Raveen Mehendru's Online Review Report Card

MY brother was sent to the IOL in Dec. because of hos alcoholism and escalating strange behavior. Dr. Mehendru did nothing but berate my brother for his drinking and never did any tests, blood work, etc. He said my brother was a lost cause and would be back drinking within a month. My brother stayed clean after leaving the IOL and was diligent about attending AA. He continued to exhibit strange behaviors and then starting falling, etc. Six months after leaving the IOL he was diagnosed with a large brain tumor and several smaller ones. They could not get all of the large tumor but did the best they could. They were able to remove most of the small one but not all. His doc said if he had come in 6 months earlier when the big tumor was much smaller that he may have been able to get it all. My brother died in Aug. in the hospice facility in Branford. If only Dr. Mehendru had done blood work , etc. the tumor would have been diagnosed. All he saw was the drinking and never even thought to think about the possibility of an organic cause.

I was sent to the IOL against my will from a nursing home I was in. When I exercised my patient's rights by refusing medication (I feel I was chemically restrained) they said I was trying to commit suicide. Dr. Mehendru didn't spend enough time with me to even find out what was going on. When I asked him for the probate that I could file to have a hearing to be relased he said "If you fill out that form, I will have to keep you here longer." Gee, does that sound like a threat. I went there on a Fri. and asked for the probate form as soon as I got there. I still hadn't received it by Mon. afternoon. Everyone time I asked I got the run around (my Irish grandmother would have said they had more excuses than a pregnant nun). Finally I called a friend who was a lawyer and she came with forms. Can you imagine that when there was a lawyer involved the staff magically appeared with the form and had no idea why I hadn't received it. Another big surprise, when the lawyer got involved I was released the next day!

I found Dr. Mehendru to be very accommodating in-spite of my inability to keep regular appointments due to the depression and memory loss I suffered. What I found most helpful was the feeling that he was working WITH me not directing or ordering me. Our only disagreement was when I wanted to complete the last 2 of 6 ECT sessions on an outpatient basis rather than inpatient. I opted discharge and foregoing the last 2 sessions.

My father had a horrible experience with this doctor during the time he was admitted as a patient at the IOL. Dr. Mehendru maybe saw him for under 15 minutes, showed no compassion or interest. When my father tried to express his dissatisfaction with Mehendru's care, Mehendru told my father that he was not to speak, and that he was there to listen. This is not someone who should be practicing. Period.

I had a terrible experience with this doctor when I was a patient at the IOL. In the 4 days I was there I saw him for a total of 15 minutes. My diagnosis changed daily. He did not even take the time to get to know me at all. I got my medical records and he was incorrect about my family structure, wrong on how many kids I had, how many siblings and what my profession was and a host of other basic info. about me. Very condescending.

The majority of the rating questions do not apply as this was a treatment center. Dr. Mehendru would make a better prison warden than a doctor. I was at the Institute of Living following an extensive and live changing illness which obliterated my career and lifestyle, my 20 year marriage was about to end in divorce and I'd just attempted suicide. Dr. Mehendru simply berated me for abusing pain medication. I only wish that had been my only problem. This woman was completely clueless. Thank goodness I am now three years out from that terrible experience and fully recovered from my depression and my "addiction". I feel sorry for anyone that has to have Mehendru as a physician - she's heartless.