Difficulty Getting a Dermatologist Appointment

[asta]

I just tried to get a appointment with a dermatologist for some suspicious skin growths/changes (I have previously had to have MOHS surgery to remove a basal cell skin cancer so changes worry me) and the earliest I can get in to see a doctor is 6 months away! Is this the norm for others in other locations who have tried to get an appointment?

As a word of warning, I waited over a year from my last checkup so the dermatologist's office I had used before is treating me as a new patient and therefore a much longer time to get an appt. I was trying to not overuse the doctor for every little worry and I guess that is the wrong strategy.

 

[ez]

There is a dermatologist in my town that has a year out for new patients, I'm guessing she is very good. I went to one that my HMO covered and would never go back. I had something weird on my skin not a mole, but he told me I needed to see an internal medicine specialist wouldnt biospy it. Then I saw a dr with like a 4 month waiting list who not only biopsied it right away but sent it for some special flourescent testing. So I have been going to this dr's office since, even though i have to pay extra to go. Now that I am established I usually get in within a month or so. I see one of his DO doctors there who I love. But yeah the new patient thing really slows things down overall

 

[LisaR]

We live in FL which is kind of like the mecca for skin cancer. Many dermatologists are booked six months to a year out. What I found is that you can get in to see the nurse practitioner around here pretty easily. The NP can biopsy the spot and if you end up needing the MOHS, they'll get you in with the doctor ASAP. My mom went through this last winter while she was here. I was very skeptical using the NP because I was pretty sure it was cancer, but she couldn't wait six months to be seen. As soon as it was confirmed cancer, she easily got in to see the doctor.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

If you see your primary doctor, they can usually get you in quickly then with a specialist referral vs. going directly to the dermatologist.

 

[Tiffylv]

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[asta]

If you see your primary doctor, they can usually get you in quickly then with a specialist referral vs. going directly to the dermatologist.

Thanks, I am going to message my primary doctor. I think he owes me because he misdiagnosed the basal cell and I had to insist on a dermatologist and biopsy in that case.

 

[HM]

I just called mine a couple hours ago. My particular doctor with the group retired since I was there last, but I was able to get an appointment with another partner on Nov 30.

 

[Pembo]

Timely thread - I called the derm I have previously been to and can't get in until Dec 16. Today I called a practice at the university hospital and got an appt for next week.

 

[CPanther95]

4-8 weeks is usual for a routine annual check-up. If there's something specific of concern they can generally squeeze you in within a week, maybe 2 - if you're willing to get a short notice call when availability opens up.

 

[Sadie22]

I can get in more quickly if i see the PA, who can order the same test the doctor would.

 

[Neesy228]

The dermatologists around here that are good have a 4-6 month wait for new patients. We do live in a small town though, so it's not like we have 100's of options to choose from and the less than fantastic doctors are easier to get into (but still a few week wait).

 

[PigletsPal2]

As LisaR and Sadie22 said, if you're willing to see the Nurse Practitioner, you can probably get am appointment sooner. I had a dozen or so moles on my back that I wanted to have looked at, and she gave me an appointment for the next week. There were so many of them, she did eight the first visit (biopsied, no cancer), eight the second visit three week later (biopsied, no cancer), and will do eight more in two weeks. They were fairly large and dark and I felt self-conscious wearing certain tops as they either were exposed or showed through lighter fabrics.

The NP was very knowledgeable about skin cancer and very adept as removing the moles. She froze them off and I hardly felt it.

Queen Colleen

 

[Piglet4Ever]

I live in FL, my DH is retired Navy so we still use military medical. I got a referral from my DR for a dermatologist and got in to see them in about a month. While there they set up my appointment for next yr as well so that is cool. Now I just have to get DH to get there as well.

 

[Turn the Page]

All the dermatologists I have been too have had long waiting lists (6 months or more) for annual exams but the office I currently go to got me in pretty quickly when I had an issue.

I tried to get an appointment as a new patient at one office and was told if I wanted to have a screening on my whole body it would be 6 months but if I jnust wanted to do the top half or bottom half they could get me in sooner.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I made a dermatologist appointment recently. I was able to get in about 6 weeks out for a nurse practitioner, but it would have been 3-4 months for a doctor. Part of the problem is time of year - everyone, like me, is trying to get in before their deductibles reset in January.

 

[Capang]

I usually wait 3-6 months to get in. I use a very large hospital system that has offices everywhere. All derm books way out around here. I'm high risk for skin cancers and I usually have better luck with my primary or a PA.

 

[asta]

I usually wait 3-6 months to get in. I use a very large hospital system that has offices everywhere. All derm books way out around here. I'm high risk for skin cancers and I usually have better luck with my primary or a PA.

That sounds like the situation here. My doctors are with a very large hospital system. You would think it would be easier to get an appointment in a large city than in a smaller area. I am still waiting to hear from my primary physician. The NP also sounds attractive because I learned the hard way to just ask for everything I'm worried about to be biopsied. Two doctors misdiagnosed my basal cell and caused a delay of two years in having MOHS surgery. I did not know a NP could do a biopsy.

 

[Immadismom]

Even worse is trying to find a dermatologist to see a child. My daughter is suffering from some serious acne, and not only were all the dermatologists booked way out, many would not see a child.

 

[dotfurio]

I've never had an appointment with a doctor at my office personally - just the PA. She's great, though, and won't hesitate to call in the dr for a consult (as she did on me once). I can get in to see her within a couple weeks, but if they deem the symptoms more of an emergency they can squeeze you in that day or the next. The office has a pediatric derm that only sees kids, and we got our daughter into her fairly quickly as well. I think because we're a larger town maybe there are just more options for people, so it's not as difficult to get an appointment?

Even worse is trying to find a dermatologist to see a child. My daughter is suffering from some serious acne, and not only were all the dermatologists booked way out, many would not see a child.

Our oldest got some prescription cream from her regular dr - maybe you could try that to tide you over until the derm appt?

 

[Immadismom]

Our oldest got some prescription cream from her regular dr - maybe you could try that to tide you over until the derm appt?[/QUOTE]

We were prescribed EpiDuo by the family Dr, and it's been about 3 months. The acne has only gotten worse, not any better.