I saw Dr. Paul J. Kim at Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Dublin for an annual physical in May 2014. I had been feeling very tired and fatigued for a long time. I suspected I was deficient in vitamin B12 because my mom is, and my mom has been receiving B12 injections for years.
Dr. Kim ran a vitamin panel on me that did not include vitamin B12. He said everything came back normal. At that point, I specifically asked if I could have my B12 tested as well. He said yes.
A day or two later, Dr. Kim e-mails me with "Good news! Your vitamin B12 is within range." That "range" is approx. 200-1100 for B12 and I was at a 298. I was on the very low end for being "within range" but this didn't raise any concerns for Dr. Kim. He actually suggested to me that I should "try to get more sleep."
I knew this was wrong, as I average about 7 hours of sleep a night, and even if I sometimes get more, I still felt fatigued during the day.
I decided to see another doctor for a second opinion. I chose Dr. Flagg in San Ramon. I brought my test results to Dr. Flagg who said that 298 was very low for B12 and he recommends supplementation for anyone who's under 400. Dr. Flagg said that ideally, he likes to see his patients in the 600-700 range for B12. He recommended I take an oral vitamin and come back in 8 weeks to have my blood level re-tested. If I was still under 400, he would put me on B12 injections. Finally, I felt like I found a doctor who was taking a personal interest in my care!, something I did not receive from Dr. Kim!
8 weeks later, after taking a B12 oral vitamin every day, I went back to Dr. Flagg to have my vitamin level retested and I was only at 380. He recommended B12 injections every 3 weeks in addition to my daily vitamins.
I was so glad I found Dr. Flagg who actually cared about my health & wasn't doing the most minimal job possible, a problem I've found with almost every doctor at Palo Alto Medical Foundation, including Dr. Kim. I feel they're run like a Kaiser & the docs aren't in business for themselves, so the quicker they get you out the door, the less work for them.
Had I just accepted Dr. Paul J. Kim's standard of care, I'd still be near-deficient in B12 and suffering with tiredness & fatigue on a daily basis! Do not go to Dr. Kim and if at all possible, avoid Palo Alto Medical Foundation! read more