Alexander Shikhman, MD PhD

Dr Shikhman’s practice claims to take insurance but there is a mandatory $ 600 charge ON TOP OF YOUR CO PAY before you can walk through the door. For tests that they may or may not do!
When I argued this point I was told that I was obviously not a good fit for the practice. Wow. What a bunch of crooks! Not to mention, I waited six months for an appointment and was advised of this only the day before my appointment. Stay away.

My wife started seeing Dr. Shikhman about two years ago after being sick for years. Other Dr. s knew and agreed she was sick but could not find any answers. In one visit Dr. Shikhman was able to finally find what was wrong with her. The Dr. and his staff are always quick to listen and try to address every concern and the infusion staff is amazing! Not many doctors practice integrative medicine which looks at the whole health picture and not just one disease or symptom, Dr. Shikhman does. He tries very hard to use the least invasive or toxic solution and he and his staff truly care about their patients.

Their drug/​IV/​treatment protocols created more health problems and honestly almost killed me.
Like other patients, I had many issues with billing, front desk & scheduling. I was vocal about these problems but my biggest concern was my failing health and their lack of concern when I would say «I’m really getting worse.» Dr. S or Erika would stare blankly at me and tell me to «give the treatment more time.» I was miserable & patient for 6 months, my body started shutting down and I sought a more specific specialist, who has turned things around dramatically (in 2 months) without thousands of dollars in unnecessary pharma, vitamins, herbs & IVs.
If you are having problems diagnosing an auto immune, they are a decent place to start but if I could turn back the hands of time, I would use them as a diagnostic med center only.
The way they treat patients, their medical protocols and the front desk is shameful.
If you have a tick related diagnosis and are using this office, contact ILADS asap & get a referral.

Do not go there even if you are desperate! All of the negative reviews posted are true and then some. The staff there are the most incompetent people I have ever come across. They mess up your appointments and your bills and then blame you for their mistakes. I thought the doctor himself and his assistant were good but everyone else surrounding them in the office are not worth the hassle. I even sent Dr. Shikhman a letter on their patient portal explaining all of the awful things that happened to me but never heard back from him. Maybe he doesn’t care, or maybe his staff never passed on the email.

After months of seeing doctors that couldn’t figure out what was wrong with my health; I decided to see Dr. Shikhman based on positive feedback I’d heard from friends. I am so grateful that I did. He didn’t tell me my illness was in my head, he didn’t just give me a band-​aid to subdue my symptoms, he made every effort to find the root cause. I can’t say that I trust many doctors, but I trust him & his PA Erika as well. The girls at the front are kind & helpful. The MA staff is truly caring and handles me very well and with sensitivity. I know people may complain about waiting for an appointment; but it’s worth the wait. I feel so blessed to be treated by Dr. Shikhman.

I found Dr Shikhman after reading his book Gluten Nation. I knew I had been really sick for years. He is the doctor who did the right tests to find out what was wrong. I also appreciate his approach to my situation in «phases». He prioritizes the conditions and has a logical plan to treat, which prevents confusion so we know what’s working and why. I like his patience and ability to problem solve my many different illnesses. I have been with his office for 6 months and I am doing so much better than I have in years. And his supplements are worth the money. Especially if you have celiac disease. Only people like us value that his products are strictly gluten free. Nothing is worse than taking digestive enzymes when your pancreas isn’t working, only to then find they contain gluten and you have a major celiac reaction. Devastating. It’s like a sucker punch to the gut, literally. His Vegan Enzyme formula is the only thing that I can use to help me literally eat. And honestly it’s not any more expensive than what you will find at Sprouts. Except these actually work! And the price point is mid-​level when you compare them to the options at Sprouts for example. I’m lucky to have found this medical practice.

You better be desperate and at the end of your rope before coming here. It takes over a month to get an appointment and you have to wait almost an hour, sometimes longer, when you show up at your scheduled time. You may as well clear your calendar and be prepared to spend the entire day waiting here. I’ll never be back nor will I ever refer anyone here.

Dr. Shikhman is worth traveling any distance to see. I was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis about a year ago. My doctors at UCLA put me on a lot of medications/​injections and told me I’d never get off of them. Dr. Shikhman discovered the diagnosis was wrong, figured out what I had, treated it properly and now I’m off all medicine and pain free. Love him!

Okay, so here we are almost 5 months after my initial review and I wanted to update. I really appreciate Dr. Shikhman. This is coming from someone who wrote off western medicine for decades. Im doing so much better then I was when I walked into his office in January and each month we tailor my plan to make me feel even better by the next visit. Im a super savvy consumer at this point, having to become my own doctor after medicine largely failed me and sometimes hurt me. That is dangerous and wonderful at the same time. Dangerous because I’m so used to being my own doctor that for the first few months I had to resist the urge to dabble in treating myself, which I didnt always resist ;) Okay, truth be told I *still* dont always resist adding in a supplement from time to time, but every time it backfires on me, Dr S has the antidote and he doesn’t chastise me for trying. Over these months instead of being treated with push back and arrogance, Dr. Shikhman has instead addressed me with science and knowledge, not treating me like it was all over my «pretty little head» like so many doctors had in the past. Their word was God and who was I to question it? That doesn’t make you feel very much a part of your health journey. I used to have an anxiety attack before going to the doctor. Now, I leave feeling great about the path I’m on and feeling like I’m in the best hands possible. This has taken a tremendous load off of me and helped me heal. I don’t have to be the expert anymore and I can be a co author of the journey. Best of both worlds.

Dr. Shikhman himself is knowledgeable, pragmatic, and pleasant to work with. My lukewarm experience with his Institute For Specialized Medicine has more to do with the unresponsiveness/​unreliability of his staff. They are all nice and helpful people in person, but trying to get any sort of follow up from the office was like pulling teeth! One of the last times I went in they couldn’t find my test results, which was frustrating. Dr. Shikhman agreed to send me an email with the results along with an explanation. I had to call and email 3 times before they sent me the results, and I still haven’t heard from the Dr. There are many things I’d rather spend my time and energy on!
Another gripe of mine is that appointments don’t start on time. When I’m taking time off from work and am seen 20 – 30 minutes after apt. start time, that is problematic and frustrating. I’m not using The Institute for Specialized Medicine anymore because of these factors and deciding to pursue another route to health, the GAPS diet.

Just had my second visit with Dr Shikhman. Oh how I wish I’d come to him sooner!
As a RN with many years experience in healthcare, I have somewhat an inside track on what goes on, who is the best, etc. He is regarded very highly by his patients, and also by other doctors. I am beginning my own experience on why this is so!
I am happy to report that after only two visits, I truly feel confident I have found someone who is knowledgeable, caring, and can help me find a better quality of life.
I appreciate his education and experience and look forward to feeling better and restored to my formally active lifestyle.

Just wanted to post an update. Dr. Shikhman and his staff are amazing. Though he specializes in adults, he did me a favor and did some lab testing on my son because I suspected he had food allergies. Turned out to be something else more serious and I’m so thankful Dr. Shikhman went out of his way to help me. He put us on a plan to get my son well and told us to see a pediatric gastroenterologist.
His office staff has been amazing in coordinating paperwork that we’ve needed to file too and making appointments around our crazy schedule. They’ve always been super accommodating. Seriously, I can’t say enough good things about this practice. I’ve referred 3 other people here because I love it here so much.

I am currently undergoing treatment at ISM with Dr. Shikhman. So far, so good. My knee pain has decreased dramatically, and now we’re working on healing. He and his staff are professional and personable. Doc has been very generous with his time answering questions about the procedure, even explaining what is and isn’t covered by insurance, so that I could work the payments out with my job schedule.
Reception
I’ve been to offices where the receptionists are really rude, and Doc’s office is average, so no complaints. They’ve been kind about the few times I showed up late, or helping me reschedule, even at the last minute. As with all personal interactions, how people deal with you has a lot to do with how you treat them as well.
Technicians
I love the technicians that work with Dr. Shikhman. They’re all sports fans, and I’m a competitive athlete, so we have a lot to talk about. They have been very pleasant dealing with my anxiety about needles, using humor to take my mind off things. Makes each treatment more fun.
Dr. Shikhman
Doc is great. He is very professional. More importantly, he is the inventor of many of the protocols he uses at his clinic, and explains everything very well. He is very interested in how I feel. I COMPLETELY disagree with the poster who said this office is only about money. They have been 100% concerned about my wellness, and have bent over backwards helping me even when I wasn’t able to pay on time.

I recommend my friends to go see Dr. Shikhman and tell them he should be called Doctor Thorough. He is a wonderful clinician having both a PHD and MD degree.
For the past eight years I have been seeing him because I benefit from him answering all my questions and concerns. He is up on the latest research. I know of many rheumatologist in San Diego through my association with the Spondylitis Association of America and feel blessed to have Dr. Shikhman as my doc. He has helped me in so many ways.
After reading some of the other posts, my comment is that thoroughness many times requires lab tests which cost money. If you don’t want to play around with the dreaded diseases that he treats by spending time going to a lot of different doctors, go see him.

A friend recommended Dr. Shikhman to me. Like the other reviews, I had difficulty making an appointment, but what was really disturbing was the poor quality of care I received! The doctor decided he wanted to do an ultrasound of my knee’s, although I hadn’t asked him to look at them. I did allowed him to exam them but at NO time was I told there would be an additional charge of $ 500 per ultrasound! After that he wanted some blood drawn-​OH MY! I should have RUN! After numerous, painful and inept attempts at drawing blood, the woman called the «nurse» in to give it a try. She did manage to get a vein and collect a little blood before collapsing it… When I received my astronomical bill-​I called and complained but was told «it is the doctor’s decision to treat you as he sees fit». I then asked for my lab results, and they could not produce them-​although they had billed my insurance! Do yourself a favor and avoid this office!

I would agree with the other reviews about the front office. Not only do they behave unprofessionally, they also dress inappropriately for a professional medical setting. I think the problem is the Office Manager, who just does not seem to have a clue. Dr. Shikhman is very good, and it is a shame that his «support» staff are are ruining things for his practice. I hope they can get it together.
NC
San Diego

The clinic is getting really busy, and now that there is a bit of a wait, you must book two to three weeks ahead. When you find a really good doctor, waiting to get in is part of the deal. Despite the increase in patients, he is still very thorough and spends time with patients to evaluate where they are at. With some doctors, I have noticed that the quality of care becomes compromised as they become more successful, but Dr. Shikhman maintains a great level of care for his patients.

I cant believe the reviews I just read on the staff. They have been the kindest, understanding, prompt staff I’ve ever seen. I’ve had RA nearly 2 decades and have seen my share of «scary» staff who discourage you from EVER calling. While I waited for the doctor in the back area to ask a question I had a nice conversation with a staff member who was kind, laughed with me, and still worked while we talked. I even complimented the staff to his doctor.
Last week 2 people, plus a nurse, said, «Call the doctor for anything. he wants to know how you are doing. He will call you back. That is what he is here for.» My last rheumatologist didn’t even return my page becausse «she was at a conference and didn’t get my page for a few hours» — well, I was getting a molar/​tooth extracted and the dentist wanted me to take a blitz of prednisone, which I dont do anymore for many reasons. I had to take care of my own pain mgmt and decide.
I’ve also found the doctor to be a great listener, (1-​hr appt for the first visit), patient with questions, extremely smart, willing to try to make sure you are not in pain while getting the right «recipe» of treatment; I’ve never had a rheum who asked me so many questions to understand my past treatment to help decide my future treatment.
I think the best staff are those who are personable and friendly, but who also show a great deal of respect for the doctor and jump when he needs something. I’ve seen this at Dr. Shikhman’s office –a mutual respect for the doctor, staff and patient.