Dr. Stephanie Baker, MD

She seems like a new doctor and her inexperience was apparent to me. She repeatedly googled things on her phone in response to the questions I had, and also forgot the names of certain medical terms. She seemed defensive and almost nervous. Those items by itself do not warrant my review. What was unprofessional to me was she was supposed to give me a referral to a specialist, which she never did. I just gave up on trying to contact her for it after repeated unanswered messages.

I had a very disappointing experience with Dr. Baker and would not recommend her. During my physical, she was extremely dismissive and rushed through the entire appointment. Important parts of a physical exam were skipped, including head, neck, neurological, and mobility checks. She ended the visit abruptly by saying she had other patients and that I could return in about a month to “finish” the appointment. I asked about seeing a gastroenterologist for my ongoing stomach issues, but she did not ask a single question to understand or diagnose my symptoms. She immediately told me I did not need a GI referral. Her only suggestion was “try Tums,” which I already had, followed by a restrictive diet she did not take any time to explain thoroughly. She did not order labs, a stool test, or take a proper medical history before deciding I “did not have a good enough reason” to see a specialist. She then told me I should not be on my current birth control because of stroke risk but could not… clearly explain why and eventually had to search for the answer on her phone right in front of me. When I asked a reasonable question about whether my gynecologist should have addressed this when the medication was prescribed, she responded that she “would not blame my gyno” because I was “all over the place.” I also want to note that I felt rushed the entire time and was expected to fill out a form while answering her questions, so her claiming I was “all over the place” felt unfair and entirely due to the environment she created. She also spoke to me in an unusually distant and detached way, addressing me formally as “Ms. [Last Name]” and never asking how to pronounce my first name, despite me being in my early twenties. Combined with her poor communication style, this added to the feeling that she was not interested in connecting with me as a patient. I left the office feeling unheard, dismissed, and genuinely upset. Patients deserve a doctor who listens, asks appropriate questions, and treats them with respect. Unfortunately, that was not my experience here. It is also troubling that I had to experience something that many Black women face in health care, a medical professional not believing or taking my concerns seriously.