Rosalie nailed it. He's been our doctor for over 5 years, you are not going to find another doctor like him. Heidi is excellent, so nice. Don't go if you want warm and frills. Mostly, I want a doctor who isn't snobby and treats me l as if I am stupid, who will give me the right treatment, will refer me to the right people. Someone I can be honest and direct with and I trust will give the same back. He has always responded immediately in emergencies, even late on New Years Eve and never bilks his patients and that's how he shows that he really cares. read more

I recommend Dr. Belk with some caution: If you like warm and fuzzy doctors, this is NOT the doctor to see. If you like doctors who are intelligent--even sharp--rather stoic, has your best in mind, yet isn't trying to win any personality contests, well Dr. Belk is the ONE. One star is for his intelligence and straightforwardness, which can be hard but he tells it like he sees it with no wide smiles only slight smurks.. Second star is because, unlike the routine at Alameda Family Physicians---and big reason why I like him--Dr. Belk is saving me hundreds of dollars by referring me to a cheaper pharmacy and filling my routine prescriptions for a longer period without unnecessary additional visits like Alameda Family Physicians required of me. Kudos to Dr. Belk on this one!. 3rd star is because he switched me to a better, more efficient medication than the practitioners at Alameda Family Physicians did--and again, for less cost to me (I am a cash pay) patient and I already feel better with this medication change than I have in 5 years! Thumbs up to Dr. Belk on this one! 4th star is because his brusk, dry, sarcastic humor along with the unhappy look that is practically glued to his face--still made me laugh although I don't prefer this style of comedy on a regular basis. Thanks for the efforts at comedy, Dr. Belk! 5th star I took away only because he isn't charming like James Bond. He has absolutely NO bedside manner, which I think is important for doctors to have--although I would prefer competence over charm in my doctor. After all, he is a doctor not a gigolo, right? I prefer a little warmth or a genuine, caring laugh and perhaps some reflective listening or at the very least some hint of compassion when I don't see eye to eye with him...attempting to humor me if he doesn't agree with me a little, would help greatly---but he won't do that. He sticks to his guns, like it or not---no niceties there. Summary: Doctor Belk has saved me money and gave me more effective medications than my last doctor did--so I consider him a very competent doctor. If he had a more delightful, compassionate charming personality----he'd be just about a perfect five star doctor, but because he's not trying to win any personality contests--he gets 4 stars. I recommend him if you have anti-social punk rocker / goth friends and ENJOY the ones who don't smile or hug the best. read more

Although I totally agree with and appreciate his whistle-blower-like exposing of the whole doctor/big pharm/insurance fraud we call healthcare, I don't appreciate paying to hear about it from him during the time I would like to discuss my personal health problems. Based on his enthusiasm for this issue, and his personality, I think he'd be better suited to go into health policy and stop seeing patients. I tried to discuss two long-standing but non-life threatening health issues, but he kept interrupting me and acted like they were were so trivial and boring to him, that I never even got to explain them fully. It had been over 3 years since I'd seen him, and for the price of a yearly exam, all he did was weigh me and take my blood pressure, both of which I do at home regularly anyway. I'm shopping for a new doc.. read more

I have known many Doctors in my life. My Dad was one. This guy passed the exams, but he's a lousy Doctor. Belk is disinterested, smug, dismissive and seems like he thinks he already knows what the diagnosis is before you even start talking. He was rude to my wife and treated my father with a "what do you expect, He's old.... attitude" His offices are the original 1930's beige with nothing on the walls. Like the set of a black and white mad scientist film. Go see ANYONE ELSE. read more

David Belk, MD - Internal Medicine Near Me - Alameda, California

I visited Dr.Belk because of a recommendation from two friends. Why they recommended me, I have no idea. I came to Dr. Belk since I was having upper back problems that made daily tasks difficult. Instead of diagnosing the problem and offering advice on treatment, he lectured me on not playing basketball because it is the worst possible sport for one's body. Basketball had nothing to do with my injury. I explained the pain was making it difficult to sleep and that taking pretty large doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen didn't help. He suggested taking more if it wasn't working and to stop thinking about it! I could tell Dr. Belk is very intelligent and can respect his straight to the point attitude. But I could also tell that he wasn't very concerned with my injury and brushed it off after asking a few questions. Even if the injury doesn't appear very serious at first, a doctor should still examine his patient. He didn't ask questions about the symptoms or go near my back. I left unsatisfied. read more

Upon reading reviews, I was interested to see this mad genius I read about. Unfortunately it was nonexistent. The Good: He has good advice for obtaining cheap medication. The Bad: -He appears to disinterested in his patients. He won't give direct advice for your problems. Much of his advice was surrounded "becoming a park ranger away from the stresses and injuries of society". -He'll do unusual diagnosis techniques which feel more like an attempt to exact approval from patients. -He doesn't really have early or late appointments for anyone that works a normal 9-5 job. Conclusion: I don't think he is a bad guy, just someone that is burnt out on medicine. read more

I was not prepared for the office - yeah it used to be a pysch ward. His office/exam room is huge and it was a little cold when I went in November I think, He is to the point which is a different style for me, but I am okay with it. He is extremely intelligent and gave me good advice about a medicine I was put on just because and it turned out I really don't need it. Yeah! So far I am a fan! read more

I was a patient of Dr. Belk. For a couple years I only had to see him for my annual physical, then I had injured my shoulder in my martial arts training. As a martial artist, I am in tune with my body and know when it has been seriously injured. After a week of at home treatment, my condition worsened so I went to see him for an evaluation. I explained my symptoms, he did a motion test of my shoulder saying I just had a serious bruise. I told him that I know what a bruise feels like and that this was more than that. I asked if he could feel one of my shoulder bones slipping out of place and if he could hear the cricket sound of bones grinding against each other, he replied he couldn't, even though it was obvious. He said that it might be a broken Scapula but that he didn't believe so because I was in fit physical condition and typically its elderly people that would break such a large bone. l said, then why not take an x-ray of the whole shoulder (even though I didn't think it was a break, knowing what a break feels like) and he responded it wasn't necessary. I had asked about the possibility of a soft tissue tear and getting an MRI, because of the symptoms my shoulder was exhibiting. He said it wasn't a tear and even if it was that an MRI wouldn't show anything because the tear would be too deep to show up in the test. I worked construction so my injury was affecting my job performance. I asked him about low dose pain med mediation where, as he leaned backed and rocked in his office chair all full of ego and self-promoting, said he was an opponent of Big Pharma practices (as am I) and sent me a link about the overuse of Opiates and the Big Pharma that he created while simultaneously writing me a script for 180 Opiate pills, to which I had taken only two on the very worst of painful days after work...he was literally pushing Big Pharma scripts as he sent a link denouncing them (so which is it, guy). The x-ray of the Scapula showed no break. He told me to keep my arm in a sling for a week and I had to take a week of vacation time off from work to "heal". After his receptionist had written down the wrong dates, that I had told her, on my work restriction papers they sent to my boss, (where I almost lost my job when I didn't return on the day they put down which was not the days I told his office), I immediately switched doctors to another hospital. I was able to see a doctor in short time and within 5 seconds of performing a motion test of my shoulder, he knew there was a soft tissue injury and referred me to a Bone and Joint specialist who ordered an MRI. The MRI showed my left Labrum was torn, that Dr. Belk's misdiagnosis and treatment had compounded my injury resulting in longer recovery time, that he should have referred me to a specialist for further analysis. They also said his prescription was ridiculously overdone and that basic Advil would be sufficient for pain mediation. Dr Belk, in his hubris should not be practicing medicine for he doesn't listen to what his patients are telling him, as if they are un aware of their own bodies, adding 6 weeks to my injury time. This is unfortunately common in the medical industry, he is not the first doctor I've had like this. I go to doctors to rely on their medical knowledge and experience to aid in resolving serious medical issues. Dr. Belk is a danger to his patients and should have an evaluation of his practice for it is extremely lacking, dangerous and appears he is a salesman for Big Pharma, even though he may say otherwise. My visit with Dr Belk also suggests that he is in the pockets of private insurance companies since he did not refer me to see a Bone and Joint specialist...however, both of these aspects may also be a reflection on the Hospital policies and procedures that may be directed by the Big Pharma and Private Medical insurance industries, as well, which are well known to keep their costs down and to increase profits. He is why people say finding a good doctor is like finding a good mechanic. Do NOT go to see Dr. Belk, he's a bad mechanic and worse doctor. read more

worst doctor i had so far. I didn't mind his office but the way he talked, didn't really seem like a real doctor. When I asked him for a physical complete with checking for STDs, cholesterol, etc., his response was, "well, as long as you are not doing anything promiscuous, you will be fine." Not exactly what I wanted since I am paying for health care. I would expect those types of comments from people who do not have an MD after their name. I didn't feel all too welcomed from him. And when I called for my results, they were given to me over the phone with a lot of huffing and puffing. Needless to say, I no longer required his services. He was also hesitant to give me a referral to see an accupuncturist for my lower back pain. The painful treatment by him was as unbearable as the back pain I had when I went to go see him. very awful experience. read more

Dr. Belk has been my PCP for at least the last 7 years, what I must say about him is; he is very blunt and straight forward. He is awesome when it comes to health care and knowledge of the in's and out's of costs. Of course his front desk manager is amazing and always there to help. If you are looking for a straight forward doctor, who has your best interest at hand (health, mental wellness, and cost) then he's the doctor for you. read more

Dr. David Belk is not only one of the finest doctor's you will know, he is also very courageous. Dr. Belk shoots straight from the hip. He does not sugar coat. He will use his extreme knowledge to help you get through your Cancer, or any ailment using the most intelligent approach, and referring you to the best doctors in whatever field you may require. His very capable technician, Heidi, will do all the leg work for you. All you need to do is show up at the time of your appointment. He took on Big Pharma, when he discovered the huge profits they were making off those who were to sick to afford the medicines to keep them alive. Big pharma was so scared of the public discovering the truth from Dr. David Belk, they got the Federal Gov't. to step in. The Feds searched his records and made up a story of how he mismanaged. Gave him a choice to surrender his license, or face a criminal complaint. He could not afford to fight the Feds in court, they could drag the case out for years and cost him his home, his practice, and every dime he ever saved. Having a wife and children to support, he surrendered his medical license. The Feds may come after me now for exposing their fraud. We all know the government cannot be trusted. I am a United States Marine, I could take them on in a battle field but not in court. They have an unlimited supply of money, but YELLOW down their spine. Dr. Belk was an excellent doctor serving his community, and lost his job for exposing the truth about the dishonesty, big profits of the Big Pharmaceutical companies. Who have our Government working for them because of their big donations to our Public servants. read more

At first, he seemed different from any other PCP. After first 2-3 visits (usually for winter flu/cough symptoms), I realized how great he really is. He gets to the point, will always look holistically before recommending any prescription medicines, asks questions and probes for more information before making any recommendations, and he's got a great personality (witty dry sense of humor). Overall, he's the best PCP I've had. Dr Belk has been my PCP for over 7 years, and for good reason. His office manager/receptionist Heidi is a very nice, wonderfully sharp and responsible person-she follows up very quickly on all my medical questions; She's someone many other physicians could only wish they had working or them. Give her a raise Dr Belk! read more

New patient. Called for appt. Was placed on hold for 10 minutes by the receptionist (11:50am). Hung up and called back. The phone was transferred to the messaging service at that point. Clearly they went to lunch at 12pm. Thank you for wasting my time. In exchange, I'll trade you a poor Yelp review for bad customer service. I also left that as a message for their answering service. As I found their business using Yelp, it is fair to also report to other prospective clients. read more

Dr. Belk is second to none for some realistic and straight forward care. The backbone of his practice, is his outstanding Senior Office Manager, Heidi. They're always accommodating and helpful. read more

Dr Belk was recommended by a coworker when we needed to switch doctors for better availability. Our current doctor is only available to patients one day a week. Called today for an appointment we needed and to coordinate a health need with an existing specialist only to find out there was a one week penalty wait for new patients. I wish the office would have sent us a notice or called us to tell us that without an initial consult we would not get access to the first available appointment with our primary care physician. I am disappointed. read more

Four Stars. I have been seeing Dr. Belk off and on for over 10 years. I love his rants about the cost of healthcare - which I share. He is an excellent diagnostician, who is honest - sometimes "brutally" honest - and has my best interests at heart. He is quick to refill my prescription and moved it to Costco to save me money. I love his big offices on the top of the Old Building at AH - very retro/nostalgic - all clean and white. And Heidi is the coolest Medical Office Coordinator. If you want good treatment, honest opinions at a fair price, Dr. Belk is the one to see. read more

He's great. He is really passionate about educating people on the rising cost of healthcare. I dig him and will be back. Really great!

He seems to care a great deal about the high cost of medication and showing videos of himself speaking about it, but I'm not so sure he is as concerned for my personal health. We spent most of our meeting talking about things that did not concern my health. read more

I have seen a lot of Doctors lately as I was injured by a stupid car driver and my ankle was shattered. ( not looking for sympathy ) lol What do I think or Belk. Most Doctors are rather stiff. he isnt. I was having a pretty rough week trying to find a new place that accepted my insurance. I was not in a very good mood when I walked into his office. He is very laid back and tells it like it is. I really like people like that. When I left he had me laughing almost hysterically. And he seems to genuinly care. DR. BELK IS ALRIGHT read more

If you identify as transgender don't bother seeing Dr. Belk, he has little to no experience. He was dismissive and rude. May be a fine doctor otherwise but clearly did not care to take the time to be decent towards someone who doesn't fit the binary read more

Very good. Relatively thorough. I agree more with the yelpers who find his personality funny and fun than with those who find his humor off-putting. A good doctor and a good guy. read more

If you want to get advice on saving money on medication see this guy. If you want someone to listen to your concerns and recommend a treatment then don't. Saw him regarding a foot issue, first time, last time. He listened for about a minute, gave some simple suggestion of if you want your foot not to hurt then stay off of it... and began ranting on high cost of medication. Guy needs to remember what line of work he's in. read more

Excellent doctor. Very much to the point. We moved my mom to Alameda recently and she needed a local doctor. We met with him for the first time last week. She has a significant medical history and he didn't seem to be scared by it. He also had suggestions for saving money on rx's. read more

I was away for the weekend and i needed Dr. Belk's opinion because i'm afraid i got exposed to some contagiuous sickness and got to get the medication right away, his answering service got all my information and not long after Dr. Belk was on the phone with me and was able to help me resolved the problem RIGHT AWAY. I wish that we'll have more DR. BELK's in the medical insitution!! he is AWESOME!!! and as for his right hand Heidi, she is the most considerate, professional, secretary i've ever encountered. Kudos to both of you. read more

i moved to alameda 3 years ago and was looking for a new primary care physician. glad i found dr. belk. in my experience, he doesn't prescribe when it's not necessary, but doesn't hesitate to pull out the pad when it is. he's been exactly what i want in a doctor - someone who tells it like it is. if i needed someone to be nice to me, i'd pay for a friend. for primary care, i need someone who knows their shit and is looking out for my health. read more

Dr. Belk is the best. His office always freak me (it used to be a mental hospital) out but his receptionist is the best ever and always makes me at ease. He is blunt, to the point and does what needs to be done. No warm fuzzies here but you will get good treatment, honest opinions and suggestions on how to make your life healthier. Any time I need refils or even referrals they are on top of it. Highly recommend. read more

I highly recommend this office. Dr. Belk and his staff are friendly and efficient and seem to genuinely enjoy what they do.

Yes, his office/examination room is unusual but his manner is direct and thoughtful. I'm an uninsured patient and he gave me good advice and made the call himself when I needed an appointment with another doctor. He was concerned about my ability to pay in a good way and charged me a ressonable fee. Highly recommended. read more