I wanted to take a moment to wholeheartedly thank you for writing about Dr. Melissa Drake and shining a light on women's health in Santa Barbara.
As a patient of Dr. Drake’s, I can tell you she is 100 percent deserving of the title “unicorn OB." She worked tirelessly and gave a level of care that doesn't usually exist in Santa Barbara. It's hard to put into words what an incredible doctor she is unless you've experienced it — the unrushed appointments in her office, the education, the friendly ear listening to you cry about birth trauma. Her attention was always on you. I have an army of friends who would say the same!
When I first moved back to S.B., I had met with four different obstetricians after having to beg my way into appointments. I didn't think I had high standards, but I came from L.A. where I was lucky to have caring doctors who listened to me. I quickly found out that it wasn’t the same in S.B. I settled on someone who was fine, but offered a base level of care and never advocated for me when needed.