Dr. Alvin Craig Burstein, MD

I’ve been seeing a Psychiatrist for 4 years for BiPolar Type 2, stable on medication “cocktail” for the entire time. That Dr. closed his practice and I went to see Dr. Burstein. I was only allowed to see his PA who was dry, no personality and wanted to entirely change my medication regiment. Would not suggest this practice at all. My father in-law runs a hospital and after explaining my appt. with him, he said this guy is nuts. Never pull someone off a medication plan that works. 4 years of a great life compared to what I had and he wanted to mess it all up. His PA should be let go, he is awful. If there was a 0 star, I’d go that route. Not because I’m looking for drugs which he claimed, but because I am finally living a stable life and he wanted to mess it all up. Waste of time.

Burstein is rude, abrasive, egotistical, elitist, and severely lacking in bedside manner. I went to Burstein because my other Dr had retired in May 2016. I was immediately misdiagnosed during my first appointment. I was given a diagnosis no other healthcare professional had ever mentioned in all my years of needing mental health services. I gave Burstein the benefit of the doubt that maybe everyone else had been missing something and I followed Burstein's plan for two years. Every appointment I explained to him the new medicine he put me on for my new diagnosis was not treating the symptoms it was intended to and was having negative affects. I requested we try a different medication and he said "I don't have a happy pill for you" and this is just one of the rude, condescending and inappropriate comments he made during my appointments with him. He would not listen to me that his treatment was not working and I expressed this EVERY appointment. Not once did he ever adjust, change, or try… anything new and continued to push the wrong medication on me. I honestly feel like he never once even tried to help me and I am utterly devastated with his level of care. I have wasted two years of my life trying to work with him with absolutely dismal results. My last appointment, he actually said "you are welcome to get a second opinion, maybe I'm missing something". So that is exactly what I did and I left my new Dr feeling better for the first time in over two years because this Dr actually listened to me.

Dr. Burstein has taken care of me for 9 years. I have had several psychiatrists over the year for Bipolar disorder and he has been able to regulate my medications much better than the others.

This Doctor as awful!!!!! so self absorbed, "HUGE" "EGO!!!! only loves money an could care less about patients, spends less than a few minutes with you just to write same scripts I could obtain from an MD and charges $125 dollars for nothing but a waste of time! He is dangerous!! and EVIL!

Dr. Burstein is the worst I have ever had the misfortune to go to in my life. I would never recommend this doctor to anyone. He’s completely self absorbed, doesn’t listen, doesn’t respond if he was listening has no care or empathy about his patients and seems annoyed by your mere presence. I inherited him from a beloved psychiatric nurse practitioner I saw for 15+ years when she retired. Dr. Burstein is rude, he interrupts and I’d describe him as malevolent. The happiest day this year was when I found a replacement for him. I saw him four times for medication management. He is simply awful. If he is competent he completely missed the training on human decency and bedside manner.

Have been his patient past 2-3 years. He is calm and thorough and listens well.

Can you imagine being charged $100 dollars for missed appointment when I was on a plane to MA. My Dad had passed away. I did call the next day. He wiped it out. Than, my husband had a total knee replacement. He was re-admitted back into hospital for an extreme infection in his knee. I almost lost my husband that night. Needless to say he was the only thing on my mind. My appt with the Dr was the next day. I called to let them know what was going on. Still I have been charged $100. When I called the office to make an appt I was told until that money was paid I couldn't see him. Now it's in collection! No anxiety or stress here. I do understand that there are policies, however there are also emergencies that do come up in people's lives. Oh by the way, I have Parkinson's Disease and cannot drive!! This is a psychiatrist!

Can you imagine being charged $100 dollars for missed appointment when I was on a plane to MA. My Dad had passed away. I did call the next day. He wiped it out. Than, my husband had a total knee replacement. He was re-admitted back into hospital for an extreme infection in his knee. I almost lost my husband that night. Needless to say he was the only thing on my mind. My appt with the Dr was the next day. I called to let them know what was going on. Still I have been charged $100. When I called the office to make an appt I was told until that money was paid I couldn't see him. Now it's in collection! No anxiety or stress here. Oh by the way, I have Parkinson's Disease and cannot drive!! This is a psychiatrist!

He was able to rescue me from a very complicated dysfunctional family problem

Dr. Burstein only does a medicine check on me every 3 months. My "talk therapy" is with a psychologist. The very first time I saw Dr. Burstein, he diagnosed manic disorder. I told him that none of the other therapists I had seen over the years had ever diagnosed that, and that I'd always been treated only for depression unrelated to bipolar disorder. I also asked him how he could make that diagnosis based on a 15-minute session at my first visit. He said it was based on my "talking fast." I pointed out that I was trying to give him as much history as possible because I knew I only had a 15-minute appointment scheduled. It didn't convince him, and his wrong diagnosis remains on my record. Also, the first thing he did was change the dosage of 2 of my medications, even though I was doing well on both of them. He kept prescribing higher doses of lithium (which I don't need), that, in turn, exacerbated my existing thyroid disorder. Because of that, my endocrinologist had to increase my… thyroid medication to restore normal levels. And because thyroid medication decreases the lithium level, Dr. Burstein he continued raising the lithium dose. It's a never-ending battle - a tug-of-war between 2 doctors trying to achieve an impossible balance between medications that work in opposition with each other. I asked him to talk to the endocrinologist and he said, "He can call me if he wants to talk to me." I have asked him repeatedly to take the wrong diagnosis out of my chart and he just ignores me. I only had one session where he had eye contact with me and answered questions. The rest of the time he reads lab reports and types on his computer. I chose him only because he's one of a few who accept Medicare. He has an impressive educational background, but what good is that when he's not a "people person?"