He happens to be my endo. My therapist recommended him as well. Don't know how he compares to others in terms of competency, but I can tell you that he is a very nice older gentleman and seems very experienced and thorough. His experience showed when he asked me some leading questions and we hit upon my gynecomastia (I have little breasts leftover from puberty). Insurance won't usually pay for hormone level checks without a valid medical reason and gynecomastia in a male is a valid reason. You might want to come similarly prepared with something in your medical history which would warrant a hormone level check.
I'm an MTF, but I assume the following would also hold for an FTM. He asked me a zillion questions including if I had ever abused drugs, alcohol etc. He then gave me a physical, which involved getting naked and donning a hospital gown. He then checked me out seven ways to Sunday, including a breast exam which I had never had done to me before. I wish I had not eaten or drunk anything (besides water) after midnight the night before my office visit. If I had done that I probably could have had my blood work done that day. I think blood work needs to be done pretty early in the morning too, so you might want to check on that and factor that in too. The drawing of blood involved three different sessions, 20 minutes apart. If you do the exam and blood work on the same day, you might want to count on 2 to 2.5 hours of time for the office visit. He was very good at explaining things and answering any questions I had. When I finally did get a prescription for E from him, it was of the compound variety that needed to be filled from a compoundic (sp?) pharmacy. There are a bunch throughout Houston, including one in his building. His lovely assistant Johanna can also tell you if there is one near where you live. She did that for me and was even kind enough to call them to make sure they carried my specific medication.
The things that I might find fault in is that he is a little hard of hearing and I have a feeling he is pretty conservative in his treatment plan. Don't know the latter for sure, but it is just my gut reaction. These are small things, but I thought you should know in order to make an informed choice. Also, the parking garage in his office is pretty expensive and doesn't take credit cards. Only check or cash. My initial 2 hour office visit ran 9 bucks in parking! Finally, if you don't end up liking Dr. Smith, I know there is another endo in his office that is also trans friendly. I wish I could remember his name, but I think it was something like Rodriguez? Sorry, it slips my mind.
Anyway, feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.
