In 2020, I saw Dr. Mark Pita at AFC PriMed Eastchase in Montgomery for serious back pain after long…read morework shifts. He never introduced himself and flinched when I lifted my shirt to show a dip on my left side--something no patient should ever see from a doctor. He briefly examined me and sent me for an X-ray. When he returned, he told me I had scoliosis in the coldest, most robotic tone possible. No sympathy, no explanation, no help, just, "Scoliosis is something people have to live with."
When I began to break down emotionally, scared and overwhelmed, he showed zero concern. He never looked me in the eyes, and when I asked about yoga, physical therapy, or treatments, he bobbled his head repeatedly like he wasn't listening, clearly annoyed that I was even asking. It felt like I wasn't worth his time. He prescribed muscle relaxers and left.
Later, I returned to him at the AFC Taylor Crossing location (after having to track him down) to get unemployment paperwork signed. Instead of offering understanding, he questioned why I quit my job and said, "I have patients with scoliosis who can work just fine," completely ignoring my worsening condition. He scribbled a note saying I could work as long as I didn't lift over 30 pounds, which blocked my unemployment and again, dismissed my pain.
A second doctor later told me that if I had stayed at my job, I could have become paralyzed or needed emergency surgery. Dr. Pita failed me. I felt stereotyped as a lazy Black man trying to avoid work instead of being seen as a human being who needed help. His attitude was cold, careless, and emotionally harmful.
Please, be cautious if you're considering him for care. Patients deserve to be treated with compassion, not indifference.
Dr. Pita's body language said it all. Throughout both visits, he avoided direct eye contact, barely spoke to me, and constantly bobbled his head while I tried to voice real concerns about my condition and future. It felt like I was being brushed off for simply advocating for my health. I wasn't being dramatic. I was a young man trying to understand a painful spinal condition that had the potential to affect me for life. Instead of empathy, I was met with cold detachment and annoyance.
At no point did he explain what Scoliosis actually was, how it worked, what treatments were available, or how serious my case might be. He never mentioned whether I should seek physical therapy, use a brace, get imaging done with a specialist, or even how to manage pain safely. I had to beg for answers, and all I got was a half-hearted response that I "could try yoga." There was no follow-up, no referral, and no concern for my long-term health.
After being dismissed at my first visit, I was already feeling ashamed and lost. Then having to go back and practically plead with the same doctor for documentation to help protect my health and livelihood was even worse. It's one thing to be ignored -- it's another to be looked at like you're faking or trying to take advantage of the system. That's how I felt how he treated me: not like a patient, but like a problem he wanted out of the room.
What's most disturbing is that his poor judgment and lack of care directly influenced decisions about my ability to survive financially. He wrote down that I could still work, which led to me being denied unemployment -- even though another doctor later told me I was at risk of permanent damage. I was told I made the right call by leaving that job when I did. If I had listened to Dr. Pita, I might've been seriously injured or worse.
As a young Black man, I can't ignore the racial and class dynamics at play here. I came in wearing my work uniform, clearly exhausted and in pain. From the way I was treated, it felt like I was viewed as just another Black man trying to get out of work, rather than someone in genuine need of help. That unspoken bias is what makes the emotional damage cut even deeper. People like me are already less likely to be believed in medical settings, and this experience only reinforced that fear.
I don't take writing reviews like this lightly. I've held this in for years, but I can't stay silent knowing someone else might go through what I did. No patient should ever feel belittled, dismissed, or treated like their pain doesn't matter. If even one person reconsiders trusting Dr. Pita with their care because of this review, then sharing my story was worth it.
I highly recommend finding a REAL doctor who will take your concerns seriously, communicate clearly, and treat you like a person, not a burden.
