I went to see Dr. Bloom for the first time today. I really appreciated that, instead of just writing me a prescription for medication and sending me on my merry way, he took the time to fully understand my skin situation and explain to me (without being asked/prompted, mind you) the lifestyle changes I can make to better manage my skin. Great bedside manner. I also appreciated how, without being prompted, he suggested natural products for my skin. Two thumbs up! read more

I've had skin issues since I was a child. Dr. Bloom is the first dermatologist i have ever seen who had anything to offer other than steroid creams that can only be used for a limited time then have to be discontinued. For me the problem always re occurred as soon as I stopped using steroid creams. Dr. Bloom gave me the amazon sheet referred to by many negatively, and for me (along with an internal prescription used for a limited time) the supplements he suggested really helped. His approach, for my chronic skin condition, seems to be treating the internal issue that shows up as inflamed skin. Most dermatologists just suppress the surface symptoms. I had considered paying out of pocket to see a naturopath, but the guidance from Dr Bloom has saved me that huge expense, for now at least. He's covered by my insurance, but I would have payed out of pocket if I had to knowing how helpful he has been for me. I can tell he's been doing this a long time and he can be a little guarded at first. I think it's a self fulfilling prophecy, people read some of the negative reviews here and go in expecting him to be rude, he feels that, and neither party warms up. As soon as I expressed appreciation for his approach and advice, he instantly became one of the nicest doctors I've spoken with. He consistently validated my experience and knowledge of my own body (rare). Office staff is efficient if not chatty and appointments are easy to book. Highly recommend especially for folks with chronic skin issues who want to address internal causes and find long term solutions! read more

The the service is terrible! I had an appointment at 240, it's 250 people that got there after me are being seen! Finally it's 310! And I'm going in to be seen! It took em 1 minute and not even a look at my face and he gives me a list to buy things off amazon! Seriously !!!!!!!!!! A waste of time and money! Horrible dermatologist!!! Stay away!!! -G.H. read more

So I have been going to Dr. Bloom for a couple of years and I'm quite impressed with my service. Dr. Bloom always has my best interests in proper face and skin care for a better looking skin. Usually my wait time is less than 15 minutes with friendly reception awaiting for me. If your worry about having healthy skin and don't trust google search, I suggest seeing Dr. Bloom. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Bloom's for over a year and couldn't ask for more. He is a no nonsense doctor who only prescribes what works! I've been going to see dermatologists since I was 13 for acne and have had many of them just try to sell me their own products or skincare that can cost upwards of $300 for one product. He is reasonable and actually listens to what you are looking for in terms of an end goal. The two ladies who help Dr.Bloom run his practice are wonderful as well-very sweet and professional. Wouldn't go elsewhere! read more

My son has acne for several years. It did not help for him to use regular acne treatment from the regular doctor until he visited Dr. Bloom. He is very professional and experience. He is straight to the point and knows what he is doing. After a year of visiting, my son's acne is almost gone. I really appreciated Dr. Bloom for helping improve my son's skin. Also, the front desk lady, Grace, is very friendly and helpful. read more

I don't think I've ever seen a doctor in another specialty, let alone another dermatologist, with anything approaching the penetrating, spot-on diagnostic ability of Dr. Bloom. Moreover, he's an absolute pleasure: extremely friendly, generous with his time, and lucid in his explanations. In my experience, he always takes care to ensure a patient has the best treatment, fully understands his or her condition, as well as the treatment, and the follow-up. If you have questions or simply want to visit him, he makes himself available as quickly as he possibly can. It's my impression he puts in long hours in order to optimize patient care. Superb overall! read more

If I could give Dr. Bloom 0 stars, I would. I found him to be lazy, careless, and not very knowledgeable...a very dangerous combination in a doctor. I took my younger sister to see him to take care of a simple acne and foot fungus problem. He took one look at her toenail and told her that it was simply discolored and gave her a bleaching agent to take care of it. As far as acne goes, he recommended that she take a dangerously high dosage of Vitamin A, approximately 180,000 units a day. If you look that up, you'll find that it's enough to make a person severely ill. When we went to the pharmacy to inquire about high dosage vitamin A pills, the resident pharmacist was horrified at the dosage that Dr. Bloom recommended. Upon trying the vitamin regimen for a day, my sister experienced upset stomach and light-headedness, so we immediately stopped the vitamin A and decided to see another dermatologist for a second opinion. She was appalled at Dr. Bloom's suggested treatment and prescribed topical medication for my sister's acne which worked just fine. She also took a look at her toenail and confirmed that it was toenail fungus, not discoloration which could only be cured by oral medication, not bleaching agent. Bottom line: I would not recommend Dr. Bloom to anyone. He just doesn't know what he's talking about and you'll probably end up worse off seeking "treatment" from him. read more

Dr. Bloom is a very good doctor. He is the kind of doctor that will tell you what he really thinks. I highly respect his knowledge and trust his opinion. read more

After reading all of these reviews I feel compelled to say something positive because I think Dr Bloom is a good doctor. Dr. Bloom removed two moles and both procedures were done with knife and no stitches. The wound healed quickly and looks normal because I kept it clean and covered for the first few days. Dr. Bloom has always been professional and courteous. I have gone to him for over 5 years for all kinds of reasons and have absolutely no complaints. read more

I was suffering from an acute skin problem for six days. I tried to care for my problems naturally, with herbs, homeopathy, etc as I usually do. Too little,too late. I was in so much discomfort/pain, I decided I needed to see a Doctor for some relief and hopefully to confirm my own self-diagnosis. For a Doctor of Western Medicine, I found Dr. Bloom to be refreshingly holistically minded. He gave me credit for my knowledge and was not patronizing in his communication as some Doctors are. Good communication skills,professional and experienced. I got great results and had confidence in him. I highly recommend Dr. Bloom. read more

Dr. Bloom is awesome. Go prepared with questions. He will answer all of them. He also has these awesome product cheat sheets. They're lists of best solutions/products for all sorts of problems. It really is pretty cool. His front desk is good too. read more

Currently the other review of Dr. Bloom is by Nana K., and I completely and totally echo all her comments. He misdiagnosed an allergic reaction on my legs - saying it was heat rash. I have an ugly, misshapen scar on my hand because he though a small freckle was a wart (and he was wearing those magnifying glass glasses!) and tried to burn it off. "Sorry about that.. that'll take a long time to go away" was the response. And yes, he tried to give me vitamin A pretty much every time I went in, even though I never asked for any type of skin beauty treatment. When I asked him about it ONCE, I immediately TOLD HIM I didn't want to take it. But then the LAST time I saw him, he said (as he walked out the door and closed it) "set up an appointment to come in next week so I can get you started on vitamin A". W. T. F. ? I'm done with him and feel great. read more

Mr Ernest Bloom should not be called a doctor. He is a sorry excuse of a doctor with the intent of making a profit before providing quality care for their patient. I came here twice and had the same awful experience of being the patient who tries to explain their skin problem only to be handed a prescription of some basic one-size-fit-all drug. He didn't bother to listen, and got irritated when I asked detailed question about the prescription (accutane); Following to question me of whether I had a medical education, the nerve of this impatient geezer. Accutane is a powerful drug that is not a cure all, and should not be prescribed to everyone. His practice consist of you making an appointment, sitting there waiting for his rude and sullen desk employee to ignore you (unless its for payment or purchases). Then being ushered by an equally incompetent nurse whose job is to only look the part. Followed by "Dr" Bloom waltzing in, sitting there pretending to listen, and signing a prescription. Maybe he was having a bad day on both visits I made. Maybe his staffing is in between transitions. Or maybe I'm on to something, like the other yelpers whom gave this guy a bad review. I just know that his service is bad enough to merit my need to create an account and let others out there know this guy is SUSPECT. read more

Not a Doctor at all. I had 3 problems and none of them was identified. So I spend 2 month and money for nothing. Worst service ever. Girl at the front desk was very impolite! She would text to someone whenever I talked to her. I gave it 3 chances and everything was absolutely the same. read more

I'm glad some of you have had positive experiences here, but mine was the complete opposite and I won't be going back. I'll start at the beginning - I have new insurance and a limited number of dermatologists in network that were accepting new patients. I called the dr that was closest to make an appt - the # ended up being for the California Skin Institute. I made an appt, although with a different dr. than the one whose information I had. That didn't seem that weird at the time, that happens a lot when there are multiple doctors at one practice. Judging by the CSI website, it looks super professional. There are multiple locations in the Bay Area and throughout Calif. and they seem to have a qualified staff. However, in Alameda, there is only one doctor, and it's not the one that came up in my search. But regardless, I didn't have much choice, and I made the appt. I filled out my paperwork ahead of time and got to the appt 10 minutes early. Almost 45 minutes past my appt time, I still hadn't been seen, though others who'd come in after me had been seen already. I'm there during work hours, so I'm already annoyed by how long it has taken. I inquired about how much longer it would be and it seemed like I'd just been forgotten, even though I was sitting in the lobby where I could be seen. After the nurse (or whatever) took another person back while I was standing there, I said I was going to have to reschedule, because I'd already waited way too long. So, coincidentally, then the nurse says it's my turn, and she takes me to a room, and a few minutes later the dr. comes in. He was kind of gruff, and not that friendly, and the whole experience just left me feeling icky and really unhappy. He may be a really good dr., I don't know, but I didn't feel super reassured or confident in his assessment, and a little personality goes a long way in these kinds of situations. I am supposed to return for a follow-up appointment in 2 weeks, but that's not going to happen. read more

Both my son and daughter are patients of Dr. Bloom. Bottom line is this - he's an excellent dermatologist. My son had very severe acne in high school and Dr. Bloom not only prescribed a solid antibiotic that addressed it, he recommended a few other topical treatments we had not thought of and which can be ordered on Amazon, etc. He also was open to prescribing other more heavy duty medications if we needed to cross that bridge. He understands the importance a teenager places on his appearance and he discusses matter-of-factly the potential risks of medications and he encourages questions. He does not rush the appointment and he listens. read more

I am really surprised by the reviews. I've been going to Dr. Bloom for years. I had been to 3 other dermatologists for my life long severe eczema. All the others resorted to hormone shots, which finally stopped working. Dr. Bloom investigated and found another route, along with help from an allergist that now keeps my symptoms under control. Once my daughter visited from out of state with a severe eczema outbreak that was painful and turned her feet black. She had been to a hospital in Seattle with no relief. What Dr. Bloom prescribed WORKED immediately. I've never had ANY problems with him and am changing my insurance to keep him. He keeps my skin as normal as it ever will be, so I can work and have a life. I hope others who care for him will also write! read more

Dr. Bloom is extremely knowledgeable. After having difficulties finding a quality dermatologist, I was so relieved to have found Dr. Bloom. He much prefers (as do I) natural products/ methods of treatment whenever possible. I have experienced immediate progress on my long-term cystic acne problems, and I feel healthier overall. read more

Service by Dr. Bloom was good. What didn't work out, was that unnecessary service which was billed. They sent scar tissue to pathology, which was a completely unnecessary procedure, causing a bill of $540.00!!! There was absolutely no reason for the scar tissue to be sent to pathology, other than to make more money from my office visit. I would not recommend this office. Other dermatology offices I have been to, take the time to stop and explain if a sample needs to go to pathology and really discusses it with a patient. This place did not do that, so therefore I cannot recommend this office. read more

Dr. Bloom is very knowledgeable,courteous, professional and I give him the highest accolades.. Ive been seeing him on and off for several years . His office gets me appointments rapidly and any of my symptoms are taken care of hastily. He has always been accomodating and I heartily recommend him. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Bloom for about 6 years. No problems and good service. The first visit was for the removal of staph-infected mole while I was in chemotherapy. He took some swabs, had my drop them off at a near-by medical lab, and when the results came back, he and I discussed the choice of anti-biotics. The removal of the infected mole was done under a local anesthetic, I was left with a small scar. Subsequent visits resulted in removal of a large wart, and treatment for a nasty staph infection on one leg. The staph infection had been mis-diagnosed by a family physician. Again the same routine, take swabs, drop them off at the laboratory, and discuss the results with Dr. Bloom before starting treatment. The infection was cured, but I was left with scarring on the leg. In summation, my experiences with Dr. Bloom were positive. I will see him again if I have a skin-related problem. I found that communication was improved if I did a bit of trolling on the web and came up with some idea, not necesarly correct, as to what might be ailing me. read more

I have been going to Dr. Bloom for several years, and always find him to be extremely professional, friendly, respectful and courteous. He and his staff make me feel that they really care-- his assistant even remembers little bits of personal conversations we had the year before and refers to them when I return, such as asking me how my garden is doing. Also, Dr. Bloom goes beyond just the health issue in front of him by suggesting holistic ways of taking care of myself, including probiotics and sun hats. I highly recommend him! read more

I have been going to Dr. Bloom on a regular basis for months now. He is a great dermatologist who has managed to diagnose and control my horrible skin condition where several others could do neither. He is board certified so there is no question of his qualifications. There are complaints of feeling rushed or unprofessional which is fine by me because I don't have a lot of time and neither does anybody else. At any given time there may be 2 or 3 other patients waiting for him. That being said, I have never waited more than 10 minutes before seeing him, EVER. For me, he's been a great doctor I am glad to have found. I highly recommend him for all things epidermal. read more

I have been going to Dr. Bloom CA Skin Institute for the past 2 years. He makes going to the doctor easy. He is professional, knowledgeable, helpful, and accommodating. He is there for the patient. Whatever my need is, he always addresses it in a timely, efficient manner. I highly recommend him for a Dermatologist. read more

Dr. Bloom is a great Dermatologist who help me figure out my skin problem, which other doctors have some difficulty diagnosing me. I really recommend him for being very knowledgeable and using a holistic approach. read more

I have been a sufferer of cystic acne for 7 years. I finally decided to see a dermatologist last year and got sent to probably the worst dermatologist ever. The only thing they're good at is taking your money. From the very moment I met Dr. Bloom everything felt completely rushed and his attitude made me feel uneasy, I didn't get to ask any questions and before I knew it I had 2-3 antibiotics prescribed for me, why?! What if I didn't want to take antibiotics? Nonetheless they did not work and I stopped taking them and then a huge cyst about the size of a quarter sprung up on my face, revisited to get a hydrocortisone shot. I'm not really scared of needles but this had to have been the most nauseating experience of my life, there was no numbing cream or anything to be put on it and blood all over the gauze which I held to my face, paid them and walked out the door. That was the last time I saw them. They also sent a lovely bill of $75 for not showing when I never confirmed that appointment. Today I have pretty much helped myself by taking apple cider vinegar tablets, eating right, drinking lots of water and using the right cleansers for my skin. Thanks for nothing dr.bloom and alameda skin institute! Will never see this dermatologist or "clinic" again. Extremely disappointed and unsatisfied with this experience. read more

Dr. Bloom has provided dermatological care to my wife and me for over 25 years. He has always been accessible, friendly, professional and conscientious -- even phoning after hours to check up on me following procedures. I enjoy him as a person, but more importantly, as a physician myself, I trust Dr. Bloom's clinical judgment. read more

I made an appointment, wary of the other negative reviews here. I arrived early and gave the receptionist my insurance card. She gave me a form requesting credit card information, explaining that whatever insurance didn't cover would automatically be charged. I told her I had never heard of that, and asked her a question which she refused to answer and instead pointed to a sheet of paper taped to the window. I canceled my appointment and walked out. I am not comfortable - especially considering the other reviews here - providing an open ended opportunity for them to charge my card. Obviously not a patient-centric medical practice. read more

The person who answered the phone when I called to make an appt wasn't very friendly but the Asian lady who took me into the office was very sweet and Dr. Bloom was very professional and helpful. I can tell he really cares about his patients and he is genuinely very nice! Definitely going back! read more

I do not recommend seeing this doctor. Dr.Bloom made the process feel like he just wanted to get it done and get out ASAP. It felt rushed and I do not feel comfortable with his diagnosis. I have this darkish blue bump on my upper arm kinda like a big mole but it is hard. I believe it came from a mosquito bite and left it alone for about a year until I finally decided to see a dermatologist. If I squeeze it over time it will get irritated with slight pain and kinda swells up. Apparently this is normal according the Dr.Bloom. It took him about less than 1 minute to examine the bump and he felt confident of what it was by just looking at it with a magnifying glass. He told me to wait ONE YEAR and if it doubles in size I have to go back to see him. Don't think I will be going back to see him! Going to schedule another appointment with another doctor because I just can't trust this guy with his diagnosis feeling rushed like he didn't really care and just wanted to leave. read more

I AGREE with the other reviews if I could give him 0 stars I would cuz there is seriously something "off" about this man. I went in to have a birthmark looked at that I have had since I was born and has now started to change and look strange. I was seen rather quickly, ushered to the back and spoke with his nurse who took notes. I was offered a "Full Body Check" That was sort of awkward since it only took about 4 sec and he took most of the time looking at a scar I had when I had been cut, looking at it like it was a mole. He then awkwardly started talking to me and halfway through said I can put my clothes back on which mad me feel awkward. He looked at my birthmark and said ya thats a "Scientific Name" and then said "Ya I can remove it do you care?" I do want it removed that's why I went in there. I said ya and started t ask questions about it and he told me I could "Look it up on the internet" Umm OoooKK I didn't come see a doctor to go look something up on the internet! He then left the room awkwardly and came back with a medical book and tossed it to me and told me to read it, the part about what I had while he sat and watched me read. WEIRD! ok really weird! He kept talking to himself saying "ya ya I can remove it...Ya I guess I could to it....ya ok I can do it" Seriously it was very awkward and he didn't really give me any answers and I asked if what I had could turn into cancer and he was like "Oh ya it can" very "Duhh Matter of fact" tone. I don't know why he didn't say that in the first place! He was talking to me like he really didn't want to take the birthmark off and that he was annoyed that I was there and that he had to talk to me. I asked how many times he had performed the removal and he said once a year he sees one and I asked if he if would leave a scar and he said irritated "I'll try my best but I'm not promising anything" He was just really rude and seemed irritated that I was there and made me feel very awkward. I will NEVER go there again or tell anyone to go there.Ya this guy seriously has some problems read more

So I went to see Dr. Bloom to remove a cyst, which he refused to do. He didn't want to give me a large scar, even though I told him I didn't care. He also told me, after glancing at them, that these bumps I had were benign growths which would have to be removed over time, because it was going to be really painful. At my follow-up appointment, on my insistence, he took another look. This time, he told me it was folliculitis, which are basically zits, and that I needed a topical antibiotic. Hey, go figure. read more

The first time I took my mom to remove a wart the receptionist was extremely rude. My mom needed a translator and I know that by law you have to call the insurance company to provide you with one. Well that receptionist only said that if we wanted one we would be the ones that had to call them. I think not lady. Aside from that just her whole demeanor she was rude like if she was doing us a favor. Maybe because I am a receptionist myself and I always take care of my patients and always treat them with the outmost respect I have high expectations. I am not sure if it was the fact that my mom is a medical patient that why her treatment was different who knows. Anyways the doctor is very nice and yes he only did freeze the warts the times we were there. He also prescribed an expensive cream for my moms dark sport on her hands. I guess it works because she already has refilled it twice. When we went back the snobby receptionist was not there anymore, the new one was nice. Not as nice as I am with patients but better than the other one. I don't know how hard it is to smile these days but to each its own, just don't be rude. So again doctor very nice and the suggestions he gave to my mom worked but front office, mmmm not nice. read more

Not a good experience! Complete opposite experience than some of you !! Overall not cooperative and not friendly. My appointment each time was like 5 minutes, not worth just ask for next visit hmm and front desk can be better! read more

Dr. Bloom gave me my life back. For 5 years I went to 12 doctors, had a bag full of creams, and took the wrong medicine for 3 years. I met Dr. Bloom. It took him less then two minutes. He said he wanted to treat me for a yeast. Within 2 weeks I saw a transformation and was on the way to recovery....He was sent to me from Angels. I am ever grateful for this tender Genius who has saved my life. You know how once in while you meet someone in your life you will forever be thankful and humbly grateful? This is Dr. Bloom. read more