Elliot Aleskow, MD

I was with him for three years and it was way too long as far as I was concerned. I found him condescending, pushy, and over reactive. Also, socially awkward. The other staff is nice, but the offices are depressing — think stained wallpaper from the 70’s. Sometimes you have to wait an hour as well.

He is good. He listens and so far he has take care very well.

Mostly good experiences except I called to see what I should do about mild to debilitating bouts of vertigo. On the phone inquiry I said that I thought maybe it could be because of a medication withdrawal.
I was put on hold and then a moment later I was told that the doctor doesn’t deal with medication withdrawal. I called my psychiatrist to confirm whether or not it was possible that ending a medication was the culprit. He said that would be impossible given the time bracket was over 3 weeks ago.
Dr. Aleskow: allowing patients to diagnose themselves on the phone, and then ignoring them so they can triage themselves instead.

Dr. Aleskow is the best doctor I’ve ever been to. When you need a last minute appointment, a lot of times he’ll fit you in right at the beginning of the day before they even open the practice. He has personally called me on my cell phone to give me his opinion on a bad visit I had with a cardiologist. And I really like that he takes you into his office to end the appointment and answer any questions. Yes, if you are a healthy young person, he will probably run through your physical a bit quickly or you may have to wait for a bit in the waiting room. But that’s because he is taking the time out to help someone with cancer understand their disease or answer a complex medical question that may have been brought up at the tail end of an appointment or even accommodating patients who are late themselves. He’s an overall super nice and caring guy. I definitely recommend Dr. Aleskow!

If I could give him a zero I would.
Dr. Aleskow is a mediocre doctor at best. While the general logistics of the visits flow fairly smoothly, he performs his diagnoses from an arm chair and passes out referrals for specialists rather than preform the most basic examinations himself. Please see the below event as an example of Dr. Aleskow’s inadequate practice:
I came to the doctor for a specific medical issue/​concern along with a visit for a yearly physical. Immediately upon explaining my symptoms to not Dr. Aleskow, but his assistant, he brings me in to his office and hands me a written referral for a gastroenterologist before doing any form of physical exam. (It turned out that I had a simple hernia, but the Dr. was preparing me to go to his referral to get tested for worms! While it is likely that one can get worms in a first world country, that is not the most logical conclusion one draws when someone describes anal itching. Even a quick google search or WebMD search knows that). When the exam did begin, it was quick and haphazard as if he had other things to move on to. He never even examined me for my specific issue I came in for. I ended up going to another doctor three days later because it was obvious that Dr. Aleskow’s exam was inadequate. The new doctor was shocked that Dr. Aleskow was negligent in performing the most basic check. It turned out that it was a simple hernia. The new doctor diagnosed this within a minute of me explaining my symptoms, and confirmed it with a simple exam.
A week later I tried to get a hold of Dr. Aleskow’s office, as advised by him to learn the results of my blood work. It then took Dr. Aleskow another week to finally get back to me with my results, only after I called a second time and noted that this was not my first attempt to get my results. To Dr. Aleskow’s credit, he did call me back within hours of my secant attempt to get ahold of him. Dr. Aleskow then asked to schedule another appointment for further followup. I politely declined Dr. Aleskow’s request for a followup visit and told him I would be seeking future medical treatment from a different practice. One would think this was the simple end of the story, but Dr. Aleskow called back within 15 minutes trying to get me to come back to his practice. I told him no and restated the reasons above. Dr. Aleskow then went on to explain that he did not make a mistake as this was part of his reasoning for giving me a referral. I noted the doctors error in his logic, as a rectal exam is indeed part of an adult male’s physical, with or without a hernia. He claimed that this is an invasive procedure and he did not want to subject me to it. I responded to Dr. Aleskow by informing him that not only is this a standard procedure in male physicals, but he failed to even perform a visual exam (which would have shown the simple issue). Dr. Aleskow arrogantly and belligerently continued to try to argue his case. Not only is Dr. Aleskow a bad doctor, his response to this whole situation was unprofessional.
For those that read this, please seek your medical help from another doctor.

Negative reviews are right — hes a jerk. Made me wait 2 hours to meet for less than 2 minutes. Quickly dismissed all of my questions. Acted like I was wasting his time by getting a physical. Felt like cattle.

I think he’s terrific. Very smart guy, very good doctor, very good at noticing stuff and putting the pieces together and referring to an equivalently great specialist if need be. He also really cares and will help you out over the phone if you need it. On the other hand, I wish he wasn’t in so much of a hurry all the time.
He was rated one of DC’s «top doctors» for 2012 and 2014. I know because I called practically the whole list, that he’s just about the only one that still accepts new patients and also accepts insurance, the rest want cash up front, which is really a shame. I would bet that he doesn’t need to accept insurance because of his «top doctor» distinction, and could probably cash in like the rest of them, but he does it anyway because he’s a good guy.

Dr. Aleskow and his team are fantastic! Truly caring thoughtful, patient and thorough. I think he’s terrific and I have been a patient of his for over 10 years

Nothing but great things to say about my several experiences with Dr. Aleskow. Smart, punctual, thorough, experienced…
Highly recommend him as a general practitioner.

If I could give zero stars, I would.
As a new patient of Dr. Aleskow’s, I scheduled a time to go in for my yearly physical. After this first visit, I will never ever go back and I implore you to NOT go to Dr. Aleskow for the reasons I list below. It was by far the worst experience I’ve ever had with a healthcare professional. BTW, I am a 30 yr old healthy male.
Let me qualify by saying that all the staff there was incredibly pleasant and helpful. My problem with this office is the doctor himself. Let me count the ways:
–Upon our first face-​to-​face interaction, he rushes in the exam room and asks me to follow him to his office. No «Hi, I’m Dr. Aleskow. How are you?», no handshake, no introduction, nothing. I had to initiate the handshake/​introduction after we got to his office. First red flag in my head.
–He quickly went through and asked me the exact same questions his staff did just a few minutes prior. He didn’t bother to discuss with me my family history of high blood pressure and heart disease, didn’t ask about my diet, the fact that I signaled that I’m a social drinker and smoke occasionally, or ask about any of the other ‘bad’ habits I might have. Strictly the bare basics and he moved on.
–I told his assistant that I’m experiencing pain in my right shoulder and that I might have torn my rotator cuff. He asked quickly about that and said I should see an orthopedic, then again moved on. That’s it. No recommendation on who to see, no attempt to better understand my pain, no sign that he cared that I might have a fairly major injury.
–After my 3 minute interaction with Dr. Aleskow in his office, he yelled to one of his nurses to escort me back to the exam room where I would have an EKG taken and blood drawn. Didn’t explain what blood tests would be done or what he’d be looking for in the EKG. I left with the impression that he didn’t have time for me.
–After my EKG and blood, I was told to take off all my clothes (except underwear) and wait for the Dr to return for my physical. They didn’t offer a gown so it was very cold sitting there in the bare minimum. I waited for maybe 6 – 7 minutes. By this time I was done trying to have a pleasant experience with this new Dr. I knew I was never coming back to see him again… but it got even worse.
–During my actual physical, he went incredibly quick and didn’t seem to take any time to pay attention or explain what he was doing. The one time he did seem to care was when he answered his cell phone during the middle of the examination and talked to a man about selling something (he said, «I’m sorry but that’s already been sold»). It was so unprofessional… I couldn’t believe it. He then repeated two tests he had already done — likely because he didn’t remember doing them prior to his call.
–After he finished the physical, he quickly told me to get dressed and meet him in his office. He left so quickly that he opened the door to the hallway and was already talking with his staff before I hadn’t even pulled up my underwear yet. Yes, I was standing there totally naked (admittedly in a corner where it would be tough for passers-​by to see in, but still) while he opened the door! Again, so unprofessional.
–My last interaction with the Dr was in his office where he told me to call him in one week to go over the results of my tests. He didn’t ask if I had any last minute questions, didn’t tell me that I appear to be healthy (or unhealthy) or ask any personal questions (my job, my diet, my exercise habits, my sexual habits/​status, etc). The 30 second meeting in his office was over and I was out the door.
All in all, I literally thought to myself that I felt like cattle being shepherded in, pointed in this direction, then in that direction, and finally out the door all in the quickest time possible. Dr. Aleskow was absolutely terrible in my interaction with him and I again recommend that NOBODY use him as a PCP.

I’ve been a patient of Dr. Aleskow’s for 4 years now and have never had a problem with him. Yes, sometimes you have to sit in the waiting room for a while. Yes, getting a physical can be uncomfortable. Yes, he does offer referrals and recommends specialists when necessary; however, that is sort of the point of a general practitioner.
I think Dr. Aleskow does a fine job and I really appreciate that he brings patients into his office to discuss questions and concerns instead of staying in the sterile patient rooms.
Also, Dr. Aleskow did refer me to my OB/​GYM, Dr. Kenneth Blank, who is awesome and I highly recommend.

I started going to Dr. Aleskow in 1998. I have had very positive experiences with his office through the years. Yes, he does see a lot of people — 40 to 60 a day is my guess. And, yes, he does refer people. But that’s his job. He’s a PCP internist. He’s not a ENT, cardiologist, neuro, etc. To me, he’s showing due diligence by doing so.
I think this is all about expectations. If you expect one-​shop shopping for a specific issue, you might not agree with Dr. Aleskow’s approach. If you want a best friend, ditto. (Although I have found him to be very friendly through the years.) If you want someone who takes your concerns seriously, who investigates issues thoroughly, who is prompt about returning health related phone calls, etc. then he’s someone to consider. To wit, came down with a fever, muscle aches, etc. on a Sunday. Called his office on Monday am, they told me to come by at 1:30. He saw me at 2, diagnosed siniusitis, and prescribed me antibotics. I was up and running by that Wed.
His physicals are comprehensive. If you raise a specific concern beforehand, he will spend more time on that part of the physical. He also seems to enjoy a good reputation with other Doctors and I have had good experiences with his referrals, which includes a GI doc, neuro, and dematologist.
I am very happy with him and feel that I have a partner on my health concerns. Re, him being a homophobe. That’s ridiculous. He’s trying to save the guy some money. You can get free AIDS screenings in DC with barely any effort.
It also should say a lot about the man that his staff has been with him for a long time, including Maryanne, Joanne, etc. I think the newest person there (apart from the med student) has been there five, six years. He treats people well.

If he actually calls me back and does the human thing, I will recant this review.
I recently moved to DC, and so I wanted to find a doctor’s office in the area just in case I got sick (doctor’s don’t always take new patients when you are sick– so you have to go to urgent care, which costs a ton, happened to me last year twice, etc). In any case, I had gone to get my physical at a previous doctor where I had previously lived several months prior.
When I went to go see him, he seemed very professional. He said he wanted all my medical records, etc. And he also told me to come and see him for a physical in a month. I am a healthy person, but I figured that I would do what the doctor said. I got all my medical records to him, paid a ton of money for that. Made my appointment to get a physical. Got the physical– not surprisingly, I was totally healthy.
Then I get this bill in the mail, saying that I owe the doctor $ 176 for the visit. I have blue cross blue shield ppo insurance, so I found this odd. I called the billing person, Maryann, who quickly deferred responsibility onto the insurance company. Indeed, my policy says that I only get 1 physical per year. However, and here’s the kick, had I been covered for that physical I got with Dr. Aleskow, he would have only gotten $ 85 dollars from the insurance company.
While it is totally within his right to charge me whatever amount he deems acceptable, and it is legally totally my responsibility to pay whatever amount he deems appropriate, Dr. Aleskow could have done the human thing and asked me to pay the amount he would have gotten from the insurance company, especially given that I DID WHAT HE ASKED ME TO DO AND I WAS BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT MY HEALTH BY GOING TO SEE HIM. I am more than willing to pay him– I’m fair, and he deserves to get paid. But if he were fair to me, his patient, he would only ask for the amount he would have gotten paid, not twice as much.
If he calls me, and reimburses me the difference between what the insurance company would have given him ($ 85) and what I paid ($ 176) (I’m a college lecturer and get only 45K a year), I will absolutely recant this statement. But until he does, this stays. Greedy doctors have none of my sympathy.

I was referred to Dr. Aleskow by my OB/​GYN-​Dr. Kenneth Blank (who is absolutely amazing which is why I really respect his opinion). Dr. Aleskow was extremely rude during my initial visit. He never followed up on any results from my test/​physical. His only recommendation is always referring me to someone else. Why should I come waste my time just for you to refer me to someone else. I just went to him for a shingles outbreak and he disputed with me that it wasnt shingles. After examining my breakout for 2 seconds, he referred me to another doctor immediately even though he had the shingles vaccine in his office. He was so rude and abrupt. I had to make him give me a prescription because I was in so much pain.
He was an awful doctor and I never want to see him again. All of the negative reviews are absolutely true! Go at your own… personally I dont feel my health is worth it!

This guy is despicable and likely a homophobe. I had a physical with him about two years ago and asked him for an HIV test. I was single at the time and had always gotten tested during my annual check ups. He told me he did not do HIV testing and suggested that doctors who test for HIV during annual screenings are somehow committing insurance fraud. I was stupefied. How can a doctor in Washington D.C. be so ignorant? Isn’t it pretty mainstream that sexually active adults get tested periodically?

Aleskow is dreadful. I’ve been going to him for about 2 years now and almost every other healthcare professional I’ve ever seen keeps you in the waiting room for 30 minutes tops, his office keeps you in the waiting room for a minimum of an hour and half before they usher you into yet another room to wait for Aleskow. He has absolutely no concept of other people’s time.
The only thing he’s «good» at is referring you to someone else. Doesn’t even really bother to get to know if you have any issues, just says oh skin? i know a dermatologist. Hip issues? Back issues? I know an orthopedist. He never even attempts to solve any issues.
Totally useless and you need to wait over an hour and a half to see him for 2 minutes to get a piece of paper with a referral on it. a HUGE waste of time.
Don’t come here unless you love to waste time in a waiting room.
Also, he’s super creepy. Came here for a physical and he does breast exams and is super creepy about the way he approaches it.
On the plus side, most of his nurse practitioners are dolls and incredibly nice. Some of the front staff is generally very nice — LOVE the blonde lady — she’s the sweetest person. The asian is really rude and snarky — try to avoid her when possible. Do yourself a favor and hang up the moment you hear the woman with the asian accent — she’s absolutely dreadful.

I completely agree with the poster who called this office a referral factory. I found Dr. Aleskow online and went with him because I saw that he was voted among the top doctors in Washington. Getting an appointment was actually pretty easy. But once there I found him brusque, impatient and utterly disinterested in getting to know my health background or do anything other than get me in and out the door as quickly as possible. He instructed me to loose weight — and yes, I do need to loose weight — — but the guy handed me a diet sheet that looks like it’s from 1974 and didn’t ask me a single thing about my eating habits, exercise or lifestyle. Finally, I had to chase him down to find out the results of my cholesterol and other tests! Time to find a new primary care doctor…

If you’re looking for excellent medical care then look no further. But if you’re looking for a whining post, then move on. This is a no nonsense doctor that takes care of you and tells it like it is.

I’ve been going to Dr. Aleskow for about 13 years and am suprised by the reviews here. I find him thorough, efficient and responsive. Because he’s so busy, he gets to the point and doesn’t waste time. He doesn’t hesitate to refer me to specialists, which tells me he doesn’t assume he’s an expert in all things. He once sent me for an MRI to check out a lump on my thymus (sp?) and the radiologists was amazed that Aleskow could feel the tiny lump. Last year I had spinal surgery and went to Hopkins to have it done by one of the best in the country. I got in to Hopkins because I work for the university, otherwise it can be hard to get in. When I met with the physician and he learned Aleskow was my GP, he was highly complimentary of Aleskow and said he often takes Aleskow’s patients.
Maybe his style isn’t right for some people, but I trust him and am glad he’s my physician.

I saw Dr. Aleskow for a physical back in January. I work as a healthcare practitioner myself and was recommended to go see him by a few people. He is VERY busy and rarely has openings. But since I have «connections» I was able to get in and he accommodated me at 6:20 in the morning. Much like M n’s experience — I showed up about 10 min early for my appointment, I can’t get up into the office because the elevators are locked so I had to wait in the lobby and he and his nurse finally showed up together at about 6:25 very nonchalantly. I was clearly irritated — mainly because I was on a time crunch and they were well aware of that when I made the appointment — but that didn’t seem to matter to them.
I stuck with him for about 6 months. The main reason I wanted a primary care was so that if I had a problem I could call him first and get his advice or see him. But all he has done for me on two separate occasions is refer me to specialists. I could do that on my own. He also never speaks to me directly. I am always stuck with conversing with his rude office staff or listening to him leave me voice mail messages which never directly answer my question or concern.
Definitely not the doctor for me and I wouldn’t recommend him to anyone.