Joseph Pollak's Online Review Report Card

This was among the worst experiences I've ever had with a medical professional. I saw the doctor for probably about 4 minutes total over the two appointments I had. And of course I was still billed $800 for those sacred 4 minutes of his.During my first visit, he sent me straight to the emergency room after only asking me a few questions about my symptoms to "get all the testing done in one place." That visit cost 8 hours in the ER and a $32k medical bill. Thankfully I have great insurance so wasn't responsible for the entirety of those costs.During my second visit, I was back with a rash on my face which he immediately claimed was herpes without asking any questions or performing any tests. He also disregarded the fact that I had already preventatively taken medication to treat herpes simplex and I only watched the rash get worse. Overall, he is very negligent, careless, always in a rush and truly should not be in his practice anymore. Do yourself a favor and do not use this doctor as your PCP.

I have used Dr Joseph Pollack as my PCP for over 15 years. He is great, very thorough and knowledgeable. Helped me through a lot of issues and was able to provide recommendations to specialists when needed. Very response with Rx refills and detailed with getting blood work and testing done in the office or outside.

His office doesn’t call you back and each time I called to request a refill I would have to call maybe 4 times before actually receiving one. Only to find out it was my old doctor refilling the prescriptions and not Pollack to begin with. Waste of time.

Hands down worst experience I've had with a doctor. He was rude, condescending and had absolutely no interest in my questions or concerns. The office looked like it was from the 70s, his front desk helper/medical assistant(?) asked me directly for my weight and height without actually taking it and the entire half-preformed procedure was rushed. Very awkward & unprofessional service. Wouldn't recommend, will not be back.

Waited twenty minutes and the doctor wasn't at office by 1120am. Was first scheduled appointment of the day.

Doctor can't be bothered to show up

I was looking for a general practitioner/family medicine doctor for myself after moving to the area. I really only needed someone for yearly physicals and to re-prescribe medicines I've been on for 5+ years. After my first visit, Dr. Joseph Pollack insisted on me coming in just one month later to "see how my medicines were working", despite my persistent protests explaining that they are simply a continuation of the past 5 years. However, I came back at the end of the month. This time, I was taken into a different office, and seen by his twin brother, Dr. Michael Pollack with no pre-warning, alert or even notification. They look identical and I noticed that the certificate on the wall was a different name. When I brought it up with reception that I didn't consent to another doctor seeing me and NO ONE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS HAPPENING, they told me I was being sensitive and this happens all the time. Not only is this malpractice, they lie, omit the truth and waste everyone's time. The office has tried to make me schedule 5+ visits, for pointless reasons and are simply trying to make money on each office visit. To top it off, after making me come in on my third visit, Dr. Joseph took 2 consecutive phone calls during my appointment without apologizing. He then promptly forgot what we were talking about, just my family medical history, no big deal. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY, TIME, OR EFFORTS HERE.

Dr. Pollak is a great doctor. He really cares about his patients and takes the time to talk to you about your health and options.

If there had been another doctor in Hoboken that took my insurance, I'd have switched. But my previous medical group moved to Bayonne and was no longer convenient. On multiple occasions, he take phone calls in the middle of my appointments. He was scattered and jittery, and despite having been a patient for 4-5 years, never seemed to know who I was. He and his brother (Dr. Michael Pollak, same address) essentially run a patient mill where wait times are 2-3 hours long. Even during the middle of the day, I've never waited less than 45 minutes. His staff is friendly and knows this guy is a mess. The only thing he has going for him is convenience if you live in Hoboken.

Dr. Pollak is terrible. I went for a routine physical. When asked for family history I told him about my mother's high blood pressure. That is all he could focus on the entire visit. I don't even have high blood pressure. He wouldn't tell me what my blood pressure was, just that it was not high. He didn't listen to a word I said. Just kept giving me advice on how to lower my normal blood pressure. Then he honed in on the fact that I am 5-10 pounds overweight. Obsessed over it. I get it, I could lose 10 pounds but you don't have to make me feel like I am 100 pounds overweight. He even added "obesity counseling" on my insurance claim. Last time I checked, 10 pound overweight is not obese. His "counseling" included telling me not to run, it is bad for my knees. I run marathons and half marathons, so it is not like I am unhealthy. It was a terrible experience. He made me feel horrible and it didn't even listen to any of the actual health concerns I wanted to address. I will never go back to this office.