Zelanzy Gary A Md

Doesn't Recommend

robin8tor

Joined 5 years ago

Agree about the bedside manner problem. As previous poster has noted, this doctor is not the most pleasant fellow. I went in a few years back because one of my moles had begun to change and had developed a red band around it. He gave me a once over then delivered a dour, 5 minute lecture on how my skin had the sun damage of a 35 year old person (forgive me- I'm fair-skinned and I had a bad sunburn when I was very little. What can you do?), causing my 22 year old self to cry vigorously afterwards. I took off my shirt to show him the mole that I had concerns about, and he seemed disconcerted and visibly uncomfortable about it (you're a skin doctor. It's your job to look at people's skin, for crying out loud!). I told him that the mole was changing and had become red around the edges (which would prompt most dermatologists to remove it). He told me that it looked totallly fine and talked me into removing a completely different mole (he also did not do a skin check on my other moles, as he should of since I was in his office). That mole turned out to be normal. I ended up going to another skin doctor a year later when the mole that I was originally concerned about began to change even more. The mole was then removed and indeed proved to be abnormal.

Doesn't Recommend

californiateacher

Joined 6 years ago

Poor bedside manner and unwillingness/inability to communicate the facts. I found Dr. Zelanzy on the Blue Cross Blue Shield website, looking for someone to go see about an acne flare up and skin rash on my cheek. I have never had bad skin, and I don't know much about treating acne. I was seen pretty quickly after I arrived at the office, a good thing. Dr. Zelanzy is also a decently nice guy. But that's where the good things end.

Here is what I observed:

(1) Dr. Zelanzy would not let me finish a sentence. He constantly interrupted me. I am not a pushy or loquacious person. I am good natured, nice and friendly, but I finally had to say, "Look, I'm paying for this appointment, I want to finish what I have to say." Then he shut up and listened.

(2) He told me he was prescribing an anti-inflammatory for my acne because "acne is caused by inflammation" he said in response to my question, "is acne caused by bacteria?"

(3) When I got to the pharmacist with my prescription, I asked the pharmacist, "what is this medication?" He said, "It's anti-bacterial. Acne is caused by bacteria." So does this doctor not know what he is prescribing me or what?

(4) I also had an issue with a toe nail that I will probably lose because of "trauma" caused to it by a 12-hour adventure race. It is pretty gnarly looking. When I showed the doctor to ask him about it, he actually looked grossed out and would not come near it. WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR GETS GROSSED OUT?? He just kind of pointed to it from far away.

Because of this guy's poor bedside manner and inability or unwillingness to communicate the facts to me, a smart person who wants to know the facts, I am going to another dermatologist for a second opinion.

I will NEVER go back to this guy!!