Tips on making a dermatology appointment

1.      Use your primary care doctor or nurse practitioner to advocate for an urgent problem. They have well established specialist contacts and a quick phone call from them can almost always find a appointment within the week. 

2.      Call the specialist’s office in the early morning (ie 9-10am) to ask if there have been any cancellations for that day.  Be flexible. It may mean leaving work early or arriving late. 

3.      Realize that more than 90% of the time, the emergency skin lesion is not life threatening and reassurance is all that is needed. 

4.      Educate yourself with reliable, patient friendly web sites such as the Skin Cancer Foundation (www.skincancer.org) or the American Academy of Dermatology (www.aad.org) regarding the signs and symptoms of worrisome lesions. 

5.      Discuss problems with access with your dermatologist directly. Leaving a concerned message will result in a return phone call and some telephone triage. 

6.      If you are a high risk patient and don’t have a dermatologist, be proactive and undergo a yearly screening. 

7.      Perform a monthly total skin examination in a full length, well  lit mirror to familiarize yourself with your baseline skin examination and lesions.