Carl Bricca, DO

Dr. Bricca is very caring and knowledgeable. Have been a patient there for 5 years. I’ve taken visiting family members to the doctor of the day when things have come up and they’ve all been really good. When I was without good insurance, they have worked with me on billing.

My wife and I have been seeing Dr. Bricca for a few years now and just love him. All of the other reviews mention how great a listener he is, and it is 100% true. I had been dealing with chronic pain from a computer job for 12 years now. Many doctors, procedures and countless time and money have been spent trying to figure this out. Dr. Bricca is genuinally concerned, listens and my life has changed because of it. He, Amy, and his staff have been just great.

I have never been to a Doctor that made me feel like I was lying about pain and let me tell you, it sucked.
It all started when I injured my back carrying five laptop computers in my backpack. I didn’t want to be a prissy little girl, so when my boss asked me to go pick up the computers from another building, the last thing I was going to do was say, «I can’t carry them all because I’m not strong enough.» My back started hurting almost immediately. Today, it hurt so bad that I couldn’t take a deep breath without exasperating the pain. So I called Mercy Doctors Medical Group and they agreed to squeeze me in even though my regular doctor was not in the office. I should have waited until she returned because (let me tell you), I have never been treated as poorly as I was today by Dr. Bricca.
The entire time I was telling him about what happened, he was just humoring me and waiting to tell me that he wasn’t going to give me anything (including good advice) to make it feel better. It really upset me to be dismissed so quickly AND, if he didn’t want to give me pain medication, then at least he could have given me decent suggestions for how to lessen the pain. All I got from him in terms of ways to make it feel better was that I should get a package of frozen corn and press it against my back.
He eventually gave me a small dose of Vicodin but it was humiliating because I know that he honestly believed that I was lying. He just wrote me off and that’s not right at all.

Still lovin’ Bricca and his medical assistant Amy several years later. Especially by comparison to some other doctors that I’ve seen during my pregnancy.

The Good Points. Clean office, efficient staff. I was 10 minutes late and in to see the doctor within 5 minutes. I didn’t have to fill out all this paperwork that no one would read. I was kept in the exam room waiting maybe at most 10 mins and found Dr. Bricca reading my paperwork. He was asking questions definitely more thorough than my last doctor. I’m still doctor hunting. He spent quite some time with me. He’s a nice guy. Very efficient and quick to write a prescription – if that is what you want.
But I am searching for a different approach I guess and maybe his office and method just wasn’t right for me.
BUT. Big buTT! I went to a DO for a more holistic approach and I felt feeling like a bad an experiment. Try anti-​depressants, if that doesn’t work then try the thyroid hormone, or the last option but I don’t think you have ADHD, but it would help immediately – try something like ritalin. Don’t people get addicted to that stuff too? And its makes adults anxious no? I went in experiencing hair loss, some trouble concentrating during the day and some anxiety. But completely functioning. How does ritalin help me? Yes that was an extreme suggestion.
I was took this all in and absorbed it all, about a half our I was so upset (delayed reaction). I’m not someone who thinks sedating or medication is the way to go. And I expressed that, but this was his opinion.
Depends what you’re looking for but if you want someone who will listen and write you a prescription. Yes, he’s the route to go. If you want someone to wants to find the source, root of your problem and work with you to find a healthy alternative. Not the way to go with this doctor.

Three years ago we moved out of San Francisco, down to San Mateo. My husband and I STILL GO to Dr. Bricca and will never change physicians! He is the best doctor we have ever had.

Not thorough: he skipped a vital portion of my girl-​parts exam; & he brushed off my questions. In the case of his colleague – who saw me when Dr. Bricca was too busy – it was negligent care (her assistant called to tell me the xray results were negative for a break – then she did absolutely zip follow-​up for my sprained foot, which subsequently took way longer than it should have to heal because no one took care of it. I’ve moved on for my health care.

Dr. Bricca listened attentively to my concerns and seems holistic in his approach. I think I am sticking with this doc! The medical group seems organized and the receptionists and staff were nice. I only had to wait two weeks for my first appt and I got in and out on time– a far cry from my other experiences. Bus gets me in front of his office.

FINALLY, I found a doc who listens!
Doctors are typically ONE of two things: 1) thorough, intuitive and excellent clinicians, or 2) personable, friendly and compassionate… RARELY do you find a doctor with a combination of both.
Well, I did with Dr. Bricca! Not only does he have excellent bedside manner, he’s an awesome clinician as well. He patiently sat and listened to all of my concerns, questions and complaints and gave me honest advice. He also made sure to request the appropriate lab tests for anything that he wasn’t able to figure out in the office.
Something else that I wasn’t used to from past doctors — Dr. Bricca got my lab results back to me within a week!
Appointments usually are a few weeks out, but I don’t mind the wait. I haven’t had to use them yet for same day care, so stay tuned…

I just switched him to my primary physician and I am excited to find a doctor loved by Unilocalers. I am happy to say that he was very interested in discussing my medical needs with me and gave me that time.

Although Carl Bricca is great, his staff is incredibly rude and it took 3 months to get test results back for something that should have taken one week.
In addition: they booked me for a monday, and when I went in, they said they made an error and had to move me to another day, making me lose 3 hours of work time. Although this would normally be fine, they weren’t really that bothered about that and combined with having to call in constantly for months to get a test result, I was pretty flustered.
Dr. Bricca is friendly and smart although it does feel pretty rushed when you see him. I feel bad about giving him one star, but the experience was awful.
Do not go!

Dr. Bricca is the ONLY doctor I would ever rate highly – as others have said, he is a great listener, and he knows his schizzle.

i love this guy, and i’m not even straight. i hadn’t had a general doctor for about 6 years (due to infrequent employment), but this year got the kick-*ss designer job i’d been wanting, am starting to settle down, and taking care of things, and…
oh yeah, i haven’t been able to eat in 2 months, it hurts like hell, i’m a wreck, and i have no idea what is wrong, and so i spent a day doing research, and picked carl bricca because 1) he accepted my insurance, 2) he was accepting new patients, and 3) he got good reviews on Unilocal.
i was ragged and tired and sick and showed up and he was so nice. he looked at me, sat down on his little chair, and *looked* at me, no rush whatsoever. he asked me careful questions, and i got the impression he was actually seeing me, which was quite a change from the usual doctor visit.
it’s your gallbladder, bet you, he told me, after listening to me describe my symptoms. what the hell? what IS a gallbladder? i didn’t believe him. i didn’t tell him so, but said, would it be okay if you scheduled me with a specialist?
most definitely, he said, take as much time as you need. but he also told me of the dangers of what i was dealing with, to let me know if it got bad suddenly, and what my emergency options were.
2 specialist appointments later, i’d been told it was my gallbladder by 2 other people. carl bricca knew what he was talking about.
not only that, but when he called me to give me the result of my blood tests, to tell me i had gallstones, he actually called me, and spoke to me for about 20 minutes in person, very patient and like he actually cared, and answered all my questions, and gave me his doctor-​type cellphone number so i could call him.
responsive. intelligent. careful. treats you like a person. and though i didn’t believe him at first, he knew what he was talking about.
i now have a general checkup scheduled for next week (after having my gallbladder removal surgery a month and a half ago, which went off fabulously), and i think i found my new doctor.
recommended.

I think I’m probably getting spoiled going to Dr. Bricca. First, his office is on the same block as my house. Second, it seems like he actually gives a shit about his patients. On top of that, he genuinely remembers things about my past visits without looking at my file. And finally, he’s probably the first doctor who’s never tried to rush me through an appointment.

I’ve been to Bricca twice, and I’ll say this, I was talking to him within 20 mins of my appt (good), he’s a mellow dude and didn’t give me grief because I drink more than 2 cocktails a week, and he said as I left to call his office anytime I needed a referral for anything. These things seem standard, but after 7 years in SF and two doctors, they are far from the norm.
Parking is also easy and only $ 2/​hr.

I had my first checkup with Dr Bricca today and left extremely satisfied. I moved into the city last year, changed jobs, it had been a while since I’ve had a regular doctor. I had a lot of medical questions to ask and was worried the doctor would be very rushed, check my pulse then tell me to call later or something. Not the case! Dr. Bricca sat down and went over every one of my questions point by point. I’m often amazed at how well Unilocal refers me to exactly what I want and this was certainly one of those cases.
Update: I’m docking him a star because I don’t like his assistant. She never answers the phone, only dealing through answering machine messages, and has messed up a referral request with this process.

I’ve been seeing Dr. Bricca for about a year. Until recently, I wasn’t completely sure how I felt. I grew up with Union insurance and the same doctor from before birth through to age 21. Finding a new doc in this new city with my crappy individual PPO was not an enjoyable task. I will now be forever grateful to the reviewers on Unilocal who pointed me to Dr. Bricca.
My stomach has been killing me for a few weeks. At first Dr. Bricca thought it was a bug of some kind. When I called 5 weeks later, though, he took immediate action. I got an appointment right away, and he did tests very quickly. I didn’t expect to hear from him for a week or so, but he called me in less than 48 hours. He needed more tests and worked around my schedule to get me in as soon as possible. I took the tests and was told by the radiology technician that I’d have to wait at least two days for Dr. Bricca to have even had a chance to look at the results. Well, Dr. Bricca must have made an effort, because he called me back the same afternoon. He left a message with enough info to put my mind at ease, and when I called back he actually answered the phone on the first ring and talked me through the situation. He set me up with a great surgeon he said he would use himself.
I’m amazed at Dr. Bricca’s dedication. This was nothing life threatening, but he respected my concerns as if it was.
All that, and he doesn’t crack up when I let slip my goofy (and always incorrect) internet diagnoses. He’s a winner.

Doctor Bricca is my hero. The osteopath title seems like something that might be an extra, but I’ve found it highly influenced my interactions with him…
I went and saw him after I had just went through a personal tragedy… immediately, rather than dealing with my aches and pains, we talk about what I had been going through. The mind-​body philsophy made me a new friend and helped me get through where I was. Lots of my complaints afterward were solved much more reasonably… he simply looked me up and down, reminded me about sleeping, eating, doing all those things that doctors will know will keep you healthy.
Don’t get me wrong. He isn’t just personable, but seems to be backed by a wealth of knowledge.

I thought I’d never find a good doctor after going to three awful doctors in a row (Silverman, Smith, and Kimmerling). None of them were open to discussing anything but very traditional treatment of my subclinical hypothyroidism (i.e., I don’t have it yet, so I don’t actually have to do anything drastic). Or discussing anything at all, for that matter. Instead, I was just supposed to listen to them and do what they said.
Dr. Bricca was the exact opposite of all that. He was a great listener, very open, and just fine with figuring things out *with* me, not *for* me. Thanks, Unilocal,you never steer me wrong!

I’ve agonized over publicizing Dr. Bricca because I know that once the secret is out, it will be impossible to get an appointment with him. Because word will spread quickly that he is the best doctor there ever was in all the land. Also, their office (Mercy Doctors) takes kinds of health insurance, and they probably take yours. And they’re currently taking new patients, which is boggling to me.
Dr. Bricca is who you want to see if you’ve ever felt like your doctor is impersonal and uncaring. He has the most amazing manner, and is the first doctor I’ve been to who I’ve felt really *listens* to me. He’s honest and frank («you probably don’t have a thyroid problem; get some exercise») and yet incredibly thorough and intelligent. He can solve most problems without sending you to specialist, but on the chance you need one (a podiatrist or whatever) he will actually call over to their office for you, and make sure you get an appointment sometime before next winter.
I also like him because he’s an Osteopath, which is like the frosting on the M.D. cupcake.
In general, I prefer the doctors and facilities at St. Mary’s; most people don’t think of them because they’re perceived as private healthcare, but they take all major insurance and you can usually get an appointment sooner than at UC or CPMC. It’s just friendlier, smaller, more personal care.