Education, prevention and support for the most serious form of skin cancer.
Tips on Making a Dermatology Appointment
- 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.
- 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.
- Realize that more than 90% of the time, the emergency skin lesion is not life threatening and reassurance is all that is needed.
- 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.
- Discuss problems with access with your dermatologist directly. Leaving a concerned message will result in a return phone call and some telephone triage.
- If you are a high risk patient and don’t have a dermatologist, be proactive and undergo a yearly screening.
- Perform a monthly total skin examination in a full length, well lit mirror to familiarize yourself with your baseline skin examination and lesions.
