Michael G. Close, MD

I read the reviews and was a little hesitant but some were positive and he’s a block from my house so I made an appointment. The first experience was bad but it’s the second experience that prompted me to write this review. I would give him zero stars if it were an option.
Dr. Close gave me a medication I need and have been taking for a few years. I went to refill it through my mail-​order company and they said they could not refill it — I called and found out they need his «DEA number.» I called the receptionist today and apparently he can no longer prescribe that medication — he no works with another doctor to prescribe it. I was not informed when this happened, and calls from my mail-​order pharmacy to his office were not returned (the receptionist said going through everyone’s file would take forever and that they did not receive a call, for what it’s worth.) So today I’m scrambling to find a doctor to fulfill this prescription.
That is on top of other bad experiences. I made the appointment for 7:30 so I could get to work by 9. He didn’t even get there until about 8 a.m. The nurse drew blood and then Dr. Close came in and just talked to me about medicine and diet and other random stuff. I didn’t stop him because I thought he was building to a point but he wasn’t. He was called out of his office finally at about 9:15 and came back asking if I was in a hurry and I said well I wasn’t but I was hoping to get to work by 9 and I’m already behind so I need to go. So he wrote me prescriptions and then said I need to come back in because we never did the actual appointment — checking my heart rate, breathing, etc.
Finally, a few days after that the nurse called on a Friday afternoon and said my blood revealed a few things that we need to talk about. I missed the call but left two messages. I never received a return phone call. Who calls a patient and tells them there are a few things from their blood test to discuss and then doesn’t follow up or return their calls?
Avoid this doctor. I don’t think there is any malicious intent but this is really basic stuff a doctor and his staff need to be able to do, and pretty serious. If you’re wavering after reading the reviews, trust your gut and go somewhere else.

Dr. Close is extremely informative and didn’t just tell me the basic facts about high blood pressure but he created a story around it and gave a mini history of the medicine treating it. he’s a very cool guy. the office is a bit hectic where I think they share rooms with other doctors, i’m not entirely sure about that. either way i enjoyed my appointment with him and I“m definitely going back.

Yes, they are always busy so you’ll probably need to wait a bit. Outside of that they are great. Dr. Close is like having a family member as a doctor which I find awesome. I’ve been to many doctors over the years and most gave me the feeling of an assembly line approach to healthcare.
He is very down to earth and kind. Great doc in my opinion.

I have been a patient of Dr. Close’s since he was getting into the industry back in 1992 – 93 at a Doc In the Box that used to be on Halstead just north of Belmont. Since then he has moved at least 3 different times that I can count. In the beginning, I felt he was really, really great. He listened and always took his time (to a fault) talking to you about things.
Since then, I have watched a steady decline. After his divorce, he sort of went into left field (one appointment on a Saturday morning he was in his office sleeping off a hangover which I had to wake him up from as we were the only ones in the office) and he started getting very «new-​age» in his views on food and medicine. I appreciate his stand-​point, but I don’t need a 2 hour conversation about it and a laundry list of vitiamins I should be taking (including a push of his nutritional consultant) when all I want is a sore throat checked out.
I do believe his is a very passioniate doctor and is very good at what he does. However, I have made the decision after many, many years that I need to find a new one. One who is easier to see and whom I can have that established trust and connection with, not one who makes my head hurt and I have to ask myself, «What the HECK did he just say?»

Went to Dr. Close suffering from a potentially serious condition. No insurance, and out of work, I was ready to head to Cook County Emergency. Dr. Close advised me that I could go to St. Josephs and he could walk me through paperwork which would have the bills reduced substantially. He also sent me to Costco to fill the antibiotic prescription because he said they are MUCH cheaper for the generics. I was lucky. The antibiotics worked and only cost me $ 17.00. He had me come back THE NEXT DAY for no charge to see how I was. He was obviously very concerned and I was lucky. I was still quite sick for a couple more days but avoided the hospital stay.

Yeh, so I gave him a second chance, and I stand by my first review.
This time though he kept me waiting for over an hour.
I should have left, not that he would have cared. Anyway.
He again prescribed me a slew of antibiotics, and left me at that. No follow-​up, nothing, nada.
So, I went to another doc located in the Loop. A little out my way, but he in turn suspected that I had a certain condition, didn’t prescribe me any antibiotics but instead referred me to an endocrinologist.
The second doc was right, Dr. Close was wrong, very wrong, soooo incredibly wrong.
Still can’t believe the 5 star reviews, makes me wonder how many are legitimate.
Unilocalers, please note the filtered reviews.

I rarely get sick, and when I do, I am incredibly hesitant to go to the doctor or to take any prescription medicine. I infrequently get the flu or a cold, and I prefer to just let it run its course.
That being said, I have come down with something that has me feeling ill enough that I had finally decided (after much internal debate) to see a doctor. I searched Unilocal for practitioners near my apartment, and that’s how I found Dr. Close. Reading the reviews, he seemed like a good guy who has a tendency towards more natural medicine options, which is perfect for me.
I called to make an appointment this morning, and Dr. Close himself answered the phone. I asked if there were any openings today, and his exact words were, «Well, are you sick?» … This struck me as odd, and by his tone, also rude. I have a pretty solid sense of humor and am super easy going, so for me to think someone is being rude, they have to really be laying on the condescension.
I politely said that I was and described my symptoms, without going into very in depth detail. I assumed he would ask me particular questions or for specifics. Instead, he LAUGHED at me, and said, «Those don’t exactly sound like they warrant a visit to a doctor.»
Really?
So I simply said, «Okay, thank you. If that’s your professional opinion, I won’t worry about it.» And hung up. He called back and left a message saying that he thought whomever he had spoken to might have perceived his manner as flip or rude, but that all he was trying to say was that they did have morning openings, and it would be great to have appointments to fill them.
Yeah right. First of all, he didn’t even apologize for being rude and flip, he implied that I was in the wrong for interpreting him that way. That’s how children apologize for things when they think they’re in the right, not how an medical professional should address a «misunderstanding» with a potential patient.
If he had in fact asked me about my symptoms, I could have told him that my fever had broken 103 this morning, that I had been shaking in pain so intensely last night that I thought I was going to pass out, or that I have been coughing up phlegm with blood in it. I’ll grant that he has far more medical expertise than I do, but I know my body pretty well. Maybe tons of people come in overreacting to common colds, etc, but I would still like to be treated respectfully. I still want to have my concerns heard and assessed properly.
Of course, a great deal of my frustration is out of how terrible I feel, but I have never had an experience like this interacting with a doctor. I have zero desire to give him another chance, and I will look elsewhere for my medical needs.

Dr. Close and his assistants are the best in Chicago. I love that I have a Dr. that has a small family type practice that is like what I grew up with. He’s reachable and current on medical advice and I so appreciate the years of health he’s given me.
Jon-​David

Really, really, really good doctor. Extremely intelligent, knowledgeable guy (even for a doctor), yet comes across as a real person (he has a personality, and I’ve even seen him in different moods — kinda unusual for a doctor). I trust him as much as I’ve trusted any health professional. He’ll listen to and respect your feelings and requests, but will be more than willing to provide his own opinions (often at length), some of which are very strong. He is also thorough, and is careful to start with the basics (your diet, career, life situation, history, routine tests, etc.) before he simply tosses a prescription/​diagnosis at you. Spent a great deal of time talking to me during my initial visit. Excellent, caring nurse, friendly staff. I’m very glad to have found Dr. Close.

If you need a doctor who will listen and want to help he is the doctor to see.
He will do his best to help you. His nurse is extraordinary. Everyone in that office cares about patients. If you don’t have insurance they will work out payment with you!
With my new insurance I can’t see him any longer as he is not in network, which makes me very sad…

Really smart, attentive doctor who is genuinely concerned with his patients’ health. Refreshing change from «Here’s a prescription, get out of my office». Dr. Close is the first primary care physician I have ever had (and I’ve had a lot) who takes a generous amount of time to listen to me and explore different possibilities or treatment options. He does not pretend to know everything like some doctors. He is easy to talk to and very laid back. I would recommend him to anyone who desires a doctor that makes you feel like he cares about your needs.
Also– I have been to his office at least a half a dozen times, and called even more than that. In my experience I have only been assisted by the office staff in the most courteous and timely fashion. If I could give an extra star for the office girls, I would!

Dr. Close is by far the best doctor I’ve had. He takes the time to ask many questions about his patients and their health, and he offers advice and suggests treatment that is well thought out rather than a quick fix. On multiple occasions I have sat in his office talking to him about a health-​related issue or even general well being for nearly an hour, and he always seems to enjoy answering my questions. He’s also very helpful and considerate of patients under tight financial circumstances.
He does have an inclination toward tangential conversation (we spent 15 to 20 minutes talking about diet-​related books such as «Omnivore’s Dilemma» during one of my appointments), but I find it endearing. He’s truly interested in helping his patients become more informed about their own wellness. He also tends to run late, especially if you have a Saturday appointment, but I think his counseling and treatment is worth the wait.
I’m moving to Washington, D.C. in a few weeks and I’m sad I’ll have to find a new doctor. I’m fairly certain I won’t find another one as good.

I love Dr. Close. I have seen a lot of doctors who don’t talk, just prescribe a bunch of pills. Dr. Close sits down and talks to you about what’s going on. After I had a seizure related to the Gardasil shot, (administered by a different doctor, who told me it was in my head) I talked to Dr. Close and he told me straight up that he didn’t trust the shot one bit. He’s great at teaching you healthy living, which I think is lost in today’s culture and I loved that in regards to my allergies he suggested a number of things before OTC meds. The only downside is the front desk staff. I’ve been forgotten a few times, but when I let them know they are real sweet and fix the problem quickly.

best doc ever!

I just saw Dr. Close today, and I think he’s brilliant.
I went because my allergies have been absolutely awfully this year. I put off seeing a doctor because I’m stubborn, and because I like to try and heal naturally.
I’m so glad I randomly went to Dr Close just because he’s so close to home for me. In addition to explaining to me all my options regarding allergy medications, both prescription and OTC, he explained how they all work, and what was safe to take to for a prolonged period, and what was not.
Additionally, he gave me advice about health in general and his views on American food culture and the drug industry! It was a medical, political lesson, and he really seems to care about his patients’ well-​being. I am SO happy I found him!!!

Dr Close is great. You can read all of the other rave reviews to confirm what I found. He is very concerned about my health, and easy to talk to. You can tell that he is very smart, almost to a fault, and is passionate about medicine.
The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because the front staff is unbearable. Dealing with them in any way, shape, or form is beyond my tolerance level when healthy, not to mention when sick.
I will most likely not return to Dr. Close because of the poor office management. They’ve canceled twice on me, without telling me, only to leave me waiting in the front office for some kind of answer. They mismanaged my insurance, my co-​pay, and my correspondence with the hospital. And no matter how good Dr. Close may be, I have some basic requirements when dealing with a medical office which his staff cannot meet. But if you’re not like me, and can handle rude incompetent service, give this place a try.

This is my first online review, but I use Unilocal constantly for reference. I just had my appointment today, and I cannot believe what an amazing doctor I now have. THANK you!!! What Emily said in her post above is dead on with the teach a man to fish analogy. He takes the time to talk to you about medication, natural supplements, draws it out for you. He’s just a really intelligent and caring doctor. But in addition to that, he’s like this über-​cool laidback funny guy– you’ll want to like, have a beer with him.

I am a chiropractor and as such, am a little leery of the M.D. I have grown fatigued from defending my profession from the continued unfounded criticism of the medical profession and the lack of recognition that chiropractic deserves as a part of mainstream healthcare. I recognize that many, if not most of medical doctors are not critical of chiropractic, but the ones that are certainly cause a lot of frustration.
Dr. Close is a diamond in the medical rough as he is not critical, rather very supportive of complimentary and alternative medicine. I sincerely trust his opinion when I have a personal issue that needs attention and know that when I refer a patient to him he will keep the patient’s best interest in mind and my patients love working with him. He is sincere, and takes time to truly listen to patient’s concerns.
If you are looking for a new GP, call Dr. Close. You will not be disappointed.

I was a little leary when I called to make my appointment and the receptionist was very quick to get me off of the phone and when I asked a question they ignored me. However, I was desperate, and I wanted to see how the doctor himself was. They have saturday hours, so I made an appointment for my husband. Wow was I glad I went. This doctor is amazing. He really took his time to get to understand my husband. He explained side effects for pills my husband was taking that he was never aware of, and he wants to get my husband off of his pills but knows that can take time. He was friendly, knowledgeable and really wants the best for his patients. I am so glad that I followed my fellow Unilocalers and saw Dr. Close. I am knocking this guy down one star. the front desk staff is just bad.

I’ve had a problem with migraines for the last 8 years and have never found anything or anyone (as in a doctor) to aleveate the problem… And then I found Dr. Close…
Upon my first visit with him he sat and talked to me about my medical history and personal life in general to get a good idea of the level of stress that i allow my little olé self to feel since in his words, «I think stress is the cause of most health problems today.»
I don’t like prescription drugs and he seemed to prefer that I take natural supplements like vitamins etc… too so he gave me a bunch and i took them religiously for a month to se how it would all go and whaddya know… I didn’t get a migraine the following month or the next month I kept the vitamins up… Cool!
Psychological? Maybe… but what isn’t…