Robert J Epstein, MD

I’ve been seeing Dr Epstein for years. He’s fantastic.

I was referred to Dr. Epstein by a friend and he was great; fast, efficient and professional. I did find the intake form a bit intrusive, but I just left whatever I didn’t want to answer blank and the support staff folks didn’t seem to care or notice, so I wasn’t too bothered by it. Overall, I’m happy with the level of professionalism and care from both the doctor and support staff, so I’ll definitely be back.

This review is for the amazing staff in Dr. Epsteins office. I rang up today thoroughly confused by my health insurance and trying desperately to find out what type of insurance offices like Dr Epsteins take prior to my switching plans. The woman that answered the phone was such a delight to speak with, she was incredibly patient and helpful and I couldn’t have been more grateful for her time. Thank you so much!

Just graduated from law school so finally needed to get off my student health insurance and find a gyno! The Covered CA website recommended 3 gynecologists, Dr. Epstein included.
The fact that he had so many Unilocal reviews and was even on Unilocal to begin with was what sold me. Since the office was in Union Square and very easily accessible by Muni, I knew he was my guy.
I called and made my first appointment very easily. Filled out some forms and was taken in quickly. Dr. Epstein introduced himself, shook my hand, and we talked about my history. What I liked the most is that he wasn’t overly perky or too chatty. Sometimes I couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his expressions /​tone of voice, but I liked that because with other gynecologists I have been afraid of judgment being passed… Personal thing haha! He wasn’t condescending about my drinking habits or the lack of knowledge of giving myself breast exams like some previous doctors have been. I’m sure he’s seen it all, so I guess I’m not too bad of a patient anyway, huh ;)
Anyway, he was very professional and efficient. He gave me a run down of everything he was doing so I knew exactly what to expect. He asked if I needed someone else in the room, which was appreciated since I’ve never had a male gynecologist. I’m definitely sticking with him!

Dr. Epstein is very professional and friendly. He answered all my questions and made me feel comfortable during my examination.

I first went to Dr. Epstein shortly after I moved to SF in my twenties. His office was close to my work, and I had, shall we say, an embarrassing emergency. I was young alone, and frightened. He was calming and assuring (and took care of the matter while easing my own embarrassment). That was over twenty years ago, and he’s been my OB GYN ever since. Given the personal nature of visiting an OB GYN, I want to feel that my doctor is wise, trustworthy, kind, and knowledgeable. Dr. Epstein is all of these things. He’s direct and honest in his consultations (with a very dry wit!), and with each passing year I’m grateful he’s not retired yet. I’ll be very sad the day he does.

I love Dr. Epstein, hes so chill and seems always concerned for your well being. I feel so comfortable with him and would recommend trying him out if youre looking for an OBGYN in SF.

This man needs to RETIRE!
Omg. Omg. Oooooooomg.
This guy was incredibly rude, insensitive, misogynistic, condescending, obtuse, unprofessional, disorganized… etc etc. Not the kind of person I want poking around my lady parts. I called my mother after my appointment and had to just laugh about the way he treated me to keep myself from not crying.
Due to the personal nature of my OB/​GYN appointment, I won’t disclose exactly what went on but TRUST me. It was awful from beginning to end. I thought the guy was fucking with me and had some vendetta towards me until I started seeing other signs that lead me to believe that this guy is too old to do his job and interact with other human beings.
GO SOMEWHERE ELSE

I really loved my visit to Dr. Epstein. He has this wisdom in his look and he assured me about my health. Highly recommend him to all women. I am going to take an appointment for my mom and other women of my family.
Really informative session. He takes his time to respond to your questions and visit all your concerns. really enjoyable!
Also– he is a cat person. His cat passed away but he lived a good 20-​years. I know this because the cat image was there :)

Just finished my appointment with Dr. Epstein, he was a really attentive and knowledgeable grandpa and knows what he was doing. Definitely recommend him!

I’ve been reluctant to write this review for awhile now but really think I have to.
First thing’s first… I had been going to Dr. Epstein for a couple years and had previously written a 5-​star review for him (which I have since removed). He is an INCREDIBLY personable guy and I always felt comfortable. That is why I’m not giving him 1-​star.
But the truth of the matter is that we go to doctors for our health. I had some symptoms that were going on that I knew weren’t normal. I went to him twice in a couple weeks and he even gave me an exam and felt something. Then I got an ultrasound and when he viewed the results, he told me he could ‘rule it out as a gynecological problem’. I didn’t see any reason for concern and was just hoping that it would eventually get figured out.
Two weeks later I had intense cramps which led me going to the ER. To make a long story short, I had Stage 3 ovarian cancer. When the doctor did an ultrasound, both ovaries had tumors.
Being a gynecologist is more than just being able to do a pap smear — they need to know that if someone is complaining of symptoms that are textbook ovarian cancer symptoms, that needs to be considered (even if the patient seems a bit young). I don’t want to ruin this man’s life — luckily, this all happened only two weeks after seeing him so I don’t have to think that things got worse over a period of time — but I do think it may be time for him to hang up his stethoscope and retire.

I’ve been going to Dr. Epstein since I moved to SF over 2 years ago. I have gotten 3 yearly exams and had some other visits for the HPV vaccine.
He is quick, I’m almost always the only patient in the office so it’s not awkward, and his assistant is nice and helpful with billing, too.
I’ve only seen a couple of other OBGYNs in my life. but his exams are the least uncomfortable/​painful and the quickest I’ve had.
He is incredibly professional and doesn’t sugarcoat things. If you’re overweight, he’ll likely comment on it because it is his job – he is a doctor and obesity is a medical condition that kills people. If he didn’t comment on it, he would be negligent.

This experience was pretty close to downright pleasant. I just moved to the area and decided to turn to Unilocal to find a new OBGYN. Dr. Epstein had a mostly 5 star reviews so I decided to give him a shot. He was gentle, patient, informative, and has an excellent sense of humor despite the awkward and vulnerable situation. He offered to have the nurse in the room if I wanted it and was nothing but absolutely professional. I appreciated how he spent time to talking to me in his office post visit to make sure ALL my questions were answered. From the other reviews I have read, this is common practice for him. Also, his assistant took time to explain what was and was not covered by my insurance… much appreciated. Finally, loved the picture of the FROG! Dr. Epstein is the BEST!
I will most certainly make him my permanent OBGYN.

I decided to write a review nearly 11 months after my first visit, since I noticed he is still at the «Top of Unilocal» listing and I do not agree! I found him through Unilocal {he will tell you during the appointment that everyone finds him there and that he’s the Mick Jagger of Unilocal} but was incredibly disappointed after so many positive reviews.
The exam itself was rough, awkward, and unpleasant. I’m sure he could tell I was uncomfortable, but that didn’t seem to concern him and he was not friendly at all.
He also scoffed at the type of pill I was taking {and had been taking for the past 2 years} and told me that it COULD raise my blood pressure, so I should consider switching to a lower-​dose hormone pill that would provide less protection against pregnancy. To me, that is a scary trade off. I expressed my concerns and he was uninterested in discussing further besides «right, you’d have to be more careful», so I guess that was that?
I am back on the hunt for a knowledgeable OB/​GYN with a decent bedside manner, because Dr. Epstein’s canned jokes and rough manner did not suit me.

Dr Epstein has been my ob/​gyn for over 20 years and, believe it or not, he had this great Grandpa feel even then!
He is kind and patient and has a great sense of humor. When I was in between jobs and insurance companies, he offered to see me and I could pay him when I had extra money! He is the kind of doctor who picks up his cell phone when you call, and buys you an apple juice after a medical procedure! I love this guy. He is simply the best there is.
I have been through a lot of female issues in the last 20 something years and I am super lucky to have found him. Unilocalers, he is THE ONE!

I had moved to SF in January from Washington D.C. and I was a little skeptical about finding the right doctors here since I’ve been seeing the same doctors back home literally since before I was even born. SOoo I Unilocaled. haha.
The place is pretty small… I sort of felt like I was in a closet, but I wasn’t uncomfortable. If you don’t feel comfortable in small spaces, you might not enjoy his location very much.
The receptionist was nice and there was no wait. I just had to fill out the paperwork, pee in a cup, and then I was in the exam room.
Dr Epstein was very kind and he explained everything beforehand: what we had planned for the visit, what we’ll be talking about, blah blah blah. He was very gentle and quick and he explained what he was doing so he wasn’t just feeling around down there in silence, which is always the most awkward thing ever.
After the exam I got dressed and met him in his office. He told me he’d call me after my pap came back if there were any problems, but everything looked fine and I’d see him next year.
He did call me back! As it turns out I have HPV :(but he told me not to worry about it because it should go away on its own but we have a followup appointment in Nov.
Overall it was a rather pleasant visit and I really like him and I’ll definitely continue to see him as long as I’m here.
And I’d just like to say, Laure D., by law, male obgyns have to ask you if you would like a female present during your examination. It’s not for her to do the examination, it’s just so you’re not alone in the room, naked, with a man checking out your vagina. It has nothing to do with you being a lesbian.

After reading all the 5 star reviews, my experience with Dr. Epstein was a mixed bag, and I don’t think I’ll be back.
Pros:
— He is indeed grandfatherly, if that’s your thing. It’s not really mine.
— He throws free birth control at you, like nobody’s business.
Cons:
— He makes you sign an arbitration agreement just to see him.
— He asked if I wanted the receptionist present during the exam and when I said sure, he appeared kind of offended.
— He did a urine test and charged my insurance for it, even though it was unnecessary because I had just gotten that test done with my physical.
— There were some insurance billing issues that I’ve not had with any other doctors, and the receptionist was not very helpful (told me to call back when the bookkeeper was in, which is evidently rarely).
— Told me he’d contact me within a week with my test results. After waiting for 2 weeks, I called and the receptionist just told me everything was «ok.» Did not get to speak with Dr. Epstein, no discussion of results, nothing.

Wow. After reading the reviews about Dr. Epstein, I was pumped to go see him. What followed can only be described as the most cringe-​worthy medical experience of my entire life.
Where to begin? Well, first some background: the main reason I wanted to see a gyn was because my wife and I are thinking of having kids in the next couple of years, and I wanted to get more information about possible fertility issues.
Item 1: When Dr. Epstein asked me the reason for my visit, I mentioned the above. As soon as I hit the part about «my wife», he did a HUGE double-​take and said «your what?»
Item 2: He insisted that «the only way» I could get pregnant was to go through the in-​vitro process, which he described as being incredibly complicated and costing at least $ 10k. I asked if there were any other options, and he said «well, you could have intercourse with a man.»
Oh yes he did.
When I pressed him on whether there were any other ways (like, you know, the totally run-​of-​the-​mill artificial insemination route taken by thousands of dykes across the Bay Area every year) he got incredibly patronizing and said «well, in order for the process to work you *will* need to get that semen in the vagina.»
That’s right, It was the 7^th grade «miracle of life» lecture. Apparently since I’m gay I have no idea how conception works.
Item 3: Right before the exam, he suddenly said «Oh, does it make you uncomfortable that I’m a man?» I said no, that I was totally fine with him doing the exam. He then followed with «Oh, because if it would make you more comfortable I could have the (female) receptionist come in»
Note: not a nurse, not a medical assistant, not a technician. Just a receptionist who happened to be female. Why would it make me more comfortable to have some random person watch me get a pelvic exam? It made me wonder what he does when the receptionist isn’t around – what, does he offer to go out and find a female passer-​by?
Item 4: At the beginning of the interview, I indicated that I was interested in getting a mammogram. Dr. Epstein seemed aggravated that I was asking, and incredibly dismissive of my question. I told him that I had a strong family history of cancer, and that both my mother and grandmother had had cancer. He totally brushed off my concerns and told me that I should only start having mammograms once I turn 35.
Item 5: While conducting my breast exam, Dr. Epstein asks me: «So what happened to your mom’s cancer?»
Me: «She died from it.»
Dr. Epstein: «…»
Not even the rote «I’m sorry.» Just moved on to the next thing.
In summary: Dr. Epstein was completely uninformed about the most basic issues around gay fertility/​conception. He was aggressive and condescending when I asked questions or expressed concerns. I guess I would suggest going to him if you have a penchant for having an older gentleman harangue you while confined in an incredibly small space and naked except for a voluminous paper robe. Otherwise, I’d pass.

Gotta love a gyno that treats you like a person and not just another vag.
Dr. Epstein is the best. He is down-​to-​Earth, funny, extremely knowledgeable, and, most importantly, he warms up the speculum!
I found Dr. Epstein on Unilocal over a year ago, and the first time I went to his office he had lawn furniture in the lobby. Unilocal has been kind to the good doctor, and the waiting area has had a much needed update to upholstered chairs and decent mags. Not that I’ve ever sat in them: usually Dr. Epstein is ready for me as soon as I walk in the door!
For anyone wondering, Dr. Epstein prescribes the Nuva ring, and if you are nice he may even slide you a free one.

This guy is about as relaxing, kind and cool as you can imagine. I’ve had pelvic exams that hurt pretty bad in the past, causing pain for the remainder of the day, so I have been nervous about gyno visits ever since. Dr. Epstein made me feel so at ease! I can’t rave highly enough about my visit, and here are reasons why:
–I was the only patient there! In and out, so to speak, in no time. The secretary was very nice and promptly processed me. In fact, they were waiting on me to get back with my pee.
–Bedside manner is second to none. His humor and conversation is equal parts friend and professional.
–I wanted the patch for birth control, but he steered me away from it saying it caused breast tenderness and nausea. Yeah, next! I’m glad he let me know about those side effects.
–The exam was thorough, gentle and fast.
–After the exam we went in his office where he asked if there was anything at all I wanted to ask or talk about. He gave me a month’s free BC, and we discussed the HPV vaccine at length.
HIGHLY recommended. If any stranger dude has to dig around in your vagina, this is the one you want to do it.