Susan Minkowitz, MD

A friend referred me to Dr. Susan Minkowitz when I first moved back to New York, and I am so lucky that she did. Dr. Minkowitz is a one in a million physician– she’s caring, kind, friendly, pleasant, knowledgeable, practical and very thorough. Whenever I’m not feeling well or just in to see her for health maintenance in general, I know I can count on Dr. Minkowitz to provide the best care possible as well as recommend only top-​notch specialists should I need one. Dr. Minkowitz even follows up with her patients personally when appropriate. Reports and test results are received in timely manner. Dr. Minkowitz without fail goes above and beyond to make sure her patients receive the best possible care. I can’t recommend Dr. Susan Minkowitz more highly.

On my first visit to Dr. Minkowitz, I found her charming and kind. Subsequent visits have been less so, however. I’ve returned to her several times to help me with a difficult to diagnose problem, and she’s gotten less helpful each time. The last visit ended with her saying «well, I don’t know what to tell you. I guess you’ll just have to start over from the beginning (seeing the other specialists I’d seen)». And with that, she walked out of the office! I waited a while to see if she’d return, but she did not. I found it rude, disrespectful, and dismissive. She’s a a very pleasant Lady when everything is easy, but I question her knowledge about medicine. I need a doctor to partner with me and help brainstorm ideas and possible causes, not throw up their hands if they don’t immediately know the answer. I’m looking for another primary care physician.

I admit it. I missed some appointments and I didn’t call. That’s not cool. I admit and own that.
However, for a doctor I had trusted so implicitly to hold my SSRI medication hostage, forcing me to go through withdrawals and run in circles to get some relief from the brain zaps and all the other (sometimes deadly) side effects that come from a sudden cessation of SSRIs is cruel, dangerous, and petty.
I’m sorry I no called, no showed. I know that’s not right. But that does not mean that I should be forced to suffer. If I was no longer a desirable patient, I should have been made aware so I could find another doctor before my medication ran out.
She seems so nice. I believe she is… until money comes into play. However, the treatment I ultimately received was so substandard that I have filed a formal complaint. Suffering through SSRI withdrawal is serious and deadly. The fact that she refused to help me until I became the squeakiest of wheels is so upsetting. I will no longer be a patient or refer her to anyone else.

I have only been seeing Dr. Minkowitz for a short time, but she is AMAZING! She is completely attentive to say the least. I have never felt so comfortable around any Primary Care Physician. She goes above and beyond to make sure that every concern is addressed. She is very thorough in her evaluations. She also goes that extra mile with referrals printing out information, and even making follow up phone calls for you. If you need to see her, she will get you in to the office on short notice even though it overbooks her. She truly is the hardest working doctor in the business!
My review, however, would not be complete without speaking about the amazing staff. Everyone who works in her office is kind, caring, and has a great sense of humor. Every appointment at Dr. Minkowitz’s office is one I look forward to (if you actually look forward to doctor appointments).

I’ve been seeing Dr. Minkowitz for years, and she is simply the best: attentive, empathetic, practical, and up on new treatments while retaining a healthy skepticism towards medical industry hype. She’s seen me through surgeries and family tragedies, and once, when she suspected I might have had DVT, she tore up the phone lines and got my leg ultrasounded at an imaging center a couple blocks away within an hour.
She’s also her patients’ biggest cheerleader, and I mean it: in the otherwise staid Miller Practice, you can hear her in the back, greeting other patients as if they’re former students who’ve made good: «Ohhhhhhhh my goodness, look at YOU, you’re doing so WELLL!!!» Since she’s consistently won Best Doctor kudos year after year, I think they’re not about to object.
BTW, I’ve never had a staff member there be rude to me, or trouble getting messages returned. One of the office staff is so strongly accented that it’s hard to understand, but I haven’t dealt with her lately. It’s certainly not a deal-​breaker for me.
I’m selfishly tempted to keep Dr. M. to myself like my favorite little bistro, but no, that would be wrong. (But I’m not Unilocaling about my bistro, so there)

I’ve been seeing Dr. Minkowitz for about a year. I like her very much. Her office, especially when you have to call, is just awful.
I’ve had phones ring with no answer and no answering machine for days on end. I’ve left messages that were not returned. I’ve had the phone picked up and immediately hung up. I’ve had an assistant who barely spoke English take my medical history and the doctor had to re-​do it because what was comprehensible was wrong. One assistant took my bp and claimed it was ⁶⁰⁄₄₀.
I’m looking for a new doctor. I can’t handle the support staff and phone system. It’s a shame.

I think Dr. Minkowitz is an amazing doctor.
So heres the reason for the 3-​Stars:
I saw Dr. Minkowitz about 6 – 7 months ago. She wrote a few prescriptions for me. None of them were controlled medications/​substances. (During my appointment no one at the office told me that in order to have scripts refilled I need to see her every 6 months)
A few days ago I head to my pharmacy to pick up the refills that CVS has ready for me each month. They tell me I need a new prescription — there are no more refills left. No big deal — They will call the doctor’s office themselves. I tell them it’s somewhat urgent because I am traveling out of the country in a few days.
The next day I call my pharmacy to make sure the refill is waiting for me — they
tell me that Dr. Minkowitz’s office «Does not approve the refill». I don’t understand this because its not a controlled substance?! Why would they deny the refill?
I call Dr. Minkowitz’s office. Their phone system is HORRIBLE. It is completely automated. I leave a message — a day goes by and I hear nothing.
I decide to call again to try to talk to a real person — there is no way to do that on their phone systems. I finally have to select the option on the automated system that says «if you are a Doctor and need to speak with a Nurse». I tell the Nurse my situation. and she explains to me that I need to make an appointment to get a refill. I tell her its somewhat urgent — I’m traveling out of town in 2 days. I have to work both those days. (Why was I never told their policy of appointments every 6 months?!) The medication I need is not a medication that is safe to go off ‘cold turkey’. They have to taper you off of it. The nurse tells me she’ll speak with the doctor and call me back.
The nurse calls me back and says she’s sorry but they cant refill it. I tell her that I will be back in NYC in 1 week and can make an appointment to see Dr. Minkowitz that day — I just need 1 weeks worth of the medication to get me through my trip. She tells me unfortunately i need to make an appointment when I get back — and that I should go to an Urgent Care. (Really???)
I am just very very upset and nervous. I tried to refill this medication days ago. And now I’m going to be traveling while going through horrible symptoms. They describe these symptoms as ‘upsetting and painful’. Great.

I hate Dr Minkowitz for being a principled professional. She would not renew my Adderall Rx from a former colleague of Dr. M. She would not just say yes to meds that would make me feel momentarily better. She demanded scientific reasons for her choices. The nerve of that woman.
I’m sure I will thank her 10 years from now. And I will continue to see her for all my medical needs.

I have been seeing Dr. Minkowtiz for over 2 yrs now. She is a little wild, but funny, kind and knowledgeable. Office wait time is usually 15−20mins. She will answer any of your questions. You may feel a little rushed but she will still take care of all your concerns. When I’ve had emergencys such as UTI’s they fit me in even if they are full for the day to test me and give me prescription. As long as she takes my insurance she will continue to be my primary doc.

Dr. Minkowitz is a great doctor. She never makes you wait for a scheduled appointment and takes as much time as necessary to address every concern, whether big or small. She is also very friendly and easy to talk to. I recommend Dr. Minkowitz!

As someone who eats very healthily and has a regimented running/​workout schedule, I have been avoiding the general doctor and self-​diagnosing myself for years: allergic to dairy, anemic, four day Spring cold followed by 2 week cough, one week Fall cold.
The last time I saw a regular doctor was in college, so it’s been a few years. The fact that I used to work in an office where I wasn’t even allowed to call out sick or go to the bathroom unless my boss wasn’t around also contributed to my lack of «unimportant» doctor appointments.
However, for about 10 days, I was going through bouts of dizziness and the I’m-going-to-faint-any-second feeling. So I decided I would do it – I would listen to my mom and aunt and friends at work and go to the doctor. And so the search began.
I treat going to the doctor like anything else — it is (extremely) rare that I go to a restaurant or bar without reading the reviews first, so I’m not about to to go the doctor without doing the same. I spent hours looking for a doctor, reading reviews on many sites. Three reviewers saying they waited 2 hours? I don’t think so. A doctor that will turn on you when she finds out you’re on the pill? Not for me. Wrong diagnosis? Not going there.
So finally I did what’s almost better than reading online — I asked a friend at work where she goes.
, Healthgrades and Unilocal all gave her promising reviews! I finally found a winner! But then I called (and like several other «winners»), she was not taking new patients until September. But, like any true Unilocaler, I looked to the right and saw what reviewers also viewed and I saw Dr. Susan Minkowitz had three rave reviews. I called to make an appointment and got one in 3 days and a time convenient for me.
First of all, the office is very clean and nice looking, especially for an inconspicuous office on the West side. All of the personnel were friendly. I sat down to fill out paperwork and was called back before I could even sign my name.
My vitals were taken right away by a nurse and I maybe waited 30 seconds before Dr. Minkowitz popped in. She is by far and large one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met, let alone doctors. She did not rush me (I was with her for almost an hour), asked me pertinent questions and listened to my diatribes about why I think I’m allergic to dairy, my long medical history and my one horrible trip to the ER three years ago when they told me that I was «probably anemic,» yet didn’t take any blood — just gave me a cup of juice and sent me on my way. She knew what she was talking about and could relate to some of my very rare medical histories. She agreed with me and thought I sounded allergic to dairy (making me her first patient to ever have an actual allergy and not an intolerance) and also thought I sounded like an anemic.
She had another nurse come in and take blood — a lot of blood — to test for allergies and anemia. Turns out I’m pretty damn good at self-​diagnosing, though I think I will make the doctor a yearly thing from now on. Definitely one of the best doctors I’ve ever seen (and I’ve had my fair share in the past).

Dr. Minkowitz is the best doctor ever! So friendly and knowledgable. Talks to you like a real person and never makes you feel like she’s in a rush or too busy for you. I’ve also never had to wait very long to see the doctor. Highly recommended.

After two decades of living a pretty rock and roll life, my wife sent me to the doctor. She was sure that there HAD to be something wrong with me, as I’ve not exactly been what one would call a health nut. I had little interest in a white coat telling me things I didn’t want to hear, but realized this might be one of those situations where my wife had greater wisdom.
To be sure I’d actually show up to the appointment she chose a doctor very close to where we lived. That’s how I met Dr Minkowitz. She’s warm, smart and funny. She also made me feel involved in my health in a way I’m not used to from doctors. She’ll call my cell phone to give me test results. She promptly answers my questions via email. If I need a ‘script and several meds might do, she’s happy to involve me in the choice, or at least give me the illusion of being involved. She suggests positive lifestyle changes without being judgmental or bossy, then praises me for what little I manage to accomplish in that regard. When I ask for explanations she responds clearly, without dumbing things down too much.
I appreciate this kind of hand holding from a doctor, as I’m generally not terribly comfortable with medical professionals. As one sails into middle age one ought to see a doctor at least semi-​regularly. I’m happy to see Dr Minkowitz.