patients of Dr. Julie Kim...

I have a scheduled meeting with Dr. Kim in June for revision surgery.  I had a band, and it was removed a year ago, I am revising to sleeve.  What has your experience been like with her and the program at NEMC?  Thanks for your help.

Hi Deb, I don't know how much of the program you have to do but my one suggestion is to pre-plan your appointments.  I, also, don't know how much aftercare happens with the sleeve but Dr. Kim only sees patients on Thursdays I think and sometimes at least for the band, you see the PA instead.  It is very hard to get appointments with her directly so try to schedule them in advance.  The same goes for psych appts.  I like Dr. Kim, she is very nice so I hope that you like her.  They have a new PA so don't know her very well but seemed nice.  For psych, I like Dr. Greenberg a lot and Dr. Kaplan too, but don't know Dr. Smith.  For Nutrition, I had Gloria.  I liked her personally but stopped going because I never felt motivated by anything she had to say so why give them my money for nothing.  I have heard a lot of good things about Kerry in Nutrition as well.  I only had problems with one doctor, who I was fine with until we butted heads.  She wanted me to do a sleep apnea test and I refused.  She pulled me aside but still in an area where people could hear and spoke in what I feel was a really disrespectful way for not just doing what she said.  However, I think that she was trying to do what she thought was best for me but had no right to speak to me the way she did.  I discussed the sleep apnea test with Dr. Kim because other than being overweight, I had no symptoms whatsoever plus my husband is a physician too at Tufts and he backed up what I said.  Dr. Kim said it was no problem and did my surgery.  I chose Dr. Kim because as a Muslim (me not Dr. Kim), I wanted a female and it was nice to get carted into OR and only see women when my body was going to be exposed, not that I couldn't have surgery if it was a man.   Just PM me if you have any other questions.  Overall, my experience has been good with them, I can only hope that I can get my butt in gear and do as well as you did with the band.    Take care, Stacy

thanks Stacy, I will PM you

Hello I had my band at Tuffs with Dr. Kim and she was so nice and comfortable.  The OCC has people do a series of appointments before sugery.  I don't know if you will have to do them or not. but i had Dr. Gerber-Smith as my psych and she is probably the nicest person I ever met.  I had Gloria as my NUT and shes nice too but her apps. are like only 10 minutes and she doesn't really tell me stuff that I didnt know.  Dr. Pino is the exercise dr and he's really nice.  If you have to do all of the appointments you will have to do a 5 week support group.  Which is one a week for an hour and I loved the people in my group and everyone is going through the same stuff as you are.  But if you want an app with dr. Kim she gets booked really quickly so they need to be made in advance, but there is a new assitant named Christina Davis she is really nice and ive seen her a few times when I had apps with the doctors and when I had fills.