James H. Frank, MD

Decent doc but the rudest staff I’ve ever dealt with in DC. I’ve been put on hold a dozen times in one week trying to make an appointment. And ultimately hung up on multiple times. They interrupt me while I’m speaking and nearly yell. It feels awful to talk to them. Like speaking to your angry mean aunt.

Dr. Frank is a great gastroenterologist. I have been a patient for over eight years.
He is knowledgeable, professional, friendly, gentle, and thorough.
He truly cares about his patients. When a patient feels bad, he feels bad. He wants all of his patients to feel good, and it shows.
If I am experiencing symptoms, he listens well, he explains everything very thoroughly, and he is always open to questions or requests for clarifications.
Dr. Frank has a large number of patients, and sometimes he seems overloaded with work. Don’t let that fool you. He cares about each and every one of his patients, no matter how many he has.
Dr. Frank’s front office staff is also professional, particularly Emily, who is a gem.
The office itself is quite clean and organized.
I would certainly recommend, and I actually have recommended, Dr. Frank to anyone looking for a great gastroenterologist.

Dr. Frank is a great doctor. He knows what he’s doing and he truly cares for his patients.
His office is conveniently located, but finding parking can prove to be quite a pain. parking on K Street id your best bet if you chose to drive here.
He shares an office with one other doctor so make sure to go to the leftmost window when you enter his lobby.
Like the other reviews here say, he’s not chatty, he’s straightforward and he doesn’t mess around. If you want to chat and gossip, go to the hair salon, Dr. Frank ain’t got time for that.
Dr. Frank does have time however to hear you out, run tests, provide a diagnosis and discuss the best way to go about treatment and after all, isn’t that what we really want from our doctors?

Dr. Frank is as good as it gets if you’re going to have a scope up your butt. I disagree with other reviewers who say he is brusque and has no bedside manner. He’s always been very friendly and easy going with me. Maybe it’s them, and not Dr. Frank. I’ve been seeing him for over ten years and had two colonoscopies by him, the most recent about two months ago. Dr. Frank is absolutely the best around and he came highly referred by other doctors I know. As my friends turn 50, I’m sending them to Dr. Frank.

I went to Dr. Frank’s office for the first time this week and had a great experience. The assistant staff were friendly and helpful, and Dr. Frank himself was an absolute gem. He clearly communicated all of my options in a way that I understood using a visual chart. My only suggestion would be to spruce up the office a bit to help the space look cleaner. I was initially a little off-​put by the restroom and the hundreds of brochures lying haphazardly on the counters. A coat of paint in the lobby would do wonders. However, Dr. Frank was great and I do intend to return.

If you’re looking for a doctor to gently hold your hand and spend time chit chatting about your mother and cats, then Dr Frank is not for you. He is not here for idle chatter and wasting time. He gets in, greets you, runs his test and diagnosis, then he’s out the door. If you are one who is very sensitive and likes to be coddled, you might be offended by him; you mustn’t have thin skin.
Dr Frank is very thorough and extremely knowledgeable. He takes the approach of finding the root of the problem instead of just treating the symptoms. He also is one to call you and give you tests results over the phone instead of making you come in and pay a copay just for two minutes of his time.
If you ever have a stomach ailment, I definitely recommend Dr Frank. Just make sure you know what to expect so you won’t be offended.

Dr. Frank made a not very happy procedure as easy and fun as it could be. My brother has recently been diagnosed with Colo-​rectal cancer (by Dr. Frank) and all of my local family members have been to see him in the last 4 – 6 months. We all give him rave reviews. He had me laughing and joking through-​out the pre-​exam and was totally available for questions through out the prep for the procedure. I highly recommend him. **Extra credit for no waiting for my appointment and no long paperwork at his office.

There comes a time in most people’s lives, if you are lucky enough to live long enough, that you’ll have to visit a gastroenterologist. When this time comes, I’d recommend Dr. Frank enthusiastically.
Dr Frank is a great listener. He explains everything in great detail. And he’s efficient. He makes an uncomfortable experience somehow not that bad with his many jokes and humor. I really appreciate someone who is as down to earth as him.
It took me about a 3-​weeks to get to see Dr. Frank. But like most doctors in DC, once you are in the door you can communicate pretty easily thereafter. Once I got to the office, I waited about 1 minute before the usual statistical workup (weight, blood pressure, medical history) and about 2 more minutes before seeing Dr. Frank.

I like Dr. Frank, he’s definitely a little brusque, but he’s good at his job so I think if you go in knowing what to expect, that helps. I’d recommend knowing what you want to ask him first and writing it down so you don’t forget before he heads out the door because he’s not the type to wait around for you to think. I like his realistic views on things, at least you know what’s up with him! He also solved a problem for me with my insurance — getting it to cover a certain medication — so I’m a big fan!

I wish all doctors were like Dr. Frank. He truly listens, to you, is invested, and takes time to review with you your symptoms, issues, and possible causes. When he told me that «we will keep on running tests until we determine what’s causing your issue,» it was music to my ears.
I have been subconsciously using him as a benchmark when assessing other doctors — he has been the best doctor I’ve had in awhile, if not ever. His personality is warm and friendly, and he is dedicated to alleviating your GI issues. I highly recommend him!

How thick is your skin?
Mine isn’t very thick so when barked at, I was hurt. I also felt like I had bothered him with my call.
I also frustrated that I had to keep repeating «I am in pain» to not be blown off. After an endoscopy, he said «you’re fine» and walked away. I had to call after him that that doesn’t explain the pain, to which he came back to talk to me.
Also, frustratingly, the Dr on-​call to 90 min to call me back after I let him know I was in the ER.
Even more frustrating was that Dr Frank did not call me until the next afternoon.
In the end, I took it as I was being fired so I found a different one.
Lowdown:
Competent: yes.
Pleasant and easy: no.