Dr. Atulya Deodhar, MD

Its disheartening to see many reviews with the same dismal experience.I was diagnosed with AI condition by provider in previous city I lived, and responded fantastically to treatment. I moved to Portland, established with OHSU rheum. In the first 6 months of care I was seen only by a resident PA. Unfortunately my medication stopped working, and I returned to being disabled in my line of work due to symptoms. OHSU prescribed a new medication, which I did not tolerate well due to neurologic side effects. I took the drug for 3 months, only got worse, then was referred to Dr. Deodhar by thr PA.Deodhar dismissed my prior diagnosis, claiming that it is not possible to be seronegative and have psoriatic arthritis. my missing finger and toenails (a hallmark of this disease), history of successful response to treatments, and severe chronic SI joint pain indicated otherwise. Dr. Deodhar labelled me as depressed, gave no care alternatives, then discharged me when I sought a new provider.

I don't have the words to describe how absolutely horrible my experience with this doctor was.I was diagnosed by a rheumatologist at a different, prestigious hospital in a different state & was continuing my treatment at OHSU. Dr. Deodhar oversaw the resident I had my appointment with and came in at the last 5 minutes of the appointment and completely dismissed me and my diagnosis. He didn't offer any alternative routes for me to explore. I have never cried during an appointment before this experience. He was rude, cold, dismissive, and uncaring. I luckily found a different rheumatologist at a different hospital who managed to help me & is treating me for my original diagnosis. If you're here reading this because you also had a terrible experience with this doctor, please know that you're not alone. Please go find another doctor who will listen and care.

He refused to look at my history as a whole & never read my intakes before my appointments. He dismissed anything I said & although RA is a clinical diagnosis & I check the majority of the boxes, have shown pictures of hands etc inflamed, family history, have had issues show up on my SI joints in xrays (which he claims is OCI, a condition with no real information online which affects women who gave birth to multiple children & heals on its own (I have One child who is 6yo)), & am in chronic pain that has been debilitating at times, he says there is nothing wrong with me & refuses to diagnose w/o a sero positive test or major markers in xrays. Basically the minute I said my symptoms became more constant after child birth & going through a separation I was dismissed. When I told him how I felt & said that RA is a clinical diagnosis & I’m in my mid 30s he told me to go to pain management & I possibly have fibromyalgia then left me & his resident. We both assumed the appt was over.

Most dismissive and condescending doctor I've seen in a long time. Barely looked at my joints before making his "diagnosis". He was in the room with me just a few minutes. Told me simultaneously that rhumatology couldn't explain my symptoms and that they were all in my head. Got irate when I asked what specialty I should pursue care with instead, if rheumatology was not the correct place for treatment.

He misjudged the effect of transporting my terminal wife which resulted in the acceleration of her spiral toward death from systemic scleroderma, a disease worse than cancer. When I, widower, asked for an explanation for his decision he simply deflected blame to another party rather than consider his mistake, which confirms my estimation of most physicians' sense of accountability: circle the wagons and maintain infallibility. Instead of coming home for Christmas she was cremated.