Paul J Kim, MD

I’m in the process of searching for a particular type of doctor (not traditional) but happened to have seen Dr. Kim a couple of times now for basic preventative services. Due to limited experience with Dr. Kim, I wish to briefly comment on Dr. Kim’s demeanor rather than skill level.
I tend to ask a lot of unconventional questions, and Dr. Kim listened and answered them as well as he could without reacting to them. He was open and very approachable, and I agree with the person who said that he is kind. I appreciate this in a doctor, not a doctor who is cold, indifferent, or appears to be in a rush. He was open to supporting what I was trying to achieve. That’s the kind of attitude I like to see in a doctor.
I think he is probably a very good family doctor. Perhaps if I have had more experiences with Dr. Kim, I would have considered bumping this rating up to 5 stars.

Dr. Kim is a great family doctor. He has looked after my family for three years now and he is always been able to direct us to better health.

Dr. Kim has been our family Doctor for the past 2 years.
We were very grateful to find a doctor in Dublin especially one who is so kind.
We have had appointments for emergency situations as well as everyday issues and Dr. Kim has always gotten it right!
My oldest son was diagnosed with asthma when he was 3, but it wasn’t until we met Dr. Kim that we were encouraged to see an asthma education specialist. This was one of the best things to happen for us. We learned so many things about keeping his asthma under control which greatly helped us to minimize visits to the doctors office!
One of the best things about Dr. Kim is that he actually remembers who you are!

I saw Dr. Paul J. Kim at Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Dublin for an annual physical in May 2014. I had been feeling very tired and fatigued for a long time. I suspected I was deficient in vitamin B12 because my mom is, and my mom has been receiving B12 injections for years.
Dr. Kim ran a vitamin panel on me that did not include vitamin B12. He said everything came back normal. At that point, I specifically asked if I could have my B12 tested as well. He said yes.
A day or two later, Dr. Kim e-​mails me with «Good news! Your vitamin B12 is within range.» That «range» is approx. 200‑1100 for B12 and I was at a 298. I was on the very low end for being «within range» but this didn’t raise any concerns for Dr. Kim. He actually suggested to me that I should «try to get more sleep.»
I knew this was wrong, as I average about 7 hours of sleep a night, and even if I sometimes get more, I still felt fatigued during the day.
I decided to see another doctor for a second opinion. I chose Dr. Flagg in San Ramon. I brought my test results to Dr. Flagg who said that 298 was very low for B12 and he recommends supplementation for anyone who’s under 400. Dr. Flagg said that ideally, he likes to see his patients in the 600 – 700 range for B12. He recommended I take an oral vitamin and come back in 8 weeks to have my blood level re-​tested. If I was still under 400, he would put me on B12 injections. Finally, I felt like I found a doctor who was taking a personal interest in my care!, something I did not receive from Dr. Kim!
8 weeks later, after taking a B12 oral vitamin every day, I went back to Dr. Flagg to have my vitamin level retested and I was only at 380. He recommended B12 injections every 3 weeks in addition to my daily vitamins.
I was so glad I found Dr. Flagg who actually cared about my health & wasn’t doing the most minimal job possible, a problem I’ve found with almost every doctor at Palo Alto Medical Foundation, including Dr. Kim. I feel they’re run like a Kaiser & the docs aren’t in business for themselves, so the quicker they get you out the door, the less work for them.
Had I just accepted Dr. Paul J. Kim’s standard of care, I’d still be near-​deficient in B12 and suffering with tiredness & fatigue on a daily basis! Do not go to Dr. Kim and if at all possible, avoid Palo Alto Medical Foundation!