even higher than my levels pre-surgery and that the pregnancy had grown back to its original size pre-surgery. Dr. Stodgel did not call until later that afternoon and left a voicemail saying "everything's fine". We did not return to him for treatment and chose to go to Stanford's emergency department instead. Because my levels returned to such a high level, I needed two doses of methotrexate. If Dr. Stodgel had followed up as he should have, I believe we would have caught the remaining pregnancy materials at an earlier stage. I could have avoided a lot of anxiety, stress, and mental anguish, as well as limited my exposure to methotrexate, which is a chemotherapy agent. Dr. Stodgel's treatment of me was dangerous and irresponsible. He should not be allowed to treat patients if he is not responsible enough to follow up with his patients with appropriate care. read more

The true definition of a Profesional dedicated Doctor. I saw Dr.S with my second pregnancy and had a VBAC. Vaginal birth after Cesarean. After my horrible experience with Dr. DIAZ I realized how good of a Dr stodgel was. I cannot express in words how beautiful my experience was. At one visit I over heard him talking with his son and it's no wonder he is the best at what he does, he is a great father. Thank you Dr. Stodgel for the unforgettable care you give us. Your service is compared to none. God bless you. read more

I think I have found my doctor! When I saw Dr. Stodgel, he was very knowledgable and made my annual quick, easy and painless. He was a no-nonsense type of doctor with immediate answers to any questions. He seems very experienced and confident in his practice, which was very comforting. read more

There is no one and I mean no one better than Dr. Stodgel. I have constantly changed OB/GYN's since I was 18 years old but once I found Dr. Stodgel I was set for life. He is the kindest man, knowledgeable doctor and a truly funny character. Don't you hate it when you are just another number and they don't even remember the last time you were there or who you are? Well Dr. Stodgel is one of the very few who really cares for and about his patients. He will actually take as much time as you need to make you feel at ease, make you laugh, and make sure you understand everything you need to know. For all of you women out there who only feel comfortable with another woman...Dr. Stodgel is the doctor for you too! Especially you...because not even another woman can make you feel this comfortable. I was forced to change once when our insurance changed and I can't even begin to tell you the lengths Dr. Stodgel was willing to go to, to keep me as his patient! As soon as possible I was back and it was like I was never gone. I recommend him to everyone I know and even those I don't - you just don't find doctor's of his caliber these days. He is truly a rare find...check him out - I bet you'll change doctors!!! read more

Maybe I had a bad start or maybe the mornings aren't the best times to go to Dr. Stodgel's office. I like the afternoon office staff better and I haven't had to wait too long anymore for him. There was one instance where I had to see his partner without knowing till I got there. And at my last appointment I had to reschedule at an earlier time due to an emergency birth at the hospital that he had to attend to. So I still never know if I actually get to SEE him at my appointment, but when I do see him, I've realized he's a great guy. Dr. Stodgel is really easy going and funny. Our conversations have been pretty entertaining. He doesn't push any advice towards me but I guess I have been a pretty good patient :) I love, love Miriam, she's an awesome nurse. read more

Dr. Stodgel is a fine doctor and a fine human being. He always puts me at ease, he is a superb and open-minded listener, and extremely knowledgeable about any topic I've brought up during the past 12 or so years that I've been his patient. He is the kind of doctor who instills loyalty because he really takes the time to know his patients, and provide them with the highest quality of care. Despite varying insurance situations due to employment or policy changes, I have never wanted to go anywhere else! Women who absolutely insist on a female OB/GYN are missing out! read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Stodgel's for about 20 years. He's dealt with my girlie issues to delivering my girls. I thoroughly enjoy him as a person and a doctor. He has a great sense of humor and helps us nervous new pregnant moms-to-be to relax and not sweat the small stuff. read more

I switched OBGYNs mid-way through my pregnancy because I wasn't connecting with my OB. She always seemed to be on a very tight schedule and didn't seem to really care. I read some reviews on yelp about Dr. Stodgel and decided to switch - I am so glad I did! PROS: Dr. Stodgel is a very knowledgeable and experienced physician. He took the time to answer all of my detailed questions and always presented me with the advantages and disadvantages of my options, but ultimately let me decide how I wanted to proceed. I never felt rushed and always felt that he truly cared about me and my baby's well-being. As soon as I arrived for my appointment, i was ushered in. Not only is he terrific during office visits, but he was encouraging, supportive and made all he right calls during my labor. I would highly recommend Dr. Stodgel and give him 5 stars. CONS: Occasionally the office staff would forget to call to confirm appointments. read more

Dr Stodgel is a great Dr, I worked for him, he cares for his patients he makes them fell like they are the most important person in the word. He has a great sense of humor and treats his employees with respect and fair. I highly recommend him. As a Doctor and as an Employer read more

I love Dr. Stodgel! When I went into the hospital for an emergency situation, he happened to be the Dr. on call. Trying to get my blood count up, he recommended in the future an operation. After thinking about it and my blood count was not going up, I asked him if he could do the operation that same day. He said he would try his best, and he did. He squeezed me in at night for an emergency operation. I felt so good, I went back to work 3 days later after a hysterectomy! He made me feel 150% better. I felt good talking to him and I felt he answered and then some all the questions I had to ask. I wish he could be my primary doctor. Thanks again for all your help, Dr. Stodgel! read more

Dr. Stodgel---Wow thanks again! When an imaging report contained some ambiguous comments, I was a little nervous. Dr Stodgel reassured me in the office, but also had another specialist review the report and called me to let me know what was considered normal / not normal and when we should follow-up. Basically nothing was urgent....but he wanted to make sure we had peace of mind! read more

Dr. Stodgel has been my OB/GYN for 17 years, as he delivered my daughter & also did a few necessary surgeries for me with fantastic results! The quality of my life today is better because of his expertise. He is the most wonderful, knowledgeable, compassionate, & kind doctor I have ever met. I mentioned to my friend Laura B. how he is my favorite doctor, and by chance it is her favorite doctor too! Dr. Stodgel is a true professional that knows EXACTLY what he is doing. He will always be our FAVORITE DOCTOR.. I never have to worry when in the hands of Dr. Stodgel & I know I am not the only one that feels this way:) We Love You, Dr. Stodgel!! You're the Best!! read more

Fantastic doctor!!!! I saw Dr. Stodgel for the first time when I was 20 weeks pregnant with my second child (bad experience with previous OB.) I was very uneasy about switching doctors mid pregnancy but Dr. Stodgel and his entire staff made me feel comfortable and welcomed. Throughout the pregnancy I called the office with questions, Dr. Stodgel always returned my calls the same day and answered my questions fully. Delivery day was such an amazing experience! He checked in on me the entire day either by phone or stopping by the hospital on his breaks from the office. With the help of this amazing man, I delivered a healthy baby boy in record time. The day after my son was born we received a visit from the doc at the hospital to check in on us. I didn't realize that doctors like him still exist! He is extremely professional and has a fantastic personality. I have recommended and will continue to recommend Dr. Stodgel to everyone I know. read more

I met doctor Stodgel 10 years ago right after I've fought cervical cancer. Due to my job, I had to move to the Bay Area and had to change doctors. So, Dr. Stodgel took over the follow ups until all was clear. Years later, I got pregnant, I was lucky to have this amazing person taking care of me and my child. Towards my last trimester I had some complications, which were taken-care by Doctor Stodgel. My son was in a transverse position. Doctor Stodgels helped me putting my son on alignment. I had a natural delivery and my healthy son just turned 5 years. I have recommend Doctor Stodgel to my coworkers. On a side note. He is a caring person. He worries about his patients overall-health read more

Dr. Stodgel is the greatest OB ever. I first met him in 2003 for the breech c-section delivery of my son around Christmas. He was the doctor on call, I was nervous and he made me feel completely at ease. I never forgot him. Fast forward to 2010, I am a gestational surrogate and decided If I were to ever have another baby I would absolutely choose him. He made the entire process wonderful and put me and my intended parents at ease. I was his first surrogate and he was a little protective of me and wondered why I wanted to do this. The pregnancy went as planned and with another c-section (our choice). He gave me the option to try and labor naturally. Dr. Stodgel was there for me every step of the way. His humor, attention to detail and compassion made it a happy, comfortable experience for all. Having c-sections can be a little scary, especially the first time. I trusted him with my life and I will never forget this great man. And btw, all the nurses both times told me he is their favorite doctor to work with. I just wish it didn't take me so long to write this! I told him he could have been plastic surgeon, because seriously I have barely a scar to prove it. He truly cares about his patients!! read more

I know Dr. Stodgel is not about Yelp reviews (he has told me this in as many words as I work in the tech industry and we've mused on this topic a couple of time) but the man deserves more than a good word from a happy mom of a happy kid. Please note that he recently moved his office to 1820 Ogden Drive, Burlingame, CA. Dr Stodgel delivered my second kid via C-section a little over a year ago. He is the most compassionate, caring person you'll ever meet and he also has a dry sense of humor (which I am a fan of). And straight-talking to boot. There is medical advice and there is philosophical advice, and he always starts from first principles. In our data-heavy and regulations-first world, it's easy to get trapped into thinking everything is about the numbers and the flowchart of things that could/should happen based on likely outcomes. Dr Stodgel guides one's thinking back to the fundamentals of why you are doing/deciding on something that has a life at stake (the making of, the continuing of, the optimizing of... the gravity of the matter is grave). No insurance company can put a price or premium on that. This man deserves a premium :) But yes, insurance companies and one's coverage of various tests and prescriptions can make one's life hell -- yours, mine and the doctor's office. I had a fancy-ish test done and my insurer messed up the billing between Dr Stodgel's office and another physician's office but it all got cleared up after a few phone calls. As annoying as that was, we should remember that doctors are here to be our sounding boards, counselors and advisers, not billing experts so please try to cut them some slack. A number of doctors with small, private practices didn't pursue this calling to deal with Anthem and Medicare. I hate figuring out billing disputes as much as anyone else (I have two kids and a demanding more-than-full-time job so almost zero time to spare) but also recognize that the mountain of billing codes and insurers' procedures have gotten out of whack :( On the female vs. male ob-gyn topic, I haven't considered this a factor in any of the ob-gyn care I received in the past or present. In my prior delivery, my care (also excellent) was provided by a team at St Luke's Women's Center in SF where both male and female ob-gyns/midwives were involved. read more

THE BEST! Dr. Stodgel is the best! Your missing out if you do not give him a try! Reading those negative Yelps, consider the source. Dr. Stodgel helped me out when all the other OBGyn doctors did not. For that I am forever grateful. Thanks Dr. Stodgel. read more

First I'll say I was kind of stuck with Dr. Stodgel. I had been seeing a family doctor, but he couldn't do the delivery - he told me not to bother searching for an OB until 30 weeks, so I didn't. By then nobody would take me because I was too far along - oops! My PCP is a close friend of Dr. Stodgel and asked him to take me as a personal favor. I was prepared to like him, having heard good things, but no such luck. Here are some of the reasons that I won't be going back to him for my current pregnancy: 1) I had my first appointment with him at 30 weeks. Dr. Stodgel walked in, didn't even glance up from his chart and said in the most condescending voice you can imagine "So, why do you think you are pregnant?". I kind of stared at him for a few seconds and said "Well, I can feel him kicking me right now so I'm pretty sure..". The shocked look on his face was priceless but the attitude was not great. 2) I had a previous miscarriage before getting pregnant with my son. I put it on the forms when I first came in, and talked with him about it briefly during our first visit. When I came in for the second visit the first question he had for me was "So tell me about the delivery of your previous child". Ouch! He'd obviously forgotten all about the miscarriage and hadn't even bothered to check his chart because it was right there. It was like a punch in the gut. I can put this one down to a mistake - but man, it's a big, insensitive mistake to make! 3) I was 21 years old when I got pregnant. I had been with my husband since I was 18, married at 19, stared trying to get pregnant and had a miscarriage at 20. It took us nine months of trying to get pregnant with our son. This was in no way a mistake or a surprise. However Dr. Stodgel never asked about any of that or seemed to care at all. He kept lecturing me on how his own teenage children were not old enough to have kids, and if any of them came home pregnant he would be so angry with them. He kept telling me about how immature they were and how they would be horrible parents. By talking about them like that, he was obviously implying the same things about ME. He really crossed the line when he looked my husband straight in the eye and said "Wow, those 20 year olds will do anything to trap a guy into marriage won't they? I bet she told you she was on birth control..." Yes he actually said that, in exactly those words! Right in front of me, to my husband's face! My husband is only eight years older than me. We chose to have children earlier in our marriage because we didn't want to wait and run into genetic problems because of his age. If I hadn't been naked and in the middle of a freaking vaginal exam I would have walked out of the office right then and there. That experience ALONE was enough to make me never want to see this guy again. 4) He sent me for an induction at 40 and a half weeks, even though my score was extremely low. The understanding was that if it went badly or didn't seem to be working that he would then be free to do a c-section. I went in to be induced on a Wednesday night. By Friday morning I was still there with no change, and he pretty much said "Well, it looks like this isn't working, so I'll just send you home". Um, excuse me? That's not what we talked about! Not to mention that the baby had gone into distress several times in the last few days. I asked if we could do a c-section instead. He said no, that wasn't an option, because even though in his own words the induction had failed, he still hadn't exhausted every possibility and he would lose his license if he did an unnecessary c-section. The next morning he said he really had no option but to send me home, or else break my water - if my water was broken he would HAVE to deliver me one way or another within 24 hours. Note that I was not dilated at all by this point. He broke my water anyway, and then left for the day. Around 3pm he came in, ordered an epidural and an increase in pitocin and left again. The epidural didn't work and they told me they couldn't give any more medication or place another epidural, or turn down the pitocin without my doctor's consent - and they couldn't reach him because his cell phone was turned off. Long story short(er) after a horrific painful 8 hours of hellish contractions he checked again, I was only 5cm, the baby's heart rate had been under 90 for over five minutes and was still not great, and I screamed at him for being out of contact. He finally agreed to do a c-section. My son was born with pneumonia because he passed meconium while in distress and inhaled it because he had been left in so long afterward. When Dr. Stodgel heard, he said it was "impossible" because my water had only been broken for 12 hours. He had absolutely no compassion for the situation, even though my son could have died due to his poor decisions. I will never go back and don't recommend that anybody else go there either. read more

Okay, I have only gone to Dr. Stodgel one time...and that's enough for me. I checked out his reviews on yelp before going and he seemed like a pretty solid dr and I needed to find a gyno (i had recently moved to san mateo). Everything with my pap and the exam was just fine, however when he started to ask me about kids (he saw the ring on my finger) I told him that my partner and I were thinking of starting a family in a few months. He blinked rapidly and asked, "your a lesbian?" I told him yes and he (a licensed OBGYN, who has seen hundreds of women, have delivered countless babies) asked, "How are you going to do that?" I was speechless! He actually wanted me to explain to him how two women could have a baby! It was beyond frustrating. After I spent nothing short of 10 minutes explaining how even gay people can use a sperm bank. He just looked at me with sarcastic 'ooooh, okaaaaay' eyes. Needless to say I could not get dressed fast enough. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Stodgel for over 25 years. He has been prescribing hypertension medication for me for years. Two weeks ago, I ran out and the pharmacy faxed the office multiple times for a refill. The pharmacy told me the doctor never responded. I called Dr. Stodgel's office to find out what the problem was and the receptionist claimed no faxes had come in for refills for my prescription. Dr. Stodgel was out of town but the receptionist said she would have the doctor covering Dr. Stodgel's patients call me back after she approved my refill. Now, 14 days later, I called the office again as I did not hear from the doctor's office. Dr. Stodgel's staff could not find my file and apparently he denied the refill as if I was a new patient! Time for me to move on and find a OB/GYN who has a competent staff, working fax machine, and the decency to CALL a patient with severe hypertension if I need to come in for a check-up. read more