You can tell from the first time you meet Dr. Patawaran that he genuinely cares about his patients; it shows in the way he communicates with you and the way he approaches treatment. I've had good doctors and "meh" doctors over the years, and I thought I had a good idea of what to expect from a physician, but Dr. Patawaran raised the bar. I believe this is due to a combination of being extremely intelligent, having excellent communication skills, and genuinely caring about his patients.

Note that I am not saying other doctors don’t care about their patients, many do; I've just been to enough "revolving door" type offices where doctors are in and out of patient rooms as fast as possible to maximize revenue that I feel comfortable differentiating between real and feigned concern. Dr. Patawaran always made sure that I was healthy in all aspects of my life; he honestly asked more questions and understood my mental health better than any psychiatrist I've ever had (and I've been seeing them for ~15 years), which is incredible considering that's not even his specialty. I saw him every few months for several years, and not once did he ever seem rushed in assessing me, even when the waiting room was booked full (I recall on one occasion feeling worried that I was taking up too much of his time), but it’s just the way he is; he doesn’t move on until he’s sure that he has an accurate and thorough assessment.

For anyone seeking a family doctor, I really do not think that you can do any better than Dr. Dominic Patawaran.

Submitted Nov. 6, 2014