Philip Assatourians, MD

I had the same experience as a poster below. First impressions with the staff was very standoff-​ish. After talking with Dr Philip for 5 minutes his mind was already running the gambit of what kind of tests he can order for me (mind you I am a perfectly healthy 27 year old that came in for a physical)
I will repeat what the other poster proposed because it is absolutely true and if you plan to visit him you should take head and rethink your decision, after all its your HEALTH!
«This doctor’s office is the definition of nickle-​and-​diming»
He clearly wanted to order tests from specialists (extra money), more blood tests on blood tests due to one thing that came up in the initial physical from what he described as, just barely an anomaly.
He told me to come back in a few weeks each time and when I asked to have my medical records sent to my new doctor, he charges a 30 $ fee on top of that.

I had a fair experience with Dr. Assatourians previously, however, when I was extremely ill with a lung infection, I had the unfortunate experience of attempting an appointment with his horrifying assistant. She was so incredibly rude to me I literally hung up the phone on her — something I never do. I simply can’t go to a doctor with staff that have no communication skills. My whole experience was a major *EYE ROLL* FAIL.

Quite possibly the rudest receptionist on Earth. This is enough to keep many patients from coming, given the array of internists that are available in the area. This is the last thing that patients should experience when coming for health care – and it is entirely unnecessary. Should and could be fixed.

I find it sort of good and bad that individual doctors are separated out here as this office is for Alan Pocinki and Linda Assatourians. Philip Assatourians I found randomly through my provider network after I ditched GW Medical Faculty Associates for their terrible appointment schedule, customer service, and rapid care.
The staff at this office is not friendly as stated, but that is par for the course in an unhappy place like DC. Billing was always an issue here, they only took debit cards or something, and when my insurance didn’t pay enough for procedures I was asked to talk to the insurance company on their behalf, which I found extremely unprofessional and desperate given that I know nothing about negotiating with a company like Blue Cross Blue Shield over CPT code payouts.
With that said, Philip Assatourians was always kind and up front with me and treated me more like a son than patient. I learned a lot from him just sitting in his office while he explained certain symptoms and possible problems. I really appreciated that.
He referred me to many specialists (heart, lungs, derm, liver) that ultimately showed nothing by normal readings. We initially had a scare from bloodwork that came back with signs of liver damage only to never have those results replicated with follow up blood tests. So either my liver miraculously got better or I had the wrong results reported at first.
Specialty referrals ultimately were a ‘waste’ in the sense that I could not have needed them, but I asked for the referrals and wanted the peace of mind. Plus, I had insurance to cover it. So I cannot complain about that.
I was continued to be misdiagnosed about a single skin symptom that was misdiagnosed by two dermatologists before him and also by the dermatologist I was referred to through Dr. Assatourians. That isn’t his responsibility though.
Overall, maybe not the greatest clinical experience I’ve had staff and billing wise, but for basic physicals and patient education I was very happy. Since this Unilocal entry is for the actual doctor and not the combined office and staff, I am not reviewing the staff at all (2-​stars).

Dr. Assatourians is a nice enough guy. He’s unassuming with a kind face and voice… he makes you feel comfortable and is obviously knowledgeable about what he’s doing. However, I switched doctors and don’t ever plan on going back.
This is such an awful doctor’s office to go to, mostly due to their policies and staff. I’m a healthy 29 year old who just wanted my yearly physicals yet every time he’d order tests from specialists (extra money), wanted me to buy a top of the line blood pressure monitor due to one high result in his office (more money), he told me to come back in a few weeks each time (to get paid from me and my insurance I assume), and when I asked to have my medical records sent to my new doctor, they called and told me they wouldn’t send them without a $ 30 fee (which may or may not be a common practice).
On top of all that, the staff is generally rude and you always wait a considerable amount of time to see the doctor.
This doctor’s office is the definition of nickle-​and-​diming and their fee for service instead of fee for performance is the major reason why medical costs in the US are so expensive.
In short, if you want a nice doctor and cost doesn’t matter to you, I’d recommend Dr. Assatourians’ office. If you want a nice doctor but don’t want to pay for unnecessary tests and other gimmicky things, there are plenty of other ones out there.

After hearing such rave reviews for his daughter Linda, I called to get an appointment with her and was told she was not taking any other patients. They offered her father, Dr. Philip Assatourians instead, and I made the appointment without doing my normal background research. I was a bit nervous in going given the negative marks he’s been given here, but I figured I’d give him a shot.
I recently had my initial appointment and was very pleasantly surprised but just how kind and friendly he was. Now granted, he is more of a stick to the facts and deliver things straight than a bubbly type, but as an attorney I can appreciate that. We went over my medical history, and he asked pertinent questions. During the exam he noted an irregular heartbeat-​something I have, but had forgotten to mention during the medical background discussion, and something that many Drs have missed. I left my appointment satisfied that I have found a competent, and friendly primary care physician.

It’s possible that Dr. Assatourians was a good doctor 20 years ago, but now he is rude, dismissive, and fails to diagnose problems that ultimately are obvious to other doctors. His office staff is rude and keeps you waiting well beyond your appointment time, even when no one else is in the office. I went in for a physical and he claimed to find a goiter and referred me to the radiologists upstairs; hundreds of dollars later, I was told there was no evidence of a goiter. On my next visit, he thought I had a heart problem… you guessed it, another specialist, and another wasted afternoon when the specialist told me there was no evidence of anything wrong with me. Save your time and money and go to a doctor who makes you feel cared for and knows what he’s doing!

I just made an appointment with Dr. P. Assatourians over the phone. The office manager (Karen) handled the appointment in a very curteous manner: a yearly phyisical. First visit. She was extremely helpful trying to accomodate an early morning one. She was straight to the point and very efficient communicating the office rules (fine with me). My experience with the office staff is the opposite of what most people commented in this site and I felt important to make that known. Have not seen Dr. Assatourians yet, but I am looking forward to. Will comment back after my visit.