Initial Visit
Instructions for the Patient
We look forward to meeting with you in the near future. We hope your visit to our clinic will be a positive experience. With your assistance, we can maximize the benefit of your visit by having you obtain various items prior to coming. Here is a list of items to bring with you and details to keep in mind:
- Complete medical records, including Past Medical History and Family History
- Detailed written list of current medications
- Full details of any history of allergic reactions to medications
- Any prior therapies for your present condition (including name of medication, dose of medication, length of use. If you received therapy other than medications, we are interested in these details as well. For example, if you received radiation therapy, we would like to know the name of the physician, name of the center where you received the therapy, and most importantly, a copy of the treatment summary)
- Name, address, phone number, and FAX of all your physicians
- Copy of your insurance information
- Copy of any laboratory tests, radiology tests, and pathology reports
- If you can obtain an actual copy of the radiology films to bring with you to your visit, this is preferable
- The actual slides of any pathology samples (skin, lymph node, or bone marrow for example) must be brought with you to the initial visit. Skin is most important.
- Having records, tests, slides sent to our institution by FAX or mail is not preferable.
We also would like for you to be prepared for the expected events of the day. You will be meeting with our entire multidisciplinary team, which includes our faculty, clinical fellows, dermatology residents, nurses, and research assistants. In addition, physicians from important collaborating fields, such as pathology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology will be present. Meeting several individuals at once can be a bit intimidating; however, every person you meet is a key figure in your care. In addition, please be prepared for at least a half day visit if not longer. We like to spend significant time reviewing your history and records (including scans and biopsy slides), speaking with you, performing a proper examination, and allow you to meet all the people important in your care. We hope to confirm or establish a diagnosis on the day of your visit, so we can discuss your condition with you and initiate therapy; however, we may require additional tests or procedures the day of your visit, so we would like for you to be prepared for this.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns prior to your visit.