University of Virginia Health System : Outpatient Psychiatric Services

"I have been told by clinicians far and wide to avoid UVA Psychiatry like the plague. I gave them a chance and it was proven to me that I made a colossal mistake in not heeding these warnings. One psychiatrist told me he wished to kick one of the Region Ten LCSWs working in the Emergency Department, a UVA med school grad/current psych resident indicated she was never taught how to read bloodwork. Finally, a doctor in INOVA indicated a male psych resident at UVA committed quite the questionable transgression in putting me on a medication that was contraindicated and could easily result in my death."

"I actually don't have any complaints about the staff or doctors. I've found everyone to be professional, and both doctors that I've seen have been great, but the pricing here is awful. It's erratic, changes for seemingly no reason, and you never know what you'll end up owing for a visit until you get the bill. I have UVA insurance, and and it's still bizarrely expensive. I've had the same 'check in' type appointments for years, where I'm just touching base to say nothing has changed, and to renew 1 prescription. It takes less than 5 minutes, and the last few have been virtual, but yet the cost for these appointments just inexplicably doubled. You can write in to billing, and you can call, but you'll get different answers--and no one will be able to explain why a 5 minute check-in with a doctor is now almost $200. The pricing is beyond ridiculous, especially for someone with insurance, and I'm horrified by what they're charging. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what other alternatives I have, which makes it feel like whoever is in charge of billing is taking advantage of that. It makes me sad that this is a group of people that anyone would hold captive to outrageous prices, because what else are they going to do?"

"I wouldn’t bring my worst enemy here. This clinic’s treatment and policies border on malpractice - the staff is undertrained and lack basic empathy, they are incredibly overbooked (I had to wait 1.5 months between appointments because they have ~2,000 patients), I’ve received better psychiatric care from my PCP, and my entire experience here was awful from start to finish. If you must come here, be a strong advocate for yourself to make sure you get the treatment you need."

"One of the best things about graduating from UVA is that I now have a good excuse not to come to this "clinic." Over the last three years I have had appointments cancelled with little-no notice and then not been able to reschedule for two months later, I've been unable to switch doctors when I was uncomfortable with one, and been left without an answer to many important questions. My psychiatrists never communicate with one another, my initial meeting was intensely uncomfortable with my private life on display to some fresh residents, and I constantly have to remind them what is wrong with me. I wish I could have my money and my time back."

"Not terrible if you're going here temporarily (like as a student from UVA), but I would not go here for complex issues. I did research and met with a therapist for a while before going, so I knew what my problems were and what I should expect from a psychiatrist, and so I didn't have any problems getting the medication I needed. Having experienced the training psychiatrists and their rotations every 3-6 months, I can absolutely understand the other reviews about this clinic and I don't doubt their experiences at all."