Patient Rating
Many patients praise Dr. Harker for being patient, respectful and knowledgeable, noting she takes time to explain procedures, listens, and makes them feel comfortable during visits. Several reviewers highlight excellent bedside manner and clear guidance, especially during procedures and pregnancy care. However, a number of patients report rushed or dismissive encounters, unanswered questions, and inconsistent counseling or transition planning. Overall the feedback is mixed, with frequent high-praise experiences balanced by recurring concerns about communication and thoroughness.
Generated via Patient Reviews
The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers. The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments |
Obstetrics & Gynecology
-Clinical Attending |
|---|---|
| Academic Divisions |
General OB/GYN
|
Education history
| Undergraduate | Minor: Spanish - University of Utah | B.S., B.A. |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Medical | Medicine - University of Utah | M.D. |
| Internship/Residency | Internal Medicine - Oregon Health Sciences University | Resident |
| Internship/Residency | Obstetrics and Gynecology - Oregon Health Sciences University | Resident |
I identify as LGBT and I never once felt judged or worried when I explained this. Living in Utah, this can be hard to find in a clinic and provider. Thank you!
Very thorough, explained things well, seemed very knowledgeable about current recommendations.
She is fantastic. Dynamic, sharp kind. Worth waiting for appointments.
I did not find her to be helpful or considerate of the concerns I have going through perimenopause. She made me feel like I was overreacting. I don't want to treat myself unnecessarily. But I do want to understand what to look for, where to be concerned and what to do.
Pleasant and personable and thorough.
Melani is amazing - she genuinly cares and understands.
Dr. Harker always approaches my care with understanding and sensitivity. This visit, she gave us bad news with kindness, which was very appreciated. We are lucky to have her.
I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to my OB-GYN for the incredible care throughout my pregnancy and delivery. From the first appointment to the moment I held my baby in my arms, I felt supported, heard, and genuinely cared for. Shes always patient with my questions, reassuring when I was nervous, and made sure everything went smoothly. I couldn't have asked for a better doctor to walk this journey with me. Highly recommend to any expecting mamas out there ' you'll be in great hands!
Dr. Harker is professional, efficient, and empathetic.
Dr Harker has been WONDERFUL!!! I'm so glad she's my OB-GYN for my first pregnancy. She's answered all my questions and included me in every decision. She's made me feel so comfortable throughout the process and has recommended great classes and resources.
Great doctor and I always received best care from her and her team
Dr. Harker is a great doctor, she knows her stuff, but more importantly she is compassionate, empathetic and has a genuine concern for the well-being of her patients.
Dr. Harker is very knowledgeable and made great suggestions to resolve a concern I had. This was a nice first experience!
I feel like a valued member of my care team. I not only receive answers to my questions, I'm actually educated about them so I can make informed decisions about my healthcare.
Dr Harker listens carefully and gets to the point to answer questions clearly and completely
Dr. Harker was very attentive to my needs and provided helpful guidance.
I have been fortunate to receive expert care by Dr Harker. She is a very knowledgeable and caring physician and I would highly recommend her to others seeking her specialty.
Absolutely amazing!! She listens and cares and she's always reassuring she talks you through everything and explains it well and answers all my question
Dr Harker is knowledgeable, calm and patient, and her experience is evident in her care. She consistently shows kindness and personal attention in explaining and performing OB/GYN treatment and in discussing results. Her office staff members are also welcoming and kind.
Dr Harker was amazing and I'm looking forward to future appointments with her. She was very patient and kind and talked me through everything. She answered all my questions and more.
Dr. Harker really listens and care about her patients!! I'm so glad I found her!!!
Dr. Harker is the best! She is thoughtful, attentive, and transparent about her care and recommendations.
Melani is an incredible listener and patient advocate. Never had a doctor like her! She is the best.
Dr. Harker is amazing, always answers my questions in a way I can understand. Makes me feel heard about my medical decisions. It's very personable.
Dr. Harker and her medical student were holistic in the care that they provided... in addition to being skilled and knowledgeable they were gentle and kind towards me. Ten ought of ten.. would recommend!
Any patient of Dr. Harker is in good hands. No shaming, pressure, or discounting of feelings in her care. I am grateful to have found her as I'm going forward in life and my plans to start a family. Don't be worried, she'll help you get the answers and help you need.
Dr. Harker is a good doctor concerning my skin condition and checks to make sure the creams I'm using are working for me.
Melani always listens and I never feel dismissed or brushed aside. She is always considerate and explains everything she is doing along the way. I'm never caught off guard and I get to make my own decisions. She's the best OBGYN I've had.
Amable dispuesta ayudarme y hacerme sentir segura acerca de mi salud
Terrible bedside manner, makes you feel like you don't deserve her time.
Dr. Harker is the best, she really cares about her patients and is so kind, Her staff is top notch!!
She's very humble and strait to her job as a professional
Dr. Harker is by far one of the best providers I've had the opportunity of working with!
Wonderful provider, compassionate, informative and inclusive of patients needs in determining care
Melani is an incredible listener, has great empathy and wisdom, and makes me feel very cared for as a patient!
She is so lovely and takes good care of me 100% and make sure you are well taken care of
She always takes the time to explain to me things in a way that I can understand. Plus she has a sense of humor
Dr. Harper was kind and respectful. She had a very positive attitude and listened well to my responses.
I was very impressed with Dr. Harker. She listened carefully to my health concerns, gave thoughtful answers and is extremely knowledgeable. She's very kind and caring.
Dr. Harker was very kind, listened to my concerns, was empathetic and communicated clearly and with care. I sincerely appreciated her approach, and am very glad to have had her as a provider.
Dr. Harker is the best. I am so grateful for physicians like her!
Dr. Harker is very compassionate and knowledgeable. I trust her recommendations and am so appreciative of her excellent care.
Dr. Harker is a kind and thoughtful physician. I feel heard and reassured in our appointments.
Wonderful Doctor!! I'm just so thankful to have found a female provider that is so caring
She was wonderful, explained everything showed me what she had just done¿ Couldn't have been better and it was super fast
Dr. Harker didn't rush through the exam. Very kind.
Dr. Harker has been amazing at explaining things in a way we can understand. Shes very patient and caring.
Excelente!!!
Shes the best! I refer all my friends to her. If she could just give me like 5min next time, Id like to just diddle on my phone. She came in too fast last time. Haha I thought she was the MA coming in again!
I really love Dr Harker, she always explains everything very thoroughly and she is very kind. It was my first time getting an annual exam, Pap smear and an IUD. She explained everything very well and made sure I was comfortable the whole time. She is very knowledgeable and always answers all my questions and never makes me feel bad for asking
I loved Dr. Harker! It was my first time at the OBGYN and she made me feel so comfortable, heard, and made sure I was in charge of everything.
I appreciate the time Dr. Harker takes to address my concerns and to make sure that I feel confident in the plan of treatment. Dr. Harker takes time to answer my questions and to make sure that I understand the next steps to take. I feel heard and valued when I visit with her.
Dr. Harker was amazing throughout the whole process of my surgery and answered all of my questions.
Dr. Harker handled my situation completely and to the best of her ability. :) I'm very happy with surgery as well as the results. Thank you!
She was kind and thoughtful
Dr. Harker is a very kind and professional doctor. Shes a good listener. She explains everything thoroughly. She understood all my concerns and showed a lot of care, a trait you rarely see in doctors nowadays.
She's a great doctor. I highly recommend Dr. Harker to pregnant women.
Dr. Harker is a great doctor. Her care is thorough, reassuring and patient-centered. She takes the time to listen, answer questions and follow-up.
Melani is excellent to work with, she listens to your concerns and wishes taking them in to full consideration. I greatly appreciate how concise though therogh her communication is.
Dr. Harker is a wonderful doctor and has been an absolute blessing. She listens to all my concerns and follows up. She and her nurses answer my messages in a timely manner and makes me feel like I have them to relieve any anxiety I may have about my health. Just a wonderful experience.
She was professional and comfortably genuinely courteous.
Dr. Harker is great. She makes a safe and comfortable environment.
Dr. Harker was wonderful! I loved that she took her time to hear my concerns and ask what my health goals are and she provided ways I could improve to support those goal. I could tell she knew a lot about what type of care I've gotten in the past by reviewing my records. Her staff was also very friendly and welcoming. I would highly recommend her to anyone.
Very caring
Dr. Harker is patient, attentive, and takes time to listen and answer questions.
Dr. Harker is a wonderful care provider. She always makes me feel safe and comfortable throughout appointments.
She is outstanding!
Dr. Harker is amazing, she makes me feel comfortable and listens to any concerns I have. She is the best OB I have ever seen
The doctor was completely dismissive of my symptoms and showed no concern or care. Very causal and non caring attitude. Very disappointing!
Dr. Harker was amazing. Went beyond any expectations I could've had. Showed genuine interest and concern for me. Also made sure to explain things in a way I understood. Loved that she also reviewed the plan as we went along and before she left the room.
Dr. Harker was very patient, welcoming and considerate of my needs. She took the time to listen to my health concerns and even spent a few minutes making a personal connection with me. She explained what she was doing step by step so I knew what to expect. I've had 4 gynecologists over the years due to multiple relocations and she was the best I've had.
Doctor Harker was so calm and assuring. She created an environment that allowed me to feel comfortable, confident and as relaxed as I could be.
Dr. Harker truly went above and beyond to make me feel comfortable and confident during an in-office procedure. I highly recommend her for her compassion and skill.
Dr. Harker is both very knowledgeable and very caring. She listened carefully to my problems, showed a great deal of concern, and provided excellent care, as always! She is an excellent physician and I hope the U of U health system can retain her.
Best gyno appt I ever had
I felt unheard and like my feelings and concerns were dismissed with very generic responds.
As a patient of Dr. Summers, I was transitioning to a new doctor. New doctor's approach is quite different, and I think more attention should have been paid to making the transition more comfortable. This appointment replaced an appointment that I had previously scheduled with Dr. Summers. At each of my six month Appointments, Dr. Summers would routinely do an exam. This new doctor had no intention of doing an exam, and that was not explained to be until I was in the room with her. She said she'd do it if I requested it, which made it sound like it was not part of the plan or her schedule. In light of the need to transition Dr. Summers' patients to someone else, I think the clinic should have gained a better understanding of each patient's needs before handing them over to someone else.
Dr. Harker is fantastic. She took the time to address all of my concerns.
Loved Dr Harker! Glad I ended up with her.
Dr. Harker is the best. She always answers my questions and gives me the information I need to feel better.
The doctor seemed very steady and informative and confident about handling my new pregnancy, however, there wasn't a lot of curiosity, concern, or counsel shown for my previous miscarriage. I am very worried about the forecast for my current pregnancy and would have felt more reassured if we had been able to discuss what potentially could be learned from the miscarriage.
Dr Harker was patient, respectful and provided by far the best care I have ever been given. She took the time to explain things to me and meet my needs and complete the procedure all while training a medical student. This is a provider who should be training others based on her medical knowledge as well as most Importantly respect for and treatment of everyone as an individual and to make them feel heard and cared for
Dr. Harker was personable and direct in her explanations. Overall a great provider.
Dr Harker took the time to review my chart prior to seeing me so she knew my health history. She explained my options as well as risks and benefits and gave me the opportunity to ask questions and to make my own informed decisions
Dr. Harker did a wonderful job showing us care and attention during our visit.
Great service
Dr.Harker was straightforward, honest, and compassionate. It was my first time meeting with her, and I felt like I was in great hands.
No personal touch whatsoever. I left there wondering why I even went.
Dr. Harker was wonderful, straight forward, and really helpful. Excited to have her as my advocate for my first pregnancy.
Dr. Harker was very kind and explained what she was doing as she completed the procedure. She made me feel very comfortable.
Dr. Harker is an amazing physician. I have seen her three times now, and she is always fully engaged and present, listens to my concerns and goes out of her way to provide compassionate, patient-centered medical care that addresses all of my needs. She is exceptional.
Excellent
Dr Harker was excellent, caring, concerned, informed about my health, thorough and knowledgeable.
Dr. Harder was very thorough explaining the side effects of my medication and explaining the different ways I could take my medication. She gave me all my options so I was able to make a decision about my care that works for me.
I felt discounted and not listened to about my condition. Details of my history were dismissed. All of this by the physician.
She was really quick to get through the visit and I don't feel like my concerns were addressed. A few questions were not answered. I left feeling frustrated that I was told something is normal when it's not normal for me. I will be visibly a different doctor for same issue soon
Excellent, very professional and knowledgeable
Melani is an amazing doctor, she cares about her patients and I can recommend her to anyone I love
My Dr was excellent. I was very anxious about my appointment and She was very nice, gentle, and explained everything as she went along, and made me feel not so afraid. I definitely want to stay with her.
I am happy with my checkups with Dr. Harker.
I loved the way Dr Harker spoke with me. She made it clear what we were doing, and she spoke in terms I could easily understand. Considering the circumstances, it was really nice having the clarity she gave.
Dr. Harker is great, and I'd strongly recommend her to anyone else. I've found her to be both kind and straightforward in addressing any questions and concerns.
Dr. Harker is very knowledgeable. Very open and clear. Always give the chance to choose.
The doctor forgot to enter RX for me and note for travel.
Dr. Harker always explains everything and never rushes me. she's the best!
She took the time to really listen to my concerns and was very open and honest about the issues I wanted to address. I felt like I was listened to and that meant a lot.
I really appreciated her thorough explanation of what I was going through & also how to best move forward.
very helpful and honest with me
it was okay, but the plan hasn't proceeded after the fact. I've received little to know information on what's going on or the potential risk to my health. I feel in the dark and abandoned during this stressful experience.
We have truly enjoyed Dr. Harker. I would recommend her to anyone. She remembers my husband and me, asks follow-up questions from previous appointments, has listened to every strange question I've had, her office responds to my messages quickly and she is all around great! Very happy we chose her for prenatal care.
I had concerns that I felt were brushed off. I felt like my hormones were off and when I told her she said that women have more estrogen than men and men have more testosterone than women. I learned that when I was a child and now I'm an adult with three children. she didn't listen. it was a frustrating visit. there was no more questions or even talk about reaching out to an endocrinologist for my hormone concerns. I've had good appointments with her, this one just wasn't.
I couldn't be happier with Dr. Harker, she's been absolutely fabulous through my entire pregnancy
I'm sure Dr. Harker is a good doc but I felt like she was checking a box and really didn't seem to explore much around my concerns. Maybe this is due to Covid.
explained I tested positive for pregnancy. gave me steps to confirm and see what is going on. unfortunately I had a early loss but whole staff has been prompt in responding to my questions and concerns in U-Chart and I felt I had and understood the next steps and plan
Dr Harker is always very pleasant and discusses everything with me.
Doctor asked questions but no patience for answers. I don't think I answered anything with any substance before being shut down in various ways. Very unclear how a doctor does their job without listening and wanting to get all information possible. Additionally, doctor eager to pass off any unwanted questions to my theoretical primary doctor, for which I asked for a referral but wasn't offered one.
I did not have a good experience overall. I did not feel heard, understood or supported. I felt that my concerns were dismissed and not paid enough attention. I did not get answers to all my questions and did not like the condescending way I was talked to.
I was very concerned but both the PA and my doctor were comforting and clear about the situation and sympathetic to my concerns
Dr. Harker addressed all my concerns and clearly explained my options. She was thorough, kind and professional asking if her med student could participate in my exam.
Dr. Harker always answers my questions and gives me her full attention when I come in. also, love her MA, Ethel!
good
I love working with Dr. Harker. She always shows an appropriate level of sensitivity to my concerns while giving confident guidance.
The doctor was very rude, showed no concern for my problems. She cut me off while I was expressing my problems. She did not listen, rather spoke over me & had no patience.
excellent service
I was slightly disappointed by the repetitive nature of the appointment as I had been told many of the things in a prior appointment.
she seemed rushed
Dr. Harker always answers my questions and I never feel rushed! she's the best! and love her staff!
Dr. Harker is a great and thorough provider. This is my first pregnancy and she encouraged all the questions and helped settle any and all concerns I had.
worst OBGYN I have ever met. not only did she be little my problems and concerns she didn't help me. I would never recommend this doctor to anyone
I felt like my concerns were dismissed and it felt like the provider did not seem to care about what I had to say.
It always feels like Dr. Harker is winging it. She doesn't take or review notes about patients. Appointments are rushed. Very little information has been offered about prenatal care or the continuum of care through University of Utah. Everything is just reactive to what the patient offers. She will order appropriate testing when needed, which is good. I'm used to receiving a lot more information about preventative health measures from my primary health provider.
I have no idea why this provider gave me the treatment option she did, she treated me like I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about or doing. I have been experiencing my DIAGNOSIS for over a decade and she over explained ovulation to me but didn't care to tell me why she chose the treatment plan she did.
Dr. Harker is the best. she always takes her time and I don't feel rushed. she explains everything and answers all my questions.
Dr. Harker is compassionate and patient. She always takes time to answer all of my questions.
I LOVE Dr Harker. She listens to and focuses on addressing in my concerns in addition to providing appropriate care. She gives excellent primer education and puts me in the drivers seat for our appointment. I drive from Syracuse to meet with her at the Main Hospital. I would drive farther to be her patient. I feel safe and cared for
she knew very well what she was talking about
When I presented my thoughts and concerns I felt they were not addressed and brushed off.
Melanie Harker was very unprofessional! She was rude and judgemental, didn't address my concerns or needs nor did she seem to care. I was very upset with the whole visit with her and I am finding another doctor, I will NOT be returning to see her nor will I recommend her to anyone!!
good experience
The provider listened to me and my concerns and talked about options. It did feel just a bit rushed, though, which I why I didnt put 5s.
Dr. Harker is very thorough & kind at each visit.Thank you.
Dr. Harker brought a level of peace of mind I really needed. It often feels that pregnant women have to avoid doing/eating everything, but Dr. Harker made the experience feel less daunting.
I was very impressed with this visit. The Dr was very friendly and helpful.