Noble, Jonathan MD

I’m writing this review through through hot angry tears. The kind reserved for those times where you feel you’ve experienced true injustice.
To set the scene, Dr. Noble has been my primary physician for almost three years. He’s been through several different medical assistants during that time. They are always young and attractive, and he always barks orders at them. Typical doctor ego, so I let it slide and didn’t immediately pin him as someone who lacks respect for young women. (Heck, maybe he just treats everyone this way.)
The first few visits were fine because I didn’t need much. Just a prescription for birth control or this or that. He’d come in, look at the notes I’d relayed to his medical assistant, then write whatever it was I required. Easy, fast, whatever. Visits to his office always feel like a whirlwind. I left not really sure what just happened, but holding a prescription.
Once I started actually needing a physician’s advice, things got worse. I recall asking him about a stiffness in my neck and shoulders that has been painful and affecting my posture for years. He stared at me (actually making eye contact for once!) and said, «What do you want me to do about it?» I was taken aback, mumbled some kind of weak response, and never got the advice I was seeking, or even a referral.
Today, I visited to talk about switching medications. I’d done a lot of research and was prepared to make a case for why I wanted to switch. Before I could get a word in, his cell phone rang and he excused himself to take the call. He came back 10 minutes later and started reading over the notes and talking AT me about what he thought I needed. I kept trying to voice my concerns and opinions, and he interrupted me several times to tell me why I was wrong. Without listening to me or having a real conversation, he began writing my prescriptions because he «had to go.»
I decided to say something like, «You know, I come here and wait 30 minutes for 5 minutes of your time, and I feel very rushed. I wish you would listen and communicate more with me about this medication.» His response boiled down to, «What do you want? You’re free to get another doctor.»
As he stood up to leave, I said something about how healthcare was very different where I went to school (Birmingham, Alabama — it’s true, at UAB there’s an amazing medical school and an abundance of wonderful, world-​renowned healthcare providers). He turned and said, «Well you’re not there anymore, are you?» and that was it.
If anyone knows a good primary physician, PLEASE, I’m in the market.
(By the way, he refuses to discuss women’s reproductive healthcare, just passes you off to his equally batty colleague, Dr. Horowitz.)

I have visited Dr. Noble’s office a number of times over the last four months as I’ve dealt with an increase in anxiety and other health-​related problems. My first impression after a routine physical was that he was mostly competent, and I appreciated the ease in which he prescribed the medication I used in the past for my anxiety.
His office staff and assistants are all excellent, and I often times felt more comfortable speaking with them about my symptoms than the doctor himself. As I visited the office a few more times I noticed his complete lack of interest in my health. His standard routine is to enter the exam room and read my chart to me, rehashing the details that even an average doctor should have been able to loosely remember. He has then proceeded to diagnose me based solely on my chart, with no physical examination, on multiple occasions.
As my health has fluctuated over the last month I visited again, complaining about a recent bought of chest pain. Dr. Noble preceded to reread my chart, state that I was fine based on my blood work from four months ago, and never even do so much as palpate my chest to check for tenderness or any sort of lump.
I will miss the office staff, but after that visit I have decided to find a new doctor.

Just terrible. He has got to be 70 years old and is clearly not entirely present. He was incompetent, condescending and uninterested in my goals or input. I went twice — once for a referral and the second to refill a controlled medication — both times only because my GP was not available. Incredibly short exams and consultations. Talks down and talks over. He was about to walk out the first time, after telling me things I already knew about my sciatica, when I stopped him to inform him of my goal for the visit — referral to a physical therapist. He simply couldn’t care less what his patients have to say. Interrogate and then lecture. A real asshole.
The second time I needed a refill on my Adderall. My diagnosis is rock solid — diagnosed in 1974 with generalized learning disability, updated to ADHD after the diagnosis was added to DSM, long standing and successful use of the medication. He was totally uninterested in my history of treatment and establishing a therapeutic dosage or my subjective experience on the medication. Same deal: interrogate and lecture. I asked him to change my RX to a 24 hour slow release and he suggested that I would only have to take half the dosage because it was slow release!!! What an idiot. I challenged him and he got out his prescribing guide and confirmed that I understood how the medication worked better than he. He still was reluctant to give me enough to maintain my current dosage. He refused to write for a 3 month supply, and wouldn’t listen when I told him I had established this practice with my GP and insurance carrier — that we turn in 3 RXs to their mail order service and they dispense them monthly, saving me 8 office visits a year just to renew the RX.
Then the moron suggested I try taking half my usual dose. When I explained to him the potent stimulant effect of the drug when you take less than a therapeutic dose and that a lot of work had already gone into establishing my current dosage, which was working very well, he just looked confused and changed the subject. After I told him I had a 20 page evaluation provided by a clinical psychologist based on extensive examination and testing, he handed me a symptom checklist he had downloaded from the internet and directed me to fill it out so he could figure out what was going on.
Seriously, how does this quack hang onto his license? «Screw all that science, let’s google that shit.» He is a total disaster. Avoid!!!
He has the biggest office staff for a small office I have ever seen, all these young women who seem to be walking on eggshells and who have fear in their eyes. He had them preparing a schedule of referrals for blood work, etcetera. I have had lots of recent testing on referral by my usual GP, but he never once showed any interest in asking me about it or requesting my records for review. He walked out of the office and I told them not to bother, that I wouldn’t be coming back. Without much surprise they paused and asked me why. I said — he’s no good, I don’t like him, he’s really condescending. .. It was the first time I saw anyone who worked for him really smile — not those frozen, frightened smiles they usually have plastered on their faces. They looked like they were basking in the fresh air of someone speaking the truth about the emperor and his lack of clothes.
Seriously, the guy is dangerous. And, it wouldn’t hurt if he took down the self authored doggerels he titles as poetry and posts on the office walls, or his wife’s amateur attempts at painting. Better yet, why doesn’t he drop the medicine racket and go hang out in a café and pretend to be a poet. Much safer than his pretense that he is a competent doctor. What an ass.

Dr. Noble is a very kind man. However, he is incredibly disorganized, scattered, rushed, and easily annoyed. His office staff is the same; this may be because he treats them with disdain and impatience. He is not thorough, dismisses concerns of patients, and always has an office full of people waiting too long to see him. On more than one occasion, he missed the mark on diagnoses for me, and I had to really push him to see specialists (who it turned out I really needed to see). He doesn’t remember (or even look at) my chart to re-​familarize himself with my medical needs; he forgets what I have told him within 5 minutes; he basically seems annoyed with his own practice; he complains about all the paperwork he must complete; and he is in the dark ages as far as anything computerized or on line is concerned. Sorry, there are far better doctors in the Bay Area. Go to them.

You wait for over an hour in an unpleasant office to be seen for five minutes by one of the most unpleasant human beings I have ever encountered. No compassion, no care, barely even any attention or examination. I felt like I was being berated for daring to waste his precious time. Not worth anyone’s time or money.

Please save your time and your money and avoid this doctor. I came here as a first time patient as a follow up from a recent ER visit.
I immediately had a bad feeling about the place upon walking in. The décor in the office looks like it was pulled out of the dumpster of Kaiser 10 years ago and the waiting room is small and uncomfortable.
The young girls at the front desk seemed nice enough until they told me I was going to be charged $ 125 for a first time visit which I couldn’t believe as my office co-​pay is $ 20. They told me it was policy and that it would go towards my deductible. I don’t even have an in network deductible and my health care company is now refunding the charge. Either the staff is incompetent or they are SCAMMING people.
Then I sat down and waited for OVER AN HOUR before being taken back into a room where more dumpster-​ed furniture and the most outdated looking medical equipment awaited me. One of the young girls at the front attempted to take my blood pressure through a stethoscope and said «I can’t hear anything?!». This is not something you should tell a patient. So she did it one more time and told me it was high although it was completely in normal range…
She then leaves the room and I wait another 30 minutes… no doctor. At this point I’m so fed up I start putting my clothes back on and walk out the door where I’m greeted by Dr. Noble who rushes me back into the room. He sits me down and talks over me when I attempt to explain my situation only to go in circles and then tell me he cannot diagnose me but if I need a prescription refilled to come back and see him (probably have to pay another $ 125 for that visit). I left the office in tears.
The icing on the cake was when he refers his wife’s psychologist services to me, is that even legal?

It’s been a mixed bag with Doctor Noble. At times, he’s been receptive, helpful, and knowledgable, at other times he seems downright disinterested, and only suggests that I schedule an appointment with one of his colleagues at a later date. And for each of these visits – whether they are 2 or 30 minutes – I am billed a minimum of $ 140 (pre-​insurance). Once he insisted I come to the office to pick up a prescription refill in-​person for no clear reason, and for this I was billed. Not cool.
Unrelated, this office is trapped in the age of the fax machine. There will be no emails, there will be no online billing, and you’d better be on top of your prescription refills, because the turnaround time on refill approval with the pharmacist is not-​so-​rush. This is a hassle.
My optometrist sends me my eye glass prescription via Dropbox. I schedule all dentist appointments online. I understand that going digital is a big undertaking for a private office, but please stop avoiding the inevitable.

I have been a patient of Dr. Noble for just over a year now so this review is long over due. I have seen some negative reviews for him and honestly some of them are hard to believe. Sure I have had long wait times but it is a very busy practice but I get results every time. I cant publicly say why I go to him but needless to say this doctor and his staff care very much for their patients and have gone above and beyond then any other doctor I have ever had to deal with one reason or another. Dr. Noble saved me again today and a special shout-​out to their ladies at the front desk who are extremely understanding to my needs. I have also seen someone say that he doesn’t listen to you? Seems really strange to me and must of caught him on a busy day because I have not had that experience whatsoever. Specifically today a member of his staff went above and beyond for me and ahead of the time she said it would possibly be done. I cant say why to protect my privacy but the point is, its a real experience.

The only thing good about this place is his office staff. He is really disengaged and told me that I needed to get more cardio in because my resting heart rate was too high. According to Harvard Health, resting heart rate of 60 for a woman in early 30’s is considered EXCELLENT. He’s a mess. He also seems completely scattered all the time.

The doctor barely paid attention to me. I got a very bad feeling about the service I was receiving. He seemed to be in a real big rush for no reason. He didn’t do anything for me. I am not used to this super low level of service and lack of concern. I strongly recommend to others that they should go anywhere else. Literally any other doctor is better than Dr. Noble.

I have been wanting to comment on Doctor Noble and his staff for quite some time. I have been his patient for 7 years. He and his staff have seen me through many conditions. He is the most proactive, sensitive, and caring doctor I have ever met. Additionally, His staff are wonderful at fitting patients in. A number of occasions, I have needed a same day appointment, and have been fitted in the schedule.
Frankly, I could not ask for more!

I went to him for migraines and to find out what he thought about a bump on my wrist. Good thing I have been to doctors for my migraines before, he had no clue what to do. I just told him what meds to prescribe and he asked me if they were narcotic or not, telling me he had no PDR.
For the bump on my wrist, he told me to bang it on a table. First off, you have no idea the pain of just accidently bumping this thing. So I went to another doctor, who confirmed it was a solid mass and would require surgery.

I have been going to Dr. Noble for 5 years (since 2008).
He is a no-​nonsense, cut to the chase doctor.
For me, that is perfect. I think going to the Doctor can sort of be likened to getting a haircut. Some people want a barber or stylist who will shoot the breeze, have candles lit, and spend a lot of time on irrelevant chit chat.
In my opinion, Dr. Noble saved my life on more than one occasion, two to be exact. Once I had shingles, had no idea I had shingles, thought it was a bad case of the flu. If I had not been convinced to come in right away, been accepted right away, and been properly diagnosed right away, I could have suffered far, far worse than I already had by letting it go so long.
Second case was MRSA, yes you know the flesh eating nasty stuff which I thought was just ringworm. Once again, no appointment, came in. A small arsenal of different medicines including two ointments and the festering volcano on the back of my neck was gone.
The last thing I will speak to, which should have been the first is Dr. Noble’s staff. I have never seen a finer young group of people. I have seen a lot of staff changes (because they go off to Medical school usually) and they always, always are kind and helpful, though I can only imagine how stressful their job is.
So, if you want to someone who will quickly, without a lot of jib jab, tell you whats wrong with you and what you can do about it…
If you want someone who’s staff will tell Walgreen’s pharmacy to hurry up and fill a prescription and mind their own business…
If you need to be told your overweight and going to die sooner rather than later…
You get the idea…
Make an appointment with Dr. Noble.

I have been a patient of Dr Noble’s for several years. While his staff is polite and friendly Dr. Noble comes up short on confidence and meeting my expectations for quality care. He doesn’t articulate his thoughts well and seems scattered which further undermines any confidence you may have in him
I did not get the personal care and focus from Dr. Noble that I expect with a quality GP, therefore I do not recommend Dr. Nobel

I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Noble to anyone in the East Bay in need of a GP. He is very knowledgeable, and fair about being paid. In fact, I’ve missed appointments and he’s simply ignored it.
I’ve had a range of complaints during the ten years I’ve seen him, and he’s never been at a loss about how best to deal – whether that means treating the problem himself, or recommending a local specialist able to treat the problem better. Other reviews on Unilocal strike me as hypercritical. Yes, he’s a trifle eccentric, but not to the point that I’ve ever questioned his competency.
He’s been practicing in the same place for a long time. That HAS to mean something good.

I’m a little sad that there aren’t more positive reviews of Dr. Noble.
I ended up seeing him when my regular doctor was out of town. I had a common cold with a persistant lingering cough. He saw me repeatedly, without much of a wait, several times in a two week period. He was not eager to dole out antibiotics — which is a good thing, people! Ultimately, he gave me an inhaler which is a relatively new way to ameliorate viral bronchitis. Thank the heavens for his prudent and thoughtful treatment.
As a bonus, the office staff and nurses are competent and friendly. They made room for me, even though he wasn’t my regular doctor. If not for already having a suitable primary care physician, I would certainly go to Dr. Noble.

One pro. Office staff = very nice.
Dr. Noble was dismissive to the point of being rude. He will talk over you and won’t listen to your concerns. He barely asks about any symptomatology. On a follow-​up visit (which he himself ordered) he couldn’t remember why he’d prescribed me a certain medication.
He prescribed me physical therapy for back pain and when I asked him for a recommendation for where to go (why did I even bother) he told me he «didn’t know» (are you effing kidding me?!)
He’s one of those doctors who likes to be «in and out» of your exam room in under 10 minutes, won’t ask you any questions unless you yourself ask them, and basically gives off the attitude that he doesn’t give a shit.
I work in a law firm and have had lots of contact with good, competent doctors. How I put up with this guy for a whole year and a half, almost two, I’ll never know.
I don’t usually write negative reviews, and I feel borderline uncomfortable writing a negative review for a doctor. However, I feel like everyone needs to know how careless this guy is. After several wasted co-​pays, I’m extremely frustrated. I am switching doctors.

I have to disagree with everyone here — I love this place, and have been going here for several years. The staff is awesome and they all know me on a first name basis when I call in. If I want bloodwork done, they’ll just send me the filled out lab papers for me to take in, and discuss my results over the phone or send them to me if I want. Prescription refills, same thing.
Dr. Noble is a bit scattered and I wouldn’t expect any miracles from him — he is best utilized by people with a solid understanding of their own health and need someone to verify and prescribe. He’s really nice, though, and I don’t hate my life going in to see him. I typically do with doctors. But you’re better off knowing your stuff when you go in, which may seem pointless to some people but is something I consider crucial in general — knowledge is power, and an informed patient is better than a clueless one.
Dr. Horowitz, their naturopath, is totally amazing for women’s health. She’s very informative, explains what she is doing and why step by step while she’s doing it, is sensible and takes a balanced approach between naturopathy and regular mainstream medicine. She prescribes where necessary, and when it’s not she sends me to Whole Foods for supplements and natural remedies. She’s easily the most instructive and communicative doctor I’ve ever had.
Their staff is really solid — they’ve never borked insurance billing or caused me any hassle in that regard, which is a RELIEF. When I lost my job and therefore my insurance, they were quick to be as helpful as they could without destroying my bank account — helpful since I have a couple of chronic medical conditions.
Office is small but clean, plenty of parking, never any sketchy characters around. Most importantly I feel like these people trust me with my own health, and I feel like I maintain a good deal of control over what happens. Thumbs up.

I found the office staff competent and friendly. The office was pleasant and clean. Dr. Noble was pleasant and punctual. But I am doubting I’ll be back. The thing is, he just didn’t give me a whole lot of confidence. He seemed scattered and distracted. His speech style was hard to understand, and I didn’t leave feeling that he had done a good job listening to my concerns or working hard to answer my questions. His answers often left me unsatisfied and perplexed. He’s supposed to know about dermatology (although during my visit he both claimed to be a dermatologist and denied he was a dermatologist), but when I asked him about the cause of the sebhorric dermatitis on my forehead, he punted. He did prescribe a new medication («New is better») but when I asked him how it worked, he could only offer, «It’s a cream.»

Every time I have been in here, I receive quick, courteous service, with practically no waiting. As a relatively healthy person leading a relatively healthy lifestyle, I don’t have a lot of medical needs, and in consequence, I don’t have a lot more to add. But my brief experiences here have all been top shelf and complaint free.