I saw Dr Burkett at the Volunteer Clinic as I don't have insurance. The first time I met with him he was with two medical students, and he was very kind and attentive; really seemed like he wanted to help me figure out what was wrong. He prescribed acid blockers and said if they don't work to come back. About a month or two later I came back to him in extreme pain. He was not with any students this time, and just seem as if he couldn't care less what was happening. He clearly did not read my file before seeing me, because he had no clue that he had even treated me before. After telling him the acid blockers didn't work, he told me those are normally used for upper stomach pain, not lower like I was having. (HE WAS THE ONE TO PRESCRIBE THEM TO ME!!?!?!?!) THEN he offered to prescribe ACID BLOCKERS... again! I got pretty upset at this point, seeing as he was acting as if he just couldn't be bothered with me. He asked what medications I was on and after learning I was on zoloft and welbutrin, he suggested my condition was mental. Are. You. Kidding. Me. Now, if we had exhausted all options at this point, I could consider a mental issue, but all we had tried was an ultrasound, a gynecologist visit, and acid blockers. I was very upset at this time. I said there must be something else we could try, because obviously what we have tried hasn't helped. I told him I wouldn't be in the clinic in tears if it wasn't a real pain I was having. FINALLY he agreed to write an order for an MRI.
Now, at the MRI appointment, the radiologists questioned why Dr Burkett didn't order a CT scan instead of an MRI. Their guess is as good as mine! When they asked where I was having the most pain, they noted he hadn't even written an order for the pelvis (lower pain) but only for the abdomen. So they had to contact Dr Burkett to even get an MRI ordered for the correct place I was having pain. Incredible.
I made an appointment with Dr Burkett for the results of my MRI, simply out of curiosity in what he would say and do. He read my results and then handed them to me, telling me to read where he had marked. I did. Then he told me, "No, read them out loud to me." The first result was my abdomen, where I have NOT been having pain, and the results were normal. No surprise to me. He sat there looking smug and told me to read the next result. I read the result of the pelvis MRI, where I WAS having pain, and there was a fairly large ovarian cyst. I did not respond the smug look. So what form of treatment did he suggest for this ovarian cyst? "Well, if you had insurance, I would say get it removed." Then he said if I had insurance I could get a hysterectomy. This is the first time I've had a cyst, to my knowledge. WHY would I get a hysterectomy after ONE cyst?????? After this, he went on and on about the healthcare system, taking up my time and the clinic's time, offering NO help to me whatsoever. He suggested birth control. I have an IUD. He suggested a birth control that releases hormones. My IUD releases hormones. If he was up to date with the healthcare system he should know they make IUDs that release hormones, now. He then turned attention to my friend, who I had brought in as a witness to make sure I wasn't imagining Dr Burkett's behavior. My friend has hemophilia, so he asked what my friend did for a living. My friend volunteers full time. I think Dr Burkett was trying to make an example out of my friend, saying he worked and had insurance. He doesn't. He volunteers and has insurance through his spouse. I don't have a spouse, so I don't have that opportunity.
I have never been treated so poorly by a doctor. ANYWHERE. He loved to listen to himself talk. He seemed to act as if he had the knowledge of the world but couldn't be bothered to dispense any of that knowledge to me. Deplorable.

Submitted Dec. 16, 2016