Dr. Tina T Pham, MD

I’m sure Dr. Pham is overworked and possibly overwhelmed, nonetheless, please try to not lose your humanity and remember why you became a doctor. I’m a real person coming to you for guidance, not just a name on a list. I trust you. Please treat me with the compassion I’m sure you began your career with, because people will ALWAYS remember how you make them feel.

I was very disappointed in my first pre-natal visit as a newly pregnant (first-time) mother-to-be. She was rushed, rude, and impatient. We didn't get to ask her any questions without her pressuring us to hurry up and make significant decisions on the spot. We were so disturbed that we were forced to move to another doctor's office to avoid the chance of having her show up during the delivery.

Dr Pham has been my OB for over 15 years now. While some Doctors have come and gone within the practice, and during all my pregnancies I saw all of them, Dr Pham is my favorite. The practice has grown and changed some over the years. I carried two of my pregnancies to term and delivered at Alexandria Hospital which was wonderful. I ended up with C sections because both my children were stuck on my pelvis and never dropped and I had failure to progress. Scheduled the second one. No complications. I have continued to see Dr Pham because she is caring, thorough and always takes the time to talk with me about anything I am dealing with or concerns. I have never found her to be rude or disrespectful in any way. Generally there is a wait to be seen but It’s not that bad and we all know that Drs appointments usually do have a wait. The staff and Nurses are well trained and things usually run like clockwork. If you are looking for a Dr for your long term care and regular yearly… visits I would definitely recommend Dr Pham. She is much loved by her patients and takes excellent care of us. You can clearly see this by the photos of babies she delivered and cards people send her every year.

She refused to write me the prescription for the birth control I wanted and have been taking for 10 years. Even asking her to please please write it for me she refused and would only give me a prescription for a birth control that didn’t have estrogen in it. She was rude and would not help me. When she left me to change back into my clothes she swung the door open without knocking so that I was completely naked to the outside clinic. She said “I forgot - did we do the Pap smear?” Seriously?!!!! Thankfully I could get my birth control from another doctor but I will never go to her again and I hope no one has the horrible experience I had.

My visit with Dr. Pham began 35 minutes after my scheduled appointment but I was a new patient so I expected it. My first impression of Dr. Pham (and last) is that she is overwhelmed, rushed, and rude. She cut me off twice in a five conversation of which most of that conversation was between her and her laptop. I am in search of a Dr. I can hire for fibroid surgery and will NOT be using Dr. Pham. I left there leaving angry that I paid $20 for a copay! Staff was very sweet when making the initial appointment but I had to call back and change my appointment which was apparently difficult for Deanna (a receptionist) to do because she was extremely rude and I was hung up on. It was then that I called back, cancelled my appointment, asked to speak to an office manager and was told she's on vacation. I also asked that Dr. Pham return my call. I have yet to hear from either of them. I should have listened to the reviews. It would have saved me $20, 45 minutes of drive time and a lot of… aggravation!

Do yourself a favor...skip this practice. Dr Bissel and her Associates are indifferent to the preferences or concerns of the patient. They are fine if you want to have a C-section and have additional sources of info about your pregnancy and birth. They seemed annoyed by questions. Initially they were fine but later treated my pregnancy like a paycheck by making all efforts to encourge a C-section. They later refused walk-in emergency follow up care and my primary had to intervene due to complications (stitches that extended into opposite side of labia causing painful ulcer). The practice nurses are the saving grace of this operation.

I do not want to disparage Dr. Pham, however, I had a terrible birth experience with her as the attending physician. She did not take my concerns nor desires into consideration. She almost seemed insulted when I told her that I did not want or wanted something to occur while I was in labor. For instance, when I told her that I did not want my water to be broken, she asked me was I getting my information from "google". I am not a medical professional but I have learned that I have to be my own advocate. Dr. Pham also became upset when I told her that I did not want an epidural. Very forcefully, she told me that if I did not have one I would be put under general anestheia in case of an "emergency C-section" and my husband would not be allowed to come with me. Many other unnecessary, unprofessional, and downright hurtful comments were made by Dr. Pham before she ordered an emergency C-section. (In her doctor's notes, she claimed that my husband and I agreed to the surgery after… discussing possible complications with her: This was untrue). During the surgery, I overheard Dr. Pham mockingly telling another medical professional that I must have gotten my information from google. I know I am (was) just another number to Dr. Pham but I was extremely hurt by the whole situation. I am so thankful for my son and that we are both healthy but I do wish, at the very least, that she would have treated me with just a small measure of kindness and respect as a medical professional who took an oath to first do no harm.