Kathy Nguyen Walker, MD

Love Dr Walker! Delivered all 3 of my kids with her. People who criticize her do not have a sense of humor. She has the nicest office staff too.

Do not go to this doctor. I don’t post on Unilocal but after my experience, I felt like I owed it to other mothers out there to say something. First off, the staff is super nice, both the women at the front and the nurse. They are professional and caring. And yes, that last one is important when you are pregnant and dealing with anything related to your baby — it is actually an essential part of being a physician.
You have to wait forever when you go to see Dr. Walker — she has no sense of time or punctuality. There were times when I saw her walking in around 11:00 when she had appointments lined up since 9:00. Staff claimed she was always in a work emergency but I overheard there were times when she was just leaving home and took forever to come in. Be prepared to wait 45 minutes to 1 hour before you are taken inside.
Although her qualifications seem competent — this doctor is engaging in what I believe to be malpractice. She provides little to no information on procedures, options or treatment. She is patronizing, condescending and judgmental. She does not provide solutions to problems, but instead makes you feel like you are crazy for having questions, and proposes no answers — everything is just it will be ok, don’t worry about it. When you are a first time mom and you are responsible for another human being — there is no such thing as «over thinking» — she also thought it was a negative to have an educated patient because we tend to be the worst to deal with. She did not appreciate having to answer questions about anything.
I had a bad feeling about her when I first started seeing her — but I too thought ok she is qualified we do not need to be best friends. I was wrong — I should have switched doctors early on. When it came close to my due date she started telling me horror stories about still births and high risk pregnancies. She was planning a vacation and basically did not want me to be delivered by someone else in her practice because she would then have to turn around and pay that physician. She actually told me this. Before I was even due she started talking about wanting to induce me or doing a C-​Section, neither of which were medically warranted.
I succumbed to the pressure and decided to be induced. The experience was a nightmare because I did not know what I was in for. Again because she provided either misinformation or no information. More than that she did not even come to check on me or talk to me while I was in the hospital for over 36 hours before delivery — she simply kept instructing to nurses to do X or do Y. When I finally got her on the phone, she was extremely rude and dismissive. She basically told me to not be emotional (try that after being in the hospital — poked prodded and medicated — for three days for an induction that is not working) and that she could not hand hold me through the decision making process. She told me I could leave the hospital, get a c-​section, or continue an induction process that did not seem to be working and that was basically that. I had to beg her to come in and discuss our options — and she said she would swing by after her surgery — and gave no indication as to when that would be.
In the interim my husband and I frantically called our own doctor friends to seek their advice because I had no faith or confidence in Dr. Walker — and most importantly did not trust her medical opinions or advice. They seemed to be triggered more by her schedule and expediency than what was best for me health-​wise. When she finally did show up she was less rude than on the phone — but still engaged with us in a manner unbefitting a doctor. When things actually worked out she basically did an «I told you so dance» around me. She cared nothing about my health, the health of my baby, or the condition she put me in. Cold does not begin to cover it — and if you think that is not important in a doctor, esp an ob/​gyn working to deliver your baby then you do not understand this process — how vulnerable you are in that time. She made me feel terrible and the entire labor and delivery process was incredibly stressful and horrible because of the decisions she made — and the way she interacted with us.
In the end we thankfully had a healthy baby — but I would never want another mother to go through the experience I had. The lack of information (which is malpractice), the judgment, the refusal to answer questions without being patronizing, the scare tactics, the fact that her medical judgments are based on her schedule rather than the patient, the waiting at her office — I would highly recommend people to go elsewhere.

I absolutely love Dr.Walker. People are complaining about having to wait, or she didn’t console me. Um 1^st off she is an OBGYN not a therapist. She is amazing at her job and when it comes to pregnancy she makes sure to take all precautions for mom and baby. I swear some women are so damn sensitive they want a doctor that is there friend and who could care less than a doctor who will help and treat your issue.

Dr. Walker and all three of her staff members as well as her office atmosphere are all truly amazing. Had a great experience on our first and second visits to the office.

Don’t go to this doctor. I was suffering from severe vomiting and I lost 13 lbs in three weeks. I told her I was not feeling good and I was worried about my baby. She just told me that it will pass and I might get better the next time I saw her. Guess what? I didn’t get better. I lost another 5 lbs and ended up in urgent care twice because of dehydration. I called her clinic and expressed my concern because I was skinny with the weight of 118 pounds before pregnancy. And with the 18 lbs loss, I was worried that my baby would not be healthy. And she just told me she would get me another ultrasound next appointment to check the baby. No, I didn’t want an ultrasound. I wanted some treatment and I wanted to start eating and gain weight. By the way, I was in my second trimester then. Her practice is not organized at all. I did an NIPT at week 13 and they told me the result should come back in 7 – 10 business days. No, it didn’t. I kept calling every other day and no one gave me explanation and it seemed to me that no one is pushing or checking the results with the lab. It took me almost four weeks to know the result and this test cost me 350 dollars. What really made me angry is that she didn’t reply my calls as she promised. She said generally 24 hours. No, she didn’t. And the waiting is so long. Usually it took half an hour after appointment to get into the exam room and another half an hour to see her. I’m so glad that I changed my OB.

DO NOT GO TO THIS DOCTOR UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
I think there is something ACTUALLY wrong with her.
ESPECIALLY DO NOT GO TO HER if you are between 20 – 35 and don’t have kids. SHE WILL HARASS you about it and judge your contraception choice.
She is cold, violating, and answered texts from her son «he knows how to get a credit card at 15» in the middle of the visit.

Went in for a well-​woman visit. This was my first time in her office. She came in, barely greeted me, didn’t ask me if I had any concerns, just sat down and started reading the paperwork I had just filled out. When she got the family history, my grandmother died of breast cancer (50 years ago) and my mom died of cervical cancer (two months ago) she muttered something under her breath and said, «Did you hear what Angelina Jolie did?»
I was so taken aback, I replied incredulously, «Yes! And I would never do that!»
She said, «It just opens up a discussion.» I told her there was nothing to discuss.
She was detached and cold from the beginning to end. I might as well have been a specimen in a college anatomy lab class.
Go in for a pap smear and the doctor recommends a hysterectomy and a double mastectomy! What a nightmare!

My doctor was out of town-​thank goodness and Dr. walker delivered my baby. She was amazingly professional, caring and her follow up was thorough. I was so happy to have her be my dr. I am switching to her asap.

Kathy Walker is a phenomenal physician. Due to her ability to quickly diagnose and effectively treat the problems, we have two sons today. She is hands-​down one of the best physicians I have ever had.

Like Irene H., I am «standing up» for Dr. Kathy Walker. I had a really great pregnancy and very positive birth experience with Dr. Walker, and I really do not understand all the negative reviews. If we have another child, I will certainly have Dr. Walker as my doctor again.
I will start at the beginning. Dr. Walker was a referral through my HMO. I asked for a female doctor in Pasadena who delivers at Huntington and she was selected by my primary care physician. Like anyone these days, I immediately googled her and did not find a lot of information, but did see these overall negative Unilocal reviews, and it caused me serious concern. But, because health insurance is the way it is, I decided I would go and meet her and see what I thought and then if I had to, petition my HMO to find another OBGYN (for those of you who don’t know, pregnancy is one of the main conditions that health insurance companies will make exceptions for if you want someone out of your network, so just keep that in mind). I met Dr. Walker very early in my pregnancy because I was having some sharp pain that concerned me and her staff managed to fit me in the very next morning first thing. That set the tone for a great experience with Amanda and Jenny (at the front window) and Dr. Walker’s main assistant, Bernice. They were always very nice, accommodating, remembered my name, etc. I got to know them throughout my pregnancy and really like all 3 of them. They always answer questions about billing, hospital registration, etc.
Once I met Dr. Walker, I was impressed. She is very smart, has a lot of experience, and listened to my concerns. At the first appointment, she took an ultrasound, and calmed any fears I had related to the sharp pains. She assured me the pain was nothing unusual, answered all my questions, and confirmed that the baby was healthy. I never looked back and did not consider changing doctors. I saw her regularly for all of my pre-​natal visits, and each time I got great care and had all my questions answered. Yes, Dr. Walker is very busy and has a lot of patients. But, if you take the time to talk to her and get to know her, she is funny and warm. Even though she is busy and sometimes seems she is rushing around, she never neglected to answer any questions or made me feel she was rushing through an appointment.
As for the birth, I was induced at almost 41 weeks and Dr. Walker’s plan worked out perfectly. She knew I wanted as natural a birth as possible, and we discussed the plan together at my 40 week appointment and I felt informed and comfortable. Dr. Walker and I were both concerned about the baby getting too big. Overall, my labor and delivery went very smoothly and Dr. Walker was excellent. I loved that she was close to the hospital — her office is only about a block or two away — and that made a difference bc she checked on me in the morning and was able to return within minutes of when the nurses in labor called her around lunchtime. She arrived and I was ready to deliver and within minutes I was pushing. The baby was out and perfectly healthy.
Okay, there are some things that are not absolutely perfect:
(1) Yes, I have waited for appointments and waited once I have been taken into the examine room. Is it a little annoying? Yes, but, I have had this experience in many doctors’ offices and I don’t think this is unusual or makes her a bad doctor. She delivers babies for a living so, yes, she often has to leave during the day to deliver a baby or do a c-​section and this can throw off her schedule. I understand that. If you cannot abide any waiting, find a practice with multiple doctors in the same office. You may not always see the same doctor, but that is a choice you are making. (By the way, though Dr. Walker is the only doctor physically in her office, she is in a group with 6 doctors, I believe, and any of the other doctors can deliver your baby if for any reason Dr. Walker cannot.)
(2) Yes, they have called me to reschedule appointments once or twice. They called to say Dr. Walker had emergency surgery, for example, and they don’t want me to wait so can we reschedule for the next day? Again, I do not find this to be a deal breaker or mean that Dr. Walker is a «bad» doctor. That kind of stuff just happens.
Overall, I had a great pregnancy and delivery experience and think very highly of Dr. Walker.

Dr Walker was recommended to me by my family doctor.
I told my family doctor that I want a doctor who is thorough and detail oriented. Dr. Walker is definitely that. The reason I only gave her 3 star is because of the same problem everyone else is having, long wait.
I always call ahead to schedule appointment, but every time I had to wait at least 45 minutes after my appointment time to see her. There is always different reasons, but honestly, It creates a huge problem for me. I always have to take time off work since they don’t open over the weekends. So the longer I sit there and wait, the less money I make from work. And it’s difficult for me to explain to my supervisor why I am always an hour to an hour and half late back to office.

I am standing up for her. I was her patient and i appreciate her genuinely. She is the best. She is a genius smart doctor. She c sectioned my boy years ago no problem at all. She always answered my qns. She listened. She made all the right diagnosis. I felt great in her hands. I was scared to death it was my first baby she put me at ease.
As genius go, most are misunderstood. This is the case with the negative reviews. I can see it can be hard to understand or communicate with her because she is that smart. She is miles ahead in thinking that’s a God’s gift that makes her an excellent doctor. Appreciate it don’t knock it.
Doctors are not customer service salespeople what matters is their skills not kissing your ass. Do you want a incompetent doctor that misdiagnose but talks like a charm instead I know a few — completely useless.
Walker is opposite she has substance she has skills she does it right. I really can’t understand the negative reviews. I love her. Simply the best.

NOT RECOMMENDED!
I chose Dr. Walker as my OBGYN when I was pregnant with my daughter. Reviews were right she rushes through appointments, she is in and out within 5 minutes. Makes it difficult to ask questions. Besides that she seemed to be a good doctor. When I was ready to go on maternity leave and turned in my EDD application for her to fill out and send out, not only do they charge $ 20 but she did not send it out until 2 weeks later only because I called to ask why I had not heard from EDD? When I went into labor and saw her in the delivery room it was like she didn’t know me and asked questions she had asked before. When I went in for my 6 week follow up I was feeling very depressed and had a lot going on at home. I talked to Dr. Walker about how I was feeling. Her exact words «well I’m not a psychologist but I can prescribe an anti depressant?» REALLY?! How unprofessional and irresponsible! Postpartum depression is a serious condition. She left me at a dead end, I understand she couldn’t diagnose me but some advice or a referral would of helped. I lost my job because of this and was later diagnosed with severe postpartum depression but was not put on meds immediately I was asked to think about it first and Dr. Walker was just willing to write a prescription? She’s a horrible doctor! Save yourself and go somewhere else. She does not care or listen to her patients.

Dr. Walker is a strange bird. My experience with her was terrible enough that I’ve had to change doctors. She discussed how she could earn more from my procedure, suggested I take an abortion pill to make her job ‘easier,’ despite the extreme pain it would cause me, asked me to put down an extraordinary cash deposit for a device 100% covered by my insurance, left me waiting naked and prone for over 30 min., and her office staffed asked me highly personal questions about my medical history in the lobby, in front of the other patients. I’ve never had such a terrible experience with a doctor. I wish I’d heeded the reviews on Unilocal and my insurance website.

Best OBGYN ever! The only bright thing that happened with my miscarriage. She was attentive and hopeful. Definitely seeing her on my next pregnancy

Oh what I can say about Kathy Walker. She is unfit to be a doctor. Even with an appointment wait time is over an hour. Whenever my wife asked questions she would not give a straight answer. She would ask her question with another question asking «what do you think»? Her equipment is out of date cannot see any of my baby’s sonogram pics. She told my wife she would have to be induced by scaring her that the baby is getting to be too big. So we went in for an induction and it failed after 3 days. We were both tired and wanted to go home, but Kathy kept trying to tell my wife to stay and do a c-​section. My wife specifically told her she wanted to deliver naturally. We did not listen to her and decided to go home, thank God we did. Saw Kathy a week later and again scared my wife saying we need to do a c-​section because baby is getting bigger and bigger. She was at 40 weeks which is not overdue, but we did it trusting the doctor knows best. During the delivery she had such a hard time delivering the baby for some reason, she struggled. And here is the kicker when my wife went for her pp visit Kathy had the nerve to ask why we did a c-​section. Kathy likes to schedule c-​sections on her patients like nothing because it fits her schedule. She never remembered who my wife is and always told her the same crap every time she went in for a visit. We knew the sex of our baby already and kathy would always ask at every visit «do you want to know if it’s a boy or girl»? And when my wife wanted to stop breast feeding Kathy kept trying to persuade to continue and when my wife asked her how to cut off the milk supply Kathy did not help. My wife got horribly engorged and went to the ER for help. I think a good doctor is someone who listens to their patients rather than doing what they want. The reason why we stuck with her is because my wife has HMO and she was the only doctor who delivered at Huntington and she was not that bad at the beginning so we dealt with it, but we will NEVER go to her again!!!

Dr Kathy .very excellent she make you feel so comfortable to talk with… I been to her office twice. She make sure to explain for you everything. I love her. I am in a good hand now (Doctor Kathy)

Dr. Walker is amazing. I never thought I would like another Gyno after my last one retired, but Dr Walker has proven to step up and be just as attentive and caring as they get. She takes the time to educate you in a language you understand.

Dr. Walker is probably the worst Dr. I have ever had. She was my doctor for the first 6 months of pregnancy and my experience was awful! She was extremely rude and would not take the time to answer any questions. She would rush me through the appt and had no personality. I had an extremely tough pregnancy and every time I would try to talk with her about it she would just say «its part of being pregnant»! Come to find out after getting a second opinion two of her test results were not accurate. I finally had enough and switched doctors. The doctor I had switched to immediately took me out of work and had me on bed rest. Thank goodness for him as who knows what could have happened if I had continued with this condescending Dr.

Wait time can be long, but the care is great.
She delivered my son and it was all perfect.