How long of a wait for an appointment at your REAL doctor?

I'm wondering what's the average wait time to get an appointment for an annual exam, both for a new patient and for an existing.

Also is there anything that prompts you to schedule one, such as a reminder card in the mail or if you typically schedule one around some calendar event such as your birthday?

Thanks!

For my wife and I, our visits are planned well in advance. Our family doc wants to see us every six months, so we schedule the next visit as soon as we leave the exam room. Same with the annual visit to our cardiologist, and her annual visit to the gynecologist.

If we need a problem focused visit between regularly scheduled ones, we phone and can usually get in within two days.

My birthday in June 15 and I always go somewhere around my birthday. I will schedule an appointment when I leave my last one but when I get my reminder card in the mail I will call to comfirm

The receptionist at my wife's gyn office has started offering her the opportunity to schedule next year's annual exam as she's leaving this year's. I think that's the best way to do it both for the office and the patient, as it offers the greatest flexibility (the schedule is usually wide open that far out). They send her a reminder card in the mail as well. Over time I can see that kind of a system making it harder for new patients to schedule at the most convenient times, as it gives a bit of preference to existing patients.

Just as others have mentioned, I schedule my next annual exam when I'm leaving the current one. For other doctors that I see every 6 months or so, I also schedule those when I'm leaving the current visit. I've found that with most of my doctors, if you don't schedule your next visit far in advance, you might not be able to get your preferred appointment day or time. You'll likely see be able to see them, but it might be later in the day than you'd like, etc. But in the case of a full physical, you've got to schedule that far in advance or you just won't get one with your doctor of choice -- you'd end up as a fill-in appointment with a different doctor or NP/PA.

Oh, and I just noticed that this is in the gyn section, so I hope I'm not side-tracking this thread with my reply.

I moved this here because it REAL medical, NOT MedFet and can apply to any type of physical examinations.

I know this isn't what you asked, but I'm waiting eleven months to get an appointment with a specialist whom I've seen before, though this isn't a follow-up, per se.

I think a lot of this will be based on what kind of insurance you have and where you live, as well as if you are established, and oddly enough what medications you are on.

A lot of doctors only take certain insurances. So if you have private insurance and the doctor only takes private insurance patients you most likely will not have to wait very long. I would say 2-4 weeks if you are already established with that doctor, and maybe 6-8 weeks if you are not. Again all of this depends on where you live.

Now if you are on public insurance your wait will probably be a lot longer because doctors who take public insurance usually take just about anyone and they are very busy. So if you are already established with them you will probably wait 6-8 weeks. Not established could be 3-4 months.

This all changes if you are needing a specialist. As the poster above me said they had to wait 11 months to see the doctor and they were already established. I think that is a bit ridiculous, but not out of the realm or possibility. Again, all of the above mentioned will have a factor as well on how quickly you see the specialist.

Now there is a huge trend here in the US with the over use of narcotics. There is a huge push to eliminate them as much as possible because of how many people are addicted to them no matter how they got that way. So, a lot of doctors tell you right up front, before you are even allowed to schedule, that if you are on narcotics for pain, or other narcotics for any reason, they will not let you establish there. If it's their policy to not accept pain patients then you will have to find another doctor. If you lie about being on narcotics, when the doctors office gets your chart and sees that you are in fact on chronic narcotics, you will be thrown out of the office, if you even make it that far. Also, if you think you are being sneaky and decide to tell the doctor that you didn't have a previous doctor so you won't have a chart from the old doctor. Well, there are ways around that too. Put your name into the I-Stop computer for example and it will pull you up and tell them exactly what medications you are on. And if you lied again, you will be kicked out and you will have to find another doctor which will add to your time.

For me what prompts me to get a physical every year is the fact that my insurance coverage goes down and the deductables go up if I don't get a physical every year, with supporting blood work for my medications. Also if I don't get a mammy done according to standard guidelines they can opt to greatly reduce my coverage for my treatments for anything related. So that's my incentive. LOL.

The main thing to remember here really is that all of this has variables which vary greatly depending on your insurance, where you live, whether or not you are established with that doctor or not, and what medications you are on. So really there isn't really one answer to any of your questions.

Mashie

Seems to me this will vary greatly depending on how popular the doctor is and how large a population they serve. The 'celebrity' doctor in NYC, LA, etc. would have a very long wait for routine service as compared to the perfectly qualified doctor in middle America.

In my case, the doctor works for a teaching/research hospital and in fact, his lab is named after him. He does primarily research and only sees patients one day a week. Since I hadn't seen him in over a year, I was considered a "new" patient for the sake of scheduling. I live in a city with a couple med schools and all the hospitals are teaching hospitals. Many of the top-rated doctors are more involved in teaching and research than direct patient care. One of them who schedules far in advance, does a lot of public speaking for drug companies. He also does research and a lot of presentations of his research at various conferences.

My PCP schedules annual physicals 14-15 months in advance, then when there are cancellations, you get a sooner appointment, though you have to be available. It's very screwy with his office. But I don't mind it, since I get my physical appx. once a year and I see him for the brief follow-ups every four months. What I don't like is how long I have to wait to see him for a new issue. I can always see someone else in his office sooner, but I want to see HIM when I have a problem. Anyone can do an annual physical.

I suppose that due to my age, my F.P. Doc now sees me every 6 months, rather than yearly, as he used to do. At the end of each physical, he schedules me for my next visit to see him again. He usually has me come in to pick up his Rx for fasting blood work at a nearby O.P. clinic, go over there for the blood draw. The clinic sends him the blood work results and I see him at his office within a week.

He wants to see my wife every 3 months, even though she is 11 years my junior. She is type II diabetic with COPD.

For new patients, I've always experienced around 4-6 weeks. Slightly less for a returning patient. I never got a postcard or phone call in the mail reminding me...though I wish they did that. It would be nice.

I have had the same physician for over 20 years. I have several health issues so I am reluctant to change physicians. He became a concierge physician about 3 years ago. I pay a flat fee every 3 months. There is never another fee no matter how often I need to see him. I can see him whenever I need to, If I have an issue and need to see him in the office I have an appointment within 24 hours, I have a cell phone number that I can call or text and get immediate answers. Also the appointments are not rushed. It lasts as long as I have questions.

No problems getting appointments, but making me wait in an exam room for an hour, before he gets to me, really pisses me off! My vascular surgeon does this and I've warned him that I'll "fire" him if that keeps up and I am serious. My urologist and Family Doc never do this to me. The age of consumerism has come to medicine. We aren't just their patients anymore; we are their customers as well. If you don't treat customers well, they will go elsewhere. That's the first rule you learn in selling anything; pharmaceuticals, or medicine: Make your customers like you and they will stay with you.

My real appointments are always made for the first thing in the morning... like 8:00 AM... and I am usually taken into the exam room by 8:10 even on the worst of days.

On the other hand, I know that if you have a later in the day appointment... he is ALWAYS late.… and you wait.

Doc Rob

To get an appointment is usually not long. Like a week depending on what you need it can be sooner. We always get a call the first of June asking us to please call the doctors office. Actually we get two calls. One for me and one for my sister. We also get a letter with a reminder card in it. My sister and I go on the same day as close as you can get to the same time. Once we are there we never wait longer than ten minutes. If I am called back first my sister follows or the other way around. They know us well. When one of us is done and getting dressed the other is taken to the next room and is undressing. Then the nurse comes in and takes the dressed one into the other room. If we have a partner with us the same happens. Sort of like an assembly line. Yes we have had partners go at the same time.

While we don't routinely have a yearly physical exam by our GP's here in the UK . I have notice that over the last few years its been getting gradually longer and longer to see one's GP for a non emergency visit . Just a few weeks ago , I needed my GP to sign some forms and had to wait 2 weeks to see him which I thought was far too long of a wait . My GP surgery is rather a large practice with 10 GPs and yet a 2 week delay to me is not acceptable at all, thankfully the papers were not required urgently.

When I first joined the practice in the early 1990's you would only wait 1-2 days before you saw a GP for whatever reason., but over the years this has gradually gotten longer and longer . Even today you need to go via a "triage" nurse, who then makes a decision about whether or not you need to be seen urgently or not . I find this an extremely concerning trend , as without seen someone, how effectively can you triage someone .

I know delays are inevitable at times due to emergencies etc, but longer and longer waits for GP appointments needs to be address sooner rather than later. Incidentally we in the UK do not pay to see our GP's , its all free., nonetheless unduly long waits it's just not acceptable.

I really can't complain . My GP practice covers quite a large area . There are 4 Drs . 3 females and 1 male and 2 practice nurses . If you want an appointment for the same day you call between 8:30am and 9:15am . You get one for that morning .If you want one in the afternoon you call between 3:00pm and 3:45pm .

If you want a non urgent appointment you usually wait only 3 days maximum . Of course I could call on Monday and get one for a day to suit me in advance .

One of the Drs though is a talker . Which is lovely if you've got all day . But she's always running very late . Her morning clinic often overlaps the afternoon because she talks so much . She's a really lovely , very thorough Dr though . I'm registered to her , but I can see whoever I want , depending whose on that day .

Nikki

It all depends on each doctor's practice. As i've searched for new docs in my plan, some won't even take in new patients. When i found my new primary care, in think i was able to schedule a physical within a week or two.

Colonoscopies need to be scheduled like months in advance (for me). Same with my child's pediatrician for an annual check up.

Skin exams i book out 6 months away on the day i have one. I go to the desk immediately afterwards and book the next one.

When I was in practice I would stop taking new patients when the wait time reached 3 months. Began accepting new patients again when the wait got down to 6 weeks or so. I'd say nowadays 3 months is not uncommon.

I have been with my Dr. for quite some time, I can usually get in for just a check up in 3 to 4 days. If I am sick and need to see a Dr. I usually cannot get in immediatly, so I go to the urgent care.

Currently 4 to 5 weeks at my GP for any routine issue. "Urgent" cases can sometimes be seen the same day if you call them early enough but there is an unacceptable delay otherwise.

At my GP's office he never sees you at your appointed time because he is so busy, so what I do I always bring a crossword puzzle book with me to take up the time. 😃

I recently made my appointment for an annual exam and they sent me a reminder to be there15 minutes ahead of time. Think I might go early and hopefully see something to imagine or if I'm lucky hear...........

Thanks to sites like zoc doc I don't think I have had to wait more than a day to even an hour before the appointment to schedule. I also look for a doctor who isn't too busy incase I need to schedule something the same day .

It's usually around a month's wait. I don't make them in advance because my work schedule varies.

For a routine check up I have to book six months in advance. If I'm sick I might get to see the PA in a day or go to urgent care. My dermatology exam and urology exams are annual and booked for the next year when I have them.

For a checkup I can usually book one within two to three weeks, but usually book much further ahead than that to get the time I want. If I need an appointment for something more urgent (sick, cold, etc) I can sometimes get one same day, if not the next couple of days. My doctor is fairly new and hasn't taken on a big load of patients yet.

I don't do a yearly check-up. Is this commonplace or even mandatory for you?

It's not mandatory, I just do it. I have gone every year for as long as I can remember.