Erika M Schwartz

Dr Schwartz is knowledgeable, very competent and has great bedside manner. Both my husband and I have been to see her for a variety of issues. The office is well run and staff are friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend her and the practice and at a time when many good docs don’t take health insurance, they take Blue Cross/​Blue Shield PPO.

This is a long overdue review. I started seeing Dr. Schwartz maybe in 2011, for ingrown toenails on both of my big toes that have been plaguing me for most of my life. They were bad enough to cause me to bleed with just a bit of pressure or if someone stepped on my toe even lightly (a common occurrence on the metro), and after they kept getting infected, I finally went to see a podiatrist. The first one I saw in Arlington was terrible. Dr. Schwartz, however, was fantastic.
I had to wait a while the first appointment, but after numerous appointments at the K Street location, it’s clear that that was an anomaly. I usually get seen pretty quickly and the nurse that works there is very nice. The first time, Dr. Schwartz looked at my toes briefly and then told me about the surgery, then went right to work. It’s not a fun surgery — I won’t go into detail but getting the local anaesthetic is not great. However, Dr. Schwartz did everything smoothly and quickly, gave me clear instructions on how to care for my toe to avoid infection (she did one first, and the other a month or so later). Follow-​up visit was free — no co-​pay.
I’m one of those weird people that heal a bit wrong, so I ended up having to get the surgery done a bunch of times on each toe, over several years. Dr. Schwartz very patiently helped me out each time, and every time she was kind, caring, and conversational. I’ve seen all kinds of doctors, and most, even the best ones, still sort of feel like they’re on another plane, because they need to keep an air of authority around them and want to stay somewhat distant from patients. Dr. Schwartz is very professional and is clearly very skilled, but also has a really friendly and engaging affect that makes it very easy to talk to her and makes it much more relaxing to undergo procedures.
She also let me email her with questions, and responded very quickly, making her one of the most accessible and responsive doctors I’ve ever seen. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a good podiatrist. If I ever had any other problems with my feet, or if my toe problems recur, I wouldn’t go to anyone but her.

I just saw Dr. Schwartz for the first time this morning at the Chevy Chase office and all I can say is that it’s been a long time since I’ve had such a positive experience with a doctor. She was pleasant, listened to me, and explained my condition in a way that was both detailed and easy to understand. If only all doctors were as friendly, respectful, and easy to talk to as Dr. Schwartz!

I saw Dr. Schwartz at the K Street office last week. I was experiencing acute pain in my foot – I had stepped on glass a couple of months prior and it was still embedded, and getting infected. I had gone to urgent care the day before but they didn’t want to treat me (I’m pregnant). The doctor there said I needed to see a podiatrist, soon, or go to the ER.
I called around to a bunch of offices and none could get me in, but almost all agreed that I should go to the ER. Dr. Schwartz’s office could see me in just four hours!
My husband dropped me off (walking hurt like a beast). The office is in a typical K Street office building that is mostly medical offices – not fancy but it got the job done. I filled out some forms, and waited maybe 10 minutes before being called back. There are three doctors in this practice and probably 8 other people in the waiting room while I was there – most were in and out in a few minutes.
Once in the exam room I had a short wait before the doctor came in. We discussed my history and she examined my foot. She opted to start the cutting with no anesthetic because of the pregnancy, but she was quick to stop when I said it hurt. She took care to give me the lowest possible dose. When she came back I said I had been feeling faint, and she spent the rest of the procedure talking to me, asking questions, and doing a bang-​up job of keeping me distracted. Because of the low dose, I could feel a lot of her work, but it was never overwhelming.
She bandaged me up and advised that I might want a ride home. In case I had any complications, she gave me follow-​up instructions and said not to hesitate to call the on-​call doc over the weekend. My husband wasn’t available so I just walked, and made it home just fine. I was in some pain later that night when the anesthetic wore off, but literally by the next morning I was pain-​free. Two days later (now) it’s almost completely healed over and I am back to my regular routine.
I had wanted to see Dr. Pribut because he is so well regarded, but he was booked up. I truly believe I received equivalent care with Dr. Schwartz, and the fact that she could squeeze me in, as a new patient, really impresses me. I’m so grateful for her excellent care.