Dr Tim Fitzer is is wonderful, caring, listening doctor and makes sure all my questions are always answered.

I entered the waiting room, the only one without a wheelchair or crutches. I filled out the paperwork with relative honesty. I got weighed, measured. I didn't look. I waited in the room... then he entered. Dr. Timothy Fitzer wears an iridescent purple silk shirt with black pin-stripe pants that, by no accident, feature thin stripes of the same shade of purple running subtly down the length of each leg. In his left ear glistens a well-polished diamond, tribute to his true baller nature. Long story short I have poison oak and it sucks. Fitz was as good as any other doctor I have seen and gave me a prescription while explaining exactly why I look like a freak of nature. It was quick and painless and easy. Dr. Fitzer is fine. Dr. Fitzer's outfit is fyiiiiiiiiine! read more

It's been around for years and years, so I guess one has to forgive the utter dingyness of the waiting room. What's not so forgiveable, however, is the unhelpfulness of the staff. I was shocked by the exhorbitant $150 fee for a simple office visit for my daughter, particularly as a Blue Cross member. (BC negotiates rates with its providers and I assumed I would be paying that--not the full, overpriced fee.) I assumed right. Two weeks later, I get an "explanation of benefits" letter from BC that informs me I've been overcharged by $70. According to Larry at the clinic, they always charge the "full rates" because they don't know what each patient's negotiated rate will be. But I don't buy it, as it doesn't make any sense. The definition of a "negotiated rate" is that it's standard for a variety of procedures. Blue Cross will pay $X for an office visit, $Y for this particular lab test, and so on. To top it off, in order to get the overcharge back, I have to mail Larry my copy of the Blue Cross letter and then wait for a check. Very irritating. That said, we saw a terrific nurse practitioner who followed up Chrissy's visit with a phone call. We like her. We just don't like the billing practices, which strike me as more than a little shady. read more

I went to Berkeley Family Practice for a general checkup and prescription refill. It was fine. I was a new patient, arrived a few minutes earlier to fill out forms, and was in and out with Rx refills, no problem. Then, I got a cold. Runny nose, hacking cough, itchy eyes, fever, and Thanksgiving was only a week away. I called Berkeley Family Practice, hoping to make a last-minute appointment to get some antibiotics. The receptionist on the phone informed me that there were no more appointments for the week. What should I do, I asked, I'm sick and I need to see a doctor. Go to your nearest emergency room, was her reply. What kind of an answer is that? I have insurance, they are my primary care practitioner. How irresponsible to just leave me hanging like that. I ended up using a walk-in service not covered by my insurance and paid $150 cash out of pocket. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.... read more

Dr. Tim Fitzer is one of the best in the SF Bay Area! He succeeded my previous Doctor, Stern, when the latter retired. Empathic, caring and and a complete pro when it comes to Family Medical. My only wish is that he was still my Doctor! read more

Dr. Fizter is a crackup (not a crackpot)! Like another reviewer before me, I have more than once been completely overawed by his attire. The man has a wardrobe that *works it*, if you know what I mean. The nitty-gritty: the man is patient, kind and very good at explaining what is going on with you. He doesn't flinch when pointing out that the ailment is your own fault, but he is not unkind about it. I've seen him a few times, my husband has seen him several times more, and overall we both are fairly happy with him and his office staff, who are always polite and courteous. My only complaint is the waiting room. It needs some attention, oh yes. It isn't filthy, just old and hodgepodge. read more

Doctor Timothy Fitzer comes as close to a hometown country gentleman that we all know as "Doc." He has always treated me with respect and courtesy. He always observes my appoint times with him with complete, undivided and devoted attention. There were times when my appointment time was delayed, even up to an hour once. I confronted him about the tardiness, which he gave me a reasonable explanation. "Look," he said," I'm a doctor and some appointments are more important than others, like when the patient is an emergency." He was right. So, I stopped being miffed when I realized that I wasn't always his first emergency. That's when it occurred to me that we as a community rarely give these people credit where credit is due them. So let me discusse his office protocol, his staff and the needy patients I see in the waiting room. Observing that his office staff has to work in a confined area, they dealing with mountains of administrative work, around incredible stacks of files that one only hope never sees an earthquake. These busy bees never seem to loose anything, regadless of all distracting machines humming, drumming and whirring in the background. It buzzes in a constant flow of traffic where people stand, sit, walk in out and around with a single purpose in mind, to track hard copy records for their boss' patients. And they incredibly manage to do it with great efficiency as one might find in the cold business world outside. Contrarily, they always greet us cordially at the first window, taking the patient's needs and demands to form a presentation to the doctor. Most patients, like me, run on routines; I sign in, hand over a copy of an insurance card, co-pay and leave to sit without so much as saying, "Thank you." Sometimes I gorget but a thank you is important. In the waiting room, we wait for the Doc but it's not a country doc. It's a city doc on demand, right now, I'm here. Fortunately, most jaded people like me are the strangers and I was told not to talk to strangers when I was a child even if that stranger is visiting the same doctor. Whoops! It's the city and not the country, son. So I quietly slump down with the other patients wishing we were more like in the country. Finally I am called by his nurse who never misses a chance to giggle at my bad jokes in a good way. Sometimes I am not joking like when I'm in pain. Efficiently she weighs me in, take my vitals as I complain the scale is lying again. I can't possibly weigh that much but I do. I go to one of his spotlessly clean exam rooms which admitted are have much better decor than the waiting room. In a few moments, the flamboyantly dress Doc comes into the room. He always greets me with a gentle smile and sincere approach to my problems. His attire makes him different. It's a signature about who he is a creative mind. However, his gentle but truthful bedside manner also makes him unique. Because he is pleasant to meet, that pleasantness builds my trust in him to discuss all my symptoms more openly. I met him two years ago. I had a lot of health issues. I tried to get everyone of them cured immediately. He helped by making me limit my issues to three pains per visit. Today I have only one issue, that's me. Under his explicit directions, I used to take 14 to 18 pills every day but now only 4 and two of those are temporary. I 'm asking you, am I getting healthier or what? We have a few extra conversations too about our community and current events. I like his political views, because he keeps them to himself. The Doc makes me feel at home. The last people I see on the way out are the same in the same cramped space still concentrating on paperwork and asking when is a good time fore my next visit. They are kind ones when I have a dispute yet, even when they don't agree with me they do it pleasantly. Most of my disagreements are because I misunderstood something but they are always ready to fix a problem if they can. I guess what I country spirit in this Doc's office and staff regardless of what you think about the waiting room. If you are looking for a good family doctor, these people are scarce. When you do find one, their office is very busy. For this I wish him and his staff all the best, hoping my comment on Yelp helps him and his wonderful staff gather one more new patient. read more

Timothy A. Fitzer, M.D - The Shop Dogs - Family Practice Near Me - Berkeley, California

Tim is a pretty nice guy but I couldn't take him as a GP. I had complained of very frequent heartburn and all he would tell me is to lose weight (I could lose a few but I'm not exactly fat either) and wouldn't elaborate on what symptoms I should keep my eye on etc. Also I was sleeping at 8pm for work and had occasional insomnia, he told me to try the over-the-counter stuff and wouldn't even give me an emergency supply of the good stuff. One time he was out when I had a flu like thing so I saw Ako Jacintho instead at the same place, he is young and less experienced but I trust him much more. The 2 stars are for Tim only. read more

I've only ever been in here twice, both times to see Dr. Fitzer. First time: My first trip to Chiapas. Two weeks after coming home I finally went to the doctor b-c the hubby pointed out that the kind of stank I had going on in the bathroom couldn't possibly be normal. Fitzer's travelled a bit, and he's down with parasites. He told me mine wasn't impressive, but gave me a scrip and my world went back to normal. I'm eternally grateful. Second time: Peace Corps physical. This wasn't really fun for either of us, but he got me in on time, got it all filled out *correctly*, and sent me on my way, where I eventually got to spend a lot of time living with a lot of impressive parasites in my gut... read more

Dr. Fitzer was knowledgeable, kind and helpful for our family visit. Our daughter was rather anxious about the visit but his great warmth put her at ease and she was soon relaxed and chatting away. We also appreciated how Dr. Fitzer was willing to take time to take questions and explain things so we didn't have to worry later. I wish there was 10 starts instead of just 5, since he deserves 10 out 10 rating. read more

Dr. Fitzer is a great health care provider. He provides what most doctors do not now a days. He listens. With this, he is able to provide personal solutions. He is also a very practical physician. He is not one focused on the short term, feel good, get you out of my office and see as many folks as possible types. He is focused on long term care. He is honest and will tell you if the root of your health issues are your personal behaviours. He won't prescribe just to make you happy. This is what a doctor should be. He doesn't get four starts is because the facilities are pretty dated. Then again, i'm there for health and not for decor. I've recommend Dr. Fitzer to my friends. read more

Dr. Fitzer is very down to earth and explains everything to you about your illness and will answer any question. Yeah, it can be hard to get appointments, but usually they can get you in the same week, if not the same day. I think people are giving the facility a bad review and not the Dr. himself. Dr. Fitzer is GREAT! I had a bad case of strep and Dr. Fitzer saw me the same day and got me started on antibiotics. Dr. Jacintho was very kind and helpful when I saw him recently as well! I would say the office could use a little decoration, but hey it's a doctor's office, not a design studio! The medical assistants are also very nice and very professional! read more

Dr. Timothy Fitzer has good sense of humor and very accomodating, I was running late by 10 mins and he was booked for the day but over the phone he confirmed that its not going to be an issue. I did my annual check up and he made sure that everything gets checked. I on my side also made sure that I do the labs and follow up as well. I will definately recommend him. I agree!!! Dr. Timothy Fitzer wears an iridescent purple silk shirt with black pin-stripe pants that, by no accident, feature thin stripes of the same shade of purple running subtly down the length of each leg. In his left ear glistens a well-polished diamond, tribute to his true baller nature. . read more

I tried to set up an appointment as a new patient for a regular physical. The rude receptionist (the one with a very noticeable accent on the phone) told me in a rather brash voice that I need to set up an initial visit first and speak with the doctor before scheduling an annual exam. Didn't even get to step foot in the door and I am already looking elsewhere. read more

I've been a patient of Berkeley Family Practice Medical Group for 40 years! Dr. Tom Stern was my guy until Dr. Fitzer took over. Dr. Fitzer has continued the practice with the same care, empathy and professionalism that I experienced with Dr. Stern. He's a good listener and asks appropriate questions in a cheerful manner. I give him 5 stars! read more

I saw Dr. Fitzer because of these reviews. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. My first visit was okay, he has a very friendly bedside manner and is kind of sarcastic, which always puts me at ease with a doctor (weird, I know). During this first visit, he didn't seem to be in a rush, but he didn't really probe me with any questions about my health. [I went into anaphylactic shock from taking 2 antibiotics at the same time several years ago, and he suggested I not get an allergy test to find out.] When I mentioned something that I wanted his opinion about, I felt uncomfortable, like I was being whiny. He gave me a referral for an x-ray. Not a perfect visit, but decent. My second visit was only a few weeks later, because I had gotten very sick. I couldn't see him so I saw one of the NPs - a VERY sarcastic woman, biting, but okay. [When she asked about my allergies and I told her the deal, she was extremely shocked that Dr Fitzer had suggested I not take a test. She felt it was extremely important and that I wouldn't be able to take any antibiotics if I didn't find out.] I got a lot of "Wow, that's weird" while I was telling her what's wrong. This visit was also uneventful...she didn't really say much beyond commenting on how strange my symptoms were. A nice thing about this 2nd visit is that this nurse MAILED me a referral for an allergy test. Nice surprise at the end. Now, the office staff is where I take away the last 2 stars. Much worse than the first 2 "eh" visits was the after-math. I felt like I had a UTI during the 2nd visit, so they tested me for that. They called me about 3 weeks later telling me that my test came out negative, no UTI. [However, they left me a message and I called back 10 minutes later...gave them my name, told them why I was calling....and it took them 20 minutes to figure out who called me and why. This wasn't very painful, just annoying.] They asked me to come in for a follow-up test...."a follow-up test?" I ask. "But it came out negative, and I've been feeling fine for 3 weeks now." The girl who called kind of stammered, then told me to come in anyway. After a lot of back and forth, I said "sure" and just never went in. There is one woman who works there that does the insurance and billing (don't know her name). I have spoken with her a few times because I'm having problems with my insurance. This woman has to be one of the meanest people I've ever spoken to. I spoke to her very respectfully and apologized a lot for asking so many questions and told her that I was very very confused, but any time that I reiterated what she just said, to make sure that I understood, she said "YES! I just told you that!" despite me explaining, several times, why I was reiterating. I'm sure that it was annoying her to be talking to someone who really had no idea what was going on, but she was disproportionately rude. I even asked her at one point to just bear with me, and I explained very clearly that I know that she's told me things, but I just want to make sure that I understand because blah blah.... At one point, I told her that she was making me feel bad and asked her to stop being so impatient and mean. She kept scoffing and exclaiming things like "how come you don't get it?" I still don't get it. Fortunately, there will be no more phone calls like that for me! I've since sworn off western "medicine" and am going to go the holistic route. read more

They've been adequate for the three years that I've been coming here, since I don't really get sick, and when I do, I can generally diagnose myself. "I have a UTI." "Great, here are some antibiotics." But I've had a bad knee for about two years that I've been constantly asking them about, including Dr. Fitzer. I've been asking, every six months, "Is it a torn ACL?" Nope, nope and nope. Finally went to Berkeley Orthopedics to try some physical therapy and OH WAIT, I've had a torn ACL for two years! Now I have to have surgery, and a year of rehab, that I could've been totally done with by now if they'd diagnosed me correctly when it happened! Two years ago! Never, never going here again. read more

Dr. Fitzer filled out my US Green Card medical form incorrectly. This ended up delaying my application and putting me in a difficult situation with my immigration status. If you need a certified civil surgeon to do your immigration health check do not go to Berkeley Family Practice. read more

A horrible practice, a very mediocre doctor. As many here have mentioned already, the staff is both very rude and incompetent. I was feeling ill and waiting for some test results, and I wanted to clarify when I would get them, and he basically hung up on me. It's really the worst front office staff I've ever seen, at least in the U.S. I found Dr. Fitzer to be condescending and arrogant. When I came to him with some chest pain, he diagnosed it as a heart disease, and sent me to a bunch of tests. When the tests were inconclusive, and I was feeling very nervous, he basically made fun of me and prescribed me zoloft, an anti-depressant, saying that my chest pain is the result of anxiety. That was the last time I went to his nasty office. It took another, much better doctor to diagnose that I had Chron's disease which was causing the fatigue and the pain. The nurse in that office is nice, and I saw Dr. Goo once for something very minor, and she seemed nice too. But Dr. Fitzer is not a good doctor, and his staff is incredibly poor. read more

the staff and doctors here are very nice, and are able to see you same day if needed. however, as most are very young and fresh out of med school, they can only diagnose you if you are a textbook case of something. my doctor was so busy that when she did see me, we had only 15 minutes and then she had to go. she would look over my files later that evening, and call me back the next day. it was the next week after me calling the office three times that I finally got to speak with her. she would need more tests to figure out what was going on with me. two more weeks later, more tests later, $200 of co-pays and labwork later...she needs to refer me out to another doctor because the whole office is unsure of what to do. if you just need a same-day quick fix, these could be your people. but if you want to establish a good relationship with a doctor that will take care of you down the road when things get serious, strongly consider going elsewhere. read more

A very nice guy and quite funny. A huge improvement over the loopy Vietnamese ex-US Army doctor who he replaced several years ago. I find the office staff to be very nice but somewhat disorganized. Every time I need to get my wheelchair fixed seems to turn into a months long fiasco of confusion and fingerpointing between this office, my insurance and the wheelchair place. A drag. read more

Stay away! This clinic is NOT a good example of how patients should be treated. I made an appointment to be seen on a Saturday. I was asked for, and paid $150 (even though I have Blue Shield Insurance, and the negotiated rate is less than this by about $70). They refused to accept checks, and I gave them cash, expecting a receipt. They gave my a generic receipt that did not even have the clinic name on it, and refused to write in that this was a medical consultation. I knew that I would need this receipt when dealing with my insurance company. Long story short - the office staff decided that even though we had a contract (they booked an appointment, I showed up and was prepared to see the doctor), that they could refuse service to me. Yes - shocking but true - the office girl "Mickie" made this decision, not the doctor. Doctors cannot dump patients who they have contracted to treat without giving sufficient notice, and they cannot do it in a way that is discriminatory. This conduct is not only unethical, but clearly unlawful. Although the harm was not significant (I was merely out of blood pressure medication), I intend to report this clinic to the Medical Board. read more

I don't know about the other reviews, and I am just speaking from my personal experience, but I have always had a great experience with Dr. Fitzer. Yes, he is a bit on the playful side, but it's just his natural humor. But if you would prefer your doctors to be more professional/less playful, then no, Dr. Fitzer is not for you. But he genuinely does care about you. I had an insane case of food poisoning, and he immediately scheduled me in with just 40 minutes notice. I went in and puked all over his office, but he did not mind at all and was extremely understanding. He was very concerned for my well-being and let me rest in a room while I waited for my anti-nausea shot to kick in. He checked in with me every 5 minutes to see how I was handling the shot, and even after the required 30 minutes were up, he said I could stay however long I wanted until I felt physically ready to leave. I truly appreciated his kindness, especially after I had projectile-vomited all over his furniture. Both in that experience and previous ones, he has been a good listener and a caring doctor. I have never needed him for serious/life-threatening diagnoses, so I cannot speak on that front. But for the general well-being checkups/visits that I see him for, he has been a great doctor. read more

I went to Dr. Fitzer because he is the only doctor in Northern CA approved to do medical examinations for Canadian immigration. There was nothing good about my experience with his office. First, I forgot a piece of paperwork, and had to get my partner to bring it over while I waited. They called my name before she came, and refused to let me step back into the waiting room or out to the sidewalk to meet her, which seemed unreasonable. Then when she arrived with the blank form, they said they said they could have given me the blank form all along (it takes just a minute to fill out)! Horrible communication. While I was asking to step outside to meet my partner and thank her for bringing the form, Dr. Fitzer waltzes in and says, "if you want to schedule this for another time, we can do that." I said no thank you, I'm here now and don't have time to reschedule, I just wanted to step outside. He said, "it doesn't seem like you're ready for the appointment, and we're already 10 minutes late." I said I got there on time and had been waiting for 10 minutes! Horrible first impression. The exam was fine, and he was less rude during it, but it definitely felt like going through the motions. That's understandable. The worst part is that it took his office three months to send my results to Canada Immigration. Granted, this was due to the fact they were waiting on a report from another doctor, but that office sent the report THREE TIMES to Fitzer's office before they finally got it. And when finally Fitzer's office received the fax, they said they hadn't recognized it before because it was under Edie not Edith. Same last name, mind you. Seriously. Avoid them if you can. If you can't (because you're trying to immigrate to canada and they are the only ones you can go to), just treat his office like they are idiot children and hopefully you'll be okay. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Fitzer for years. He is a great person, excellent sense of humor and very willing to go the extra mile to figure out what ails you. I do have the same argument as some about the staff. I was having a horrible urinary tract infection and they actually "lost" the urine, and instead of fessing up an saying so, they just filled out a form to the doc saying my urine was normal, when I know what I peed out, (pardon the description) looked like cranberry juice. I think they just aren't well supervised, and maybe spoiled. Every office staff needs turnover every so often and this one needs polishing, for real. read more

Ive been a patient there for about 6 months and I realized today that I wouldn't send my dog there. They return important calls 4 to 5 days later and require patients to make office visits in order to have medicines re-filled, which adds up to quite a bit when you consider the co-pays for both. More about making money than making people healthy. No wonder the health care system is in trouble here. What ever happened to good old service and fair treatment? read more

Don't let his colorful shirts fool you and his friendly appearance. When you are really sick his lack of compassion is evident. My wife stopped going to him years ago but I am now doing the same. The practice in general is a one star rating. read more

I have been a patient at Berkeley Family Practice since 1986. I stay with them because I have had three TERRIFIC doctors and a TERRIFIC Nurse Practitioner over the course of these past 23 years...Doctor Bonnie Kneibler, Dr. Fred Arredondo, Patricia Sandoval, NP and now, Dr. Timothy Fitzer. Needless to say, they have seen me for everything ranging from congestion to anxiety to torn ligaments and ruptured discs, as well as for yearly physicals, pap smears and the normal range of illnesses one faces between the ages of 29 to 53. Dr. Fitzer does wear colorful, distinctive clothing...which makes him all the more real...but I keep going back because he is an excellent diagnostician, and because he is NOT an alarmist. He is very real and approachable. I believe that my doctor is only one part of my medical team, (I am another part), and as a result of that, I always arrive at appointments prepared with lots of questions. I am unapologetic about this and Dr. Fitzer is always a welcoming recipient to those questions and concerns. He always has time for me. Rayshelle (sp?) is the BEST med-tech in the office. She is really nice and thorough. I have to agree that the office had one REALLY awful insurance specialist, but she is no longer there. If you want an open-minded, considerate, really good doctor, Timothy Fitzer just might be a good fit for you. Yesterday he spent nearly an hour with me, explaining some important aspects and responding to my concerns. He has been an excellent doctor for me and for my family. BTW...There's new carpeting in the office! read more

I've been a patient at the Berkeley Family Practice for 15years now. Despite their negative reviews I feel that the doctors are knowledgeable and capable of treating patients. I admit in the past I've had some issues with the front staff occasionally but they've always been resolved. I use to see Dr.Jacintho but after a recent injury had to be seen as an emergency by Dr. Fitzer. Both doctors were friendly and knowledgeable but the difference between them was Dr. Fitzer makes you laugh about you're medical problems. He's a little sarcastic using questions to see if what he's telling you is actually sticking. I know a lot of people who reviewed negatively had problems with the front staff but I would say don't judge a book by its cover. The assistants are very nice and actually remember you when you come in. They put you at ease when you're medical problems may seem disastrous. read more

I don't mind his garish wardrobe. Dr. Fitzer is ok to go to if you need a quick fix for a cold or something similar, but don't expect any special treatment if you go to him for long term issues. They are used to seeing new people all the time and they don't really "get to know" their patients. Well, I can't speak for others.. but he never got to know me. I had been seeing drs zaman and fitzer of ongoing headaches and got totally different approaches from both of them. After my 5th visit there in less than 6 months I had a question for dr fitzer before I left for a trip and wanted to talk to him on the phone. I waited all day to hear from him (I left a message at noon and called back two times after that) and finally after my 4th call that day at 7PM his assistant told me he could not talk to me on the phone and I would have to schedule a visit to come in (which I had also tried to do that day.) I said that I really needed to talk to Dr Fitzer and he flat out refused to come to the phone. This is not the place to go if you want to feel taken care of or you want to feel like your dr. knows who you are or really cares about your well being. The whole office is unprofessional....the assistant continually interrupted me and then accused me of yelling at her when I was trying to talk over her voice. I called back today to get a referral to the UCSF headache center (not even a real referral, I just needed them to send my info to them via fax) and I was AGAIN told that I needed to come in to do that. Was also interrupted three times in my two minute conversation. What a racket! I won't be back. If I want that kind of treatment i'd rather go to an Emergency Room...at least they have TV. I am giving two stars because they did properly treat minor issues I had over the years... read more

I don't know how to rate this but I've been with them for many years and all the doctors are great!!!! Fitzer, Jacintho, and Mehta! But the front desk nurse is by far the worst which throws an attitude all the time. She's been there for 4 years or more but she always messes up my address and insurance paperwork. All I have to say is it's the one with a strong accent (filipino). I've told her at least 3 times to change my address for billing and never does. Then she tells me there are late fees when she didn't update my file. She needs to work on her people skills thats for sure. read more

This practice has progressed its facility and management over the past 8 years. But consistently, the owner has been focused on quality. Tim Fitzer, MD reads his journals and implements new ideas each year. I really enjoy my annual physicals. The meetings are comprehensive, and referrals are high quality. Also, Tim Fitzer understands sports medicine, so he is on top of musculoskeletal disorders and referrals. My wife likes him too. He speaks Thai, and so she gets to enjoy her first language and this adds trust. It also helps that she had severe back pain that Dr. Fitzer helped with a single injection of anti-inflammatory medication - good work! This facility has evening and weekend appointments. The staff is diverse. Location is good - centrally located in Berkeley, with good parking. Thumbs up. read more

Dr. Fitzer is an excellent doctor. He's very kind and patient and doesn't rush you out. He makes you laugh. I hope he never leaves Berkeley Family Practice. His staff is great too. Thanks to Rochelle and Jessica. Dorothy M. read more

I have been coming here for years, starting with Dr. Jacintho, who was fabulous, but sadly l left. I continued out of inertia and convenience (close to my home) but am considering another practice. When I talked to Dr. Fitzer about sleeping issues, he told me to work out for 3 hours a day. The next time, several years later, when I brought up the issue, he prescribed me Tradozone, which he said he wouldn't mind prescribing to his father (which puts me in the category of old, doddery patient). He also told me about his sleep issues with his young baby(!) Tradozone was designed as an anti-depressant medicine, it has dire warnings that it may cause severe depression and suicidal tendencies (!). I took it for two nights, it was the most horrible medicine known ever! On the other hand, when I practically cut off the tip of my finger stupidly trying to open a hard plastic case with a pen knife, he was very responsive in dealing with it, giving me stitches, and staying past the closing hour. Referrals to other doctors seem mostly to be taken from some printed list, not from personal knowledge. I ended up going to some young rheumatologist who didn't take my insurance, so I paid her hundreds of dollars to basically be treated as someone not worth bothering about. read more

I doubt their ethics as a medical practice. I need to pick up my Dad's medical exam letter for his immigration application after I went to their office with him for three times. I was told the letter I signed on his behalf was not acceptable, which I respected their being strict about things like this. They told me the letter signed by himself should be sufficient. I drove back home and my Dad wrote a new letter with his own signature. When I handed the new authorization letter in, they said the signature does not match. I was totally floored. I just drove back and forth to get it. Why would anyone on this planet to get a forged signature ? I was there with him three times to get the medical exams, TB test, and vaccination done. I paid for all the bills for him. Come one this is for immigration only and all Dr. Fitzer did was to check his ear, mouth, back and muscle strength. No secrete is going to leak out to me since the letter is signed and sealed for USCIS to open. What else do you want me to do ? I wanted them to recheck the signatures since I am 8.5 month pregnant and do not want to go through this again. They refused and insisted the signatures did not match. I was upset and fainted in their office. I fell onto the floor and could not stop shaking when I woke up. NO ONE HELPED ME. NO ONE ! When I woke up, I overhead the voice of a doc, probably Dr. Fitzer asking what's wrong. But again he did not bother to walk to me and check to make sure I was OK. Believe it or not, the office manager asked me "ARE YOU PREGNANT ?" I am due in a few weeks and there is absolutely no way for me to hide the bump ! It was crispy clear that I would not get help from this place, I struggled to get up, left and went to my OB, who put me into hospital immediately. Sadly, I have to share a few of my thoughts after this: 1. They are very strict about protecting themselves. 2. Do NOT expect they will help you if you are in a severe medical situation. 3. The medical practice needs to recheck the ethics guideline as what a humane practice should do. read more

Saw Dr. Fitzer because was required to see this Doctor before getting our chest X-rays for the Australia Work Holiday Visa. Wasn't very happy about the price tag ($300 each), and all the doctor did was basically verify our paperwork was in order. But here is why I am giving a "poor" rating: We were then told it would cost $50 each to mail all our paperwork to Australia. We had two x-rays (me and my wife) so we asked if they could mail them together so we could save $50. They told us "No, we are required to mail them separate." Fair enough. So we paid $50 each ($100 total) to have them mailed separately. I then followed up 3 days later to get a tracking number. Turns out they mailed only ONE package with both of the information together. What a joke. I feel totally scammed out of $50 by them. They refused to do anything about it. They gave some bogus excuse about the weight of 2 CDs making it cost $100. I don't buy it for a second, and I can't believe they do things like this. Again, everything Dr. Fitzer did was fine, but the way they handled the paperwork and mailing was extremely unethical, and the doctor is responsible for these things. read more

I read the reviews and decided to go to this office despite many negative comments. BIG mistake! I was treated with complete disrespect by the ladies behind the receptionist desk. There was an issue with my insurance which I explained had happened in the past and I very politely explained and asked them to call again. They very rudely said NO they would not. If I wanted to be seen I would have to pay the ridiculous office visit fee. Knowing this was a mistake I called my insurance and asked them to call the office. They still did not believe me and called a second time to verify that indeed I was telling the truth! It was absolutely disrespectful and RUDE that they would not call a second time when I asked and explained the situation!! We just moved back to Berkeley and are looking for a Family GP. This will not be our choice! As a side note: the place is filthy as well! Do not waste your time with the extremely unprofessional staff! read more

I'm the type of person who will tough anything out as long as possible before going to see a doctor. I had an extremely high fever for two weeks and was not getting any better. I went to see Dr. Fitzer for help. He told me I probably just had a common cold and to not waste his time in the future with petty medical problems. I did my best to convince him to run some tests. He finally agreed to run some tests on me. He said he would do it on the condition that I never again question his diagnosis, because I was not a doctor, and he was. A day later I received a phone call telling me to come into the office right away, they wouldn't let me know the results over the phone. I told them I was weak, it was raining outside, and I didn't have a car. They told me to walk there. After securing a ride to the doctor's office I was told that I had swine flu and pneumonia, but the doctor would not see me. He would not see me for a follow up either. In fact, Dr. Fitzer refused to ever have an appointment scheduled with me again. I'm now coughing up blood every morning and I can't see my PCP. I assume it's because I proved him wrong, but I was a statistic on the news and should be able to see a doctor. I ended up toughing out swine flu and pneumonia on my couch without help from a doctor even though I have a great health care plan. read more

Tim Fitzer was my GP for a year or 2 and I found him very unprofessional. He usually seems not to care. He does not remember what you tell him. During an appointment once, I told him that I had some pain in my thigh (from a fall a few weeks earlier). I was sitting on a regular chair with my clothes one, I suggested to move (stand up or lay down) and to remove my pair of jeans. But he must have thought that he could do his job with me staying as I was and simply touched my thigh (for about 3 seconds). That was the exam of my thigh (he recommanded me to a PT, though). Another time, my partner had a question about a test he wanted to take. Tim Fitzer said he needed to do some research to see where to do the test in the Bay area and would get back to him. Of course he did not call back and the next time my partner saw him, he had done nothing about the issue. He even said that the test probably did not exist, which is not true. Tim Fitzer then said that if my partner found a lab, he would recommand him to the place. Overall, I found that Tim Fitzer would probably prescribe you what you ask for, but he seemed to me like he does not care about you and does a terrible job at examining you. I am not American and I thought that it might be a cultural issue. But I went to another GP, who was much more professional. So I will not go back to Tim Fitzer's practice. read more

The office is an incredible dump...dingy, dirty and uncomfortable. It shows such a basic disrespect for the patients and that is mirrored in the practice. Medical assistants are rushed, unavailable on the phone and do not call back at all sometimes. Dr. Fitzer is variable...seems knowledgable but slightly weird. You can do much better elsewhere. read more