Everything changed when I lost my great insurance coverage from my employer, after that, when I was strictly on Medicare I was treated like a pariah, the change and attitude was like night and day. It was a terribly uncomfortable situation, so glad our relationship came to an end when I moved from the city! read more

Horrible doctor. Has no compassion for handicapped patients. Make them walk when clearly they can't walk

I have been going to Dr. Siu since 2007 and many of my family of choice members have been seeing him even longer. He has literally saved my life at least once and he always gives me his undivided attention when I'm there. It's very similar to the kind of family practice people in my age range might remember from when we were kids. I could go on and on, I think so highly of this physician that it makes me cry that I won't be able to visit his office anymore because we're moving away. Thank you so much for everything Doctor. I will always be grateful to you for everything you have done for me over the years. You have been a gift from the Universe to me. read more

Dr. Siu is a wonderful general practitioner. He is open, available, accommodating, knowledgeable, not afraid to do some things for you right there instead of referring you out, but also quick to refer you to a specialist if needed. He and his general office ambience are a great blend of small town neighborliness and modern medicine. You can have the homey family doctor and somebody who keeps up with what's going on in medicine all rolled into one. Run, don't walk to your small town/big city family physician, Dr. Michael Siu. read more

Dr. Siu is very understanding, helpful, open, available, and accommodating. He has been my primary doctor for many years. read more

Have been going to him since I was little, only positive things to say. Great communication, warm waiting area, always felt safe and in great hands. read more

First off let me say that I think Dr. Siu is a nice person and has a great personality As a doctor, I feel like he could have been a lot more thorough. I got back from my honeymoon in Mexico and got sick the next day. I thought it was a standard stomach virus but it wouldn't go away. I don't have a regular doc so I made an appointment with Dr. Siu after reading all the glowing reviews on Yelp. His office is in West Portal. Get there a little early to find free parking because there is a lot of construction going on in the area and "no parking" signs are all over the place. The front desk is very brief but nice. Gave me standard paperwork to fill out. Some of the questions were funny, like "Do you suffer from erectile dysfunction?..." Sounded like an opportunity to sell some drugs, if you know what I mean. This is definitely an office that is in bed with the drug companies. There was a drug sales rep in the office who was chumming it up with the doctor. Giving him free stuff, you know the drill. After filling out paperwork, I sat for about 5 minutes and the Doc saw me, which is really good. Usually docs keep you waiting upwards of up to an hour. Must have been a slow day, lucky for me. Doc introduced himself, very warm. He looked at my medical history and said "Wow, how am I supposed to treat all this in under a half an hour?" Not the most professional thing to say but he is a jokester so if you don't have a thick skin and can't take jokes aimed at your medical history, don't go. In the end, I forked over $30 as my co-pay. He didn't do any blood work, which I don't think was smart. Especially, when the patient tells you they just got back from an international trip. Didn't even do a complete physical. Just checked my blood pressure and my breathing. Didn't issue me an antibiotic for my virus. Could have given me some of those free samples he got earlier. Just told me to keep on doing what I've been doing which is eat bananas and toast and go get Immodium. Great!! I was too weak to argue or suggest what he should do, so I just kept my mouth shut and laughed at his jokes. I guess this strain of virus make you a sucker. So if you get the flu and have $30 lying around, go to the Dr. Siu comedy show where you can hear jokes about your medical history and be told to eat bananas and saltines. Oh yeah, but he would make a great drinking buddy so it's a catch 22. read more

I miss Dr. Siu so much! easy to get an appointment, always remembered everything we had talked about in prior appointments, willing to consider different viewpoints on traditional Western Medicine, personable, kind, what's not to love! read more

Dr. Siu is a wonderful physician, and very importantly, he never makes me feel bad about myself. As a first-born child, I spend a lot of time either feeling like I need to control the world, or that the state of the world is my fault, so this trait is especially meaningful to me. The doctor knows all of my bad habits, unhealthy practices, and tendency to push myself too hard - and he delivers advice with the caring manner of a concerned parent - someone who acknowledges the problem, and will work with you to get through it. He explains everything very thoroughly, too, which I love. My husband and I have been patients of Dr. Siu for about 7 years, and he has never let us down. He's seen us through 1 appendicitis (me), 1 hernia (Mr. S), preventative shots, physical exams, and countless treatments for colds and flu. He seems to know immediately, like magic, what is wrong with us. On the day of my appendectomy, I came in with what I thought was food poisoning, and a few hours later he had gotten me into the hospital for a CAT scan, followed immediately by surgery. I will be forever grateful to him for that day. Yesterday I went in with the most terrible cold I've had in years, and they took me in last minute, working around my schedule (not easy). He knew immediately that I had a sinus infection, took the time to explain exactly what was happening to me, and prescribed the antibiotics I needed. He looked a little concerned when I told him I had to fly to Asia on Sunday (considering that at the time, I couldn't breathe or hear, my equilibrium was off, and I looked like death), but he said that I would be OK to go if I started my treatment IMMEDIATELY. See? He didn't tell me no, but was clear on what I had to do. And like an obedient child, I am following his advice exactly. I have complete trust in Dr. Siu, which is further underlined by the fact that he also is my OB/GYN. His expertise, as well as his kindness, are a comfort to me both in sickness and in health. read more

Dr. Michael Siu has been my personal physician for more than 20 years. I see him regularly for physical exams, TB tests for my college teaching job, and for anything else that comes up. Let me say that he's a classic. He trained in Canada in a very thorough and wide ranging residency in which he saw everything. He's an amazingly experienced fellow. I first met him when I was changing careers myself ... going from being a 3rd year medical student to a graduate student. So I felt I could speak to him from his point of view, and he respected my thoughts and feelings about my healthcare. Amazingly in the 1990s he was a Brown and Toland group physician who actually made home calls to his patients during his on-call days. Dr. Siu lives by his ideals. He seems to practice in a manner in which he will not burn out, he'll always stay interested in his profession, and he'll always have a caring and personal relationship with his patients. In short he's the kind of doctor that we in med. school would have liked to become, but our training in the modern healthcare system seemed to mostly defeat. I really admire this man, and I feel like I've got a true friend here in the Bay area that I can trust to talk things over with. He's got great insight and understands the resources at his disposal for getting things done. I appreciate that he always picks the least invasive, most straight forward and least costly solution. I feel fortunate to have him as my physician as well as my friend. read more

I really tried to like Dr. Siu as my GP doc. I saw him quite a number of times for various things over the past couple years. LIke many other have stated, he's a really nice guy. For basic stuff he was fine. Basically anything that can be solved with a one time prescription and then you don't have to see him again until something else comes up, he's great to go to because you can almost always get a quick appointment with him and you're in and out. For more chronic or less easily remedied conditions, I found him to be a pretty poor doctor. He often seemed to rush the appointment, would forget pretty much everything I came to see him for the last time, and wouldn't ask if anything else I needed to discuss with him. His solutions for conditions were poor as well. I went to a new medical group who was very thorough and after 1 treatment for a condition i'm 90 percent of the way there versus the multiple near worthless trips to see Dr. Siu. I think I didn't realize what I was missing out on with other doctors because it was easy to see him and get in and out. If you don't go to the doctor much and only need super basic stuff he can be a good guy. If you have more serious things you need to address, i'd keep looking. read more

I found Dr. Siu last fall thanks to you Yelpers! I moved to SF in July, and I kept thinking I should find a doctor just in case I would get sick...but I "never" get sick, so I procrastinated. I ended up with an illness while visiting Tampa, FL, and saw a doctor there. Once back home, the sickness returned, because I hadn't received a long enough series of antibiotics. Based on where I lived then and your reviews, I chose Dr. Siu, and he fixed me up. About a month later, I went to see him, because I'd gone through this couple of weeks of mango addiction (LOL) and developed an alarming rash all over my lower legs which began to spread upwards. I thought I was having death by mango! Well, that turned out to be poison oak I'd apparently come in contact with - I still don't get that, I guess it blew onto me at the beach! Dr. Siu fixed me up again. This is a very cool doctor. He is personable, professional, and even humorous. He takes his time to not only listen to me as a patient but to ask me lots of questions, and he follows up with his patients. He has a great smile, and he put me at ease. I like him so well that I made an appt with his sister, Dr. Lily Siu, for my dental check-up. She's good, too, but I'd a lot rather go see Dr. Michael... :) read more

Dr. Siu was great! Where we disagreed, he really listened to me, treated me with respect. He asked me lots of questions, wanting to know all kinds of things about my health baseline; I was clearly NOT a statistic to him! Though I came to discuss having a metal screw taken out of my ankle, we covered all the bases. A really nice guy - I really felt comfortable with him, and knew that I could trust him. read more

Been coming to Michael Siu's office since 2007 (when I turned 18). I'm 27 now and have been seeing him steadily. Things I like: -He is abruptly straightforward. He sometimes comes off as a dick but honestly it's for the better. He doesn't sugar coat what you need to get done to be healthier. -He takes good notes about you. He remembers things about your family history. -He maintains his education pretty well. He's pretty up to date on the latest required shots, healthy practices or things to be careful of. -His receptionist Diana is very helpful and easy to talk to. -Plenty of residential parking around his area. -Hours are normal. I wish he was open on weekends every now and then. Maybe 1 or 2 Saturdays a month or something. read more

Just saw Dr. Siu. He is very professional and easy to talk to. Even though I'm a new patient, there was no wait once I got my paperwork finished. What I really liked is a lot of doctors will immediately presribe pills for just about anything since that's what people expect. Dr. Siu gave me some alternatives to try first before trying any prescription medication. FOLLOW UP: His diagnosis was right on. A-ok now. read more

Dr Siu is an excellent doctor. People don't always understand that it's not easy to balance helping patients and running a business. I feel fortunate to have him as my physician. Jennifer at a front desk is also nice and very helpful. What more can you ask from physician's office? read more

When my son was born in 2001, Dr. Siu was filling in for my wife's primary care doctor over the weekend and he came to check on the health of our son and my wife. After speaking with him for a few minutes in the hospital, I switched to him as my primary care physician. Over the last 20-years he has not only treated any medical issues I had, but also provided in-depth preventative health and wellness guidance for my whole body. I also travel around the world a lot to countries where there are potential health risks, and he has always researched what I could encounter and provided me with preventative or treatment medicines and guidance so that I have not gotten ill. read more

Dr Siu is the nicest man in the world, so I'm happy to report that he is also a fantastic and thorough physician. He came highly recommended, but after years of seeing several doctors who "couldn't figure me out," I was skeptical. After seeing him just once, I switched my entire family over to his care (he can do pediatric and ob/gyn care), and I feel very confident that we will be patients of his as long as we live in the city. My five year old got his updated shots a few weeks ago... five shots total, and didn't shed one tear. I'm telling you. It wasn't just natural bravery; it was because of Dr Siu. read more

Dr. Siu is a wonderful physician. I saw him a few times a couple of years ago as I was having a bit of a random collection of symptoms, and he was extremely thorough -- had me create a family tree listing date of birth, date/cause of death, and any known illnesses as far back as I (or my family members) could remember. Using this and other tools he figured things out and got me on a path to feeling much better. This past week I've been hit with a horrible cold and I called today to see if I could get an appointment sometime soon. Even though I haven't been into his office in a couple of years, they squeezed me in for an appointment *today.* In the past, I've had similar situations with other primary care doctors -- calling in, sick, and asking to be seen -- and I've been told they're all booked up, or given an appointment a couple of weeks out. I could not be happier with his care or service his office provides. read more

Michael Siu is so awesome. At first, I was a little hesistant that he was my doctor because I was an awkward teenager and just discovered that I had to do my annual girl exams..and now I had to go to a MAN DOCTOR? Um, no thanks, my girl organs are working juuuust fine. But..Dr. Siu is so nice and is very attentive. He answers all my questions, and his office staff is very nice. read more

If you are looking for a family doctor, Dr. Siu is wonderful. The service is personal, efficient and professional. He is wonderful with kids. Don't let the small office or his modest demeanor fool you, he is also a visiting professor at UC Medical Center. For the past ten years he has taken care of my family through thick and thin. He answers calls, sees you when you really need to see him and does every procedure himself....no overworked nurses. When was the last time a physician gave you a shot, drew blood or performed an ekg? He does it all and that makes his office so special. Who would know I would find a small town doctor in the big city. Thank You Dr. Siu! read more

I had an insurance carrier change and no longer have access to the primary that I have been seeing for the past 10 years. I found Dr. Siu through yelp and also referred by several cooworkers who are also seeing Dr. Siu. Today is My first visit to the office, and I already love Dr. Siu and his office manager Dianne. Dianne is very friendly, professional and efficient. The office is very clean and comfortable. Dr. Siu is super friendly, professional and attentive. I told Dr. Siu that I will be leaving for a trip to Asia, and he immediately jumped into vaccinations, medications that I need to take with me to the trip, what to eat, what not to eat and travel tips. I really appreciated the active approach in handling my health care and excited to have Dr. Siu to manage my health. read more

I was referred to Dr. Siu by a friend of mine, when I complained about my doctor never having time to accomodate me. All I can say is how glad I am to FINALLY find a doctor that cares about his patients and can make time for you! I needed to see him before a trip abroad, and given the short notice, he certainly made time to see me. Thanks again Dr. Siu! During my first visit, I was impressed that Dr. Siu took the time to get to know me and ask me about my overall health. Even if he had a next appointment, I didn't feel rushed. Most doctors would carry on with their business, but Dr. Siu definitely tried to engage in nice conversation. That was a plus! My overall check up was a good experience and it felt really good to have a doctor answer all of my questions and not be rushed out the door! Parking can be a challenge though so I opt to take the muni from the city to get there. But overall, I like him and intend to keep him as my primary doctor for a long time. read more

I DO NOT recommend Dr. Siu as your family doctor unless there are no other doctors in your medical group. I also don't recommend you select a doctor base on reviews as they mayn't tell the entire story. Anyhow, here are the reasons that I switched to a better doctor, you may use your judgement: 1. He definitely has an attitude whenever things don't go the way he wants to, then complains about you to his staff. HIGHLY UNPROFESSIONAL. So it's not like you're seeing him for a complaint, but he complains about you as a patient. Very embarrassing that your doctor complains about you in front of his staff, and you were physically there! This happened twice, once when I was late for JUST 5 minutes due to parking issues, and the other time he complained that I went to the ER instead of seeing him when I needed emergent medical help (totally ridiculous that I got talked shit about for going to the ER) 2. I agree with the previous review that he is a FOR PROFIT doctor. Most of the time he sees you for less than the scheduled time (exception: probably not if you're new, he would want to make an good impression on you), and exams done aren't thorough compare with physicians that I interacted with in the past. 3. Not helpful as a doctor. Didn't give (or try to give) me a solution to my medical complaints and steered away from giving me a treatment. What's the point of paying to see you when you can't really treat? 4. He's not a patient loving doctor, which is also why he doesn't have that many patients. You can verify this by trying to schedule an appointment with him. He's always available. Very different from most of other doctors. 5. Stubborn and not willing to listen to patient's request or even try to accommodate. read more

I am a physician, and I strongly do not recommend Dr Siu. I've moved a lot and had a lot of primary care doctors but never one I couldn't tolerate until him. On my first visit, he immediately violated HIPA (patient privacy laws) by telling me about one of my colleagues and the details of an illness she had. That was not a good sign. I do not want a doctor who will casually talk about my illnesses with another patient. I gave him a few more chances because I didn't want to deal with the hassle of changing my doctor, but each visit was bad. He was very clearly for profit. I have been on an antidepressant for years, but not for depression. I have a very busy schedule. He would refill the prescription for just a few months so that I had to come in for another appointment to get the drug filled. I came in the first time to get a refill and he said in a sympathetically sad voice, "So, how's everything going? How's your mood?" My mood has never been a problem, and had he even glanced in the chart he would know that. He also tried to push blood tests on me. He misunderstood chit-chat about my family and thought I had been pregnant and now had a 4 month old, even though he was forcing me to come in to get the prescription filled every four months. WHAT? There are better doctors out there. A lot of them. They listen. They prescribe tests appropriately. They work with your schedule. Dr Siu does not. You should choose someone else. read more

I advise you to not just look at the overall Yelp score when you're researching on someone or something, that's as important as finding a good doctor. Please read the most recent individual reviews and gauge. I chose Dr. Siu because he was part of my network, a private physician (less waiting than at a clinic), and he got a good Yelp rating. Well, now that I've experienced otherwise, I want to make sure others don't repeat my mistake. It's true there's less wait and he has more availability, but it's also because he's really a FOR-PROFIT doctor. He overschedules patients and only sees them for like 5 min at most for everything. To try to talk to him more to tell him what's wrong with you and to learn what you can do to prevent things, please save your breath. He is okay if you just want to go in and tell him that you have an idea of what's wrong with you, for a simple cold or preventative shot. He will be very fast in prescribing drugs. But he is NOT the doctor to go to if you have something serious or you have no idea why you're feeling sick. Because chances are, he doesn't know what he's doing. And he is impatient, rude, and condescending, as others described. I've gone to him for like half a dozen times in the span of 2 months, trying to get a correct diagnosis for the pain that I'm suffering. But he dismisses me the first few times with antibiotics and painkillers. When the pain keeps recurring, I finally asked him for a referral. And the ones he recommended don't even accept female patients. I had to find my own specialist. He advised me not to go to the specialist after I made my appointment because he doesn't think I have anything serious. When my pain and old problem keeps coming back and he had to call me to tell me that the lab results actually indicates I have a serious infection, that was the last straw. He has caused me so much more suffering by wasting my precious time and money and making me feel worse than I already was. I don't trust anything he says anymore. I will find another doctor. And I advise you to do the same! read more

My insurance co picked Dr. Siu as my PCP for me and I was about to change their selection when I saw the great reviews on Yelp. So I saw him for a couple of minor issues. He's close by a and it's always easy to get an appointment. I started to worry a little because he never seemed very thorough and when I had to explain the relatively common medication I as taking and what the dosage was etc. because he wasn't familiar. He was definitely very friendly and personable but that's not exactly what I'm looking for in a doctor. It's a nice to have though. I finally decided to write this review because I recently came down with the flu and having heard that some treatments can be effective if taken very early on I called the office and asked if I could come in right away for a prescription. They said they'd check with the doctor and asked my for my number and my pharmacy so they could call in a prescription if appropriate. I never heard back from them. I called the pharmacy and they never called in a prescription. I could have called back to follow-up but I'd been too sick and by then it was too late anyway. This was really the kind of case where I would have expected a small practice to really trump the big offices but alas it was not too be. read more

When you enter Dr. Siu's office it's like you stepped back in time. The old equipment looks like it's straight from the 50's. Dr. Siu is a nice guy, but not very professional. As others here said, his jokes sound a bit out of place. He also does not seem to be on top of things. I complained to him couple of times about extreme exhaustion. He did show honest concern, and ran some tests (partial) that did detect minor anemia. But he didn't make a link between the anemia, the exhaustion and possible lack of iron. It turned out that my iron levels were very low and the cause for the exhaustion, because by taking iron pills (per my sister's suggestion) I started feeling much better. That was a simple fix, and I would expect my doctor to suggest it, given the lab results and a pre-existing condition that also supports it. This could have spared me several months of feeling extremely weak. read more

I had severe abdominal pain, here from out of town, and the doctor refused to see me. Not taking any new patients, says they. They were pleasant about it and all, but I was surprised they wouldn't see someone once who had a pain issue. read more

I switched to Dr. Siu because I felt my last physician was impersonal and did not spend enough time assessing my symptoms. Dr. Siu, I felt, was very thorough when discussing my current symptoms, but also other factors (lifestyle choices, medical history, etc) in order to properly diagnose me. Furthermore, he was understanding of the fact that I am the type of person that likes to look at other options before jumping into antibiotics or vaccines. Most doctors try to push drugs, and I like that Dr. Siu listened to me as a patient. I've had a great experience so far, and I hope to continue seeing him along with my family. read more

The BEST doctor. He's so good that I've moved down to Foster City and I'll make the trek all the way to his office in West Portal. Unfortunately, he's so good that he really gives each patient his undivided attention and sometimes will run over his alloted time with each person ... so he could be running late. If you're only working with an hour for your lunch break, I'd recommend increasing that lunch break to two hours or calling ahead to see if he's on schedule. But seriously folks ... Dr. Siu is a great doctor. read more

Dr. Michael Siu has been my physician since 1989, when he was at Kaiser. I am his "oldest" patient by tenure...and no, I am not 80. I am only 41 years old by the way. Dr. Siu is wonderful, caring, knowledgeable and integrous. He is also on top of the latest medications that come out. Hence, he recommendation what you need and will always do his best to save his patients money by prescribing generics when possible. By the way, Dr. Siu does take new patients, but unfortunately because of our out of whack health care system, he cannot take everyone or else he would be bankrupt. I speak from experience because both my sisters and brother in-laws are physicians. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Siu for around 10 years now. He is always accessible, and offers good advice in addition to providing excellent treatment. I do not feel rushed when I go into his office. He is willing to look at alternative approaches to traditional medicine. He generally can schedule appointments fairly quickly, and I have rarely waited beyond my scheduled time. What's not to like? read more

Dr. Siu offers consistent quality care, and truly cares about his patients. I grew up with Dr. Siu as my family physician. He set the bar very high, so after moving to Chicago 10 years ago and then NYC six years ago, I've only been disappointed with every other doctor that I've seen. My family who lives in San Francisco stills sees Dr. Siu to this day. read more

Trying to find a last minute check up appointment on a Friday is nearly impossible. Dr. Siu's office was so helpful in creating an appointment on short notice. Thank you!!! read more

He claims to be accepting new patients, but isn't very helpful or patient. I was calling all around to try and get my records transferred to him while at his office, and he eventually got frustrated and asked me to go somewhere else. Didn't even want me to book another time. I had some instructions for a physical for work, and he had no idea what to do. read more

Easy to make a quick appointment; Dr. Siu is personable and efficient.

I have been going to Dr. Siu for 20 years or so. He always has time to listen and laugh with this Old Broad. He is extremely kind and understanding of all my aches and pains, and at my age there are a LOT, but he listens and takes time to explain and help with whatever is my latest gripe about old age. He is very thorough in his exams and always has time to laugh. He is the Best doctor. read more

I called the office after reading all the reviews. I asked how much it would cost for a physical if you have medicare. Apparently they do not accept medicare. So I asked how much would it cost then. The receptionist didn't even tell me a price. "We won't accept you." WHAT?!?! I asked why, and she tells me that after the physical other doctors will need follow up, etc. I still didn't understand so she just left it as "we won't accept you. so it is better if you just find someone else." This is complete bull-shit. What kind of a doctor won't accept a patient even when they have money to pay for it! read more

I have been a patient of Dr Siu for about 12 years! My Mother, Wife and adult children have also been under the care of Dr. Michael Siu. I am just shocked at all these mis-leading reviews, Especially the guy who's 93 year old mother fell down. First of all, If my mother ever fell down, common sense would for me to call 911 and not wait 3 weeks. The other review, someone says they stepped back in time to the 50's. I guess you haven't been to SF General or ST. Lukes. I would like to set the record straight. Michael Siu is a very family orientated Dr. He saved my life 11 years ago and then just recently saved my mothers life by ordering tests and sending her to specialist. My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. Thanks to Dr Michael Siu and the specialist, my mother is now cancer free. Dr. Micheal Siu always goes above and beyond the call of duty. If anybody has a problem or is not sure of anything, all you have to do is ask questions! Dr. Michael Siu will always answer them. read more