Colleen McNally, MD

This review is also for the receptionist — absolutely deplorable phone manner. Customer service is obviously not on their priority list. Disgusting.

I don’t write Unilocal reviews. This may be my second one ever but oh MAN is Dr. McNally worth it. She is the absolute best. She has carried my family through two high risk pregnancies flawlessly and brought two amazing babies into this world. My first child was breech and with 3.5 weeks to go in my pregnancy they decided to try and external version to see if we could get my daughter’s big ol head to flip around. We admitted to Sharp Mary Birch and as soon as they checked positioning with the ultrasound it was determined that whether or not the version worked, we weree having that baby that night. Let me tell you, that is a terrifying thing to hear your first time around! Dr. McNally was such a pro. She calmly and respectfully explained what was happening, and when I was scared to death and panicking in the OR, she soothingly talked me through the entire procedure. She is a champion. We had low fluids once again in my second pregnancy and she competently maneuvered us through antenatal testing and another flawless c-​section (she was even able to remove old scar tissue from my first delivery!). I can’t say enough about what a kind, intelligent, and professional Dr. McNally is. She is ALWAYS busy, but has never made me feel rushed or unimportant. Whe she is in my exam room, she is MY doctor — not something you find everywhere. You will not regret going to see her. My husband and I joke we would consider having another kid just to go see her again! It should also be noted that her nurse, Erin, is AWESOME. She is juggling a thousand things at any given moment, but never drops the ball. She is a huge asset to Dr. McNally and her team.

This review is ONLY for the nasty receptionist, Lisa. I am unfortunately unable to provide a review for the actual Doctor yet, because due to Lisa’s rude, careless tone, I chose to not even proceed with this appointment halfway through the call.
When dealing with such a sensitive and personal matter such as a gynecological exam, I imagine most — if not all — women want to feel comfortable. However, all I received from Lisa was a bunch of heavy sighs, awkward pauses and attitude. Very bad look for the doctors she is representing. It’s unfortunate that she’s possibly losing these trained professionals business.

I have been a patient of Dr. McNally’s since 1993 and she is the best! She is a very busy doctor but does take the time to chat with you during your appointment. She delivered both my children and asks about them and my husband each time I see her. She is worth the wait and I have no problem recommending her to my friends. There is a reason why she is booked all the time! Go see her and you won’t be disappointed!

Dr. McNally is a great doctor, but her office staff isn’t worth going to see her anymore. I’ve never experienced such terrible customer service to patients until I went to this office. The office girls are always rude, roll their eyes at me, have a rude tone and demeanor. Not only are they rude, but every time I go in I have issues with them faxing off my prescriptions since I do mail order medications… After a couple years you’d think it would already be in my chart? No. Of course not. That would be too easy. My mother called in to remind them to fax it off, and they were extremely rude to her. Then I got a call from the office and they told me they faxed the prescription off, but made bitchy comments about my mother calling in. Since I trusted the fact that they had faxed it off I waited the 1−2weeks for it to arrive like they said it would. I called into the mail in prescription customer service 2 and a half weeks later after receiving my bill for the visit and yet… No prescription still. They never received a fax from my doctor. Surprise surprise. Sure it could have failed. But in the voicemail saying it was faxed, the tone came across as rude about whatever they discussed with my mother. I don’t know if they really faxed it or not, but all I know is I NEVER want to deal with those ladies again. It’s sad I can’t go see a great doctor because the staff underneath is so rude and I truly believe they just don’t care about the patients. They make me feel like just a number to them. My mother and sister feel the same. They haven’t had pleasant experiences either. I’m in the process of switching birth control from the new brand they switched me to in February that gave me bad mood swings, Depression, and made me feel angrier on the second week of the pack. So the fact I am still on this birth control when I could have started the new medication if they just faxed it off properly upsets me more. I’m excited for when they do so I can go on my way and find a new doctor next year with a more caring staff. I will never visit this office again. I would never recommend this office to anyone, and it makes me feel sad to say that since their doctors are very good. The rest of the staff, however, I can’t say the same. Beyond frustrated for always having the run around with them. I would give no stars if possible, but it won’t allow me to so that is all :).

Dr. McNally is sweet, very overworked, and experienced but will help you have the best birth experience possible (she does not have time to talk during appointments though, so be warned). She also supports natural childbirth and was fully onboard with my birth plan, as well as specializes in abnormal bleeding. I lost five units of blood during my last birth, so this was important to me. She had everything lined up for my birth, and thanks to her and Dr. Meshkat (who delivered my baby after McNally’s shift ended), I had a safe and incredible birth.
With your first visit, you’ll possibly get 10 minutes. Every visit after that will range from 2 to 5 minutes each. She’s caring, kind, but is in a major rush since she’s in high demand and she’s not going to sit and talk…
She really does not have the time to talk about your diet, see if your taking care of yourself, or explain good habits mothers would do well to do. This is why I chose a midwife the first time, but I almost died, so I need to go to the hospital. She specializes in abnormal bleeding, so I like that. A doctors world is crappy, you have to realize, they don’t have time to give adequate care of their patients, just tests. You going with her is just a hoop to birth at Mary Birch and have an experienced doctor at your birthing with medical equipment.
For first appointment don’t have more than five pressing questions, be to the point, and have sympathy that she doesn’t have any bloody time! If you need birth support, you’ll need to hire someone on the side, out of your own pocket, to get the help and education a first time mom needs. And a first time mom really needs one on one time.
I really recommend her, but really wish she wasn’t so busy. She’s a really great doctor!
Pros:
Great for high risk and bleeding.
Caring.
Likes Natural birth, if that’s what you want.
Doctor who isn’t trigger happy with C-​Sections.
Won’t do internal exams till 36 weeks.
Won’t push for internal exams during birthing.
Con’s:
Can’t sit around and talk to get to know you.
Doesn’t have much time for appointment visits.
P. S. remember to bring sunglasses to your birthing!!! They turn lights full bright when they need to examine you and when you start pushing. Lights are so bright!

I had a really excellent experience at Dr. McNally’s office from the front desk staff, to the nurses to Dr. McNally herself. Dr. McNally has a sunny positive personality. She is encouraging and it is a pleasure to go for the yearly exam that no one really wants to have. She is up on the latest research and that is very comforting and reassuring.

It’s interesting… I read some of the 1 star reviews and had a very similar story. I have been going to Dr. McNally for 8 years as well. I adored her and even referred her to many of my friends. She delivered 1 of my children and oversaw my prenatal care of the 2^nd. The last couple times I saw her, something changed. At one point, when I asked her a question, she responded, «I’ve been doing this a very long time and am very good at what I do.» I couldn’t believe it… I was asking her a question so I could understand her recommendation… I wasn’t asking her the question because I didn’t trust her judgment. I wouldn’t go to her if I didn’t think she was great. I don’t care how amazing you are, I don’t just take recommendations blindly — I make an attempt to understand and then decide if it’s the right approach for myself. I was very sad and bummed that I now will be searching for another Doctor.
Colleen, if you take the time to review these reviews — there is something highly respectable in humility. Something which had initially attracted me to your practice is now lost. I’m hoping that you find that again, because if not, you’re going to lose a lot of patients. You didn’t let me explain my situation and already had a pre-​conceived notion of what the right recommendation was prior to walking in the door. You talked over me and didn’t listen to what I had to say. Not to mention, your recommendation was wrong… which, hey, it’s OK to be wrong, we’re all human. But, it’s the way that you handled it that is causing me to look elsewhere.

Excellent doctor. Very courteous, polite and empathetic. She answered all our questions and explained things to is very patiently. Her quick decisions saved my life after a complicated delivery.

I came in for a followup appointment and had my first and last experience with this person. I have never been treated with such disrespect by a health care professional. McNally was condescending„ judgmental, and rude. I left in complete shock of how she treated me; the way she approached my problem was incredibly subjective and cold. My usual gyno there is Huskey; she is a Mother Theresa in comparison to this witch. NEVER again.

I had to get minor surgery ‘up in there’ back in January. It was my first surgery, ever, and I was absolutely terrified. But I was tired of suffering from the symptoms leading up to it, and an unexpected, horrifying, painful biopsy (the kind of experience that is so awful to talk about you have to laugh) performed by Dr. Brahmbhatt the previous month confirmed that I had to deal with this or live a less-​than-​reasonable quality of life.
Dr McNally and Louise, who set the appointment, were nothing but kind to me. (Shout-​out to Louise who was so patient and friendly while setting up my appointments and answering my insurance questions. She was a doll.) A week prior I had my pre-​op consultation with Dr McNally. I was about due for my yearly lady exam, so Louise managed to squeeze that in at the same time. I was very pleased about this as it is very difficult to secure an appointment. As my consultation came to a close, Dr McNally gave me a big hug and told me everything will be just fine. And it was. My problem is solved.

Dr. McNally was recommended to me by my Nurse Practitioner once I found out I was pregnant. I am currently 32 weeks and I can’t say enough good things about her and her office. She is a warm and friendly person. Our visits are short and sweet, but I don’t feel as if my care is being compromised. I never walk out of there feeling as though my questions or concerns were not answered. I think she is a knowledgeable and professional doctor and I would recommend her to anyone who asked. Overall, it has been a wonderful experience and I only wish I were staying in the area in order to continue seeing her.

I’ve been going to Dr. McNally for about a year and a half now. I think she’s great and highly recommend her. She is extremely smart, knowledgeable and funny. I’m seeing her now for my pregnancy. In response to some of the negative reviews on here, I think you either click with her or you don’t. I can see how people could feel rushed because she’s a quick thinker, and always ready to move on to the next patient once she’s done examining you (btw, I’ve never waited to see her… she’s always on time). Once she realizes you have questions, she’ll take whatever time you need to answer them (bring a list, you won’t have time to think up your questions there). If the experience you’re going for is an efficient appointment with high quality information and a bit of humor, I think you’ll love Dr. McNally. If you’re looking for more of a «chat with your girlfriend» experience, you might like Dr. Binno in the same practice. As far as the receptionists go, I have never had a bad experience. They’re all really nice, and so are all the nurses I’ve met.

In person, the staff wasn’t near as bad as they were on the phone. Dr. Mcnally took her time and seemed to be genuine!

I only saw Dr. McNally once for an annual exam but I had a terrible experience. She was cold, unfriendly, and actually interrupted me when I was voicing a concern. I was shocked by how dismissive she was. Usually a doctor will ask if you have any questions or concerns, but she never made an effort to listen to me. I originally made the appointment with her because she appeared on a list of San Diego’s Best Doctors (according to some survey of their peers), but I would never recommend her anyone.

I went to Dr. McNally due to amenorrhea. A Nurse Practitioner did an ultrasound to detect PCOS and found that I do in fact have that disease. When Dr. McNally gave me the results, she was rushed and didn’t even take the time to explain what PCOS is! She simply said that I should come back to her if I wanted to get pregnant and she could give me treatment to increase my fertility chances. Nevermind the fact that PCOS needs to be managed strictly and if not managed can result in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. She didn’t refer me to any specialist or offer any insight. Good thing I’m in the medical profession and know that I need an endocrinologist and a OBGYN that will take the time to help me deal with this issue.

She is the BEST OBGYN in San Diego… I have known here for 20+ years, she listens, returns phone calls and is always there when you need her.

I’ve been with Dr. McNally for a long time and she’s literally saved my life. Yes, she’s busy (she IS the best GYNO in San Diego and possibly the world) but she does take the time to listen and she really cares about her patients. A good tip is to make your appointments well in advance.

I went to Dr. McNally because I was told I needed surgery, and I wanted a second opinion. The care she and her staff provided was top notch. She listened, understood, explained, and made sure I left with all the details I needed to make an informed decision.

Colleen is a very good doctor. She’s smart and experienced, BUT…
one con about being voted one of SD Magazine’s Best Gynos is that the whole town is already on her list. Once that’s established the doctor has too many patients and you just become another name.
A regular check up takes months in advance and unless you’ve got serious issues, she’ll rush the appointment and just do the stereotypical prescription of drugs and shoot out the door. I’m sure she’d be nicer if she had the time, but she looks stressed out and the pressure for you to hurry up is also up there.
The problem is never solved, just sidelined by pharmaceutical incentives. I’m going elsewhere.