Debra Osman, MD

In my opinion Dr. Osman either has to see too many patients in a day, or has a memory problem. I found her to be so focused on the computer screen she didn’t have time or seem to care about me personally, and this was every visit for over three years. She is a very poor listener. I had to repeat things over and over to her. She made very rude judgments about me and my lifestyle [which weren’t based on fact, true, or appropriate]. At one point my blood pressure was pretty high and when I suggested it might be because my son just died a week or so ago, she just poo pooed that idea, with not even a word of condolence.
I’m now searching for a new doctor because just days before spinal surgery she informed me I’d need to find a new primary doctor. She called me in a panic because of a med that I should NOT be taking prior to the surgery. We had just had a pre-​surgery appointment a couple of days prior and I had repeatedly told her I was not taking any medication [as per the surgeon’s instructions]. She ended by saying if I wasn’t going to take the meds she prescribed I needed to find a new doctor, and that I had 30 days to do so. At this point I totally agreed with her.

If I could pick 0 stars I would. I have NEVER been treated so poorly by a doctor. She had a terrible bedside manner, scanned my chart and accused me of only wanting an RX refill from her, even though I never asked for one. It was simply listed in my chart under «medications»
It was my first visit and I said I wanted one doctor as I have been seeing several for medical conditions so I could have one repository of information. Not only was she 30 minutes late for our appointment, which wouldn’t have been a big deal, but she spent only about 6 – 7 rushed minutes with me going through my chart drawing assumptions, asking no questions. She criticized my prescription, «telling me I didn’t even know how much I was taking» and that «I needed to get on anti-​depressants» and that I drank too much and that women get cancer from drinking in SF. She went through my medical conditions and drew assumptions about procedures I had and why and never asked what I was going through.
I was in tears because I felt very violated and on guard as I have never had a medical professional talk to me, accuse me, and draw assumptions without even inquiring any information about me. She agreed we should not see each other again after I told her I felt like she was blowing me off and being accusatory. She abruptly left the room saying, «Good luck» in a snarky way.
Had she actually been a medical professional she would have asked me why I take the prescriptions I do, how long, how effective they are, why I have specialists for certain conditions, how long they have been going on for, how I feel to get some perspective on her patient. But she did none of that.
And to top if off, I received a letter that I was no longer allowed in her practice because of our disagreement on my prescription. It was unbelievably offensive.
I saw other reviews on here that are very similar to my experience. Dr Osman, you are no medical professional and I will NEVER forget my awful and shameful experience with you.
And thanks for that advice on the Earthquake safety kit– it was totally necessary to tell a patient in tears. Maybe next time you could ask why the patient was upset.

Dr. Osman is one of the best. She’s been my general doctor since a friend referred me about three years ago. I had five specific health questions for her when I saw her last month, she took the time to carefully consider and give me honest answers without making me feel that she was short on time. She is meticulous and thorough and straight to the point when it comes to her expert medical opinion.
I also appreciate that she encourages her patients to take some responsibility for their own health. Rather than load me up on prescriptions she asked if I was willing to I prioritize exercise and good dietary habits, which really worked for me. I highly recommend her if you really care about your long term health.

Hope that you don’t disagree with her as a doctor, when she doesn’t get her way she will no listen to you. She likes to force people to do what she wants by holding their prescriptions over their head. She wanted me to do labs, and I couldn’t afford do them right away. When I came back after my meds had run out to ask for a refill, she didn’t care why and began saying that all I wanted was a doctor that handed out plls. She even went so far as to write it on my medical records. She was hostile with me and told me I should find another doctor. Both my appointments started 15 minutes or more late. She left my appointment in the middle both times to deal with office issues, and often seemed to be more concentrated on her time that listening to me.
The office seems overbooked or understaffed, because it is always late and unapologetic about it.

I believe this Dr and their practice is highly unethical. After having an appt scheduled for six months, I got a call the morning of my 11 a.m. appt (at 9a.m.) with the nurse saying «you aren’t coming in, right?». I asked for clarification as I was planning to come in for my scheduled appt. They indicated that they want to cancel my appt as I wasn’t going to be covered under my insurance plan (as I had a OBGYN exam). After calling my insurance company and receiving confirmation that the appt would be covered, I called to get back on Dr. Osman’s calendar. They Dr. then said that I should not come in as I had cancelled previously. This would have been my first appt ever and the only reason I had cancelled (way in advance) previously was when I got pregnant. I believe this Dr has refused me as a patient as she won’t be able to bill for a higher amount service (pelvic exam) as i recently had a pap by my OBGYN-​this is highly unethical.

Dr. Osman is great. I just had my yearly physical with her, and she spent a lot of time walking through all of my questions, and proactively brought up multiple items that I might not have thought about. She was not rushed at all, and I felt like she spent all of the time I could have wanted to needed to really understand how to help keep me healthy.
In addition to Dr. Osman, I’ve had several incidents that required attention, and have always had great luck quickly getting in to see a NP on her staff. I’ve now worked with several, and they have all been intelligent, thoughtful, competent, and helpful.
I highly recommend Dr. Osman.

Dr Osman has been my doc since 2004 and has taken excellent care of me. She’s professional and really an excellent dr. She’s meticulous each time I visit, going over all my charts/​meds from previous visits and updating them as we talk. Nothing gets by her. Her referral network of specialists is also top-​notch. She ALWAYS spends an appropriate amount of time with me and is never dismissive. I always feel respected and cared for. One downside– she’s very popular and it can take some time to get in for an annual check-​up– but if you’re proactive and call ahead, it won’t be a problem. Her NP’s are excellent if you have an emergency– I’ve always gotten in the same day as needed. The front office staff — very professional. Highly recommend– 5 stars!

I have been a patient of Dr. Osman for three years and have found her to empathic, and thorough. What I really like is that she gives all the time needed for treatment. This also leads to my one objection, because she gives so much personal time this has on occasion created backups in the waiting room. It is a small price to pay.

Dr. Debra Osman is a miracle worker. I will start by stating that fact emphatically. I have been her patient for 20 years. I started seeing her at a healthy age 15. Later I developed a serious autoimmune disorder which she has guided me through to this day. I never wait, she spends sometimes up to an hour with me, even when she is swamped. She is thorough, compassionate in her own way, and sees me when I have a problem. I drive 45 minutes to see her because I don’t trust anyone else. One time I had to bring my two youmg children to an appointment and she took it in stride, even making a game for the kids to play to keep them busy. Until she retires, I will stay her patient. She is a truly brilliant, passionate doctor. I have the utmost respect for her and she has shown me nothing less as a client. Her new office is very clean and well organized. Lastly, her assitant Lena is an angel. What a great team! I love them. To all of the naysayers, oh well, your loss.

i could have sworn i wrote a great review for dr. osman but it’s not appearing any more
i was a patient of hers for about 20 years and found her to be the best kind of doctor — one who takes time to find out the patient’s opinion about options and makes sure there are no more questions before she leaves the room
i would give her a 5-​star review except that i’ve been frustrated by a lack of communication with her office (e.g. had a blood test showing i no longer needed to take a prescription med — nobody bothered to tell me until i saw dr. osman 7 months later!)
i’m with those who are really surprised by the negative reviews
if i didn’t have to switch to kaiser i’d be a patient of hers still

I am shocked by the one star ratings thathave been given to Dr. Osman. As far as I’m concerned, she is at least a ten – if not higher. She sees me quarterly, has me take intensive blood test and ofter readjustments my medications if she deems necessary. I have several problems from hypothyroid to prediabetes and heart problems. If it weren’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be here now. She thinks nothing of spending at least 30 minutes with me and longer, if we deemiit neccessay. She is FANTASTIC !!! My dayghter insisted on coming with me the other day and was thoroughly impressed with her; hopes to be able to get in to see her also.

Thorough, professional, intelligent and experienced. No warm fuzzy’s but the other stuff certainly makes up for that. Few doctors are as systematically thorough and attentive as Dr. Osman. If you want quality care and service, she and Dr. Curran are both worth all the other issues that are wrong with Bay Spring.

I have been a patient of Dr. Osman for just about 15 years (since college!) and am a little shocked by the 1-​star reviews.
Sure, she is not the touchy feely type but I guess that’s not what I look for. I don’t find her «bedside manner» to be unpleasant at all.
Dr. Debra Osman is no-​nonsense and doesn’t believe in a lot of hocus pocus. (And believe me, I come to her with all sorts of detoxes and cleanses I’m trying.). She does have a lot of patients and may not linger and conversate, but has a dry wit and asks me pertinent questions about my life without passing any judgement. When I do have questions she listens patiently and answers, again without judgement.
I can be difficult to get an appointment with her when I’m suffering from a cold, etc, and that’s probably my one major complaint (1 star deduction). I wish I could see her more…

My experience with Dr. Osman was several years ago, but having just discovered Unilocal,I wanted to let people know of my experience.
I had severe chest congestion for months, slept 12 hours a night and dragged myself through the day. I paid for a full physical at Bayspring Medical, which was supposed to be 45 minutes. Dr. Osman spent about 10 minutes with me. She was cold and dismissive, quickly deciding that I had some sort of asthma causing the mucus and wheezing. She told me to cover my bed with plastic and gave me an inhaler to use the rest of my life. She cut off my remaining questions and left.
I went home and read the warning label for the inhaler. Dr. Osman hadn’t taken a full history, and I’m pretty sure if I had used it as directed, it would have killed me or made things worse. One good thing about getting a diagnosis that doesn’t seem right is being pushed to consider other causes. It dawned on me that my wheat allergy that used to give me a headache (but no longer did, so I was eating wheat again) was now making me congested.
I stopped eating all forms of wheat for seven weeks, including never eating in a restaurant, and in the first couple weeks my symptoms were gone. Then I ate a lot of wheat in one day, and all my symptoms returned. Just in case it was seasonal (since I do have hay fever), I repeated the process, not eating wheat for months and then trying it again. Same results. I had proven beyond all doubt that it was a wheat allergy. The bonus was that the «colds» I used to get three times a year disappeared.
I wrote a letter to Bayspring Medical and Dr. Osman, so that in the future, she’d be aware that patients presenting with chest congestion may have wheat or gluten allergies. Their repeated response on the phone was: «We stand by our original diagnosis.»
They seemed to have no interest whatsoever in preventing such mistakes in the future. I can’t even imagine how horrible my quality of life would have been if I’d kept eating wheat, kept being exhausted and congested and coughing, while using drugs in the form of an inhaler for the rest of my life, and sleeping with plastic fumes (hormone disruptors).
Although expensive, Bayspring Medical came highly recommended as a private women’s clinic, but they seemed more concerned with avoiding law suits (of which there was no threat) than in providing health care. I recently read Dr. Osman’s info page on Bayspring’s website, and can’t believe her claim that she encourages patients to take an active role in their medical decisions.

After nearly ten years of seeing Dr. Osman, I have to leave her practice. While I like her well enough, I simply can’t get an appointment when I need it (a four month wait when I’m in acute pain is not good medical care), I can’t get her office to send prescriptions to the pharmacy without calling 3 – 8 times to nag them, I can’t easily get referrals (recently it took several weeks to get a referral to a specialist, and when my husband broke his arm they wanted him to come in before referring him to an orthopedist, but six calls later they faxed the referral – if they could do it so easily, why did it take six calls?). The practice is inconsistent and unpleasant and dealing with the admin people is like walking through quicksand. Goodbye, Dr. Osman.

I have been seeing Dr. Osman for 7 years and I think she is fantastic. She is always attentive and really listens to all of my concerns. She answers every question with care. I have never been big on taking care of myself, but that has all changed because of her. Now, I am working hard on getting healthy and I owe it all to her. Thank you Dr. Osman.

Wow — I’m surprised and interested by the variety of reviews for Dr. Osman.
I’ve been seeing her for about 10 years after she was highly recommended by a couple of coworkers. I’ve also recommended multiple friends, but none have been able to see her as, last I heard, she wasn’t accepting new patients.
Dr. Osman has seen me through multiple health issues, both big and small, with wisdom, caring and patience. Sometimes I am a reluctant patient — «Do I really need that?», and sometimes I’m a hypochondriac — «I think something’s wrong with my _​_​_​_​_​_​_​». Dr. Osman is always patient and willing to ease my fears in either direction.
When I coughed for 2 months and my coworkers sent me to the doctor, Dr. Osman figured out the problem immediately and found a solution that continues to improve my quality of life. A few years ago, in a routine annual, she found I had an enlarged thyroid. When it continued to grow despite our efforts, she recommended surgery. After much reluctance on my part, second and third opinions (which she encouraged), and a couple of long phone calls with her at home, I came to the same conclusion. She shepherded me through surgery by making sure I got the best thyroid surgeon in California (and possibly the nation).
Dr. Osman is a busy, professional woman, which I think could explain some of the negative reviews people have written. She doesn’t sit in the exam room and chat with you about your cats for an extra 15 minutes after checking you out. She asks the right questions, does the exam, checks your chart, and asks if there’s anything else that concerns you. If you’re a little slow, like I am on some days, you might feel like she’s leaving you a little too soon. But if I remember something that concerns me when she’s on her way out the door, she’ll come right back in and talk to you about it.
In a perfect world, my health specialists would have time for a leisurely visit with me. Sadly, I find that is rarely or ever the case in these days of managed care. While Dr. Osman does have a busy schedule, I find that she is always available to me when I need her for a concern about my health. When I compare the service I get from her with friends and coworkers, they are often impressed.
Dr. Osman has gone above and beyond what I consider standard care for me time and time again. I’ve been through a lot with Dr Osman, and am very happy to trust her with my health. If my employer were to switch to an insurance that her office doesn’t take, I’d almost definitely pay out of pocket to continue having her as my primary doctor.

Dr. Osman has the worst bedside manners and I’m shocked to see anyone who has had a good relationship with her. In the numerous office visits I’ve had with her, I’ve found her quite sharp and uncompassionate. She does NOT look at the patient as a whole and only thinks of what isn’t checked off on whatever list applies to you
.
Further, the office doesn’t run well at all. Prior to moving to the new Bush Street location, the women who ran the office were professional and efficient. Now, you’re lucky if you can get a prescription faxed to your pharmacy w/​o calling 5 times or having to wait a week. This group and, in particular, Dr. Osman aren’t worth your time. Look elsewhere.

Dr. Osman is fantastic. I was sad when my company switched to Kaiser (althought I had a good experience there) and as soon as I had insurance that her office accepted again, I didn’t hesitate to call. I was recommended to her by several friends.
She is a no-​nonsense doctor who is always available to listen and to discuss things. If you want someone to «baby» you, she’s not the doctor, but if you want a great doctor, she’s it.

Ditto. This lady would brightly introduce herself to me every time she came into the room. She could’ve at least scanned my chart and pretended she remembered me! Way too eager to prescribe a pill for any little thing instead of taking a more holistic approach. Ick ick ick.