Dr. Mesfin Seyoum, MD

Not Rated By clicking a star above, I agree to the Terms of Use and verify that I have received treatment from this doctor. Dr. Seyoum has been seeing me for a few years now and I'm happy I have him. I'm not sure why a few of the comments are negative but my comment is the opposite. He has been very personal with me and has even let his staff know that if it takes a little longer, the next patient will need to wait their turn. Hi listens to my issues and I have had no problems except for when I was between insurance companies and had to wait a while to see him. He has had some staff that need additional training in communication skills and they seems to not be there too long. Having had heart surgery its hard to find a Doctor anymore that will listen and advise the way he does. I would hate to move to another state and try to find another Doctor that treat me the way he and his staff does.

This is the first time that i'm leaving a one star review. I am dealing w/ a serious chronic illness impacting my uterus and have had 2 cancer scares this year. I went to Performance Health Medical Group a few times in the past 6 months because I lost my job and am a student, which means that I have had to go on government low income state health insurance. Today I went in because my hematologist told me that I needed 3 additional tests done, but that I needed to get the referrals from my primary care physician - Dr. Mesfin Seyoum at Performance Health Medical Group. During my appointment today, Dr. Seyoum had only walked into the exam for less than 2 minutes before saying I could only have ONE of the referrals that I was asking for. When I began to question him about why I couldn't get all 3 referrals, especially since my other specialist requested it, he walked out of the room. A few minutes later, the clinics manager, Dr. Daniel Parker came in and in the most condescending tone… began to tell me that I have to go back to my hematologist. Why am I getting the run around? They just kept saying the insurance company wouldn't approve all 3 referrals. They gave me the impression that they wanted me to go to another specialist and to make another appointment to come back in because that way they could charge the insurance for another appointment while also avoiding getting dinged financially for giving out too many referrals. They wanted another doctor to do it. They also forgot that they had given me an MRI for my brain because they didn't seem to have my correct chart. I had to remind them about my blood work that should have been noted on my chart. Both of these doctors made me feel so small and unheard. The moment I began to advocate for myself, they made it seem like I was troublemaker. The whole thing was shocking. Who knew that doctors could gaslighting patients. I got the impression that the reason why they act this way is due to the reality that most of their clients are low-income individuals on government medical care. If they treated me this way, how are they treating their other patients who might not be as informed, speak fluent English, or know how to advocate for themselves? Doctors are supposed to have good bedside manners, they are supposed to help their patients by answering their questions, and help to explain their condition to them. They are not supposed their voice and be rude. I was so shaken by the whole interaction that I went to my car and just cried. Imagine having a chronic illness and having to beg your doctor to get a colonoscopy, and have it be denied. Again, I have NEVER been made to feel this way by a physician. I was so rattled by the whole interaction that I called their office and requested to speak to the clinic manager so that I could file a formal complaint. I have also NEVER done that before. The clinic manager Dr. Daniel Parker called me back about 5 hours later, and I let him know how he made me feel, he cut me off began to yell at me and just said "we did the best we could for you, but since you're unhappy you should find another doctor to see" and hung up on me before I could even respond. Don't worry Dr. Daniel Parker, although i'm in the midst of a health crisis and need referrals, I will be sure to seek out a new doctor even if I have to pay out of pocket or take out a loan to buy private health insurance. But I am also going to share this story in a public manner so that others, who might not be as empowered as I am, are never treated this way. I can empathize with the reality that doctors have difficult and stressful jobs and that there are many flaws in our health care system. I know that most doctors are trying to do their best to see multiple patients per day while dealing with the bureaucracy of insurance companies. I can appreciate those nuances. But based on the other reviews that i'm reading about this clinic and it's physicians, it seems like they have totally given up on putting patients first. They know they are seeing low income patients, and have decided to treat them like garbage. Peoples lives and quality of life are on the lines, and patients concerns and requests for a proper diagnosis and treatment plans shouldn't be treated with such disdain. If Dr. Daniel Parker and Mesfin Seyoum can't comprehend that, maybe they shouldn't be in this line of work if they are incapable of treating patients with more dignity, patience, and respect. Patients shouldn't be belittled. I highly doubt that these two doctors will be reprimanded, but if you are seeing any doctor who is dismissive of your medical concerns please be sure to ask them the following "Can I please get it in writing in my file that you refused to treat my symptoms" - advocate for yourself, fight for your health, and listen to your gut/intuition... even if you're poor and on government insurance. On another note, the front office staff is very delightful and sweet.

Every single time I have seen him, he has been rude. He also forgets everything in my chart and the prior medical advice that he gave. He even forgot that he issued me an MRI and didn’t want to help me. He didn’t have my bloodwork right and was completely dismissive about the fact that I’m dealing with a painful reproductive chronic illness. Frankly, It made me feel like he treats his low income patients poorly because he thinks that he can. He thinks they will not advocate for themselves. For your own health and well being, see another doctor and advocate for yourself.

If your looking for the most caring and knowledgeable doctor, you will find him here. His staff is efficient and caring.

Dr. Seyoum has seen me as a patient for awhile, but every time I had an appointment with him, it was like he didn’t know me or my History. Not a very personal Doctor. Plus this Doctor denied a Inhaler refill when I have an Asthma History causing me to have to go to the ER for a breathing treatment! Plus, the wait time for this Doctor is minimum 1.5 hours every time, which is horrible for an appointment! This Doctor is not a very good Doctor, nor is he very knowledgeable of his patients medical histories! I would Not recommend this Doctor or Laguna Hills Office!