Dr. Albert Charles Lo, MD

I became Dr. Lo's patient back when I was nineteen. I'd been trying for years to have someone listen to me about my concerns. He's the first doctor who let me open up about my experiences, what about them made me uncomfortable, and why I felt something was wrong. We spoke for about five to ten minutes when he kindly stopped me and said he'd heard everything he needed to. That I was textbook bipolar and one of the most severe cases he'd seen. That it was only through spite and sheer force of will that I stood there in front of him that day. He immediately wrote a prescription and told me to get it filled on the way home, don't leave the pharmacy without it, then start taking it immediately. We got appointments scheduled about once every three weeks, if I remember correctly, to keep an eye on the effects of the medication. It was like a door opened I didn't even know existed that allowed me an opportunity to feel normal and stable. We discussed other medications at length, he listened to… any and all of my concerns about side effects and what was tolerable and what wasn't. He explained every med that was possibly applicable for my specific bipolar and what the side effects could be and why it may or may not work for me. If I happened to be doing research on my own and wrote notes and took them to him, we'd go over why which med would or wouldn't be worth trying. I'm still on one we researched together that was absolutely life changing. He legitimately saved my life so many different times. I'm turning thirty three this year thanks to him. I'm sure if he reads these he probably knows who I am, and I want him to know I'm doing so well, and it's been as stable as I've ever been so far. He's the best psychiatrist I've ever had and I desperately wish I could be his patient again.

Very kind, patient, and straightforward.

Very kind, patient, and straightforward.

I think he's a good doctor and knowledgable but I still feel a little indifferent about him. Mainly because he laughs a lot during our sessions, which made me feel uncomfortable. It's hard to open up about compulsions and phobias when you already feel really ashamed and then he laughs at your fears and behaviors. I like his laid back personality though so that's why I feel indifferent. He's a good psychiatrist but I think he needs to be more mindful about his behavior during sessions.

I have bipolar disorder and have been treated by psychiatrists in major cities including Boston, but Dr. Lo stands out as outstanding. He was trained at two of the best medical schools for psychiatry (Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill), and shows an extensive background in both clinical practice and research. He is highly knowledgeable in symptom assessment and treatment. Dr. Lo is also quite accessible, although he is in high demand so short term appointments are difficult. But he will answer questions over the phone. I have since moved from Champaign and have been unable to find anyone with his quality and competence (my last psychiatrist, for instance, didn't know how to read the test results for impaired kidney function which I am developing). Dr. Lo also has an excellent staff especially Cindy who is a nurse and is very helpful and knowledgeable. Their office is organized and the people pleasant. Dr. Lo himself has a charming sense of humor.

Recently moved to area and needed appt. asap. I only had to wait a week for this appt. The other docs in area had at least 10 wk wait. Doctor is very knowledgeable and friendly. He has helped me a great deal. I would highly recommend this office. Staff is very friendly too!

This doctor was willing to listen to me and not ignore me or just throw medications at me. He helped me and was a down to earth person. He was also on time, which I found refreshing.

Its nearly impossible to find a competent Psychiatrist, I was Lucky to fin a good one in Dr. Lo. I moved to C-U fearing the worst, the first Dr. I saw tried to force a bipolar diagnosis on me. Dr Lo listened and maintained the medications that work for me, he gave me choices and options. He was positive and made me laugh.

He makes me wonder about the usefulness of any M.D.

It is astounding to me that this doctor received a 5 star. The experience I had with him was absolutely terrible. He first failed to give me a diagnosis, unsure of whether I had either depression or bipolar disorder. It seems he assumed the later, but never told me directly.I was put on Prozac and then a mood stabilizer. Instead of being told to take these two medications together, I was told that I did not need to do so. Big mistake. At the end I began treatment with the Prozac once again and began to have signifcant shifts in mood and rapid cycling. It impeded my functioning significantly. In addition, the bedside manner was laughable. He would have a maniacal laugh everytime the word "psycho" was mentioned in a session. It seems he thinks that destroying a patients' mental health is somehow "funny".