Kathleen Smith MD

We have seen Dr Smith since our child was born this summer. Since birth, my child has dealt with continual reflux and digestive issues. Dr. Smith has gone above and beyond to help find the root cause of these issues. Even though we would not be considered a severe case, we have always been treated with respected and listened to. We have never felt brushed off, disrespected, or our opinions discounted. Anyone who needs a wonderful, compassionate, good-​natured doctor who takes her job seriously should consider Dr. Smith.
Our family loves her and we feel lucky to have her as our pediatrician.

Our family has been going to Dr Smith for 8 years and we are extremely happy with her. She is so great with the kids and I feel she is the perfect doctor for our family!

I stumbled upon these reviews after trying to find an address for my sons’ pediatrician. .. and have to admit was upset that 2 out of 2 reviews for our doctor were so poor.
I don’t usually go out of my way to write a review, but felt obligated since I think that Dr. Smith is an excellent doctor. Please keep in mind for every bad review written there are probably over a hundred patients who are very happy who don’t think to write a review because they are very pleased and satisfied with their care.
That being said, Dr. Smith has been our pediatrician since the day that my oldest son (now seven) was born. She came highly recommended by my OBGYN. She visited us in the hospital and has been present for every wellness and sick visit for seven years. She is kind, gentle and knowledgeable and my children are very comfortable with her. Is she busy? Of course she is! She runs a busy, thriving pediatric office. Kids are always sick and need regular wellness check ups. I would like one of those parents who wrote a bad review try spending a day in her shoes just once.
My second son who is now four years old was diagnosed early on with developmental delays primarily in speech and motors skills. This can be a VERY stressful situation for any parent as you can imagine and Dr. Smith has always been beyond supportive and caring. Early on in my son’s diagnosis, she scheduled a visit with just my husband and I at the end of her work day after her patients and staff were gone for the day so that we could sit and talk with her uninterrupted about our son. Shortly after, she called me from her home on a Sunday and discussed for over an hour some possible approaches of treatments. .. please tell me, how many doctors would spend their personal time to do this? She has been with us every step of the way and has been an amazing cheerleader as our son has reached some amazing milestones.
I feel bad that the parents who left bad reviews had an unpleasant experience. Clearly not all doctors are a good fit for everyone. .. but I can tell you with all confidence that Dr. Smith has been an amazing pediatrician for my children and will continue to be through their teenage years.
* I have always felt that the nursing staff and front desk staff have been helpful, kind and courteous.

We love Dr Smith! I’ve talked to several people who love her as well. One of my co-​workers takes his kids to her and my OB/​GYN recommended her so we knew she was a top notch Ped.
Despite the less than pleased reviews you may see on Unilocal,I think it’s pretty reasonable that a Dr can mistakenly refer to a baby as «he» when the baby is «she» and visa versa. I don’t think that’s a measure of how well she necessarily is paying attention, rather I’ve just noticed she may «seem» distracted because she’s inputting your child’s data in his or her charts and trying to think and talk at the same time. Not a big deal. Dr Smith has always been thorough with us, even if she seems rushed. Of course she’s rushed — she runs from room to room (and back and forth to the hospital) to tend to people’s children all day long. Lets give her a break!
What I really like about Dr Smith is that she will give you answers or recommendations based on research and the American Board of Pediatrics — but she will also give you her personal opinions and experiences as well. I like that she’s so normal and doesn’t judge based on what your parenting preferences may be.
Overall, Dr Smith is awesome and very well balanced. I trust her completely and always value her advice.
The nurses are awesome as well. Very friendly and knowledgable. I even ran into one at Starbucks once and we chatted about my baby’s diaper rash. She didn’t dismiss me because we weren’t in the office which I appreciated.
Yes, the receptionists aren’t super friendly but what can you do. They warm up though once you’re in a conversation. Nothing I’d lose sleep over ;)

I drive all the way from Oakland to Walnut Creek to Dr. Smith. My seven year old son, who has some medical issues, started seeing her a few years ago. We found her to be caring, thoughtful, prompt, and thorough. She did research on my son’s condition, and called on weekends when necessary. I never had to wait more than 15 minutes to see her, and never felt rushed. The office was okay… never really noticed that they were surly or nice. Didn’t really care one way or the other.

Just now read the one review for Dr. Smith, and feel obligated to confess that we had the same experience. The front desk staff is of the rudest I’ve encountered in a medical providers office. Dr. Smith also kept referring to my son as «she,» even with his record in front of her, at EVERY visit. She seemed nice, but distracted, not focused on our son, his history, and the issue at hand. Again, the front line is RUDE, and we cringed at any interaction with them. We tolerated their indiscretion from 2009 to 2011, until which time we moved out of the area. A few weeks ago we returned, and I called the office to schedule an appointment for my son. The tone and harshness of the woman who answered the phone made my stomach turn, and I ended the call. We will not be going back to that office.
One star is for a couple of good nurses who were pleasant and did a good job with my son, taking basic measurements (weight, height, shots, etc.). The second star is for Dr. Smith’s natural approach, by that I mean that she never jumped at the opportunity to prescribe antibiotics. I did find her to be knowledgable and open to our particular needs and preferences. She was distracted, and that made us uneasy.