Michael D Borookhim, MD

If he was the last Doctor left I’d go to a vet. He tried to block me from having surgery on my hip, so I had to pay out of pocket to another doctor to get cleared. When I told the anesthesiologist that he wouldn’t clear me due to moderate high blood pressure he just laughed and told me to get another doctor. In addition, I showed him a very swollen foot and he just said he didn’t see a problem and to just take anti-​inflammatories. Turned out I had arthritis and am being treated by a real doctor.

My first impression of Dr. Borookhim was that he was a pretty humorless person: there were no smiles or pleasantries during my conversation with him, no jokes, no small talk. It seemed that he didn’t quite want to be there. As this was my first physical in almost three years, I had prepared a list of various concerns I wanted his opinion on, but to each, he simply responded «I’m sure it’s fine» rather bluntly. Now, while this isn’t the type of personality that I personally want in my physician, I also understand that it says nothing about his expertise or qualifications. Maybe some people like that in a doctor, but It just wasn’t to my taste. There were other things, however, that were a cause for concern.
I value a doctor with whom I can speak openly and honestly, but Dr. Borookhim seemed almost prude when it came to discussing issues of sexual health. I am a gay man, and when he began to ask me about my sexual habits, his voice faltered, and I had to finish his questions for him. It was as if he was too uncomfortable to go into specifics. He also did not have me strip down during my examination, even though I had requested a full check up. I was under the impression that this normally includes a check for hernias and testicular cancer. Toward the end of the exam, I told the doctor I wanted swabs done as part of my labwork (as an extra precaution) and again I got the impression that he didn’t want to. I had to ask twice for him to do this.
These swabs are what ultimately led to my extremely negative experience with the doctor. The lab called me after a few days and told me that Dr. Borookhim had made a mistake in administering them, and that they needed to be redone. Now, I have no idea whether this was the case or not; the only information I had was what the lab had told me. But when I arrived for my follow-​up appointment, Dr. Borookhim seemed annoyed that I would even suggest that he had made a mistake, and insisted the problem was with the lab. Again, I have no idea whether he did or didn’t! In fact I’d like to agree with him that it was unlikely he had gotten a simple procedure like that wrong. But it troubled me to see not only how defensive he was acting, but also treating me as if I was the one slandering him or accusing him. I was simply the messenger in the situation. He continued to give me the most condescending lecture, telling me that even if he HAD in fact messed up the swabs, I would still have to pay to get them redone. I told him I didn’t think this was fair but he told me that’s the way this business works, that’s life, I had to deal with it, etc etc etc. I even tried to excuse myself to leave but he sat me back down.
Now, the MOST frustrating thing about this entire interaction was that Dr. Borookhim didn’t tell me until I was in the exam room with him that he hadn’t been in touch with the lab to find out what the problem was. What the heck? I didn’t want to redo the tests and risk having the exact same thing happen. Apparently the lab never called him, which of course wasn’t his fault, but he had still known for over a week at that point that they hadn’t been able to process my samples and did not think to reach out to them (or me). As he told me, «his time is very valuable.» He then told me to leave his exam room and go call the lab myself to get more information. Now, this definitely should not have been my responsibility. Nonetheless, I tried to do it (I couldn’t get through), but keep in mind that if he needed me to gather any more info, he could have told me this at ANY point that entire WEEK before my appointment, heck, even that very morning, or while he’d kept me waiting in the waiting room for almost half an hour. I felt disrespected and that my time had been wasted. I regret that my experience with Dr. Borookhim was so poor, as it’s clear from his many positive reviews that he’s capable of being a great doctor, but I will not be returning. As a final note, I don’t know why several commenters took issue with the attendants at the front desk. I thought both of them were great.

Dr. Borookhim has been my neurologist for the past year and a half. He correctly diagnosed me with an uncommon auto-​immune disease after an emergency room admittance to Cedars Sinai. (I greatly appreciated his many visits, sometimes late at night, during my six day hospital stay.) This was after two previous ER visits at another hospital, where they failed to diagnose me, and simply sent me home with pain medication. He’s been what I consider to be the «lead» doctor on my «team» of doctors every since.
The best thing about Dr. Borookhim is his thoroughness. I see him every 1 – 3 months, and he covers EVERYTHING. He gets copies of my other doctor’s lab results, reviews, and if necessary calls me (or them) to discuss them. He referred me to a very good dermatologist, and I’m about to see another referral for a colonoscopy he recommended I get. Blood test and EKG’s I’ve had in-​office; urine and stool tests were in a lab in the same building.
He’s in network for my Covered CA Blue Shield PPO plan, as are all the referrals he’s provided.
He has a very calm temperament. But he’s not afraid to tell you what you need to know or do, whether you want to hear it or not (like losing weight or getting a colonoscopy).
I give him 5 stars, but only 4 stars for the practice because some of his support staff could be better. Experience among the staff seems to vary greatly.

Dr. Borookhim has been my doctor for over ten years and it one of the best around. He really cares about your health and stays on top of your test results. He is very personable and listens to your ailments. If you are looking for a Beverly Hills doctor you can’t do better.

I hope this review reminds business owners how important great front desk and support staff are. I have an HMO insurance and after the great reviews selected Dr. Borookhim as a provider. The front office receptionist, Kiki, answered with an annoyed and unfriendly tone of voice. I asked to schedule an appointment to which she replied that she could not book an appointment unless my insurance was verified; she needed to call the insurance company herself and it would take several hours to complete this. I made her aware I’ve been sick for a week and would like to schedule an emergency appointment as soon as today. She giggled and sarcastically said «That’s impossible we don’t have anything until late next week.» At this point I was fed up with her sarcasm and attitude and pointed out how unhelpful and unfriendly she was being and asked to speak to someone. She immediately hung up. I called back right away, she stated the call was disconnected and proceeded to say that’s how are appointments are and there is nothing available. I told her I wanted to speak to the manager regarding her customer service to the patients and she replied «I am the manager.» I requested the doctor to call me back to address this issue and she «That’s fine I will have him call you then hung up AGAIN! I work at a private dental office and have never spoken to any patient with such disrespect and carelessness now I understand why they say front office staff can make or break your experience.

I have been going to Dr. Borookhim since first moving to Los Angeles 2.5 years ago. I had been with my former doctor for nearly two decades, so seeing someone new made me a bit nervous. Luckily, I chose the right Doctor. I’m happy I found Dr. Borookhim, and feel I’ve found my doctor for the next two decades. I started seeing Dr. Borookhim under an HMO (he is one of very few doctors in Beverly Hills who still accepts HMOs). I now have a PPO and wouldn’t dream of switching doctors. He is personable, diligent and listens. The doctor/​patient relationship is important to a lot of people, and I’ve already referred two people to him. He cares about his patients, and his patients care about him! Great doctor in the middle of Beverly Hills.

I have been going to Dr. Borookhim since first moving to Los Angeles two years ago. I had been with my former doctor for nearly two decades, so seeing someone new made me a bit nervous. Luckily, I chose the right Doctor. I’m happy I found Dr. Borookhim, and feel I’ve found my doctor for the next two decades. He is personable, diligent and listens. The doctor/​patient relationship is important to a lot of people, and I’ve already referred two people to him. He cares about his patients, and his patients care about him! Great doctor in the middle of Beverly Hills.

I’ve been searching for a GP for my boss who has been out of the country. I was referred to Dr. Borookhim’s office a few months ago, and when I called, the person who answered told me she would be right with me. There was no introduction that I even had the right number. I thought it was weird, so I called back, and I spoke with a woman with the same voice whose name is Kiki. Her telephone etiquette is awful, and she sounds terrible… very unfriendly and unprofessional. This is a bad first impression, and I didn’t want to schedule at that point, but I continued because of the good reviews. My boss has a Medicare plan through Scan, and he was told that Dr. Borookhim is in the network. When I asked if Dr. Borookhim accepts HMOs, Kiki told me only Saint Vincent. That’s not what Scan told me. I called them and waited on hold for 25 minutes only to have a rep. tell me that Dr. Borookhim is in the network. Thanks for the bad info., Kiki. You wasted my time and lost one of the most well known filmmakers in the world as a patient. Newsflash Dr. Borookhim… hire people who welcome patients and know your insurance plans! I don’t get these five star reviews about the staff. Warning to everyone — avoid this office!

This review is long overdue! I have a concierge medical services agency and have worked with Dr. Michael Borookhim in the past. He worked with a patient of ours who had become very ill. Her primary MD at the time was difficult to get in contact with, and when we came onto the case we found many errors in her medical management. She became gravely ill and was admitted to the hospital. We found Michael, who stepped in to provide care for her and saved her life. Michael evaluated her while she was in ICU, picked up on signs and symptoms quickly and was able to bring her back from the brink. We can’t thank him enough.

I had my first appointment with Dr. Borookhim a couple days ago. I was looking for a doctor so I could have a physical done and found him here on Unilocal.Upon booking the appointment I was sent a detailed email with payment info and forms to print and fill out which was very helpful. I responded to the email with a few questions and received a quick reply. At the appointment Dr. Borookhim was very attentive, answered any questions I had and didn’t rush me at all. One of the nurses drew my blood and she was very friendly and fun. Remember to bring cash as they do not accept credit cards but they will let you know that in the informational email. Hoping I don’t need to go to the doctor again any time soon but if I do I’m glad I have a great one to go to.

Happy to have found Dr. Borookhim! The staff in his office were friendly and accommodating. Dr. Borookhim was very sweet and personable. After my visit I felt well taken care of and glad to have a knowledgeable doctor. Highly recommended!

I have been seeing Dr B for years for my annual checkup and whenever I need him. He has always been able to see me very quickly, his office staff is friendly and he is very thorough with his exams. He is easy to talk to about personal stuff. I think he is a great doctor and a good guy overall.

I would highly advise not going to this doctor strictly based on his billing practices.
If you need to have phone consultation with the doctor after visiting him, be prepared to pay a phone consultation fee! I have never once experienced this with any doctor before. This is just plain outrageous. On top of that, if you miss an appointment (which apparently I did but never received ANY messages or phone calls and had no knowledge I even had an appointment) you will get a $ 75 missed appointment fee.
To top it all off, if you have any blood work or tests done the office asks you wait two weeks before the doctor calls you for results. What the hell?! Again, any doctor I’ve ever been to maybe takes 2 – 3 days to go over your results. Two weeks? Are you freaking kidding me.
Stay away from this unscrupulous doctor with outrageous billing practices and go elsewhere.

I’ve been using Dr. B as my primary care physician for about a year now, and I have to say, this is a very responsible and attentive doctor. I hate to get into the specifics of what he’s treating me for, so let me just say that I have an easy time getting appointments. When something shows up in blood work, I don’t have to call him, he calls me. His bedside manner is light and funny so that he puts me at ease. The office is great — no problems with billing or anything else. I have to say, I’ve been lucky to find him. The guy’s a mensch.

Dr. Borookhim is a great doctor with a great bedside manner. He is very accommodating and cares about his patients. When I had sudden severe back pain, for example, he fit me in for a last minute appointment even though he had to be at the hospital soon after. Now that I think about it, I probably cut into his lunch hour. Sorry about that, Dr. Borookhim! But he didn’t make me feel badly about it at all. He took his time with me and let me explain everything in my fumbly way, and didn’t rush me out of the office when it was over. I have seen him several times over the past year or so, and each time he is friendly and competent.
Valerie, the assistant at the front, is very friendly as well and seems to be a paragon of efficiency. Overall, the office feels clean and is located in a nice, well-​lit building. I highly recommend this practice.

Dr. Borokhim is the best doctor in L.A. Before I took my trip to NY, my throat was itching a bit, so I called his office and they gave me an appointment the same day. When I met him, he was handsome, charismatic, well dressed and he had a great sense of humor. He’s one of those doctors that you know he chose this career because he cares about people. I remember I was in NY and I got a call, I answered, it was him, he wanted to make sure I am feeling better. Thank you Doctor! You are amazingly amazing! Thanks for being so caring!

Dr. Borookhim has done a great job of taking a personal interest in my health and educating me on the changes I need to make in order to have a healthier lifestyle.
I recommend Dr. Borookhim whole-​heartedly.

I found Dr. Borookhim on the Cedar-​Sinai website when looking for a new doctor to handle a serious health issue. I immediately liked the guy. It was nice to see him using the latest technology, which helped us bond, and he’s been very patient in working to deal with my health issues. He even called in the middle of the night to check up on me when he was off. He’s a genuinely nice guy and I consider him a person who’s quite literally saved my life.

After relocating to LA for work I was tasked with finding a PCP who could oversee my health care and, more urgently, provide prescription medication maintenance. I was introduced to Dr. Borookhim through my insurance network and decided to schedule a consultation appointment to see if he might be somebody who I felt comfortable with. I was in my late-​20s and am a male.
Before I met the doctor, I interacted with his office staff who I found to be both efficient and friendly when coordinating my insurance benefits and preparing me for my initial appointment. At the time, my insurance provider was a small network that most West Coast doctors hadn’t worked with before. I realized that other offices were reluctant and unwilling to enroll me due to the time/​resources required to work with my insurance but that was not the case with Dr. Borookhim’s office. Aside from proactively working with my insurance, they also provided phone calls to remind me of my appointment and to make sure my paperwork was received and property submitted.
Upon arriving, you will find the building is conveniently located off Wilshire with inexpensive parking below. The building is also extremely clean and easy to navigate with touchscreen directories for finding the office.
The Doctor saw me right on time (I find they are very timely which is helpful for people who are working and need to be in and out of the office quickly).
Dr. Borookhim gave me a thorough physical but he also reviewed my medical records and parsimoniously opted not to have unnecessary blood work done (I had recent blood tests done less than a year before).
After explaining to the doctor both my long-​term and short-​term objectives, he immediately coordinated my prescription management. He has continued to do this for me while also encouraging me to seek alternatives to what he sees as unnecessarily high dosages, including yoga. In general, I have found the doctor to be both knowledgable and respectful of prescription treatment while at the same encouraging me to seek less expensive and equally, if not more beneficial, treatments.
I felt that Dr. Borookhim would be a good match for me. I have since seen him as my PCP and to maintain my prescription treatments. I look forward to being a patient of his for many years to come and highly recommend him to anyone seeking a professional and knowledgable doctor.

I’m definitely a fan of Dr. Borookhim. He treats me with kindness and compassion, and has even helped me during non-​office hours. I hesitate to write that in a review because then everyone will want it, but I guess that’s the right problem to have if you’re a doctor. He’s always answered my questions with expert knowledge and lots of details and I always felt like I got reliable information after speaking with him. To be fair, I don’t see doctors in general very frequently, but I feel very comfortable about going to him when I do have an issue.

Went to see Dr. Borookhim to get established as a patient. I had an HMO but was unaware that my HMO with him I could only go to St. Vincent so that was a huge disappointment! I live next to Cedars Sinai so I had to change doctors. Walked into the office I did my paperwork, 5 minutes after I was done with paperwork he was calling me back to see him. It was quick to get back to see him. He listened to what was bothering me and told me I need to eat right and exercise more often and this will pretty much clear up what was wrong with me. He did some blood work found out I was Vitamin D deficient and told me what was recommended. Wish I could have stayed but need to stay within Cedars :(

This was the WORST doctors office I have ever been to. The office is dirty and outdated and not welcoming at all. The reception staff was rude and unprofessional. Dr. Borookhim has the personality of a rock. I was never comfortable and Dr. B made me feel like he was there just to make money. Sure enough, months after my appointment he told me I needed all sorts prescriptions. I have ALWAYS been healthy and this guy comes along and tells me I need medication for Vitamins??? Really? I would NEVER recommend this office! I rate one star because I can’t submit zero stars.

The worse doctor I’ve ever been to! Found out abt him through Unilocal and went to him because I had a very bad cold… I went there after I made a same day appointment (which deserves a one star) and despite giving the receptionist all the basic info about me they wanted my social security card (who the hell carries that nowadays?) and was so rude when I told them I didn’t have it on me… the doctor was in a really crappy mood and put me in a shittier mood since I was super sick. I’ve met crappy doctors before but no doctors ever been this bitchy to me.
NEVER will I ever go to him no matter how desperate I am.