Raskin Curtis, Phd, MD

I made appointments for my son, my boyfriend and me all in one week. It takes about 3 weeks to get an appointment which is unfortunate, but I was very pleased with the care we each received. We all had different issues and the doctor listened, explained everything and was thorough.

Horrible patient care when it comes to customer service!!! I had a 9:45 appt this morning. I arrived at 9:40. I was told they were running on time. I was the only patient in the waiting room upon my arrival. A few mins later an older gentleman arrived n checked in. I was seated in the treatment room by an Medical assistant. I waited about 40 mins before peeking my head out the door to ask how much longer. I was told ten more mins. The dr had an ER appt. I closed the door n waited another 10 – 12 mins. Still no dr or update from his staff. I again opened tx room door n this time said I would be getting dressed I would not be waiting any longer. The front desk girl simply said ok and asked if I would like to reschedule?! No way! Why do they can waste another hour of my life the next time I arrive on time for my appt. it’s dermatology not open heart surgery. I have no idea what type of skin ER could have pushed my appt so far back. I had come in for what I assume would have been a 5 – 10 min appt for my mild skin issue. NEVER did the staff apologize to me for the inconvience or offer to go ck in with the dr to let him know I’m still waiting to be seen. I have worked in the dental field 14 years and know that patients deserve better customer care, empathy and apologies. Their behavior was completely unprofessional. They looked at me like I was an idiot for being upset about waiting an hour to be NOT be seen in the end. Very disappointed.

Just like everyone else, I experienced long waits and inefficiency.
I wouldn’t have minded waiting, had they taken care of me as a patient. They did not.
I have been very patient with this office to *attempt* to resolve their screw ups but I feel the general public should be warned against them.

I have been to many dermatologists over my life starting when I was 15. Some good some bad. This one was the worst I’ve ever been too. Wanted a mole check, and I have this «thing» that been bothering me. Not a skin tag but really gross. Asked him if he could remove it, nope insurance won’t pay. Well how do you know, you haven’t sent it in for approval? It’s been bothering me causing irritation, insurance will cover it. Seemed he didn’t want to be bothered with extra paperwork. Also asked about rash on my face, wasn’t interested in helping, said would give me a cream but it would do m ore harm than good. It’s rosacea I developed after radiation, nope radiation won’t cause that. Well I have terrible burn like veins from the radiation, can it be fixed nope insurance won’t cover it. Hmmm again how do you know if you don’t send in for approval and give me a chance to file a grievance if it’s not? He works for the insurance companies, not you. He does not care about his patients at all. I will never go back.

I have never reviewed a Doctor’s site but just can’t resist on this one. I have seen Dr. Raskin every 3 to 6 months for the last 6 years or more. He can identify a basal cell from a mile away (the last one was 2 months ago) and every other suspicious item he thinks needs to be checked out. I am amused that people complain about a wait (he has a sign in his waiting room that the wait might be delayed because he spends time with his patients that might take longer than originally scheduled) — so go out and get a coffee or whatever or bring a book — I would rather wait and know that he is going to spend time with me (which he does) rather than speed me along like some other Dr. s do. By the way, I have not had to wait the last couple of times I have been in the office — and speaking of the office for the folks that didn’t like standing up while waiting — he has a new lovely, larger waiting reception area (with a TV!) so you will be happy if you have to wait the next time you go.
Oh – on another note — re: one of the other fabulous derm. Drs. mentioned in one of the reviews (not Bortz who has done 3 Mohs on me) — that Dr. was very incorrect in telling me a spot on my nose was «don’t know what it is but don’t worry about it». A year later when I changed doctors and found Raskin, he determined it was Basel, Bortz did extensive Mohs surgery that resulted in a skin graft. So like another reviewer said — there are 2 sides to every story. Another point — maybe it should be the «PATIENT’S» responsibility to check out his/​her insurance coverage — you should be able to ascertain this before you even step into any doctor’s office.

This doctor and his staff are so great! They are very friendly and the front desk staff and nurse make this medical office very warm and help you out in any way. Dr. Raskin is a kind doctor who knows what he’s doing and you can tell he works well with his staff because they got me out in a great amount of time. He is very popular around this area so you might have to wait to get in for a few weeks… But wait! I wouldn’t trust anyone else.

DR Raskin and his staff are great!!! Best doctor I have ever seen. He is so smart. He takes his time. Great staff. I would go back to him for sure!!! His office is beautiful! Love this doctor! I tell all my friends and family about how great he is!

Went in for some kind of dry skin related rash I have been battling with for years. Dr. Raskin seemed knowledgeable and professional and his office/​staff were great. He looked at my eczema/​rash and could not identify. That’s ok, he took a biopsy that hurt and left a scar, I agreed, so it’s fine. I was happy to finally see a Dr that was trying. For years the idiots at Kiaser gave the old song and dance and steroid creams instead of finding the real issue.
Well, 3 weeks later I get a call from his secretary. Secretary come on man, how hard is it to pick a phone and call your patients, it would make your business SO much better. So I talked to her and low and behold it’s inconclusive and she said I have a «rash.» Well NO sh#$ sherlock, a rash imagine that, tell me something I don’t know. I asked her to have the DR email me, that never happened. I guess he’s too busy diagnosing RASH’s to phone or email me.
So know I have to go find another skin doctor/​dermatologist to see if they can figure it out. But I think i’ll try an allergist instead.

I was referred to Dr. Raskin for a different skin-​related issue, and he went out of his way to ask if I had any other concerns I wanted him to look at, and when he checked the rest of my skin he found a patch of skin cancer that was not even something I had on my radar. I am very grateful that he went out of his way to look at conditions that weren’t part of the initial referral, and that he was able to spot this cancer. Otherwise it would have remained there indefinitely, since it wasn’t even on my radar.

I have been a patient of Dr Raskins for the past five years. I too am a health professional and am very thankful to have found such a great doctor. I find him to be knowledgeable, caring and respectful. I would not hesitate to recommends him to anyone looking for a great doctor and a wonderful person.
John D Comyns DDS

Not a good doctor! Had a blemish on my chin. My regular doctor wanted it checked out so she referred me to this joke of a doctor. He looked at me for 10 seconds, told me not to touch my chin and gave me an ointment.
Several months later I saw my regular doctor and she noticed I still had my «blemish». She seemed a little alarmed and referred me to another dermatologist. This new doctor immediately realized that I had basal cell skin cancer, did a biopsy and referred me to a specialist. I lost a huge chunk of my chin and have a scar, but at least I don’t have skin cancer anymore.
All I can say is, thanks for the misdiagnosis Dr. Curtis!

Dr. Raskin takes his time and is very thorough. I’ve been taking my son to him for psoriasis treatment for the last year.
Since he really takes his time with each patient, the wait can be a little bit, however, I don’t mind that to get the medical attention we need!

After 3 weeks there’s no scar. Marvelous result

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE GO TO THIS DOCTOR!
I have seen MANY MANY specialists in my life for ongoing medical conditions and most recently a severe knee injury, and I have NEVER come across a more uncaring, unwilling and outright ridiculous doctor!
DO NOT GO SEE DOCTOR RASKIN!!!
My background:
I have had a mole on my arm changing for several years… it got itchy, red, and started to gloss over and raise up over the skin. I let this go for almost 2 years, until my regular doctor suggested I have it biopsied/​removed. So, I was referred to Dr. Raskin.
I had to wait almost 5 weeks to get an appointment as a first time patient (first time dermatologist visit in my life). I got into the office, was 15 minutes early for paperwork and check-​in, but still waited 25 minutes. This wasn’t too bad, but not wonderful either.
Once I saw the doctor, it took him no longer than 15 seconds (I’m serious) to walk through the door, look at my writing on the paper about the lesion, and look at my arm (poke it twice) and write it off completely.
THIS WAS HIS STATEMENT: «It’s only a scar, it’s benign. These things can itch and it’s completely normal for something you think is a mole to not be a mole at all»
I asked:
This is very bothersome and I’m concerned about it, can we biopsy it to be sure?
He responded: (and I have excellent insurance, btw)
«No, your insurance will not cover any sort of removal and you will have to pay for it. It’s benign, just don’t scratch it, touch it, or wash with anything but your hands.» (he told me not to even use a washcloth!)
This man does not do his job, he is a JOKE of a doctor!
I’m planning on getting a second opinion from Doctor. Ed Becker in Walnut Creek asap. My regular doctor was EXTREMELY unhappy with Dr. Raskins UNPROFESSIONALISM.
DO NOT GIVE THIS MAN A DIME OF YOUR MONEY! I wish Co-​Pays were protected and returnable, because I feel like I just got SCAMMED!

I’ve brought my son to Dr. Raskin a few times for recurring warts and he’s done a good job treating them and making my son feel at ease but today I hit the breaking point on the wait. It seems that every time we’ve gone, no matter the time of day or day of the week, we’ve had to wait to be seen. What was particularly galling this time was that it took a MONTH to get an appointment for 3:30PM today and when we arrived promptly at 3:30PM, there were already eight people filling the chairs in the waiting room (which is small and less comfortable than a tire store waiting room). We sat for 30 minutes and during that entire time, one person was called into the office. I figured that at that rate, we would probably be there for another hour or so which, for a procedure that takes about five minutes, is completely unacceptable.
Obviously he has a thriving practice but the fact that he schedules too many appointments to manage smoothly is a deal breaker for me so I will be going to a new dermatologist.

The office experience with this visit wasn’t terrible, and there were aspects of it that were fairly standard/​normal, which is why I will give it 2 stars rather than 1. However, there are a few things you need to watch out for if you are going to go to this doctor.
1. Do not count on him or his office staff to check with your insurance about what is covered and what is not. Most other doctors I have gone to DO check these things before providing services and sticking you with the bill. I consider it to be a fairly important part of the informed consent process, but apparently this doctor does not. I was quite upset when I was referred to this doctor for a completely normal skin cancer screening and was not informed that the two biopsies alone would cost $ 400.00 that my insurance wouldn’t cover. While I recognize that it isn’t his fault that my insurance wouldn’t cover it, I do feel he had a responsibility to inform me of this before performing these services so I could make an informed decision. Be sure to nail them down (ideally in writing) about the cost of your visit before you go or choose another doctor who is more upfront about his billing practices and use of out-​of-​house labs that will also bill you at their discretion.
2. Be aware that he sometimes overbooks himself. From other reviews, it seems that he is sometimes quick, but I had a very different experience. I showed up 10 minutes before my appointment to fill out paperwork (as they had requested). Once the paperwork was filled out, I was asked to sit and wait in a VERY full, VERY small waiting room (at least one or two people were forced to stand). It wasn’t until 30 – 45 minutes after my actual appointment time that I was even brought into a room. I was told that the doctor would be in in «a few minutes.» About 15 minutes later the doctor breezed in and quickly glanced at the moles on my body. There were two he was concerned about, and he asked if I wanted to do the biopsies that day or later. It was never mentioned that they would cost $ 400.00 or be processed by a third party. I figured that I was already there and had already waited an hour (which I did not want to do again a week later) so I went ahead and got the biopsies. If I had been informed about the cost, I would not have. Also, considering how long it took for him to see me, I felt pretty rushed along. If you have time to wait, this can be okay, but don’t count on getting through there fast.
3. Their staff is nice enough, but their receptionists can be somewhat uninformed. When I first made the appointment, they asked about my insurance. I told them what it was, and they claimed they had never heard of it before. This doctor was selected by my primary physician because he is listed specifically as an in-​network doctor for my insurance. Perhaps this person was new, and I can forgive this, but I think that combined with the above mentioned problem it may be more of the same general irresponsibility regarding informing their patients of the cost of care. This is their business, they need to know it better. As is, they came off to me as somewhat manipulative in this regard in order to bill me as much as possible.
Overall, I would recommend considering another doctor unless you don’t have a choice. He isn’t terrible, but he isn’t great either. Just be sure you know what you are getting yourself into in terms of cost and time. Don’t let them do ANYTHING until they have explicitly outlined the cost.

I read the bad reviews here before I made my (first time) appt w/​Dr Raskin, but didn’t really trust them as they seem a bit too ‘emotionally based’. My experience with Dr. Raskin was totally fine. His staff was super friendly, and he was thorough in explaining what I had & the treatment options. Didn’t have to wait long, either.

He is the most terrible doctor I have ever seen. He doesn’t seem to care for his patients. He has mistreated me for acne for 8 months. He didn’t want to do a biopsy because he said it might leave a very small scar. I finally forced him to do a biopsy because my face has got so bad that I don’t want to live anymore. And then we found out what I have is not acne but a life-​threatening disease. He tried to make it up to me by calling other specialist so they could see me asap. But If he cared enough at the very beginning, I wouldn’t have been suffering for so long. AVOID!

I went to Dr. Raskin because I have 2 moles on my face that need to be removed. One is in my right eye, on the rim near the tear duct. I’ve been seeing my primary care physician b/​c the mole has grown and is now interfering with my ability to close my eye and my peripheral vision. My doctor said they need to come out and only a dermatologist can do that. Dr. Raskin gave a cursory glance to these moles and told me that they were fine. When I elaborated on the problems they are causing — including interfering with my ability to see — he told me, and I quote: «Stop whining and crying. Even if I did take them off, you wouldn’t be any less unattractive.»
ANY LESS UNATTRACTIVE. STOP WHINING AND CRYING. Are these the words you should EVER hear from a doctor? I was mortified. I walked out of his office holding back tears.
I do not recommend this doctor to anyone.

Dr. Raskin and his staff are wonderful. I had a growth on my scalp and they took care of it and made the entire process easy and as pain free as possible.
I highly recommend him.