Downers Grove Family Practice

I’ve read the reviews and have gone here a couple of times. I have to disagree with most reviewers. I have seen Dr. Ambrose a couple of times and she is the sweetest and attentive doctor I have ever had. She listens and takes time with you. I hope she is in no hurry to retire because she is a rare doctor with a great bedside manner. The nurses are very friendly and so is the front staff. I would recommend this office to anyone!

Good luck scheduling an appointment when no one ever answers the damned phone

I was drawn here by thorough background research of doctors covered by my insurance when I found dr Ambrose. She is sweet, intelligent, and knowledgable. Unfortunately it’s hard to get last minute appointments with her since she’s usually booked at least a week out. Her PA (Carolyn) just doesn’t provide the same level of service or medical care. I won’t go into the details, but I will say that I’m only seeing dr Ambrose from now on.
Hard to review since is like to give Dr. Ambrose 4 – 5 stars and the other doctor/​the entire practice as a whole 1 star…

Been going here for years now
I just can not take it any long. They pretty much do nothing for you.
They should have zero star but the review makes you give one

Dr Mcmeiniennianamn or however you spell it is an evil toad.
He was rude, know-​it-​all, nearly made me cry.
A little back story so you know I am a genuine reviewer and that I am not just flapping my mouth about him–
I have had chronic daily headaches and migraines for almost two years now– I know what my headaches are like and I know when they’re different. This, of course, creates some fuss when I go to a doctor and have to say ‘it just feels different this time’. But I was there for physical symptoms I hadn’t had before– cold sweats, feeling lethargic and drained all the time, feverish etc. He had the audacity to ask me, «Why are you even here? Did your neurologist die?»
I almost lost it. Couldn’t believe it. I highly doubt I will be back there, even if I can see another doctor. I have never experienced a doctor who quite literally doesn’t care about his patients, or at least try to fake it.
don’t see dr. macminiminturd

Have to agree with other reviews. Ever since this practice moved to AMG, the service is horrible! You cannot get the call center to transfer you to the office. They say they will have someone from the office call you back, but they never do! My husband left a message for a call back and it was over 2 weeks before someone finally got back to him. The call center has no clue what office you are calling for, and made an appt. for my daughter at another doctors office. They never asked her what office she was calling for, so when she arrived, she had to wait because it showed she didn’t have an appt. and they had to squeeze her in. My son has an appt. for a physical for school and we were told by the call center he has to fast for 24 hours before! What?! Fast for a physical? Since when? So I called to try to talk to a nurse yesterday, and, of course, could not be transferred to the office and was told someone would call me back. They never did. We will be looking for a new doctors office!

I went to this office years ago, in the early 2000s. I saw Dr. McMenamin, and I agree he was rude and patronizing and I knew right then & there I would not be going back to him. I now have a wonderful doctor in Elmhurst, closer to where I live. In view of the latest news about Dr. McMenamin being involved in child pornography, I’m glad I never went back to him.

I have been a patient here since I was born 33 years ago. I started taking my children here 7 years ago when my son was born and now my husband also goes here. We will no longer be patients at this office for several reasons. First, during the move to Advocate Medical the office auto dialer called my cell, my husband’s and our home 3 times a day for about a week. My husband called to complain and the office basically told him tough luck. Now, with the move to Advocate Medical, you have to call a call center and they really have no idea what office you want to see. There is no nurse line anymore to ask a simple question. I’d rather and have been just taking my kids to the take care clinic at Walgreens instead of dealing with the BS of the call center. finally, Dr Mcmenamin just got arrested for child pornography. I never liked him and dreaded seeing him, but I am thoroughly disgusted. It’s a shame because Dr Hulesch is a great doctor, but they have had 3 strikes now and my family is out.
I also called to get my medical records for my family. I can get my children’s shot records, but anything else is $.99 per page! 33 years is a lot of pages! I guess I’m starting over because there is no way I’m paying that.

I was a patient here for a number of years before moving away in 2010. We just moved back to the area, and I fell ill so I went back to DGFP for treatment.
Apparently they just «upgraded» to a new appointment call center, which booked my appointment same-​day once I explained my symptoms. I arrived at DGFP to find out that the call center had booked me with Downers Grove Medical Group, which is a totally different entity. The DGFP front desk staff were inattentive and somewhat rude, insinuating that I had made the mistake, and not the call center. After I attempted to check in, they realized the mistake and involved the office manager, who stalked out of her office to ask me «what is going on here?». Really? That’s your customer service? Eventually it was sorted out and they set me up to see Dr. McMenamin, the only doctor with availability. (Foreshadowing, anyone?)
The nurse who took my history and vitals was nice and helpful enough. The doctor, however, was alternately rude, condescending, accusatory, and sarcastic. At one point he asked if I had been running a fever, to which I responded «Not that I know of». His response? «So they have these things called thermometers and they’re pretty easy to use». In a follow-​up call (I had a lingering issue not resolved by his initial course of treatment), he was again rude and dismissive. I couldn’t believe this person was allowed to treat the public. I will never again settle for medical treatment from a hack like this one.
All that said, the PA and NP that I’ve seen at DGFP are pleasant enough, but it’s just not worth the hassle of the appointment system, front desk staff, etc. I will be looking for a new provider.

I don’t usually go out of my way to write reviews. In fact, I think this is my first review. I have been going through some pretty bad stomach pain and I wanted to see if I could make a doctors appointment maybe tomorrow or Friday. My parents have gone here for the past 20+ years and I have made prior visits with them myself.
I got in touch with a lady at the front desk. Her name was Yolanda. I honestly can say, I have never felt more disrespected on a phone call in my life. It was terrible. Yolanda was extremely rude when trying to set up an appointment. She put me on hold for several minutes and then came back to asking my the very same questions she already asked me minutes ago. I could not believe how I was treated. I felt so disrespected and it really seemed that Yolanda didn’t give two shits about me or my issues. After I was put on hold a second time, she came back and I told her that there is no need to make an appointment, I am going somewhere else.
If taking down information was this painful, I couldn’t even imagine how it would be when I got to the office. Word to the wise. Find another doctors office, maybe one with a little more compassion.

i have gone here for many years, only on few occasion have i encountered another physician other than Dr. Ambrose.
can’t recall much of a problem, but i do know
Dr. Amrose is a better fit for me…
i have seen Dr. Ambrose for many, many years and Jennifer S.
the PA the last 4 years or so.. honestly i love them both.
i was skeptical of seeing a PA, but Jennifer S. is the real deal,
i think she is fairly young, i hope she becomes a doctor, but she is a great PA, and i refer people to her and Dr. Ambrose all the time. both men and women patients.
the receptional staff has always sucked I have seen them come and go. and yes they have definitely pissed me off a few times, and when your sick, this is the last thing one should have to deal with… BUT…I have come to this…
i amnot looking to be emotionally fullfilled by the reception staff, no matter where you go you are gonna find that the reception staff are rather unfriendly, ignorant and probaly overworked and underpayed and pissed off because of it …
some of the nursing staff have been very ignorant too, but over all Donna the nurse has always been kind and helpful, so i just try to avoid the others at all cost.
Dr. Ambrose assistant jenny is nice, overall i have had good experience with her… i mean over the years i have seen her in a bad mood only few times, heck we all are human and all have a few bad day’s here or there.
i am going here for many years because of Dr. Ambrose and Jennifer the Physician assistant for the last 4 years or so …
Dr. Ambrose is a great doctor, she has great bed side manners, attentive to concerns and address’s them, very professional, she cares and i can tell, and she is very comical at times… down to earth, kind doctor…
(doesnt get any better than this !!!)
thats why she is always booked ! it could take weeks to get in to see her.
Jennifer is very professional, she is attentive and compassionate and she is very kind hearted, she takes her time and discuss test results etc etc. she is probably one of the best PA’s around !!
i can only rate what i have experienced, so i rate them a 10 !! and 5 stars !!!
no one is perfect, so i don’t look for it…
but they are as perfect as a human can be in what they do !!!
May God Bless us all in the days, weeks and years to come…
Auspicious !!!

I have gone here on & off for over 20 years. It is a good location but the service is horrible. I have seen most doctors here. Most clearly need to retire because they are often rude & not helpful. Jennifer the Physicians Assistant is OK. They spend 5 – 10 minutes with you & seem pretty annoyed to be dealing with patients. I’ve had a much better experience & a more detailed exam at the Take Care Clinic at Walgreens, down the road. Its a shame the Doctors at DGFP get away with such poor service.

Not a Dr. kind of person unless I damage myself which I did. Went in to have my shoulder checked by one of the staff physicians. Right off wanted to do an X-​Ray which shows bones, I hurt a tendon not a bone. Then she went on to wanting a cholesterol test. I asked why, she said she just wanted one (I don’t eat red meat or dairy). I said no to both. I won’t go back

Service at front desk is horrible, rude and as if you interrupt them by being there. If there are no patients, there is no job for you. No doctor will take a phone call. I have been coming here for thirty years since I was 12 and I just haven’t been motivated to change but I think it’s time for a divorce.

Officially downgrading to a 1 star review. I need a new doctor.
I got an appointment same day on Monday. I was THRILLED. I thought, «Wow! This place is shaping up!» Saw my doctor, was very pleased with the level of care during the appointment, needed some antibiotics, blah blah blah– snag in the plan happened when I started reacting to the pills.
I called them yesterday at 4pm as I was actively having an allergic reaction to a medication they prescribed. Took them 22 hours to call me back after they told me my call would be marked as an emergency. They never even wrote me a prescription for a new antibiotic to substitute what I was reacting to. The pharmacist at Walgreens helped me power through my allergic reaction, thankfully, and I’m just going to try to OTC stuff to get over my initial problem. If that doesn’t work I’m definitely finding a new office. The situation here is just plain crazy!

I spent hours online trying to find a new doctor in the area and decided on Dr. Ambrose. I called the office and got an initial appointment within the week– which I was quite impressed with. When I arrived at the very outdated office, I was barely acknowledged by the very curt and quite rude front desk receptionist. All she cared about was the co-​pay and told me to sit down. Next, someone (who didn’t even introduce herself) called my name and took me to the exam room. The exam room was an outdate dirty pit! There was a curtain covering up some type of large ominous piece equipment in half of the room. The walls were dotted with tacked up papers that were notices to patients (e.g., take off your shoes if you have diabetes). The counters and desk spaces were messy and unkempt. This person (who’s name or position I never did find out) took some additional history and left the room without even a smile or kind word. As I sat waiting for the doctor, I thought this is not the kind of office I want my family and I to come for care. If they treat a new «customer» like this (in their messy office), I don’t want to image how they will treat my family members or I when we are ill. So– before the doctor even came in I left and did not look back.

DON’T GO HERE! Extremely outdated office, incompetent nurses and staff. After calling multiple times (approx. 6) to get a prescription filled no one EVER returned my call. I had to make a follow up visit in person so I could actually talk to someone. They promised they would send my prescription right over to the pharmacy. I get there and surprise, surprise… they DID NOT call it in. They are not the least bit helpful or try solving a problem. The worst part is I’m lucky this wasn’t a life or death medication I needed. I would be dead at this point. Since they never called in OR helped me get my prescription!!! Very, very incompetent. Find another place — you will be sorry you walked in to this place.

I’ve been going here for years but it’s definitely time to make a change. Dr. Ambrose is really the only nice doctor, but she’s always booked. The PA’s (physician assistants) are wonderful and much nicer and more helpful than the doctors. The other doctors are unfriendly and make it seem like you are just an inconvenience to them. Dr. McMenamin (sp) is horrible and yelled at me the one and only time I saw him. The front desk people aren’t very friendly either. I think this place does well only because of their convenient location in the center of downtown Downers Grove.

I had the most terrible experience here this past February and March. After being a patient for over 25 years I will never set foot in this place again. In February, I went to see with Carolyn (P.A.) for an MMR Booster. Carolyn ordered the shot and sent the nurse in to give me the shot. The nurse proceded to give me the shot similar to a TB test (right under the skin of forearm). It seemed weird at the time, but I wasn’t the one wearing the scrubs so I didn’t say anything. My arm swelled and the nurse placed a bandaid over it. About that time Carolyn re-​entered the room and from the look on her face I knew that the shot was given wrong. She did not say anything. I noticed when leaving the room she seemed to be waiting around for me to leave.
After leaving the office I called another doctor who I was seeing and asked how the shot was to be administered. The nurse told me to call DGFP back right away as I was given the shot wrong and I need to ask about side effects, etc. I called back and after hearing papers shuffle was put directly on the line with Carolyn who said that after I left she asked Dr. Ambrose about the shot and that I should not be in danger. Keep in mind… I called back myself to question the shot and no one stopped me before leaving to let me know what had happened. I am sure that had I not called back I would have never been contacted to be warned that I was potentially not immune to the vaccine. I was told that there would be no charge for the shot and that I would have to wait 6 weeks to come back and get tested to see if the shot worked or not. I was told that this test would also be covered by the practice because of the nurse’s oversight.
The story gets better because then they billed my insurance $ 100 for the initial visit where I recieved the botched immunization (in which they said they would not) and then sent Qwest Diagnostics after me for the $ 68 for the follow up test to see if the shot worked.
If you are looking for good nurses and people you can trust with your health… look elsewhere.

I’m new to the area, and after trying several hospital «refer-​a-​doc» services only to be referred to HORRIBLE doctors, I needed to find a place quickly that could help me when I had non-​specific ailments (stomach flu, strep throat, etc.). I actually found DGFP through the referral of a Phys.Ass. at the Walgreen’s take care clinic down the street.
For non-​specific illnesses and ones that might not require a lot of follow up, this place is great. They can usually get you in same day if you do not care who you see, and next day if you do. I usually see Phys.Ass. JENNIFER, and she is nice and attentive.
However, I was forced to see Dr EDWARD McMENAMIN MD out of medical necessity once, and he was almost the reason I never returned. He has absolutely NO bedside manner, often makes rude and inappropriate comments, and told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. He screams rather than speaks, and I walked out feeling even worse than I did when I walked in. AVOID SEEING HIM AS A DOCTOR AT ALL COSTS!!!
I also agree with part of the review below: the office is run by very rude and very inattentive people. I have never been greeted when I walked in, I often have to ask for assistance, and I have had eyes rolled at me several times. Furthermore, calling to make an appointment is often a hassle. The automated choices are long and confusing, and it is almost impossible to speak with a nurse at the «nurses» desk– you almost always have to leave a message and hope someone returns your call.
That being said, JENNIFER is great when you don’t feel well. If I could find a better doctor, I would go there. But unfortunately, this area (with all it’s hospitals!) has a depressing lack of good general physicians!