David A Paslin, MD

Title of My Review: Avoid, avoid, avoid. At all costs.(Thank you, Walter J.!)
I WISH I had read these reviews BEFORE my ill-​fated appointment with Dr. Paslin yesterday, as it would have saved me over two hours, cost of parking and a TON of stress.
KEPT ME WAITING
Dr. Paslin was late. Over an hour late. No explanation, no apology, nothing. I arrived for a 3:30 appointment at 3:25. Dr. P entered my exam room at 4:40pm. Extremely unprofessional.
OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
In a word: gross. In other words, run down, out-​dated, sad, depressing, minimal, uninviting… it was so apparent that patient safety and comfort remains a complete afterthought. In fact, I think he actively works against the idea of patient-​centered care, which BTW, is the new direction in healthcare and he rails against this concept. Why then, is he in the medical field?
FRONT OFFICE STAFF
Excellent! Friendly, kind, jovial. Unfortunately, I think they are over compensating for Dr. P’s many, many shortcomings.
HIPAA COMPLIANCE
Having just praised the front office staff, I must mention that I have concerns about their lax HIPAA privacy protocols. They actively discussed current patients, using full names, or last names, along with disclosing conditions. This is a no-​no. The simple solution? Lower your voices and close the sliding glass door between the office area and the reception area. Ask yourself, «Would I want someone to overhear my medical conditions»? They were oblivious… or perhaps actively disregarded the prohibition against sharing sensitive information with others for some irrational reason, like they just «didn’t want to.» If so, I wouldn’t be surprised given Dr. P’s tirade… that’s coming next…
ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS and CONCERN ABOUT PROFIT MARGINS
Concerned when I realized that the Affiliates practice doesn’t comply with the ACA’s electronic medical records mandate, I asked Dr. P to explain. At that moment, his entire demeanor changed and he lashed out at me with vitriol, saying that he refuses to follow the mandate and would rather incur hefty fines for non-​compliance. He said that he «would not participate in his own demise» by complying with the EMR mandate, as it would bankrupt him, financially and time-​wise. He said his «profit margins» were already «minimal,» so to incur additional expenses for an upgrade to the 21^st century, was not something he was willing to do. When I suggested that his staff could do the brunt of the work, he said intensely, «No! My friends have adopted it and told me they spend their nights and weekends engaged in reviewing medical records. He, would rather «spend his time reading journals.»
He also mentioned that if he resists EMR because if he had to enter information into a computer during a patient visit, then he couldn’t look his patients in the eye and engage with them. Funny he should say this because, as he read the notes the nurse wrote in my chart after her initial intake, he DIDN’T look me in the eye. Why? Because he was reading. ONE CANNOT DO BOTH. And when he added his notes to my chart after looking at my skin problem, AGAIN he DIDN’T look me in the eye. However, if you type well, you can enter information AND look at someone in the eye simultaneously, thus removing the electronic «barrier.» Just takes a little practice and willingness to learn, which Dr. P obliviously doesn’t possess. The point being, don’t knock EMR because they don’t allow you to «engage» with patients, because your current way doesn’t allow engagement either. EMR is not the big, bad process you make it out to be.
Then, when I asked him how the EMR might benefit his patients, he said, «I imagine it would be easier for them, but… «and then went on to say why he wouldn’t do it for HIS reasons. Why HE doesn’t like it. Well, are you a practitioner solely for YOURSELF, or do you serve the GENERAL PUBLIC?
BTW: Here are just a few of the ways in which EMR are better for patients: streamlined information, no more calling medical offices asking for copies of one’s medical records, no more bulky storage of paper files, x-​rays arriving to your PCP in a matter of minutes, ease of sharing medical information between providers/​specialists, etc. I could go on and on…
DECLINED HIS SERVICES
So, after the political tirade about EMR, I declined to allow him to conduct a punch biopsy on my face. And I told him why… not going to risk allowing a fuming, irrational man put a knife to my face. Needless to say, I left shortly after as why would I subject myself to a practitioner of this ilk when there are literally hundreds i can choose from that would do a better job. In fact, the ONLY reason I even went to him is that I changed PCPs/​medical group, so my dermatologist/​specialists changed.
In closing: «Avoid, avoid, avoid. At all costs.»

The Oakland office is really run down. They need to clean it thoroughly. Dr. Paslin solved my problem or at least tried to but didn’t give me enough information to follow up. I was told to look it up on the Internet (the allergy he identified). I’m not satisfied.

Only dermatologist that ever helped me w severe skin problems. He helped save my life. I had severe atopic dermatitis and my skin was so bad I prayed for a quick death. I had seen over 30 doctors and they were all terrible. Dr Pailin was the only one who ever helped me. I am totally normal now thanks to him.

HI,
I am an old patient

I got referred to dr Paslin by my PCP and was able to schedule an appointment within a week. Maybe I was lucky, as it seems that it is quite difficult to get a time slot with any dermatologist in Berkeley. Maybe someone cancelled.
The appointment was today and there were no delays. Arrived and had to wait maybe 5 min. The front desk and doctor’s assistant were really nice and efficient. Doctor Paslin himself was professional in evaluating my mole and offered to remove it (no pressure, though), although he said it’s most likely benign.
He does have rather strong political views, which other reviewers eluded to, and I can see how it may bother some people.
In general I was happy with my experience.

Dr. Paslin made a correct diagnosis of a malignant tumor (twice) even though his pathology lab said that it was not malignant. A third lab (Stanford Hospital) confirmed that Dr. Paslin was correct. Therefore, I was able to recieve the appropriate treatment and be cured.
I read some one star reviews that focused on Dr. Paslin’s perceived poor social skills. To me, it is more important that my doctor to be a good diagnostician and healer.

More than a year after the original procedure, I finally surrendered and went to a different dermatologist to have the huge chin gash left by Dr. Paslin examined. The new doc said he’d rarely seen a such a HOLE left by a simple mole removal. And thank god, he actually did a good job using filler for some reconstruction work. $ 450 later the mess from Dr. Paslin is at least half fixed. I’ll need another restoration appt in a couple months.
wow. Buyer beware indeed. Really really stay clear of this office! That hacking job was the gift that keeps giving.

I saw Dr. Paslin once on a referral from my primary care doctor, and had a nightmarish experience. He exhibited really bizarre behavior which became increasingly inappropriate once he had me on the table with a scalpel in my back.
Prior to that, he had taken to discussing my personal life and inviting me to dinner at his house, which I found a bit odd, but not offensive. Once the surgery began, however, he let fly with an insane, genocidal tirade about Muslims. I was completely flustered and didn’t know how to respond, particularly as I was in a compromised position. As soon as I could, I got dressed, paid my bill, and got the hell out of there.
It bothered me for days afterward and I thought about reporting him, but I really had no idea who to report him to. Besides, it would have just been my word against his.
Out of curiosity, I checked out his Unilocal pages (he has another practice in Oakland) and I find that lots of other people have found him to be similarly unprofessional. All I can do is add to that chorus of voices. I only regret I can’t do more to get this lunatic’s license taken away.
Avoid, avoid, avoid. At all costs.

I have been a patient of Dr. Paslin for over 20 years. Since freezing my first actinic keratosis (pre cancer) at age 34 until now, having removed over 100 squamous cell carcinomas, I have had the same consistent, respectful treatment from him, even if he has to begin the surgery at 4:00 PM because he has had several emergencies that day. The long wait time in his office can be true, but I long ago learned to bring reading material and try to mellow out, because the long wait time indicates the careful respect he gives to every patient including YOU. I never make an appointment close to something else I have to do. I accept the long wait in order to get good care — others may want to see one of his «speedy» associates. For the shortest wait, either take the first appointment in the day, or the last one.
I am on prednisone which make cancers grow faster. With my history, often biopsy isn’t necessary, and incision has always proven to be necessary. Others will always have biopsies. I see Dr. Paslin and Esther, his nurse, once a week and we still can’t keep up with the new skin cancers.
I am disabled from many autoimmune diseases, and I have a «team» of about 7 really good doctors, chosen at length over 10 years. Many of the best doctors also sometimes keep people waiting longer. I find that their care and listening is the reason, and that I am willing to wait longer knowing I will get the same care and listening.
Affilliates in Dermatology (Dr. Paslin’s group), has doctors with many different styles, and I did see others there from time to time. I think Dr. Paslin is the most compassionate, RESPECTFUL, thorough doctor in the practice. I respect him as a human being and as a doctor. I don’t know what I will do when he retires.

Guess my prior attempt to be truthful about my experience was taken down for some reason. Here goes again with the facts of my experience that hopefully meet the standards. He misdiagnosed and mistreated a basal cell carcinoma as nothing to worry about over the span of a year repeatedly seeing him three or four times. It required surgery leaving a scar on my face after a lengthy time to heal and laser treatments to minimize it. After informing him of the error confirmed via a second opinion after being biopsied as it should have been by him, the attitude was quite defensive and apathetic rather than apologetic. Hopefully this knowledge can help others to get the best care by being your own advocate for proper treatment. Don’t hesitate to ask tough questions often, and get a second opinion sooner than later if you are not feeling right about what you are being told.

It is true that Dr. Paslin tends to run very late, but in my opinion it is worth the wait. The reason he runs late is that he cares about his patients and doesn’t rush them through like the majority of doctors out there. He is thorough, knowledgeable and has the best bedside manner of any doctor I have ever been to. Sadly, they just don’t make doctors like him anymore. He patiently explains everything and answers everyone’s questions. When I needed surgery, he explained ALL of my options and let me make an informed decision rather than just telling me what to do.
If time is an issue my advice is to book an early morning appointment or maybe his first appointment of the day. Otherwise just bring a good book or your laptop and be prepared to hang out.

Not sure how thorough Paslin is bc I walked out on my 3^rd appt with him after he was over an hour late to see me. If this was just one time, I might excuse it, but this was the 3^rd time in a row that Paslin was late by at least 45 minutes. So disrespectful.

Yeah… Not sure what the hype is about Paslin… He’s not that thorough. I went in for an exam and I felt like I was rushed out of the office. Not to mention the estimated price for the simple procedure I wanted done. The office is dirty, old, and not welcoming. The TWO stars go to the greeter at the desk, great customer service, I think her name was Cathy…
But I waited for like 1 hour to see him, waist of my time and gas money!

I concur with all of the other positive reviews for Dr. Paslin. He is indeed very thorough and competent.
The first appointment I had with him I did have to reschedule because he was running behind due to a morning surgery that went much longer than expected. The front desk person was upfront with me and told me that this happens from time to time with Dr. Paslin because he is very, very thorough.
In my opinion I’d rather wait and/​or reschedule to have that same thoroughness if it should ever happen that I’m the one he’s performing surgery on.

Dr Paslin is extremely thorough and professional. He listened to me and didn’t rush the examination. Given my family history, I was convinced I had Dermatitis Herpetiforis. He disagreed with me but still agreed to a skin biopsy in order to confirm his diagnosis.
His explanation of my condition was very thorough and knowledgeable.
He is now my Dermatologist for as long as he practices, he has earned my respect completely.

I am a HUGE FAN of Dr Paslin. I used to work in the health field, and feel comfortable in saying that I know the difference between a good doc and a great doc. Dr. Paslin is an extraordinary dermatologist/​dermatopathologist. He is brilliant, articulate, and very knowledgeable in his specialty. A bit of sleuthing on my part revealed that Dr. Paslin has published numerous medical and scientific papers, which shows me that he is on a continuous journey to better his knowledge and expertise in his field — his experience and research greatly benefits the health of the community at large (like you and me!).
I love that Dr. Paslin never rushes my time with him. I remember the last appointment when I was peppering him with questions, to which he patiently and thoughtfully answered each one, without rushing me or making me feel like I was wasting his time. As for the reviewer who took issue with the wait time and the décor… for goodness sakes, it’s worth waiting those minutes to have a doctor who is as thorough and skilled as he is to attend to us. And the walls could have shag carpet on them, for all I care — I bet they keep their operating costs lower and we, the patients, benefit in turn, by not having to fund their «decorating» budget through higher fees.
I completely trust Dr. Paslin with my health and the health of my family. That should say enough.
By the way, my biopsy results came back negative!

I managed to get a next-​day appointment with Dr. Paslin for the standard yearly mole checkup after I was unsatisfied with another doctor at Affiliates in Dermatology. Very professional, very knowledgeable, and VERY thorough in checking the whole epidermis. Scary thorough. No body cavities were searched, but I can assure you that I have no malignant moles in places where the sun doesn’t shine. Nothing inappropriate, mind you, just thorough.
I need my teddy bear now. Wait, make that my pet Ewok, Wicket, from grade school :*(

Not sure what happened to Renee S. during her visit… but I had no problems during mine at the Affiliates in Dermatology Group (Oakland). I actually confused my appointment with one with another MD specialist, and realized my error…25 minutes after my scheduled appointment. So I quickly called Dr. P’s office, and the nurse *courteously* informed me to come right away and they could take me late. [If you’ve ever missed an appointment with an MD, you know they DO NOT like it!].
So I ended up arriving about an hour after my scheduled appointment. They worked me in, had me fill out my patient info… and I was into a patient room in about 20 – 25 minutes. Dr. P’s nurse asked me an assortment of the ‘usual’ medical questions related to dermatology for about 5 minutes, and Dr. P arrived about 7 – 10 minutes later. [If you find that unreasonable, then clearly you’ve never been to many doctor’s offices before!]
Dr. P did a very professional exam of my entire epidermis area, used a little technical jargon… but then explained all of his observations in easy-​to-​understand English. Total time there — about 70 – 75 minutes! [Again, if you find that unreasonable, then continue for your utopian quest for perfect medical care. Or maybe just take Michael Moore’s advice and move to Canada… and then pray you don’t have to wait 4 months for an MRI! But I digress…]
As far as Renee’s ghetto look comment — ok, so the place doesn’t look as trendy as if Steve Jobs designed it. Big deal. But a 50-​year old look? Hardly! They had a few magazines from 2007… but no Oakland Tribune newspaper clippings from the 60’s!
All and all, a great place. If I’m still living in East Bay, I plan to return for a checkup in 2 years.

I went to see Dr. Paslin at his Oakland office. I can’t actually comment on him as a doctor, because I never got to see him. I waited 40 minutes in the waiting room. When I went to ask about the wait time, I was told that they had squeezed a patient in, so he was running behind. Given his blatant disrespect for my time and the fact that the office was ghetto and looked like it hadn’t been undated in 50 years, I left. I will be going elsewhere.