Dr. Ritchken is amazing . He took the time to sit down and actually interview me, examine me, and to explain some of the follow up steps. He was very personable, had a great bedside manner, and was, overall, a warm person. I'd highly recommend him and his office. read more

Best gastroenterologist without a doubt! Very thorough examination, actually listens and takes notes. Highly recommend, true diamond on the rough! read more

Simon Ritchken; a short tempered, unprofessional man who evidently puts his work over patient care. Never in my adulthood have I felt so convicted to write a negative review towards a "professional" who has the inability to comprehend the simple concept of bedside manner and human dignity. I had a colonoscopy appt with Dr. Ritchken and to my fault, I had forgotten to take a dose of Suprep the evening before my appointment. I had called 2 hours prior to my appointment to inform the staff of my mistake asking if I'd need to reschedule to which they responded with "we do not have an answer for you, you would have to talk with the nurse." As I came into my appt, he entered the room immediately scolding me with beratement. With much anger, he shouted: "I am SO pissed off! You have wasted my time and you are absolutely disrespectful! I am so angry how could you forget to drink the Suprep?!" He continued to belittle me, vocalizing his anger and shouted what a waste of time this was. He then told me to reschedule and stormed out leaving me in shock and confusion. It's obvious to say I will absolutely not be returning nor putting my trust in a short fused man who prioritizes his own time over the care of his own patients. Sure, it was my mistake for forgetting to take the Suprep. And I did attempt to call 2 hours in advance. But I'd hardly count it as a valid reason to react with such immaturity, belligerence and contempt towards a human being. read more

Dr Ritchken is a REALLY good doctor. I don't know why there are bad reviews in here! He cracks some funny jokes. He was very attentive and took his time on trying to figure out what is wrong. read more

Dr. Simon is absolutely wonderful. My colonoscopy went smoothly, highly recommend, excellent surgeon, great beside manner, I had a great experience. read more

I have had 3 colonoscopies with Dr. Ritchken. I am also a nurse. He spends significant time with you during your pre-procedure visits, answers questions, and has an easy going, teasing attitude. All 3 colonoscopies were done flawlessly and I could view the photos he took of areas of concern on the patient portal (Sharp). I'm due again next Feb...I hope he doesn't retire until after that (he is 75 yo). read more

I had a rather disheartening experience today. I've been suffering with stomach pain for 2 weeks, and waited 5 days to see Dr Ritchken. I dutifully checked my insurance website and it said Dr. Ritchken was a preferred provider. (see attached photo). (I had seen Dr. Ritchken several years back) When I walked into the office for my appointment, I provided my updated insurance card and was told they don't take my insurance. I told them the blue shield covered california website said otherwise but I still was not seen. I asked for a referral and was given a name with the wrong phone number! I do feel that if the appointment person had asked about my insurance when I made the appointment, it would have saved me time and a great deal of disappointment. It wasn't handled well. read more

Ritchken Simon M MD - Doctors Near Me - San Diego, California

Dr. Ritchkin is a very knowledgeable and compassionate doctor. He has brought me through some tough gastro problems.

He might be a great physician but I have never met a doctor with such BAD TEMPER. Because of a mix-up, hospital front desk had me waiting for an hour at a wrong location, so I was late to arrive for the procedure. He rushed and finished the procedure at the expected time though. I was asking anasthesiologist some questions prior to the procedure ( Dr. Ritchken wasn't even in the room but must have heard it), Dr. Ritchken rushed in the room, YELLED AT ME TO SIGN THE PAPER NOW and something else derogatory. I was in shock and asked whether he was mad and he YELLED BACK "YES" AND STORMED OUT! Much less important but he rushes you through the appointment ( 3 minutes?) and obviously doesn't want any questions asked. read more

Doctor is very good. Have difficulty getting through the phone. Had to visit the office to get things done.

AMAZING doctor with a great bedside manner! This is how all doctors should be but most are not! Dr. Ritchken was the third Gastroenterologist that I had gone to -- the first two being a disaster - and I am so happy that I found this doctor. He interviewed me in depth about my symptoms, he examined me in depth and he dictated his report right in front of me. He answered all of my questions and set up a plan for future care. Two days later, I was experiencing some discomfort and I called his office expecting to speak to a nurse or someone and the doctor got on the telephone himself and listened to my problem and put my mind at ease! I highly recommend this doctor!!! read more

The best doctor ever! All the good comments you have read are true. He is so kind, focused, funny and good at what he does. He helps you to feel so comfortable and he gets the jobs done. So grateful to have found this doctor. His staff is also very nice and helpful! read more

I was referred to Dr R by my primary MD a few years ago. I was very hesitant to see a specialist and was very nervous but......Dr R was wonderful. He was professional, thorough, sensitive to my apprehensions, and put me at ease. He is highly skilled!! When results were available he gave me clear and easy to understand information as soon as he had knowledge of it, and did not hesitate to give me copies! I had an insurance issue and.....he actually went to bat for me to assist in getting it straightened out! That is extremely rare and impressive!! The only regret is that he is a specialist, and I can't see him for primary care as I would make him my only doctor if it were possible! read more

We have been seeing Dr. Ritchken for many years and he is extremely warm and caring. He greets us like family and he is very funny! Jody is wonderful! She always calls you back, leaves a message, follows up on everything. She is the utmost professional and businesslike person and she cares, she listens. So does Dr. Ritchken. He no longer accepts my insurance and I am so sorry I can't see him anymore. If you want a good doctor this is the one. Listen to me, I've been around. read more

I have been going to Dr. Ritchken for years and he is excellent! Very personable, professional, actually exams you and not just questions. Highly recommend him. read more

I totally agree with the review placed by Daniel C. on 7/27/2015. I could have written the entire thing as it was my experience. I have been contacting the office since 2016 to get my information transferred to Scripps, and I have left several voice messages at this point. To this date I have NOT heard from anyone there. I am trying to avoid a trip to his office, but I guess it will have to be my last resource. I hope the doctor will see this message and intervene on behalf of his crew. It's really a shame that a decent Doctor is surrounded by incompetent professionals. There are so many available people in need of an opportunity to work.... Time to review your staff, Dr Ritchken. It's not good to have the same bad review as your staff received in 2015. read more

I found Dr. R back in 2012 after extensive research and interviewing 2 other Drs. He's the way Dr.'s use to be...He meets with you prior to your visit in his office and goes over your health and listens to your questions/concerns. I grilled him on my first visit!!! I was very nervous about getting my 1st colonoscopy and he answered all my questions and put me at ease. Glad I did, he found serious issues and he instantly pulled strings to get my reports within hours and within days I was meeting with the head of surgery at the hospital. He is a kind, caring and concerned Dr...the kind that you can call to ask questions and he will call you back to discuss it. As for the office staff. I have never had an issue contacting his office. Press 2 for Jodie and leave a message. I usually get a call back within a couple of hours. read more

I spoke with Jody again. This should not have been a major issue. She cut me off because they apparently go on lunch from 12:00-2:00 PST. I really have no words. His staff is TERRIBLE. Good luck getting them to fill out any paperwork that Dr Ritchken would undoubtedly be willing to fill out himself. It's not like I was asking for a doctor note for an excused day off at high school. I had a MAJOR medical issue and this effected my occupation and my reputation there. Luckily for me, the SURGEON who did my SURGERY (I was in the hospital for 9 days) wrote a note and was willing to fill out all the necessary paperwork. Take 5 minutes out of your day do fill out my paperwork. Don't tell me "I can put a prescription pad in front of him and have him sign." Just call his office. The answering machine (which you get about 99% of the time) says, "We are open 9-5, begin to accept calls at 8:30 (thats also a lie), and we are closed from TWELVE TO TWO". For lunch. I hope they have great lunches because that is ridiculous. read more

Dr. Ritchken is at once both professional and warm/caring. He is also quite funny. I feel that he really cares about his patients, and his staff is great as well. He took very detailed notes on our appointment, and i felt that he took my case very seriously and treated me very respectfully the entire time. I would definitely recommend him to friends. Overall, an excellent experience. read more

Dr. Ritcken is one of the best doctors around. He is caring, extremely kind, goes over everything thoroughly and actually takes his time to educate you. I actually enjoy my visits because he is so kind and funny as heck! I cannot think of one negative thing to say about him. Although I do think it is so unfair that people who have not even seen him would write such bad reviews. There is no reason why anyone should write a bad review about a doctor if they have never seen him or spoken with him at all. There are many doctors out there that do not accept HMO and only accept PPO, that is your choice if you decide to get HMO, you are limited to the doctors you can see, but just because they do not accept HMO does not make them bad doctors, in fact, you can probably find the best doctors with a PPO plan. All I can say is if you knew Dr. Ritchken, you would not be able to write a bad thing about him. Dr. Ritchken is one of the most excellent doctors around who really cares about his patients. You can't find any better from a doctor so knowledgeable, kind and patient as Dr. Ritchken. He is as good as they come if not better! Ten stars! read more

Dr Ritchken's is a brilliant doctor with 40 years of experience and great bedside manner. In case that procedure cannot be fully completed, most doctors reschedule it to be repeated another day - which can cause lots of grief to the patien.. Dr. Ritchken went above and beyond by returning same day to redo the procedure to accommodate patient's request. Dr. Ritchken practice isn't a "factory" like many others. He works for himself and he chooses to take his time and pay full attention to each patient. He is also very sharp, efficient and organized. I am glad I trusted a combination of his excellent reviews, extensive experience and background. I recommend him to anybody with any GI issues - whether mild or serious. His staff is very friendly and they returned all my phone calls promptly. read more

I agree with what the other reviewers have said. Dr. Ritchken comes across as very warm and caring, and also as very professional. Though I had a long wait time to see him, I feel it was well worth it. One of the best doctors I have dealt with in the last several years. I would highly recommend him to anyone. read more

Wonderful gastroenterologist! Very thorough and kind. Loved that he came and got me from office and took me back. The only issue I have is getting anyone on the phone at any time is awful! He was worth it, but front staff needs a little more help it seems. read more

I liked him as a doctor but the staff made him a pain in the butt to work with. They don't have an answering machine active at all times so I had to call over and over again, just to leave a message. Then if I missed the return call, I'd have to start over. The lady at the desk was dismissive when I brought this up, so I moved on to another doctor the next time this happened and am happy for it. read more

While Dr Ritchken may be an excellent physician, his office staff and manager are horribly unorganized and unavailable. If you like playing infinite phone tag or finally conversing with abrupt and self centered help, then this is the office for you. In the end, it's all about them. read more

Dr. Ritchkin is an excellent physician! He is very thorough. I have recommended him to several people and they feel the same as I do. He is caring and makes you feel at ease. read more

I have only gone here a few times. The front office staff is rude and unreceptive to the patients needs. The Dr. Is also hard to get an appointment with. Don't start going here you won't be pleased . Horrible read more