Barry Berman's Online Review Report Card

I have taken my children to this office since they were born and love the staff and Dr. Paul. The only draw back to going to this group is Dr. Berman. I had to call the on-call dr last night because my son has a severe ear infection and he was in a lot of pain. I was stressed and didn't know what to do. I never call the on-call dr but I was upset. I explained that we had taken my son to urgent care over the weekend but that last evening it had gotten worst, noticed additional swelling and that my son complained about a lot of pressure and described it as his ear was going to explode. I communicated that back to Dr. Berman and he said, "well his ear isn't going to explode." wow really? His rudeness is uncalled for. His mannerism is just as bad in person. My children's complaints are generally dismissed and I have to come back in a day or two to see Dr. Paul. (This sound very similar to the other review I just noticed in here.) My family requests Dr. Paul and only if it is absolutely necessary we see Dr. Berman. I believe he should have taken another profession, one where manners and sensitivity isn't necessary.

He’s great with my kids and he’s not a pill pusher!

First, let me say that the other staff in Dr. Berman's office have always been wonderful. However, after multiple experiences with Dr Berman, my husband and I feel compelled to offer this review. Every time one of our children has had an office visit with him, he has failed at adequate diagnosis and treatment. EVERY SINGLE TIME, within 24-48 hours, we have had to consult with Dr. Kouyoumdji, the other pediatrician in the Salem office. Only then would accurate assessment, diagnosis, and treatment occur. In addition to what strongly appears to be either laziness or incompetence in assessment & diagnosis, Dr. Berman has also, on occasion, proven to be very unprofessional, to the point of being blatantly rude. Despite our dissatisfaction, neither my husband nor I have ever been anything but respectful and cordial in our interactions with him. Nonetheless, as the on-call Doctor, Berman recently hung up on my husband after getting defensive when my husband asked which doctor he was speaking to. I don't believe in frivolous use of medical services, so I expect quality care and professional behavior whenever the circumstances do indicate consulting a doctor. After several pointless office visits with Berman immediately followed by my child being in distress that could have been mitigated or avoided, I asked that my kids only be scheduled for visits with Dr. Kouyoumdji. After the recent encounter with him as the on-call Doctor, I realized that just looking out for my own kids isn't enough. Perhaps a bad review will motivate him in a better direction. At least, maybe it will help some cautious parents avoid experiences like we have had.

First, the office staff is rude. The wait time is over an hour, we had waited up to two hours before seeing the doctor. My husband and I took our son to see Dr. Berman for our son who had "flathead" at 4 months old. He said it would go away on its own and not to worry. It was very common in children since they sleep on their back. It never went away, our son now has to go through the rest of his life with this condition unless going under surgery to fix the shape of his head.