Martin M Mass, MD

I’ve been going to Dr. Mass for over 15 years and am baffled by some of the negative reviews here. I had my annual physical yesterday and it was as smooth and professional as it has always been. Dr. Mass drilled into my medical history like a laser beam and reviewed the current status of every single medical issue that has come up in my life. At one point we began discussing the price of a med that I am taking, and he actually whipped out his cell phone and starting calling places to check on prices to make sure I was not paying more than I should be. He stayed totally focused on me and was happy to talk about whatever medical questions I had. I have a weird medical sharing plan instead of regular insurance, and they had no problems billing or dealing with it. His office is a little on the scary side, it’s in an old building and the rooms are very tiny, but that’s easy to overlook because Dr. Mass and his staff have been very good to me.

Yet again, Dr. Mass (and now his receptionist, Jerry) show their true colors. When I changed my PCP, I proactively requested a copy of my medical records from Dr. Mass’s office only to be told that I would have to pay $ 25 to have them copied, but if my new PCP asks for them, they are provided for free. Nice to know Dr. Mass still finds a way to screw his ex-​patients.
Not to let this be his last insult, I discovered that Dr. Mass coded my last office visit in February as a «yearly checkup» versus the simple office visit I received. My new PCP’s initial patient intake and checkup, in turn, was denied by my insurance company as a result. Dr. Mass did not perform a check up on me in any way whatsoever except to check my vitals and suggest I get a tetanus shot. He also requested blood work, a chest x-​ray and a stool sample test. As I stated in my previous review, rather than perform the yearly checkup, Dr. Mass typed into his iPad for the 15 minutes I was there and asked me the same questions such as allergies, past medical history, etc., I had answered during my first visit some six or so years ago. It seems his office is leaving the dark ages and finally going digital. Laughably, he still uses an @aol.com email address.
As a result of the insurance discovery, I twice asked Dr. Mass to change his coding for the annual checkup to an office visit. He has, so far, ignored my requests. This would, I imagine, mean that he would receive less money from my insurance company, and as you can imagine, Dr. Mass has apparently declined. When I told Jerry, his office manager/​receptionist, that I would be reporting his unethical behavior to the state licensing board, he kindly replied, «Fu@k you!» How professional. He cited my horrible review on Unilocal and defended Dr. Mass by saying, «people also write good reviews, too!»
Anyway, good luck to current and future patients. Perhaps Dr. Mass (and his office troll) have learned something from this situation. My bet is they have not…

Dr. Mass is an amazing doctor. I am so fortunate to have been seeing him for
the past 15 years. He is very thorough and straight to the point. If you’re thin
skinned you’ll need to put on your big boy pants and listen to what the doctor
has to say. Trust me, he knows what he is doing and he is a nice gentleman,
as well.

Dr. Mass is the worst doctor I have ever experienced. On my first visit he was late. He took very little interest in what I had to say and of my concerns about my health. He was very condescending at times and other times I felt as though he was just making fun of what I was saying. And when I did not make a follow up appointment as fast as he thought I should he called and left a message that he would not refill any other prescriptions for me until I came back. It was a couple of meds that I needed and to be threatened to be cut off just like that was not only unprofessional but possibly illegal. He is a jerk and needs to retire. And after my nightmarish experience with him I was told by several other friends that they experienced similar things with him. I hope I never meet anyone like him again.

Absolutely great doctor, very professional. Great bedside manner. He always takes as much time as you need. I think some of the reviewers are just whiners. My greatest fear is that he will retire. He has been my PCP doc for ten years and I cannot imagine going to anyone else. Jerry in the front is great, Chris is great. The office and the building are dumps, but who cares if you are getting caring, professional care.

Martin Mass is aptly named for a religious feast in which cattle are slaughtered. Sarcastic and dismissive, he acts as if he received The Gospel from the Mount of Wayne State in 1979, supplemented since only by the Ordained Bishops of PhRMA. His hands shake continuously and the left moves involuntarily, so if you need anything that would involve any laying on of hands, especially with anything sharp, then prepare to be sacrificed to his vanity. He refuses to adjust to his increasingly severe age-​related limitations, for that would require acknowledging mortal frailty, which would be anathema to his egotistical self-​deification. He treats patients as livestock, such that talking is a sign of demonic possession: don’t dare question him when he is wrong about something, for then he becomes wrath, or simply lies, especially when he is demonstrably incorrect. The best that can be said of him is that he seems to take every conceivable insurance and indigent program that will have him, and yet he still has plenty of appointments available. Also his office and waiting room have a dizzying collection of promotional materials for drugs you’ve seen advertised on TV, brought by drug salesmen whom he prioritizes over patients. If you want permission to shift the cost of an overpriced drug you saw on TV, then his shaky hands can probably write out an Rx for you, but otherwise if you value your health at all then steer clear.

I can’t believe how accurate some of the negative reviews are. I thought I was alone in having a very frustrating experience. Dr. Mass was condescending, patronizing, impatient when I told him my health history, and he scoffed at me when I mentioned that his receptionist was rude to me. He insisted it was my problem because he had never had any other complaints about his receptionist.
I left wondering if the office culture is more hostile to women than men. Dr. Mass wasn’t compassionate or interested in hearing me at all.

5 years, still going strong and never plan to change PCP’s until Dr. Mass retires or fires me as a patient. I really love this office. Chris and Jerry give you personalized service and remember you when you walk in. Most places I’ve been to either have annoying people that work at the front desk or don’t remember you at all and treat you like you’re a disposable article of clothing that is only meant to be worn for one time only. Not this office.
It sucks to see people’s experiences here be terrible. It’s also helps point out the people who were brave enough to show their face. People should seriously consider this place if you want everything I mentioned above. This place is booked solid with patients he’s had for over 25 years. Dr. Mass must be doing something right. Remember, he’s treating a lot of people for mental disorders, so some of these reviews that are bad, are from crazy people you wouldn’t even want to say hi to on the street probably. Enough said.
=) Five stars!

I highly recommend Dr. Mass and his staff for excellent healthcare service. Dr. Mass is thorough, wise, but not uptight. Chris at the front desk is amazing and always helps me get my appointments or refills ASAP (even when I am traveling)!

Still agree with my previous comment. I still continue to travel from Texas to receive the personalized care. Sensitivity is like a horrible disease, it’s quite ok to have a small case of (the sensitives) but to have a full case of over sensitive behavior in a setting where you need an advocate for your safety, and willing to spend an hour in the exam room with a patient that needs him, I’ll gladly wait an hour for that guy. How many docs make you wait over an hour then rush you out with a prescription that you probably don’t need… Dr. Mass is the gem. Thanks Martin, Jerry, & Chris…

I really wanted to believe that I would have an experience like these four or five star reviews, as Dr. Mass’ office is close to where I live. Unfortunately, a lot of negative stuff said here is true.
He was weirdly cynical and condescending, rudely dismissing some of my concerns. In some cases he actually laughed at me. Huh? He certainly did not make me feel welcome or cared for.
On top of all this, I had to wait an hour and a half to see him. If you think this is normal, you’re seeing the wrong doctor. I’ve never had to wait that long. Additionally, I was given no indication that this sort of delay is out of the ordinary for his office.
Anyway, this guy gave me some bad vibes. I left the office feeling hurt and insulted… I guess the hunt for a good PCP continues :(

In short, I will be seeing Dr Mass as my primary in San Francisco. This city is extremely tough to find a doctor in. However I think I found one. He is extremely thorough and asks all the right questions. He cleared up a lot of confusion and misunderstandings fueled by precious SF doctor experiences. However, what I did not like was having a 3:15 appointment and waiting for over and hour (in the exam room) for him to come in. I thought about not starting off on the wrong foot and complaining, but had to say something when there was no apology for it. I had to completely rearrange the rest of my evening. 3:15 does not mean 4:45– no matter the excuse. Overall a good experience, just be prepared to wait.

After reading the review below, I feel compelled to write about my experience, although a 1 star review amongst all 5 star reviews speaks for itself. Dr. Mass is great. Very thorough and even called me on a weekend when it wasn’t even urgent. Highly recommend!

My experience with Dr. Mass was punctuated by condescension, scoffing, and disregard. I was hunting for a PCP and went based on all these reviews… and was very disappointed. When he asked me for my medical history and list of concerns, I went into my story — it’s intricate but I was concise — and at points he scoffed and rolled his eyes.
I also saw his covering doctor once when Mass was on vacation, and he didn’t really do or say anything of value.
My partner [male] had a mild experience; he said that Dr. Mass was not condescending to him at all.
The young guy at the front desk always was the light at the end [beginning?] of the tunnel in the office.
I’m not sure if this experience with Dr. Mass was because I’m a woman, because I have an annoying health record, or because he just didn’t like me… but whatever it was, I know that I will not be going back. Walking out of my doctor’s office feeling like a burden is NOT what I want.

I have been going to Dr Mass since 2001.
I like Dr Mass’ candor. It’s dry, and sometimes you have to probe him to fully understand his thoughts. But that’s a doctor. Ask questions, if you feel confused or uncomfortable, ask, until you are satisfied. Any good doctor wants his patients to be happy and healthy. And Dr Mass is no exception.
Good luck, finding a Doctor you are happy with is hard.

Unfortunately for Dr Mass, you are only as strong as your weakest link. I had a medical emergency this week, and Dr Mass has been registered as my PCP for 1.5 years though I had never needed to see him. I called to make an appt and was told by the male receptionist he couldn’t see new patients until the end of the month. When I told him I couldn’t wait that long, there was silence. Then what I asked what my alternatives were, he told me to find a new doctor.
Thanks very much, rude male receptionist. I think I will, and I’m sure I’ll be better off for doing so!

I was terrified after reading these reviews… most of them are either 5 stars or 1 star– which scared me. Especially after reading some of the accusations that the good reviews were planted by the office itself. I couldn’t figure out why so many people would comment on the staff, rather than just review the doctor. Dr. Mass was assigned to me through the Healthy SF program, so I felt stuck regardless of whether my assessment would fall into the 1 star or 5 star category. I’ve been to see him twice now, and I’m certainly not terrified anymore. I let myself get psyched out by reading all these reviews and I wish I wouldn’t have done that.
I agree with the review just before mine that dr. mass may have a sort of dry sense of humor and can give you the, «you know better than that» look. I think it’s because he treats you like youre a human that should have a base line understanding of things (i.e. veggies are better for you than candy). I think that’s also why there are so many comments about his office staff– they really work as a team and dr. mass seems to respect them. It’s a tiny little office so the set– up seems to work well.
I feel comfortable there, heard, and respected. Both times I have been, I had to wait for quite a while after my appointment time before I was seen (like an hour +) — they get backed up. It’s a good doctor’s office though and I would recommend it.

I was originally referred to Dr. Mass by my old doctor, and like a reasonable person was skeptical after reading some of the reviews here on Unilocal.
I’ve been to his office a half dozen times now or so in the last year and have been nothing but impressed with him and his office staff. Additionally they create an environment where its actually fun to go see them, you always feel very well recieved in the office and like you matter as a patient. In response to other reviews, I will grant you that if you are by nature a very serious person who prefers a doctor with a very dry personality, you might find Dr. Mass a little tongue and cheek, but for me thats a selling point, I’m perfectly comfortable laughing at myself and approaching illness with a mild sense of humor and Dr. Mass has always been honest, straight forward, but not afraid to give you the look of, «come on you know better than that». I think he’s hillarious, but more importantly, he’s always fixed me up right (I’ve had some fairly non-​standard issues, and he’s been right on it every time). He will talk to you like the two of you are consuting together, he has always been on the level explaining his thoughts and what competing ideas might be, and very good at explaining things when there is a gap in knowledge. That’s all I can ask for from a PCP. I highly recommend him.

The worst doctor I have ever talked to!!! He was on call for my real doctor and was extremely rude. Don’t waste your time with this looser.
Very condescending!!! again I repeat Very condescending!!!
STAY AWAY!!!

I have been saying Dr. Mass for over ten years. I guess that tells you how I feel about him. I find him very caring and a good listener. I can be a little neurotic when it comes to be my health and he always hears me out. Whenever I need a prescription refilled, Jerry takes care of it within a day. I’ve had Dr. Mass call me several times in the evening. One a few occasions, he had to call me twice because I missed his call
It’s rare these days that you get the attention of a doctor for more than five minutes. Dr. Mass spends as much time as necessary. I trust my health to Dr. Mass and that’s the most valuable asset I have.