I felt compelled to write a review on Dr. Protter after thinking more about our visit. Our baby's doctor was not available so we had to make an appointment with whoever was available, which happened to be Dr. Protter. Our visit was somewhat of an urgent one. To keep this short, during our visit we brought up Poly Visol and whether it may negatively affect our baby's pooping. My wife told him she wants to try to cut the dosage in half because of constipation issues it may cause. He said Poly Visol is harmless, and if we want to do an experiment, we can give the baby 5 times the dosage (yes you read that right, 5 times!) and see if it affects the baby's poop. I gave him a dirty look and he continued to say well when we (adults) forgot to take our multivitamins in the morning, what do you do? I didn't say anything and wanted to hear what this clown would say. He said, "you just double the dosage the next day right?" Wrong genius! We wait till the next day and just continue as usually. It gets better... my wife asked about our baby crying at night before bed. He mentioned colic and overstimulation and said babies need to wind down before they sleep which I totally agree. He then says adults also get colic to a certain extent... how we overstimulate ourselves during the day at work and need to wind down. He then says," there's a reason highway road rage shootings only happen during evening commutes and not the morning commute". Is this guy serious? You weird as $&@# man! Why would you say something like that?! Anyway, we were happy to leave. Our babies temperature was taken and weight was recorded and it eased our worries a little so we just left the visit and experience as is. After some thought, I decided to write a review because parents should know what they are getting into with this so called doctor. Giving a newborn 5 times the vitamin dosage?! Of Poly Visol with iron? My baby is going to turn into Ironman if I'm lucky but very well could overdose because their bodies are too weak to process or flush it out. New parents may be stressed out and worry too much as it is and I don't want other new parents to overlook the fact that this guy may and will give you wrong information. If every other doctor is not available and you have to go to this guy, do your research first before following his advise. In fact, please find a different doctor. read more

Dr. Protter has been the primary pediatrician to our first child since birth. We have seen about 8 pediatricians at PAMF due to availability conflict (yes, I'm that paranoid mom who takes her baby to doctors constantly for the slightest thing), and Dr. Protter is by far the most knowledgeable, caring doctor we've met. I'm actually very surprised to see any negative reviews towards him. I can't recall how many times I bothered him with stupid questions, and he always gave me the right amount of information I need. I feel confident that he's the best doctor to our child. read more

Dr Protter is not my child's primary pediatrician, but we have seen him a few times when our doctor is not available. I really like him though. Admittedly, the first time I saw him he said something to me that really made me mad. Like I was an idiot for missing a symptom. I left the office hoping never to cross paths with the man again. Well, I did. And he was very good. I really forgot all of my negative feelings. Perhaps I WAS an idiot for not seeing that problem with my child. Anyhoo.... If you need a pediatrician, I don't think you can go wrong with this doctor. He will go out of his way to see you on the same day if you have an urgent problem. Of all of the doctors I have seen, he is the best at listening to you. I am a terrible listener, so I appreciate this sort of talent. read more

Dr Protter has been my children's pediatrician for about two years. I really appreciate his flexibility. He will make sure and see your child when you need him to, and he will accommodate your needs. I have never experienced the unease some people have described. Dr Protter has a sense of humor, and I am sure that he is a very sensitive person, perhaps using the humor to lighten up the atmosphere. It is probably very stressful to see little children in pain all day. I do not see any bad intention in him. I went through a challenging experience when my son had a condition that was difficult to understand, and to manage, but Dr. Protter behaved in a very caring manner with my son. I will never forget the look on his face when I came back with my son, who was completely cured. Dr Protter's face lit up with genuine relief and happiness. This doctor deeply cares about the well-being of his patients. He does listen to questions, and answers them, and I find him very knowledgeable, competent, caring and approachable. A great pediatrician! Catherine read more

Ugh, this guy was the assigned pediatrician the day after my wife gave birth and I should have taken the pause my wife's ob-gyn did when she heard he was assigned to us as a hint. He has a way of talking to you like you're five, slow and with small words which is bad enough, but he also has a veneer of pleasantry which quickly became apparent was forced. The day after my wife gave birth, he came into her room and told us we needed to go to the nursery and pick up our baby. Wondering if there was something wrong, I asked why. His reply? "Well, he's YOUR baby." Thanks, Dr. Peculiar, I know delivering a baby isn't to be taken literally. I realize we get to keep him too. The day we were being discharged I failed to follow some minor instructions of his regarding paperwork to his exact liking and he did not react well. A good doctor will understand that after being up for three days and having your first child, certain things will be missed. Dr. Peculiar on the other hand, went out of his way to call me at the hospital room from his office and berate me regarding this. Slow at the office that day, Dr. P.? Can't say that I'm surprised. Everyone else from the nurses to the receptionist to the other pediatricians at PAMF have been excellent. This was our only negative experience. read more

Dr. Paul Protter is one special doctor. When I was a child I had chronic headaches and went to 5-10 other doctors to try to get a diagnosis. Only Dr. Protter was able to read between the lines and see that I was stressed. He recommended I change schools. As soon as I switched to a new school, the headaches immediately went away. Out of all the Stanford and Bay Area clinicians, Dr. Protter was the only one who was able to connect the dots. Dr. Protter truly cares about people, and sees children as a whole person, rather than just a patient. read more

My son had to see him since his regular pediatrician was out. His communication skills are lacking and he seemed annoyed with me as I was with him. He didn't explain things very clear. He left something to be desired. Next time my sons doctor is out and he is available, I will opt to see someone else. He is not very personable bottom line. read more

We started seeing Dr. Protter around 2 years ago when our son born. He is one of the most knowledgeable and cool doctors we could have asked for! He has a deep medical knowledge but he doesn't limit himself to that, he uses his common sense and provide a holistic view. I should confess you might not find some of his advises intuitive, but as a parent who followed his advises for 2 years I can tell you that you must trust his instinct and knowledge. We are so sad to hear about his retirement, he was the reason that we kept our expensive insurance to remain with PAMF and didn't go with the insurance that my company was offering and was much cheaper. We consider ourselves lucky to get to know him and his philosophy. We hope we would be able to implement it in our son's development. Thank you Dr. Protter for all you have done and hope you enjoy your retirement. You bright us peace of mind during the last 2 years for all issues we had with our son. read more

I am still very happy with Dr. Protter after 8 years. Like I stated before, my son had a very rare genetic disorder and he has taken excellent care of him. He has also taken very good care of my other three children. His assistant, Roxy, is so kind and helpful. His office always calls me back on the same day, and depending on the issue at hand, may call me back within an hour. I think they are attentive. read more

We LOVE Dr. Protter. He's been my son's primary physician since two weeks old. He is extremely compassionate, funny, and smart. He always makes sure to explain anything to us and offers helpful suggestions. My son looks forward to seeing him. Thank you Dr. Protter! read more

Horrible Doctore.We went because we couldnt get an appt with our doctor.He never said what is the reason.If he is ok.I had to ask him 100 questions to get to know even the simple details. Makes parents feel low by asking us questions which are un related. Not fit to be a pediatrician. read more

He's been seeing our son since he was 2 days old and we've been extremely happy with the experience. He's extremely prompt with messages, follows up when my son is sick and has very good bedside manners. His medical diagnosis and advice has been spot on. He makes sure to listen, and reassures us in case of any doubts. I would highly recommend Dr. Protter to anyone looking for a pediatrician for the long term. read more

Dr. Protter has been our daughter's pediatrician for almost 9 months now, since she was born. I hope he will be her doctor for years to come, and to our other children when we have more. Every time I leave his office i want to become a doctor myself:) He is so professional and knowledgable, i can not wait for our 9 month old check up to learn something new from him. Yes, he talks slowly, but not to make people feel stupid, it is just how he talks! He respects parents' views of parenting, gives advices carefully. I fully trust him, and I never feel like I have to recheck information he gave. The Sunnyvale center is great, i just wish they had some other entertainment for the kids rather than TV. I recommend dr. Paul Protter to everyone!!! read more

I interviewed Dr Protter about 20 years ago when I was pregnant and wanted to choose the best pediatrician for my child. He told me that if I could not act to keep my child safe and if I refused to vaccinate my child, he was not the doctor for me. I told him I don't have any family in the area and no one to ask questions from and I will need him to be available any time I was stuck with what to do. After all I didn't know how to raise a child. I liked his passion and commitment to child care so I chose him. My daughter is now 19 and Dr. Protter keeps on telling her that she needs to choose another doctor for her adult years. She is having a hard time with this because who else can she trust with her well being. He has a different sense of humor and is sometimes rough around the edges when he talks to parents which was not so comfortable for my husband but I like strong, opinionated people, especially when they know what they are doing. With children, he has a patient, calm and caring demeanor. He is the child's advocate and always analyses what you tell him from the perspective of the child. My daughter and I trust him 200% with his diagnosis and care. When my daughter was in day care and rotavirus caused 5 children to be admitted to the hospital, he immediately diagnosed it and he had been the only doc to do so! We told the day care which triggered them to take action. When my daughter was a young teenager she had broken a bone and tore a ligament in her hand at a tournament in Colorado. The doctors (2 of them) said it was nothing and the x-rays showed nothing. The inflammation was not going away so as soon as Dr. Protter found out he insisted that we see a hand specialist. They had read the x-rays incorrectly. During the last several years Dr. Protter has spoken to my daughter privately about issues that matter to older teens. He often gives us information on what the current research and medical opinions are when he responds to questions. He has been available to us at all times and for any issue. My daughter loves and respects him so much that she wants him to be proud of how she has grown up. I think nowadays it is huge when you can see your doctor as a part of your upbringing and life, especially if you are not living in a tiny town. We will be saddened late this year when I will have to list someone else as a doctor for my daughter. If you have the interest of your child's best care in mind, you'll be proud to have him as your pediatrician. Know that when he questions you it's for the good of your child and embrace a person who practices the ethics of what the medical profession is supposed to teach. read more

When I was pregnant, I did interview several pediatricians in the Mountain-View/Sunnyview area. I found Dr. Protter to be the best choice. My daughter has just turned 20. Dr. Protter has been her Pedi since she was born and I must say that I have been extremely pleased with him since we started. My daughter only wishes that he could continue being her PCP after she turns 21! I enjoy his personality, communication skills and wry whit! Being a medical professional in the greater Santa Clara County area, I can attest to his skill as a wonderful pediatrician! E. Stetson/Sunnyvale read more

Dr. Protter definitely has a different way of communication - whether that is weird or not depends on individuals. We did not choose Dr.Protter as our child's pediatrician rather he was assigned ours just after my child's birth. The reason we did not choose was the negative Yelp reviews and we had other choices. Having said all that, he to us is a really good doctor. He will suggest things that are right for the kid - will not bother hurting parent's egos which to me is less important than truth about a kid's health. Unfortunately we had to move out of the bay area and my son only visited him till six months of his age. In that period, he made a proper diagnosis of his eczema problem and the probable remedies that he suggested was endorsed by a pediatric dermatologist . He in fact suggested to visit a specialist. His other suggestions about good parenting tips are really good and I am sure one will appreciate with a sensitive mind. read more

My kids are under his care since birth. There were illnesses which were usual and unusual but we received prompt and best treatment from Dr. Protter. You ask questions and he has answers. read more

When our pediatrician retired in that location, we opted for Dr. Protter as he looked like the most experienced among the choices available within PAMF in that location. He is ok if you are mostly dealing with the normal childhood illnesses. He does not like when you start expressing some concerns by using some of the medical terms or research; his body language shows it. In our case, he completely missed identifying an important issue even after I raised the concern with home data. Then, two years ago, we switched the Pediatrician. This delayed us in identifying our son's condition at least by 2 years (from when I brought up the symptoms to Dr Protter attention). read more

His communication skill is very bad. I feel stupid when I ask him question. I asked similar question to other doctors and never got the bad feeling. read more

Dr. Protter is a well educated and excellent pediatrician when it comes to medical concerns. He was educated at Stanford, a premier medical school. When it comes to medical aspects related to the practice of pediatrics he is outstanding. When it comes non-medical issues he often is very forceful about his opinion. I have a young daughter and there is another baby on the way. My daughter is three and Dr. Protter insisted that it was time for a "birds and the bees" talk in great detail as the three year old needs to know how babies are created. This is a personal issue and I feel three years old is too young for specifics and each family should decide how and when they would like to have 'that' talk with their children. He was recommending a talk appropriate to a child 8 or 9, not three years old. I will not tell my daughter that the baby arrives via stork or let her watch the movie Dumbo and tell her that is how elephants get their children and people are the same. I won't be saying we found the baby under a cabbage either. I feel it is appropriate to answer the questions when the child asks. My daughter knows the baby is growing in Mommy's tummy (oops - even that is wrong according to Protter and I should be using the word womb) and when she asks how the baby gets in there, I will let her know is an age-appropriate manner. read more

Dr. Protter has been our pediatrician for 16 years and I highly recommend him. He has gone out of his way many many times over the years to give my two boys the absolute best care. He is thorough, kind, current and reassuring for children. He is 'up' on all the latest medical news and has years of experience - the best of both worlds. I highly recommend Dr. Protter for any age child. read more

Dr. Protter was pediatrician for my 7 years old son for about one year after we moved from San Francisco. He was gentle, kind and seems OK when we have to see him with standard virus infection or regular check up appointment until my son started to complain that it was painful for him to go pee and I made an appointment with Dr. Protter. He examined him and prescribed "NEOSPORIN" as he saw red mark on his private part. He did not even bother himself to take a urine exam. I called him as follow up 4 day's latter and told him that symptoms did not go away he reply continue with NEOSPORIN, so week latter we saw Dr. Protter again and no urine exam as well and NEOSPORIN again. Week latter I have to pick up my son from his school as he pees in his pant and all over him because it was so painful to go to bathroom and he kept holding it till he peed in his pants. I called to Dr.Protter and talked with his nurse about our situation and he never called back.... Next day I made an appointment with Welch Pediatric they made urine exam right in the office and it was UTI. My son was 2 weeks on antibiotics and then he has to go through very painful IVP ( x-ray of the kidney) test . It wouldn't happen if he would diagnose in early stage. Never ever go to Dr. Protter. read more

We saw Dr. Protter for a follow-up when our regular PAMF pedatrician was unavailable. After seeing my son one time, he decided that my son had ADHD and recommended two different ADD medications. My son does in fact have mild ADD, without hyperactivity (he's very quiet and reserved), so Dr. Protter was correct about this to a degree. However, to prescribe two different meds having only seen my son once was scary in the extreme. I would never see this doctor again. read more

Saw him because my regular doctor was out. He was really odd and made me feel uncomfortable. He didn't explain anything unless I asked questions. Being first time mom you may not know what to ask.. He seems judgmental too in what he says... I will request someone else next time. read more

Dr. Protter has been my 2 daughters' pediatrician for 5 years. He is an excellent pediatrician, his diagnosis have always been on the mark, from serious ailments requiring hospitalization to sprained ankles. I trust him completely with my children's care. He is experienced, calm, and even my 3 yr old calls him "the gentle guy." My girls are very comfortable with him and are never afraid to go to the doctor because of him. They are even calm getting shots. He always returns my calls promptly and really cares about the welfare of my children. I highly recommend him. I think the other posts here don't really understand Dr. Protter's humor and approach. He is unique, talented and simply the best. read more

Dr. Protter does have a unique sense of humor and way of speaking. He is very good at what he does and is very smart - he went to Stanford . He is very thorough and has an easygoing positive parenting philosophy. I found that he really does try to educate parents while you are in his office. To some people this may make them feel talked down to but I appreciate it. read more

Dr. Protter is not the most patient pediatrician we've seen. He quickly came to a conclusion that my son is "not normal" and I could even sense a smirk flickered at the corner of his mouth -- maybe I was affected by the bad news he was delivered. I do plan to see someone else from now on. read more