Sandra Kwak, MD

I am very surprised by the low reviews for Dr Kwak. I have been a patient of hers since April 2015 I believe and have had a completely different experience. I went to her complaining of classic hypothyroid symptoms which I had been experiencing for well over 5 years despite being told by a number of doctors that nothing was wrong. Dr. Kwak ordered lab work and with one glance she was able to diagnose me with Hashimoto’s. Finally I had an answer to why I was always feeling so terrible! She put me on meds and I began seeing her every 7 weeks in which I would do more blood work and she would adjust meds based on the results as well as my report of how I was feeling. She never once treated me like just another number or walking money. She has always been very attentive to me and has always taken into consideration my self report of how I’m feeling on that particular dosage rather than just test results. She even agreed to allow me to try a second medication on top of my Synthroid after I made a case for why I wanted to try it. It took at least 6 months to get my meds exactly where they needed to be, we had to increase and decrease and then increase and increase but I stuck with it and my body finally adjusted. I think some times people give up too quickly, but I’m glad I trusted her and stuck it out. She also decided to test my Vitamin D and I’m sure glad she did because it was deficient which was another piece to my Hashimoto’s puzzle. Each month based on my results we would increase my Vitamin D supplements, I’m now in the normal range and my hair has stopped falling out, my joints and back no longer ache constantly and I just feel better all around. One reviewer complained that she does not work well with pregnant woman however I completely disagree. If she told you to come back one month after giving birth and you didn’t go in until 4 months, that’s your fault that your breast milk dried up not hers because you did not do what she asked of you. That being said, I am currently pregnant and Dr Kwak has been wonderful. I called her the day I found out and she had me get blood work and I was in her office meeting with her by the end of the week. She immediately increased my meds to make sure my TSH level was in line with first trimester limits and she moved me from seeing her every 7 weeks to every 4 weeks. She asks a lot of questions and is always very attentive. She is very personable and welcomes any questions I may have. Also, I really like her office staff, the ladies that work there are all very nice and do their jobs well. They always answer the phone and are great at answering questions. One thing I especially appreciate is that if I call with a question that needs to be answered by Dr Kwak, they take a message and Dr Kwak always calls me back within a short period of time which I feel is rare with doctors these days. I have had a really good experience with Dr Kwak, I guess everyone’s experiences and expectations are different but I have nothing but good things to say about Dr Kwak and would recommend her.

Dr. Kwak is no warmer than the laptop she stares at during the entire appointment. I had a thyroidectomy due to thyroid cancer. Prior to that, I had been in good health and had felt well. After the surgery and once on Synthroid, I started to feel very tired and gaining weight rapidly. Dr. Kwak was not helpful in adjusting my medication. Her response to my symptoms and concern was, «You may never feel as good as you did prior to surgery.» While that may be true, I need a doctor who offers me hope and cares about how I feel and not just my lab results. I was treated rudely by her and felt that she has little respect for patients. I would recommend avoiding this doctor. I’m surprised that she has received any positive reviews as she is not a very positive doctor. BTW — I’ve never felt the need to take the time to write a review (on anything) — that gives you an idea how strongly I feel about Dr. Kwak.

Amazing. Super nice.
The office is very organized on their scheduling, I have never waiting more than 10 minutes to see the doctor.
She really seems to care about the patients; I was having all kinds of troubles scheduling some lab work, and she personally called me and the lab and was able to get a doctor to come in on his off day to get the labs done.

I saw Dr. Sandra Kwak once and that was enough. I have systemic lupus and I deal with a lot of doctors. She was arrogant, dismissive, condescending and generally rude. Her staff seemed in fear of her. I immediately knew I would not be going back. She gives you the rquired 15 minutes, doesn’t like being questioned and makes you feel very insignificant.

Perhaps this endocrinologist will finally get that the clinical interaction itself isnt the core of the client experience when her patient base dwindles. Doctors groups and hospital around the country are making a major effort to focus on the customer experience.
My personal experience, as of last week, has me shopping for a new endocrinologist. Like her colleague Dr. Grewahl, Dr. Kwak is arrogant. Treats her patients as a number. She actually told me that I’m no one special and only one of 25 patients she sees in a day. Has no time for handholding or any real value added service. Dr. Grewahl and Dr. Kwak’s offices are across the hall from each other, been in practice about the same amount of time — young physcians that are not compassionate, caring and will not be questioned about their choice of your treatment. I dunno, but maybe they recently graduated from the same med school.
Dr. Grewahl fired me as a patient when I questioned her wanting me to come and see her every 90 days (as a new patient) when there was nothing abnormal and Dr. Kwak, as well, stated I am only one of 25 patients she sees in a day and that I’m no one special. Honestly, I’m not a high maintenance patient, I only had a question during my office visit if I could have my lab work sent to her and she could let me know if there was anything that looked abnormal. They both indicate they do not have time for any services outside their normal work day. Guess my previous endocrinologist, Dr. Iyer, set the bar on bedside manners pretty high. He would call me if there was any issue, or even when there wasn’t.
If you dare to question the manner of treatment either of these Dr’s have chosen for you, be prepared, you don’t have much of a choice, if you want to be their patient.

Seemed very uninterested in spending a lot of time with me to address my concerns. She was very cold and agree with other reviews that she lacks compassion. Seems like she’s only interested in billing you as much as possible and as frequently as possible. I found a much better endocrinologist who spent triple the time with me and discussed all options. Glad I moved on!

Sandra Kwak only treats her practice as a «business,» she has no compassion at all. I was under her care when I was pregnant with my first child. She asked me to come back one month after child birth, but did not explain the importance (that it may affect my breast milk supply). With a newborn, and being a first time mother, it was extremely difficult to come see her after one month. At four months after birth, I came in to see her and told her that my milk levels have dipped, she flat out said because I didn’t come back to see her so «my milk may never come back.» I asked why didn’t she inform me so before, she said «WE DON’T MOTHER YOU.» She does not take the time to explain anything to patients.
Unfortunately, she is also very unexperienced, specially in relation to hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s and pregnancy/​breastfeeding. I experienced low milk supply and asked if she could test my prolactin levels, she refused, saying that it was useless. REALLY? Did she she even go to med school? (Prolactin is the hormone that helps produce breast milk).
I don’t recommend this doctor, and from all the reviews on Unilocal and Vitals, neither do a lot of other people.

I saw Dr Kwak last year– she diagnosed me with Hashimoto’s disease. My PSA levels were off the charts-​at 37. She gave me samples of thyroid medication, however I elected to wait a few months and see what happened-​my daughter checked online and thought it might just be a viral infection.
The next time I saw Dr. Kwak my PSA was at seven-​she still recommended going on thyroid medication-​I asked her if I could just take it temporarily until my numbers were down and she said no –if I started it I would need to take it for life. Once again I elected to wait a few months even though I felt pressure from Dr. Kwak to immediately start the medication. I just had my blood work done and my PSA is now under four-​in the normal range. My general doctor told me that my daughter was correct and it was a viral infection. I recommend getting a second opinion if you are unsure about taking thyroid medication.

I was referred to Dr. Kwak unfortunately! Despite seeing several other endocrinologists for complications of Hashimotos and hypothyroidism over the last 25 years Dr Kwak had nothing to offer me as a patient except a radical change in one medication. She spent a short time to review my complex history for a cost of over 350 dollars. She lacks compassion, empathy and disregards any other aspect of your medical condition except your thyroid gland. I would never recommend her to anyone. I was deeply saddened by this experience. As an RN, I have a great understanding of my medical condition and the complexity of the endocrine system.

My wife and I were under the care of Dr. Kwak for diabetes for several years. We always found her knowledgeable and interested in what we’d experienced since our previous visit. Dr. Kwak was current on the latest research and medications for diabetes. Her staff is first rate and always kind. We only left her practice because she stopped treating diabetes to focus on her passion for Thyroid Disorders. She hugged both of us on our final visit. I’ve never had a doctor do that. We will miss her.

I have hypothyroidism and my OB recommended I go to Dr. Kwak to ensure I have safe TSH levels during my pregnancy. What I liked about Dr. Kwak is that she is up-​to-​date on thyroid-​related research. She answers my questions patiently and goes through all my blood test results with me. For example, she told me that my calcium levels were slightly elevated and told me to go easy on the tums that I had been popping like candy. She also adjusted my Synthroid and Vitamin D dose.
It’s clear that she takes pride in the fact that her patients are doing well and that she is able to get their health back on track. Frankly, I would take that over someone who is apathetic.

I started going to Dr. Kwak when I started having thyroid issues four years ago. Dr. Kwak is very approachable, knowledgable and professional. The girls at the front desk are all very friendly too. Her office is very organized and I’ve never had any issues. I recommend her office if you’re looking for a good endocrinologist.

My first appointment with Dr. Kwak went really well, she spent time with me listening to my concerns. She sent me for lab work and when I had my next appointment she diagnosed me with Hashimoto’s Disease but didn’t explain what my condition was or really how it would affect me long term. She literally told me to google it if I wanted more information. I was unhappy when I left that I was not being put on any type of medication. I called back to the office the next day and requested some type of treatment instead of waiting for six months for my next follow up appointment and letting the disease just kill my thyroid. The doctor wouldn’t take my call and the front desk was rude. I will not be following up with this MD. There are plenty of other MDs out there that will treat the patient’s symptom’s and not just the lab levels.

I had a very good experience.
After reading previous reviews I was worried, but I just walked out and I have to say it was a quick and efficient new patient appt. Dr. Kwak was a good listener, she had a great bedside manner, and I’ve met a couple Dr.‘s that haven’t. She also took the time to explain things to me instead of being short and abrupt, I’m no Dr. but I feel I understand things a lot better know and that makes me feel good.
Also, I found her through the recommendation of the American Thyroid Association.
I didn’t give 5 stars not because of them, but I don’t believe in the perfect 5 star rating, unless its food. :)

Dr Kwak is honest and genuinely cares for her patients. She has been very helpful. The front staff is friendly and acknowledges me. Sonya is great! I would recommend her.

Kind staff. Organized and efficient. Dr Kwak is thorough and professional yet has a personal approach. Appointments are easy and office visits are timely.

I’m surprised at all these negative reviews. I’ve accompanied a relative who has been seeing Dr. Kwak for the past five months and she has been incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and thorough in her examinations. I like how she errs on the side of caution, and makes sure to rule out any sort of rare conditions as she sees fit. She explains things thoroughly and allows you to have a clear understanding of her thought processes, providing you with the total picture when it comes down to making a decision. In each appointment, she spends time to go over the labs and address your concerns. Never has she appeared rushed, patronizing, or condescending, and in fact, she makes sure to not leave the room until all your questions are answered. Further, her staff is on top of it, and always makes sure to remind you of any future appointments and/​or procedures you need to have done. Dr. Kwak is truly a great physician.

Sandra Kwak was a major disappointment to me. Not only was her staff rude when I first called in late 2012 to make an appointment but they were arrogant and said they didn’t need my business due to them not wanting to answer the questions I had for the office. The only reason I ended up making the appointment is because I had hoped that the office staff did not reflect the Dr. which has happened in the past.
As anyone who has ever searched for a decent endocrinologist knows, they are difficult to find and even more difficult to decide if they are knowledgeable about your particular issue. I saw Sandra after seeing two other highly qualified endocrinologist that both agreed on my care after many expensive test. I wanted to get a third opinion which is why I decided to make an appointment with Sandra Kwak (SK). I waited roughly 7 – 8 months for the initial appointment which her office made me believe was due to her demand. I wasn’t in a hurry as I already have a primary Endo Dr. After meeting with SK, I am assured that the perceived demand was due to the office trying to create demand and developing the perception of demand, rather than it being a reality.
As I met with SK, I felt like I was being talked AT rather than having a conversation with. At one point I stopped her so I could talk to her about my experience and what my fears were with my current condition as I was there for her advice on other options. Basically she went on to tell me that she didn’t care about my poor medical care elsewhere and that she didn’t want to hear anything about it. She dismissed all of the test and medical records I brought in and said she does her own exploration. I can understand that, however, tests are test, I am sure insurance does not feel the same as her on this issue. She explained how she wants everything re-​done, even the test that had been done in less than a year and that I needed to go off all the medication I was currently on so she could run test.
The part about going off all the current medication actually brought me to tears. I asked her why we would do that when I was feeling better than I had in years and it took me a long time of tinkering with meds to get that way. She went on to talk about the poor medical care I had been receiving from less knowledgeable endocrinologist than herself (despite the fact that these two doctors are very well respected in the community and have 10X the experience she does). She also questioned why I was on a particular medication since she felt it had the opposite effect. That made me really question her knowledge since I am currently taking it and can attest to the fact it does not.
She also blazingly told me I didn’t need to take vitamins or supplements which was interesting since every test I had ever had always showed I was very low in Vitamin D and I had two major broken bones in the past year. She didn’t know about that because she didn’t really ask any questions about me, she talked AT me. Mid-​way through the initial appointment I stopped her and told her I wasn’t comfortable going off my meds and to please explain how we would deal with the effects that would come back if I chose to try that out. She told me not to worry about the effects and that I needed to toughen up. Really??? I mentioned to her that I didn’t feel she was listening to me and addressing the issues I was having rather she was looking at a chart and going off of her check list which was making me very nervous. She told me that she went to a prestigious medical school and that she had a waiting list and she didn’t need to take me as a patient, she also asked if I had already seen her negative reviews online as she said she had a lot (I had not seen them at this point). After reading the reviews on Unilocal and many others it seems as if she makes patients feel as if they are privileged to be in her presence often.
Also, an observation I made on her Unilocal page is that one of her two positive comments are from a Dr. in the same medical group. Dr. Kolodenker is a good podiatrist as I have seen him (one of the broken bones I mentioned above), however he has commented on a lot of doctors in the Hoag Medical Group. I don’t feel this is appropriate as I personally would want to read comments from other patients of Sandra Kwak not necessarily her colleagues.

I tried to make an appointment, however because the receptionist was so difficult to deal with, and made things so difficult, I opted to go elsewhere.