Agostino John MD

Please note that two stars is defined as «meh I’ve had better.»
Pre-​cursor: I’m the son of a doctor, literally and figuratively grew up in hospitals, and have a good «second opinion» in the family.
Found the staff very pleasant and didn’t have a problem with wait time unlike other reviewers. When he came into the exam room he didn’t introduce himself and didn’t make eye contact (even though I had stoof up and offered my hand). Rarely looked up from the chart. Looked in my ears, throat, and listened to me breathe and was able to make a diagnosis of sinus/​throat infection and asthma on that.
Gave me a cortizone injection, which, based on my personal knowledge and second opinion, isn’t overly advisable for someone not actively sick as it stays in the system 4 – 6 weeks and can occasionally cause side effects.
I have certain things in my medical history that every other GP I’ve been to has at least inquired about (nothing serious, but things for which there exists standard questions). He seemed to briefly thumb through the medical history and not give it much thought (no questions).
He did warm up as we went on, but was in the room for roughly ten minutes, and left the impression that this was a business, and thus about quantity of billable care, as much as, if not more than, about healthcare itself. Bring on Accountable Care.

Okay, now I need to update this review because I am just going to pay the $ 119 for the services not covered by insurance that he ordered during my physical.
They should know what will and won’t be covered and allow you to select if you are interested in the procedures.
Someone who is more financially pressed than me would be hurt by such a payment (never mind the $ 40 co-​pay my insurance charges)…

Had one appt with Dr. Agostino and liked him very much. He seems very detail-​oriented and a no-​nonsense kind of doctor. The office is in a charming little ivy-​covered bungalow right in the middle of Del Mar.
Unfortunately, he is not one of the doctors covered by my insurance so I won’t be going back, but he seems like a very upstanding Scripps-​connected doctor.

I have seen this doctor a few times. Each time is a very long wait, the last time was almost 2 hours!
What is the point of making or taking appointments if they are useless?
The staff doesn’t care at all about the wait time.
They are also very loose with ordering all exams under the sun from the lab, whether medically necessary or not.
Very clear that this is a business and not patient first.