They are kind and professional. They care about the kids. Doctors are nice and also the front desk

We are looking for a pediatrician. A friend recommended the La Jolla Children Clinic and to meet with Dr. Gainor. Made a prenatal pediatric appointment yesterday but there office was too busy and rescheduled today. I was initially upset that the wait took so long but after meeting with Dr. Gainor today I am really glad that I came back. My objective was to see if this would be a good fit for me and my child in the near future. Here's what I loved about my experience: - Dr. Gainor is one of 4 physicians. She has been working there for 6 years+ at this particular clinic from the start when Dr. Paul (Owner) decided to open up the clinic. - She spent a good amount of time with me answering all of my questions. I got a good feeling of what this office was about and how they take care of patients. - She was very knowledgable. She took notes on her laptop listening and noting details while asking questions to learn about me. - She reassured me that they are available, they do not use an answering service like most doctors and take the calls themselves off hours. Having 24/7 support was very important to me. -She went through the logistics of pre and post delivery. This was nice because these details were not exactly covered by the OB. The more she talked the more I became confident and comfortable that this would be a perfectly fine place to be a patient at. - They are located in the heart of La Jolla Bird Rock, an easy walk from home. What could improve: If the doctors are delayed due to whatever reason, simply to give the patients a heads up and give them an option to come back at a better time. This would allow patients with non-urgent visits to rebook and the other patients who were also in line but had more important concerns can be seen sooner because of the other patients choosing to reschedule. The waiting room is compact and can accommodate maybe 6 adults max with a couple of children. There was a lady with her small baby who sat outside on the steps because the room was already getting packed. So just know it can be a bit packed during busy times. Other than that, Two Thumbs up for prenatal visit with Dr. Gainor. read more

I know I have yelped about CCLj before but yesterday my daughter had strep throat. Dr McGowen was as usual wonderful. Took us in have us the proper fc a hug and sent us on our way with our RX. I really can't say enough how wonderful the doctors here and the staff are. The front office girl Christine is truly sweet and professional!! Thanks again !!!! read more

Dr Gainor is God sent! I highly recommend her! She takes her time to really listen to the parent and their concerns over their child!

I went to this clinic for my newborn and saw Dr Lawrie and Dr. McGowan. Completely unimpressed with both doctors. As people they are great but as far as being a pediatrician for my child I would want to find someone else. Dr. Lawrie is by the book when it comes to immunizations and other things (Vitamin D, etc). I asked few questions and did not get definite answers. I prefer to have a doctor who can explain stuff to me better on a more personal level. For example, when I asked her if I can substitute vitamin D drops for just being exposed to the sun she didn't know. Dr McGowan is a different story. After having an appointment with her I was extremely upset for a few days. She does not hesitate to use cruel pushy words when she wants to push parents into immunizations. Her favorite verb to get to a parental nerve is "DIE". She uses is freely and not sensitive to parents. Those parents who want delayed/selective vaccines should look elsewhere for an understanding pediatrician. I am currently looking for a new office/pediatrician to see as I am not happy with Children's Clinic. The only thing I really like about them is their location in Bird Rock/La Jolla. Very convenient for me to get to. I didn't see two other doctors at the same clinic, but seeing Lawrie/McGowan was enough to make my decision not to come back there. Staff/nurses are very friendly. Office is small and there is no separate room for healthy/sick children. The parking is on the street. On the other note, I have two friends who attend that clinic and both of them seem to be happy. So it's up to the parent of course. What hasn't worked out for me might be good for someone else. I am very confident giving this clinic 1 star based on 2 doctors I saw there and the service I got. I believe the doctors have to be knowledgeable, personable and understanding. I am so happy that my insurance allows me to have other choices, as there is no way I want to return to that clinic again. read more

I have now been going to CCLJ for over a year and have 2.5 year old boy/girl twins. Dr. Gainor always and I mean always goes above and beyond for my children as well as for myself, husband and nanny. Our children have significant respiratory disease so we are frequent flyers, she always makes the right decision when it comes to treating at home vs inpatient. She is never rushed and is so thorough no matter what time of day it is or how busy she might be. She also knows the personalities and sensitivities of each of our children and tailors her interaction accordingly. My kids absolutely love her, my son is so sensitive and has had to live in her office and Rady the last year. Our family truly would not have made it through the last year without her exceptional care. Dr. Laurie has been wonderful as well. Anytime Dr. Gainor is not in, we are happy to see her or Dr. Reddy. They are all very aware of our children's medical conditions and treatment plan which shows me how good communication is within the practice and we so appreciate it. The staff, I don't even know where to begin to say how amazing they are. They treat us and my kids as if we are part of their family. Again, we are there all the time and they go above and beyond regardless of the day they are having. I have just shown up several times when one or both have been in distress, or called on my way and I have never been turned away. Both of the twins love Susan so much and she really helps to calm them when they are not feeling well, she is the best! I am nurse and have been very particular with pediatricians and the specialists they see, I cannot express the peace of mind and support I feel knowing we have CCLJ in our corner! read more

We have been seeing Dr Gainor at the Children's Clinic of La Jolla since they first opened. Dr Gainor is an excellent pediatrician. She not only provides excellent care and follow up but also makes sure we have timely access to care from specialty providers. read more

We had a decent experience at first with Dr. Karen McGowan when it came to the regular wellness checkups. But when we had a real issue with our child, we ran into trouble and heartache. My son had a body part which was a concern to us and appeared abnormal, so when we showed Dr. McGowan she brushed it off as nothing serious and that it'll go away. She even went so far as to going into her personal office to research and make sure. Unfortunately, a week later his condition had gotten worse. When I called to inform her, she had the audacity of saying our son can 'die' from the condition (which wasn't true) and suggested we take him to the ER...so off we went. It didn't turn out so great for our son. If we had taken him to the ER when we first came to her, he may have had a chance. Overall, she's a pleasant person but, in our experience with her, she wasn't able to help us when it came to anything outside of the usual cold. For us, it turned out this was just an overpriced place to have our son get his immunization shots. read more

First time going to this practice and my experience was horrible. The Dr who saw my baby argued with me because I wanted to space out the vaccines for my baby. He didn't even let me talk. He was very disrespectful. Also, I felt the same pressure from the receptionist. She even tried to change my mind about the decision I took for the vaccinations by speaking my first language. At the end the Dr agreed to space out the vaccines. I wasn't expecting this practice to be so disrespectful with the patients. read more

Loved our experience at the clinic. They were so kind, fit us in quickly, and Dr. Dosanjh was great with our 9 year old! Great customer service and awesome care! read more

I rarely write reviews, but after being here for years, it was time. They're always spot on why the child is sick and deliver. They're friendly. That's all I could ask for. I don't need miracles. read more

Dr. Gretchen Gainor spoke down to me like I was completely uneducated. Lied to me to get me to think my thoughts on certain vaccinations were crazy. Made it perfectly clear that she would treat my son as a second class citizen because he was a danger to her other patients. He has been vaccinated for some, and not for others. We will definitely not continue to use her as a pediatrician. read more

Very caring and genuine! I left the office in a rush and my dr. actually came to my house to drop off the papers that left without getting, who does that now a days? that really meant a lot to me that she cared enough to personally deliver the handouts i needed, excellent staff who really CARE!!!! read more

We've been going to CCLJ for 2.5 years now, our toddler and now our second child are both patients. In addition to the regular checkups we've been there for everything from a dislocated elbow to ear infections, and have always been thrilled with the docs and the staff. On a trip to the east coast last summer I was worried that my baby got a tick bite; I called on a Saturday and instantly reached the doc on call who spoke with me for a long time and had me photograph and email her a pic of the bite. Just two weeks ago I had a problem with the pharmacy not filling a prescription, called the doc on call after hours, and had it resolved that evening. Love our pediatrician! read more

great doctors and a great location. Parking can be an issue but they do give you free passes to park in the back. Love this place and i highly recommend it. read more

Horrible Dr. he was very uneducated, rude & wouldnt even let me speak. I cant believe I even paid for this horrible experience I should have just walked out. read more

Our daughter has gone here since she was a month old and we love all of the doctors. Dr. McGowan always listens to our concerns, discusses things with us, shows a lot of concern, and has made referrals to to specialists whenever something seemed wrong or delayed developmentally with our daughter. Dr. Laurie is also really nice. She handled our daughter's bronchitis and pneumonia really well to get our daughter the best treatment possible but keep the expense minimal to us as parents. The doctors and nurses are all awesome to the children, make things child-friendly, and really work hard to discuss things and listen to concerns of the parents. read more

Dr Mcgowen is a great pediatrician. Our son absolutely LOVES her and she is very patient and gentle with him. We find her to be very knowledgeable and truly care about our son as a person and not just as another patient. She is also great at getting back to you. read more

I spent several months searching for a great pediatrician. I even came and interviewed one here. Yes, they do have an after hours emergency number. The problem is the doctor you speak with after hours will contradict what your doctor said to you during the day leaving you more frustrated and confused than before. I had originally planned to just see only the doctor I interviewed but the baby was so sick one day I came and saw whomever was available. This doctor contradicted my regular doctor to such an extreme that I was told I couldn't have a renewal of the medicine my baby was on. Because of this appointment I was also sent to a specialist that did a very uncomfortable procedure that made my baby very clingy and sensitive for several weeks after and ended up being unnecessary. One of the reasons I chose a small office was in the hopes that it would have better in-office communication. I was also given test results for the wrong child then had to wait quite a few weeks and call them to get the correct one. No, they do not have a complicated automated phone system but that did not make it any easier to get questions to your doctor. I purposely did the ground work of researching a pediatrician while I was still pregnant so I would not have to deal with it while trying to care for an infant. I am extremely disappointed that I am back at square one having to waste valuable time finding a new doctor that could be spent enjoying and caring for my child. read more