Andrea D. Birnbaum, MD, PhD

4.9

893 ratings Read Reviews

Northwestern Medical Group

Primary Specialty

Ophthalmology

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Practice Focus Areas

This medical professional has a particular interest or expertise in:

Comprehensive Medical and Surgical Eye Care
Diabetes
Diabetic Retinopathy
Eyeglasses/Refraction
Glaucoma
Glaucoma Laser Surgery

Reasons to Schedule a Visit

This medical professional may be a good choice for you if you are looking for care for any of the following:

Blurry vision
Cataracts
Choroidal nevus
Cloudy cornea
Conjunctivitis
Cornea
Corneal dystrophy
Corneal scar
Crusting of lashes
Diabetic eye exam
Diabetic retinopathy
Dry eye
Epiretinal membrane
Failed vision screening
Flashes and floaters
General eye exam
Glasses only
Glaucoma

Keratitis
Lattice degeneration
Light sensitivity
Macular degeneration
Multiple sclerosis
Ocular rosacea
Posterior vitreous detachment
Red eye
Retina
Retinal edema
Retinal hemorrhage
Rheumatoid arthritis
Shingles or herpes
Stye
Tearing
Twitching eyelid
Uveitis

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Education

Medical Education:: MD, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine - 2005
Internship:: Swedish Hospital - 2006
Residency:: University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago - 2009
Fellowships:: University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago - 2010

Board Certifications

American Board of Ophthalmology - Ophthalmology (Certified)

Faculty Profile

Professor, Feinberg School of Medicine

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Practice Groups and Affiliations

Medical Group:: Northwestern Medical Group
Alignment Category:: Northwestern Medicine Physician Network
On Medical Staff At:: Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Ratings and Reviews

At Northwestern Medicine, our patient’s feedback is important to us. While different care providers have their own unique strengths, we strive to be as transparent as possible with our quality of care.

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Overall Rating

4.9

4.9

893 Ratings

Reviews from Patients

87 Reviews

Reviews from Patients

87 Reviews

February 24, 2026

5.0

She is eminently qualified. Additionally she is kind and good humored_a winning combination.

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February 23, 2026

5.0

Very professional and knowledgeable

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February 23, 2026

5.0

Vanessa first came in to get me ready for my eye examination. She did a great job of preparation's, all eyes test's, was very patient & so helpful & kind getting everything I'd discussed that we're concern's from the last appointment, one year ago. She said: nothing was to much for her to listen to & made several note's for Dr. Birnbaum to review. Dr. Birnbaum is alway's so very helpful & help's me in understanding the condition I have, alway's answering my many question's, I appreciate that so much. She'll alway's mention, if I need to come back for anything in the meantime before the next appointment, to make sure to do so. She'll alway's call my prescription's in promptly get's & them to the correct Pharmacy, I really appreciate her care for my eye's very much. Dr. Birnbaum is the best of the best Ophthalmologist!

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February 21, 2026

5.0

Andrea Birnbaum MD is attentive, caring, experienced, and an educator.

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February 16, 2026

5.0

Dr. Birnbaum was very knowledgeable, personable and friendly. Her examination was very thorough.

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February 16, 2026

5.0

I've worked with her since my stay in the hospital the end of December in my opinion she is an excellent doctor she cares about her patients she cared about me and showed me that I was important to her

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February 10, 2026

5.0

She knows her stuff and spends the time needed

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February 06, 2026

5.0

She's is so personable, caring, and at the top of her class

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February 02, 2026

5.0

One the best doctors I have

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January 29, 2026

5.0

She's a total rock star!!

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January 26, 2026

5.0

Very through exam, very good clinical skills, excellent communicator.

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January 20, 2026

5.0

Superb ophthalmologist

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January 14, 2026

5.0

She knows Loves her Job & it shows!

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January 04, 2026

5.0

She is thorough and personable.

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January 01, 2026

5.0

Like doctor but sometimes waiting time is long

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December 30, 2025

5.0

She gives good, succinct explanations for her care decisions, and also listens well.

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December 29, 2025

5.0

Very professional & caring.

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December 29, 2025

5.0

She explained everything to me.

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December 16, 2025

5.0

She is a very good caring and excellent doctor

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December 15, 2025

5.0

Dr. Birnbaum is attentive, meticulous, knowledgeable and professional

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December 05, 2025

5.0

I've been seeing Dr Birnbaum for years and love her. She is really easy to talk to and always puts me at ease regarding my vision. She's always through and professional

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December 04, 2025

5.0

Dr Birnbaum is such a pro. Super intelligent and knowledgeable

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December 01, 2025

5.0

She is very polite and attentive to my needs

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November 24, 2025

5.0

She rules!

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November 18, 2025

5.0

She is really informative

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November 10, 2025

5.0

She is terrific person and a caring physician.

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November 10, 2025

5.0

Great medical service

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November 07, 2025

5.0

She takes time to explain everything. Very caring, informative and personable.

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November 06, 2025

5.0

Personable and expertise.

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November 06, 2025

5.0

She is an expert eye doctor and she is thorough and caring.

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November 04, 2025

5.0

Very personable! Brilliant doctor!

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November 01, 2025

5.0

Andrea Birnbaum MD has always been professional, personable, knowledgeable, experienced.

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November 01, 2025

5.0

The Doctor and team use empathy, are polite, and to-the-point while being thorough.

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October 30, 2025

5.0

She answered all my questions, gave recommendations and added some extra images to rule things out

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October 28, 2025

5.0

Dr. Birnbaum is through and knowledgeable and explains everything in a way I can understand

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October 27, 2025

5.0

Attentive listens great advice I've had in 100% improvement since I started seeing her in my dry eyes and allergies in my eyes

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October 24, 2025

5.0

She provides clear, concise explanations for test results, thoroughly explains the treatment she recommends and why she is recommending it, and is forthright about likely results and potential side effects.

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October 20, 2025

5.0

Competent and professional. Super nice

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October 20, 2025

5.0

Professional, engaged, and caring .

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October 20, 2025

5.0

Dr Birnbaum is great. She is thorough, explains everything, and stays on top of any issues.

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October 11, 2025

5.0

She takes her time and answers questions and does not push surgery unless necessary.

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October 02, 2025

5.0

She is pleasant, thorough, and approachable. I do not feel intimidated by Dr Birnbaum

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September 30, 2025

5.0

Empathetic. Thorough

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September 29, 2025

5.0

She is smart, on point , relatable , an expert , a professional , can break it down for me

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September 29, 2025

5.0

LOVE Dr. Birnbaum

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September 22, 2025

5.0

An excellent Healthcare provider

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September 21, 2025

5.0

Excellent Care

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September 20, 2025

5.0

Dr Birnbaum explains everything on what's going on with your eyes very thoroughly so you can understand the condition of your eye health and what she has to do to slow down or stop the aggression of this eye disease

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September 20, 2025

5.0

She is friendly and thorough.

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September 19, 2025

5.0

She's so sweet and easy to talk to. I would recommend her even if it means the wait time.

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September 18, 2025

5.0

She is very engaging and helps to make sure I know what is going on and what I need to do to keep great eyesight

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September 15, 2025

5.0

Professional way of making me feel comfortable Patient when dealing with my difficulties keeping my eyes wide open

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September 15, 2025

5.0

Good communicator and excellent doctor

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August 19, 2025

5.0

Engaging, competent, and took the time to inquire regarding any other concerns.

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August 18, 2025

5.0

Dr. Birnbaum takes time with the exam and explains all the details to me. I feel that I am getting excellent care.

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August 18, 2025

5.0

Because she's very nice and suite

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August 12, 2025

5.0

Thorough and personable.

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August 11, 2025

5.0

Excellent, professional, courteous, engaged,

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August 11, 2025

5.0

Extremely knowledgeable ophthalmologist

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August 11, 2025

5.0

Great Doctor

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August 04, 2025

5.0

See above. This is my second encounter with Dr Birnbaum and both appointments demonstrated that she is very hands on and thorough.

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August 02, 2025

5.0

Skill and understanding

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August 01, 2025

5.0

Dr. Birnbaum is an excellent physician with a very beautiful personality and professional attitude towards your eye care and wellness.

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July 21, 2025

5.0

Clear, knowledgeable and personable

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July 18, 2025

4.0

I liked her professionalism and ease when she talked to me

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July 14, 2025

5.0

She is a very thoughtful and well qualified doctor.

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July 12, 2025

5.0

She performed and in-depth contamination covering possibilities for my vision loss. She immediately referred me specialist so they could continue my care. She scheduled a follow up visit to assess any remedies that may have been reached.

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July 08, 2025

5.0

experienced and does a fantastic job of answering questions and explaining treatment options

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July 08, 2025

5.0

She listened intently. Made eye contact (no pun intended). She was very upbeat and positive. I understood every thing she explained to me. I was very satisfied with my appointment with Dr. Birnbaum.

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July 07, 2025

5.0

very knowledgeable and personable, I like her

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July 07, 2025

5.0

Andrea is an excellent Physician and I appreciate her insight into my vision challenges. She is professional and prompt and I appreciate her as a fellow physician.

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July 04, 2025

5.0

I would recommend this doctor because my care is very important to the team at this office. And that's reassuring as a patient.

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July 01, 2025

5.0

Very professional and communicates well. Answers all questions understandably from patient perspective

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June 30, 2025

5.0

See above. She and her staff are super.

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June 29, 2025

5.0

personable, knowledgeable, experienced

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June 29, 2025

5.0

Down to earth and always thorough

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June 28, 2025

5.0

Dr. Birnbaum is through, patient and explains everything clearly

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June 23, 2025

5.0

Thoroughly professional, informative, warm & friendly. I don't like driving downtown anymore but I will for Dr. Birnbaum.

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June 23, 2025

5.0

Dr. Birnbaum is very helpful and knowledgeable. She is a pleasure to visit for eye exams and provides great information and advice.

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June 17, 2025

5.0

She gives thorough and clear explanations for any proposed treatment and procedures, both short-and long-term.

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June 16, 2025

5.0

Knowledgeable, approachable

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June 16, 2025

5.0

She was able to move up my appointment to an earlier date and solved my issue in one visit. Very personable and seems genuinely concerned. One of my best medical experiences

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June 02, 2025

5.0

Very professional and thoughtful.

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May 19, 2025

5.0

The confidence & thoughtfulness she exudes makes me confident I'm being well taken care of.

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May 19, 2025

5.0

Doctor Birnbaum is friendly and knowledgeable.

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May 16, 2025

5.0

Not only is she extremely knowledgeable she is very personable

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May 13, 2025

5.0

Excellent doctor

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Disclosures

Industry Relationships

Ownership or Investment Interest

Faculty member and/or their immediate family have an ownership or investment interest in the following companies

VCapital Management

External Professional Relationships

Pharmaceutical, device, and biotechnology companies frequently collaborate with basic scientists and physicians within an academic medical center to help advance science and improve patient care. These relationships are important in achieving scientific breakthroughs and in establishing the effectiveness and safety of promising new therapies. In order to assure objectivity in clinical research and patient care, the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Feinberg), Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Children's Hospital of Chicago Medical Center, and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab have adopted integrity policies that require research and clinical faculty (in full-time, part-time, and unpaid/voluntary categories) to report compensated and uncompensated external industry relationships. Patients are encouraged to discuss these disclosures with their physician as well as to inquire as to how these relationships are overseen by Feinberg. To learn more about our Disclosure and Professional Integrity Policy, and the conflict of interest policies of our joint affiliate survey partners, please go to our Office for Regulatory Affairs Policies page.

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