The Medical Board of California

The uselessness of this organization is quite comical. They say on their website to report any situation where a physician has treated you with «neglect, negligence, incompetence, etc…» but nothing actually happens when you do complain.
Case in point: I made a complaint about a doctor who totally ignored me when I needed a refill of a prescription I’d been on for over 15 years. Over the course of several days I called, I texted and I heard nothing back from her at all. I was hung out to dry by someone who’d sworn an oath to care for others. Have you ever had to scramble to find another doctor because your own doctor won’t make any attempt to get back to you when you desperately need something? It’s a terrible feeling.
So this medical board wants to hear about neglect, huh? Doesn’t a physician ignoring their patient in need of medication sound like neglect? Abandonment? Negligence? Well guess what? It’s not. According to Robyn at this fantastic agency, it is not only legal but totally acceptable for a physician to ignore their patients who need a refill. She actually wrote in the form letter to me, «we regret we cannot help you any further in this matter. The case has been closed.» No appeal process, no asking me further questions, nothing. Robyn also wrote that it was in my physician’s chart that she wanted to see me again before a refill would be given. I don’t know about you folks, but I didn’t have regular, easy access to my doctors chart. So how was I supposed to know? Plus, how hard is it to return a phone call to tell me to make an appointment? Just because it was written in this magical chart, it doesn’t give my doctor a reason to totally ignore my calls and texts, especially when she knew I needed medication.
So they can talk all they want about how bad they want to help patients who have been wronged by a physician, but when it comes down to it, nothing happens. Not even an apology. In California, complaining about a physician is pointless.
And no, Robyn, I don’t agree with your decision, and I’m going to use every avenue available to me to let everyone know how I was treated by my doctor and the medical board, because that is how you help others… not by taking a year to inform me you’re not going to do a single thing about it.
Their motto should be: «We protect the doctors at all costs»

The Medical Board of CA is one of the most worthless organizations ever created.
I filed a complaint against my previous Dr at Kaiser, for prescribing me a remedy for a condition that I saw him for quite a few years earlier. The current condition and prior condition were not closely related.
Not only did Frank Miller take 10 months to respond, the response was the canned, «Although you may disagree, we hope you recognize it is in accordance with the laws regulating the practice of medicine in CA».
Here’s my response:
FUUUUUUCK YOU!!!

Last year, I sent three or four complaints to the Medical Board and I never got any response back. Then I decided to report them to the Department of California Consumers Affairs,
and all of a sudden a few weeks later I started getting answers to my complaints.
After waiting nine months I got different letters from Nichole Bowles stating that all the doctors that I was complaining about, had not departed from the Standard of practice of medicine.
They evade you, because it is too much work for them to investigate every case, so they never answer their phone. You have no choice, but to leave a message and nobody calls you back.
The Medical Board with the employees that are there (may be only one-​Nichole Bowles), they (or better she) will support the incompetent and manipulating doctors, no matter what. So do not waste your time and sending complaints to Sacramento.
It took me awhile to realize that the best avenue to find justice is, either with the American Arbitration Association or with Small Claims Court (if you want your money back).

Well Dr. Santos in Barstow, Ca likes leaving his patients in the hot sun and does’nt show on time

Useless. I’ve filed 3 complaints in my lifetime. They lost 2 out of the 3 — no response at all. When you call to inquire, you wait on hold, wait on hold, only to be told someone will call you back, and no one ever does. They are useless.

Betsey S. beat me to the punch, except for I got my results back immediately. Despite how numerous professionals admitted that the doctor I complained about broke the law (professionals included: social worker, lawyer, therapist, doctor), the Medical Board exuded about as much care as Bernie Madoff would in a business ethics course. After the case closed, I actually contacted them to speak with the person’s boss (i.e. the dimwit who sided with this doctor that belongs in San Quentin) and they connected me to the actual person. I’m not going to try and reason with someone whose head is as thick as a concrete wall. Good luck attempting to seek justice from this ineffective, lazed agency.

Via the Medical Board of California web site, you can obtain
information on a doctor. I highly recommend checking
on doctors and surgeons prior to visiting them for care.
Of course I also recommend you also check this fantastic site,
Unilocal for reviews about specific doctors and medical facilities.
On the left side of the Medical Board of California web site home
page, there is a «Check a Doctor» button.
You can research if disciplinary action and other issues have been
taken against doctors in CA and other states as well.
Information on felony charges after 1991 are also made public record.
Here is that direct «Check a Doctor» link:
Quality of Care…
You can also file complaints against doctors. It is a simple process.
Please, if you have been treated with neglect, incompetence,
negligence or been injured by a doctor, by all means report it.
You can save others from experiences what you have endured.
You can make a difference.
I recently spoke to a representative here and she said there is no
time frame in which a complaint must be filed.
The link with the complaint information is:
This site is a helpful resource for patients. Another option provided
via the site is to check a doctor’s license status.
Various other helpful information is available as well.
The complaint form is available to print and fill out. You simply
send it to The Medical Board of California.
This is not to be confused with the Joint Commission, which is
for reporting hospital complaints.
(That’s another review in the works as well as HIPAA).
I thank many of you who have offered your medical-​related reviews
on Unilocal.
Knowledge is power.