Dr. Alice Lim Yan, MD

Why oh why did I not read the yelp reviews on the WORST primary care doctor I have ever met so I could have avoided a complete waste of time meeting with her. I would give her a ZERO if I could. I also should have known while I was sitting in the waiting room and overheard her staff call someone on the phone rude when staff person was being very rude herself. Anyway, I have a chronic pain issue and have been receiving neurological and chronic pain treatment at UCSF, but they do not write the scripts at UCSF pain management, instead leaving it to the Primary Care Physician (PCP). Any PCP having dealings with UCSF would know this. Anyway, my PCP no longer takes my insurance and I moved, so I had been looking for someone closer to take over. I also wanted to forgo long drives to UCSF for my PCP. I started telling her the beginning of a very long medical history so she would understand what is going on and why I am in the bad shape I am in. (Note, it is not easy for me to… go through my medical past as I endure a tremendous amount of pain daily due to a botched surgery where nerves were severed.) I brought all my paperwork with me and within less than 5 minutes she cuts me off, and asks what drugs do I take. I showed her a prescription for a heavy duty narcotic which I have been taking for a very long time. She said "I won't prescribe that." I was in disbelief. How can a doctor summarily say what she will or will not prescribe without knowing my entire medical history. A doctor cannot make a decision on medical necessity without the facts. I wanted to explain more of my history and procedures so she could understand. Instead, she looked at me judgmentally and unsympathetically asked why UCSF does not write the prescription. I indicated that they do not do that and she asked what other drugs did I take. I was angry at this point and wasn't about to waste another minute on someone who was obviously so incompetent as she was not interested in fully reviewing all the facts first. I told her she was very unprofessional and walked out. I am contemplating writing a complaint to the state medical board as I question in my layman's opinion whether a doctor who would behave like she did without looking at all the facts is fit to practice medicine.