Balanced Family Medicine
of North County
Traditional & Alternative Medicine for the Whole Family
Tamara L. Aburto-Pratt, M.D.
Diplomate, American Board of Family Medicine
Se habla Español
Services, Office Hours, Appointments
Not your typical office visit:
Dr. Aburto-Pratt is a doctor who LISTENS to you, typically spending 30-40 minutes* with each patient at their appointment, taking the time necessary to fully understand the patient's issues. Believing that the best health results come when patients are empowered to be proactive in their own health, Dr. Aburto-Pratt actively involves patients in understanding their bodies, symptoms, and test results in a process of face-to-face personalized patient education.
(*Of course, shorter visits are provided when appropriate for more straightforward clinical situations.) Licensure and training teaches us that good medicine necessitates face-to-face encounters. Phone evaluations are useful for screening but experience has taught that too much can be missed or misinterpreted in phone communications to rely on them for proper medical care.
We are an old-fashioned solo medical practice. We do not employ 'physician extenders', so when you make an appointment, it will always be with Dr. Aburto-Pratt herself.
Visits are by appointment only. Call 760-761-1125.
Same day visits are available for those who are acutely ill. Call as early in the day as possible. We are usually there by 7:30 am.
Routine visits can usually be booked within 1-2 weeks.

Office Hours: (excepting holidays)
Monday 8:00am-12:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00am-12:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00am-12:00 pm
Thursday...not in office
Friday 8:00am-12:00 pm
Note:
Early visits at 7:30 or 7:45 are occasionally available on a special basis.
The 11 o'clock hour customarily reserved for same day add-ons, i.e. patients who call in sick that day
Certain specific types of appointments:
Bio-Identical Hormone Management
for Women and Men:
Proper hormone management necessitates all the elements of a comprehensive visit: detailed history and symptom assessment, complete physical exam, labs as indicated by the history and physical, and certain requisite screening tests, such as breast imaging for women, or prostate screening for men. This type of comprehensive visit is done annually, with interim visits as needed depending on the need to adjust doses, or the development of new or ongoing symptoms.
Annual Physicals, Annual Gyn Exams
We have learned that there can be confusion as to what is meant by a 'physical', with many patients thinking it means just blood tests. An annual physical really means an annual appointment with the doctor where she takes an update on the patient's history and current symptoms, and fully examines the patient. If no problems or symptoms exist or are found, age- and gender-appropriate screening tests are ordered. Existing chronic problems or symptoms that are brought up by the patient turn the visit from simple screening into evaluation and management of those issues. Additional tests may be ordered based on the existence of ongoing problems that need surveillance, or based on new symptoms that need further evaluation. This is why we see and evalulate the patient first and THEN order tests. It is not one -size-fits-all. We don't want to miss ordering a necessary test, but we also don't want to order unnecessary tests. When the tests come back, Dr. Pratt reviews and has the office staff contact the patient, either informing them of normal results, or often requesting a follow-up appointment because the tests and/or treatment decisions need more explaining than can be done via the office staff or on the phone.
Pediatric Visits:
Dr. Pratt is apparently one of the few physicians around who will not dismiss patients from the practice for not vaccinating. Dr. Pratt is not anti-all-vaccines. Many/most vaccines are safe. Some may be more critical than others and this is highly complicated. Dr. Pratt will discuss with parents in detail each vaccine decision, taking a rational approach, and never shaming. If parents wish their child to get routine vaccines, Dr. Pratt fully supports this decision. However, due to our demographics, we cannot keep the thimerosol free forms in stock without them expiring. We simply don't use them often enough. So we refer out for pediatric vaccines, which works fine with most PPO insurances.
Procedures
As necessitated by most insurances and by time constraints, procedures are scheduled separately from evaluation and management appointments.
Dermatology procedures:
excisional of moles or small skin cancers
excision of sebacious cysts
destruction of warts
destructions of pre-cancerous skin lesions
removal of skin tags
punch biopsy (sampling a small piece of lesion)
Gynecology procedures:
Endometrial biopsy
IUD removal
Sublingual Allergy Immunotherapy (S.L.I.T.)
(allergy desensitization administered under the tongue rather than shots)
Testimonials
Questions about Insurance or Billing?
Our office manager, George, is happy to speak with you!
Please call him at 858-592-1510
Our Billing office address:
17484 Matinal Rd.
San Diego, CA 92127
"Dr. Pratt is the most caring personal physician I've ever encountered. She takes a sincere interest in her patients and strives to meet their needs. She treats most issues, and refers to specialists when appropriate. My wife and I both have complete confidence in her and in the specialists she has referred us to from time to time. We both highly recommend her."
Michael Concannon
Dr. Tamara Aburto-Pratt has been my family physician for close to twenty years. I am now 85 and could not have asked for better care and consideration while getting to that age. She is excellent at diagnosing one’s problems and treats the source of the problems not just the symptoms. If further care is required, she has gotten me and family members to the best specialists in the area. I would recommend Dr. Pratt as a total family care physician for all ages within the home. I am thankful for all she does!
~~ Mary McLain