Dr. Crook is a terrible physician. She'll judge on what you wear, won't listen to you based on what you scheduled your appointment for, and treat you like you're just seeking drugs. I went to discuss pain management because of fibromyalgia and she wanted to talk about everything else that's bothering me, which I know for certain can't be fixed without surgery. I mentioned who my previous primary care physician was and her attitude took a very rude shift. After tests, I left her office in more than when I went in and took the pain home with me. She is a terrible doctor. Quality of care? What care? read more

Well, well, well. I almost forgot about this little miss right here. Until one day my coworker and I were discussing doctors with bad, indifferent and snotty attitudes. Then this little gem came to my mind! I made an appointment with this woman once with the intention of her being my new doctor. OH HELL NO. Before Dr Holier Than Thou blessed the exam room with her presence I was asked to fill out the usual family history by her assistant. As anyone who has been to a doctor's exam room knows, there is typically only one writing area and only one chair to use with the writing area. So I used it. BIG MISTAKE. Dr HTT came in and seemed a little put off by something but I just thought it was the baby grouchies. Since I noticed she was pregnant as I was finishing up the form they asked me to fill out, I made nice small talk about her baby on the way. Enter silence, crickets and tumbleweeds. She finally says with as much disgust as I think was humanly possible for her "THAT is MY chair you are in" - and I seriously mean she said this in a way she is probably now saying to her child. I quickly got up and apologized and told her I was just filling out the paperwork but that I was all done. Her response - nothing - no "oh no problem, I am just a hormonal bitch who can't control my emotions," no smile, no acknowledgment, nothing. As I sat there (on the exam table) in disbelief over what just happened, I was honestly tempted to just walk out. I am (or my insurance is on behalf of me) paying this woman to talk down to me and basically insinuate I should have known that was HER chair and how dare I sit in it at any time for any reason. And just so you know, it was not even more than 60 seconds that I was in it before she blew a head gasket. People: the chair was not behind a desk, I had my drawers on when I sat in it, it didn't have her name on it (I checked after) and the woman was pregnant not handicapped! She wasn't missing a leg and no baby fell out of her ass while I was there either. So I don't think there is any justification for such hostility and haughtiness over a patient sitting in a chair (the only chair to fill out paperwork in - I guess I was supposed to stand?) for less than a minute. read more

Ive been dealing with clinical depression for a while now. initially, i saw a different ARC doctor for it- I walked in, said i was depressed, and he threw drugs at the issue... I didnt feel like I was getting help, so i just stopped taking the Rx. After a while, the issue got worse, and I requested a different Dr. I had seen Dr Crook a couple of times before for after hours care, and she did seem rather brusque. However, when i came in about the depression issue, she actually had me fill out a scale rating my issues, and talked with me at length about various potential causes. Since I have made her my primary, I have felt very secure in her care- she treats the whole person as opposed to just randomly choosing drugs to try. For example, before even prescribing meds, we tested for health issues that can cause depression symptoms, to be sure it wasnt a deeper issue. Does she have the greatest bedside manner? Not especially... but is she a skilled physician? Oh yes! I no longer feel like I'm just being 'processed', but that she has a vested interest in my whole health. She has shown genuine concern and empathy. read more

Dr. Crook is awesome! I never feel like she's just trying to get out of my room and on to the next patient. She asks lots of questions and actually listens to my sometimes rambling answers. And she answers every question you have, even if you have a long list :) read more

Dr Crook is an answer to prayers. After moving from Houston, I was having a hard time finding a good primary physician. Visited three before I finally had a friend recommend her. Awesome! Professional, listened to everything I needed to share. Then after we took care of the primary reason I came, she asked if there was anything else we should discuss. And there was, so she immediately sat back down to take care of the unplanned item. She was in no rush to leave, listened, gave me some options and supported my decision. What a relief to find a doctor that will spend some time with you, really listen, and provide some viable options on how to deal with it. read more

I have not had a lot of luck with doctors in Austin, so every year I choose a new one from the list my insurance provides and hope that it may be the one I would like and be able to go to and not dread it every time. Well, Dr. Crook did not make the cut. Even though she covered a lot of things in this first visit, she was cold and unfriendly, not somebody I would like to visit again. What I didn't like the MOST was that she didn't care what I thought about anything and that I had my own ideas about staying healthy. From the get go I let her know that using drugs is not my idea of a healthy life style and yet at the first mention of arthritis she started pushing drugs on me. I kept telling her that I have it under control with diet, exercise and visits to chiropractor, but she completely dismissed it and kept telling me that I need to be taking drugs! All in all, B- that's how I would rate my visit and the only reason it's B- and not a C is that the wait was very minimal. read more

I have since changed PCPs and am very happy with my new doctor. I wanted to mention that if you are looking for a doctor who really listens to a patient's symptoms /preferences to diagnose and treat, Dr. Crook is not your doctor. She is a very black and white thinker and relies solely on medical knowledge/tests/traditional drugs because it's the only thing she trusts, and that's cool if you like that route. Don't even think about mentioning nontraditional treatments (such as acupuncture), unless you want a lecture about how she doesn't really believe in it. read more

I've been going to Dr. Crook for about 6 years now. I have noticed that she can be a bit awkward in the chitchat phase of my annual exam, but that's not a big deal. I'm awkward too, after all she is about to give me a breast exam and discuss my digestive tract. Not to mention the ol' pap smear that we'll both have to endure in a few minutes. So lets get to the meat of this review, but in vague, hazy terms so I don't share my medical problems with you people. That's my business! You just came here to hear about Dr. Crook. I had a serious problem a few years back and instead of sending me to a specialist, Dr. Crook sent me to a surgeon. I'm not saying her decision was wrong, but I am saying that its a pattern of behavior. This year, I had another serious problem (unrelated to problem #1). My symptoms at first were pretty nebulous, and could have been a lot of things. At my appointment, she didn't give me a physical exam. She diagnosed it as the most common option (again, not necessarily the wrong thing to do but neither was it thorough) BUT when i called a month later to say that there was no change and i was following her prescription and diet suggestions, she told me that I just needed to give it time. Another month went past. Finally I just thought, screw it. I made an appointment to see her. At this point I had done my research. I realized there were multiple tests she could have done to confirm her diagnosis. At this appointment, I showed her the list of changes I had made to accommodate her diagnosis, so she would realize that I was taking her seriously. I mentioned testing, I mentioned a referral to a specialist. She finally gave me a physical exam and immediately realized that it was probably something else totally unexpected. She sent me off to get more tests. I'm still okay with it at this point. Maybe not handled great, but we're getting stuff done. Its that when she called me with the results she said "Good news! You're not imagining things ...etc etc" Seriously!? I knew i wasn't imagining things. That's why I ... waaaaaait... did you think I was just making it up? Anyways, she sent me to another surgeon (still not the wrong thing to do). But now its three months after I noticed the problem and I have to get surgery. And the problem had only been getting worse for that two months that I was misdiagnosed, and the month spent with the whole surgery process. Pros: - She is not a bad doctor. - She is capable. - She will take care of you. - She's gentle with your lady parts. Or man parts. - Oh the jokes you can make with her name! Cons: - Diplomacy/tact not her strong point. - Prefers surgery referrals to specialist referrals (at least in my experience). - Needs firm responses and evidence to reconsider a diagnosis. read more

I had seen her before, and she was great, so I designated her as my primary care physician at Austin Regional Clinic. Unfortunately my most recent visit was a huge disappointment. I saw her for my annual physical, and she had the bedside manner of a robot, which made for an awkward breast and pelvic exam. She answered my questions and offered helpful information but was very cold. I felt like she didn't like me and couldn't wait to get out of the exam room. Then I asked her if she would be refilling a prescription I had been taking (which is potentially addictive) to address an ongoing medical issue. She declined and referred me back to the doctor I had seen one time in the ARC urgent care clinic. (Helloooooo, what's the point of having a primary care doctor?) I got the feeling she thought I was only drug seeking. I left feeling embarrassed and paranoid, like I had done something wrong. It was a horrible experience. I won't be going back to her. read more

Wow! I can't believe the bad reviews here. I've seen Dr. Crook for at least five years. She is by far and away my most favorite physician at ARC. She and her nurse Laura have been nothing less than stellar with my treatment for Fibromyalgia. She is very careful with my medication, very sensitive to my cost needs and always takes a great deal of time with me. I won't see anyone else for my family practice needs. read more

I don't usually write reviews but I felt the need to stick up for Dr. Crook - I've been seeing her for two years and she's never been anything less than understanding and helpful. She listens to my opinions on treatments/drugs and really takes them in to consideration when deciding between treatment options. She asks lots of questions and lets me ask lots of questions of my own - I've never felt like she's brushing me off or rushing through to get to the next patient. read more

Dr. Crook is an excellent doctor and diagnostician. She has been my PCP for about a decade, but it's only when you have a challenging situation that you separate out the women from the girls. My recent experiences have led me to trust her implicitly. She knows her stuff (and that has been validated by specialists and tests). Her approach is very thoughtful and somewhat conservative - in terms of avoiding intrusive procedures until there is evidence to support taking the risks - which I really appreciate. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone. read more

Dr. Crook is my Primary Care doctor and I've been meaning to write a review for quite a while. When I first started seeing her, it was just because she was available and I was in need. I checked out her reviews and there were only 2 on here at the time, both not super positive, but I rolled with it. I have been seeing her ever since and I really really like her. I'm usually the kind of person who will see whoever is available in any circumstance (doc's, hair stylists, whatevs I don't care) but I continue to use her because I truly feel as though she listens, allows me to ask questions, and doesn't rush me through anything. She genuinely remembers me and asks about my life. She also will sit in the room and make sure I feel as though everything has been addressed before she leaves. I would say that she can be a little brusque (we recently had a discussion about my 10 pound weight gain and she did not hide her feelings) and I wouldn't call her an overly warm person, but to be honest I don't really like or want a doctor who is overly warm and fuzzy and won't address things that need to be addressed. Bottom line, I leave feeling taken care of and I will choose to continue to see her whenever the need arises. read more

Dr Gretchen Crook has been my primary for years now. I have always come away from my appintments feeling that my concerns were addressed and *heard*. No matter when I see her, whether it's peak flu season or an average ARC day, she always takes time with my questions, and gives me the feeling that my health concers matter read more

A few years ago, I went to Dr. Crook after being referred by a co-worker. I went in with positive expectations...I was disappointed. As a middle-aged person, I have had a number of experiences with members of the medical profession. I felt I had imposed on her time and was more of a nuisance than a person she wanted to provide medical services. I left ARC and found another doctor and I have been quite satisfied. It's unfortunate that she did not go into research since I am sure she is a very bright woman. read more

Yes, I'd read the negative reviews, but I liked Dr. Crook just fine when I only saw her for check-ups. But this last winter I had 4 weeks of severe cold symptoms, and finally I went into the emergency room with a fever. The weekend MD said I had bronchitis, an ear infection, and possibly pneumonia. He gave me some meds and said I should go see my "regular" MD later that week. So I made an appointment with Dr. Crook. She looked at me blankly and said, Why are you HERE? Yes, with that emphasis. When I explained to her that I was told to make a follow-up appointment, she shook her head and said "It's life. Everyone gets sick.". Well, I can tell you I will not go back to her again. I'm currently looking for another "regular" MD, someone who doesn't chide her patients for making an appointment. Catch her on a bad day, and you'll see why several people have really bad feelings about this person. read more