Gail G Pyle, MD

I would rate Dr Pyle a ZERO if I could. I’m a very positive person so bad review are something I do not like to do.
I scheduled an appointment with Dr Pyle after being diagnosed with celiac disease. After scheduling the appointment a nurse called me to verify — I wasn’t lying about having CD. Those were the nurses words. The nurse told me Dr Pyle would call me just before the appointment to talk to me. I thanked her as I liked the idea of doing a phone screen prior to seeing the new doctor. A phone screen saves a lot of time and I think this would help us both understand if she would be a good doctor for me.
Anyway just before the appointment I received a very kind reminder about my appointment — only it wasn’t with Dr Pyle. Her office rerouted me, without my knowledge, to a doctor who I have NOT seen +10 years ago and informed me that I had to see Dr Gupta.
What? I though Dr Pyle was going to talk to me over the phone. The nurse explained this was not insurance requirement it was because Dr Gupta, who I had not seen in +10 years had to agree and sign off on it before I could see any doctor in PAMF. I asked the nurse then — why was able to see another PAMF for years — who retired about ⁸⁄₉ years ago. Remember I stopped seeing Dr Gupta +10 years ago for a valid reason.
Why would I want to PAY to a see a doctor who I stopped seeing +10 years, who miss diagnosed me, and told me it was OK to eat bread — pasta and this was all in my head. Wait. I have Celiac Disease? Bread has gluten — doesn’t it? If I continue to eat gluten it will kill me right? So again. why do I want to see Dr Gupta doctor so she can have another chance to tell me this is in my head and ignore me? Dr Gupta NEVER EVER listen to me. She told me I needed to exercise 3 – 5 times a week for 30 min to get my heart rate up. hmmm. I guess she forgot that I was training to run 6 marathons in 1 year. I ran 3−5x a week, swam in open ocean for 1 hour and had core workouts 2 times a week for an hour. So I responded to her private message reminding with my past week work out schedule — asking her if I should add this 30 min workout at the end or before my runs. Her response — brought tears of laughter to my team mates for years to come (hung it on my door next to all the funny emails — no every took it down as it was a classic). She responded by telling me — she was only trying to help and please remember to walk or run 3 times a week for 30 min since I was unable to do more. More? yeah. right. Dr Gupta. your telling a person who works out +8x week — a couple days a week I would work out before and after work they need to get off the couch and start exercising.
Dr Gupta told me — my gluten issues were in my head and said «stop this nonsense — no one get’s sick from eating bread — pasta.» She didn’t even send me to a nutritionist — she went straight for this is in your head. Other doctors sent me to a nutritionist — at least they tried — at least they listened to their patients.
At the time I was training so like a good athlete in training I kept a food journal of everything I ate. If you looked at my food journal and my test results the signs gluten issues were there. Celiac Disease Symptoms were SCREAMING but Dr Gupta wasn’t listening to me or the test results.
I didn’t know what was wrong with me back then all I knew is would get really sick. I offered to eat a piece a bread in front of her and she could watch my reaction — it only takes a couple of minutes before I would get sick. So I did what every normal — intelligent person would do — I got a second opinion and found someone who believed me.
I eventually did and saw Dr Gray at Stanford who told me what was wrong with me and diagnosed me with Celiac Disease.
After explaining the situation to Dr Pyle office they booked me another appointment. Then just before the new appointment — I was automatically rerouted back to Dr Gupta. Really? That’s waste of my time.
I called again — for the 2^nd time — understand what was happening. The nurse explained that Dr Gupta is near Dr Pyle’s office so I need Dr Gupta’s permission to change doctors. WHAT?
Again this has nothing to do with insurance and I’ve NOT spoke to Dr Gupta in over 10 years — then again why would I — she’s NOT listening anyway.
I gave up and never saw Dr Pyle.

I had a really wonderful experience with Dr. Pyle. She was kind, patient, understanding, well-​researched and refreshingly interested in my case. I’ve never had a conventional physician sit down and piece together all of the aspects of my health puzzle the way she did. She’s very open-​minded and well-​versed in a number of different areas, and an added plus– she’s also what I personally consider to be a Celiac Disease expert. She spoke my language. Thus, I’m quite grateful to have the chance to now call Dr. Pyle my primary care physician. Thank you Dr. Pyle!

I have never ever had such an unprofessional encounter with a doctor and her staff! I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and was recommended by my GI to see Dr. Pyle. Although a doctor in internal medicine, she herself had Celiac and has a special interest in the disease. I tried for a month to get an appointment with her, I was scheduled twice and both times my appointments were canceled at 7am before my appointment. I finally called back the office and asked to talk to a nurse in Dr. Pyle’s office to schedule an appointment, I was called back and thought I was all set. 7am the morning I was due to come in, I received a phone cal from one of her nurses, yelling at me, «How did you get this appointment?!?», At 7am! I am a new mother and sleep is hard to get, the last thing I need is to have a nurse call me at 7am and complain that she «now has to pull my records 3 hrs before an appointment’. She spent 15 minutes chewing me out about having to do her job. When I asked why don’t I just reschedule she stated, «It’s too late, the doctor is making me pull the records». When I complained that this was extremely unprofessional and that I can’t believe a nurse is yelling at me at 7am about setting up an appointment through the correct chains of scheduling, she continued to argue at me. I was a extremely angry and offered at this point and lost my cool. When I said again to here, «why are you calling me then at 7am if you don’t want me to schedule an appointment? This is «fricking» unprofessional!» She then said that I should not swear at her, (Fricking ins not a swear word the last time I checked) and said to just come in.
Not 1 minute later, I received a phone call from Doctor Pyle that she heard that I Swore at her nurse! So not only was I scolded by the nurse but now by the doctor. This went on for a ½ and hour (from 7am — 7:30). I was dumfounded! I explained my self to the doctor who would not hear anything that I had to say and stood up for the Nurse’s behavior. Finally after everyone calmed down she started discussing what we would do in the appointment. I finally told her that I wan not coming in and after this whole experience, that I would never be able have a good patient doctor relationship after she and her staff treated me this way. I said good by and that I would be calling to complain to the department.
When I contacted the complaint line for Palo Alto Medical Foundation, they were extremely kind and non bias, they took my complaint and I was later called by the Manager of internal medicine who was extremely apologetic. She said that the nurse was upset with how the front desk and other nurses schedule patients and that her anger should not have been displaced on me. That they were «willing to still have me come in». Which irritated me, because it still made it sound like I was in the wrong. I kindly told them that the ‘bridge had been burned’ this morning and that I did not feel comfortable seeing the doctor now no matter how good she was and that I would find a different specialist, nor ever feel comfortable scheduling an appointment. At least Palo Alto Medical is professional, too bad their medical staff is not.
I now have been going to the Stanford Celiac Sprue Clinic (under Digestive Health at Stanford Hospital). They were extremely helpful and professional. This just proves to me how inflated people’s egos become when they have any level of power or control. Just disgusts me that this happens in the Medical field where specialist are limited and we, the paying patients, have to put up with this system and behaviors.