Omar E. Burschtin, MD

thoughtful and comprehensive in his approach to sleep problems

This doc waxes hot and cold. Very attentive until after the sleep study is done (and the insurance payment has come in). Then, poof, totally indifferent, even hostile. I don't think he likes people that much, honestly. It's all about money and grabbing the low-hanging fruit of an easy sleep study--his mistake was building his own in hopes of greater profits, which is why he insisted Mt. Sinai take over his sleep center when he jumped from NYU. Sadly, he's more interested in volume of cases, which is bad news if you have an atypical or recalcitrant sleep disorder.

He is a racist and unpleasant doctor. Also very narrow-minded--won;t try new medications

Just interested in billing the insurance company. Doesn't return calls, doesn't follow up, rushes appointments. Just a disaster.

This review is as much about the Sleep Clinic that Dr.Burschtin operates. For the uninitiated, one goes to the Clinic and after getting too many wires fastened to your body parts that connect to computerized diagnostic tools, you get tucked in by a pleasant attendant and are expected to sleep that way. All under the all-seeing gaze of a night vision video monitor. Your room is like a Motel 6 but more size challenged. The bed is not bad. I or you are expected to sleep for the night while your heart and lung functions are closely watched and recorded. I fooled myself and actually did nod off. Your doctors are looking for signs of sleepus interruptus when you actually do not breathe for too long depriving your brain and heart of oxygen. They call this condition sleep apnea. My charts show that I have it to a degree which I am trying to ignore. Unfortunately there is a possibility that ignorance instead of being bliss can be a stroke, or worse. My internist… has asked me to repeat the test and as I have more faith in his medical judgment than my own, will do so in the near future. The real question is whether or not I will lose more quality of life wearing a device to pump more air into my lungs when I sleep than the risk of doing nothing would be. We will see soon enough. Meanwhile, Dr. Burschtin in the consultation part of the experience is most pleasant and obviously knowledgable. If you have to go to a sleep clinic in the NYC area, I can totally recommend Dr. Burschtin.

I was fitted for a new CPAP mask by a technician at Dr. Burschtin's office, the technician told me that I will get a new mask but to keep the old mask in case I need to alternate between old and new mask untill I get used to the new one. When I contacted Home Care regarding the new mask I was told I need to return the old mask or pay for it. Thinking that Home Care is wrong, I called Dr. Burschtin's office to ask for advice as I didn't want to risk not using the CPAP machine in case the new mask didn't work and didn't want to pay for new mask, after all the technicnian at Dr. Burschtin's office told me to alternate the new with old mask untill fully adjusted to the new mask. Dr. Burschtin was very rude, didn't let me finish sentences, asked me if I think he should pay for the new mask, told me that I should return the old mask, why don't I understand that? - wasn't his office that told me I can keep the old mask? Insulted my inteligence by comparing the old mask with shoes as if I… were returning shoes that don't fit for new ones... I was asked why we (the patients) call him with these questions, as he can not help, we should call our medical insurance or the Congress and take it up with them! I wish be very clear, I was not at any time rude to him, he didn't even let me speak much, as he knew why I was calling from his secretary/receptionst with whom I spoke few times since the day before trying to get through to speaking to him.