A brief chronology of my dealings with dr. edelson:
Pre-visit I:
I got his name from the GHI database; it was close to my house and he was affiliated with a good hospital. I call and two weird things happened: 1. A male receptionist? No, the doctor himself. Answering the phones, the door, making his own appointments, taking his own copays, etc. 2. There was an appointment available in only two days, which is remarkable for a Manhattan dermatologist. This made more sense later; I doubt he has a lot of repeat business.
Visit I: 2:00, out at 2:07
As I suspected from the phone call, there is no receptionist, just Dr. Edelson sitting at the front desk. I thought maybe his staff was on vacation (it's summer). He gives me the standard clipboard, and asks for the copay immediately. I should point out that I'm a teacher, and unless it's an emergency, I usually wait until the summer to see a doctor; that being said I had four different dermatological issues to share with him. On to the visit. I show him...
1. A cyst on the bone of the bridge of my nose. Ask if he might be able to drain it. He says no, because of what's inside. I ask what that is. He says, "it's cheese". I ask, "cheese?" He says, "Yeah, you know, cheese". I tell him that I'm a biology teacher and he can talk to me like a regular person. So then he told me it was sebaceous tissue. I said, "So basically, an oil gland?" He said yes, but he couldn't drain it. "Next!!"
2. Some bad dandruff. He says he can help out with some shampoo, which I will have to buy here because it's cosmetic, and insurance doesn't pay for any of that. "Next!!"
3. A rash on my upper arms. He says, "That's a genetic disorder. You've had it all your life." He then vaguely indicates a poster on the wall with a cross section of human skin that is supposed to explain this. He tells me he can sell me a cream that will not cure it, but improve it. "Next!!"
4. A growth on my back that I thought was a blood blister. I try to indicate it's position with my hands on my back. I say, "It's right there, near my hand". He barks back, "you've got two hands on your back; how am I supposed to know which one you mean?" He sees the growth and tells me that this is not a blood blister, and that it's funny that I wait until last to show him the one thing that is important. He says it looks like skin cancer and we'll have to schedule a biopsy for the next week.
So, I follow him out to the receptionist, er, his desk. He pulls out the cream for the arm rash, and tells me that it cost $70. I said that seemed steep for something that won't cure my problem; he writes me a prescription for another cream that I can get from the pharmacist that "won't work as well". Then he pulls out the shampoo for the dandruff, telling me very sarcastically, "It's $20, so maybe you want to save up all your pennies and come back and buy it". Then he schedules me to return a week later for the biopsy.
Visit II, one week later, in at 2:00, out at 2:15
Same as before, still no receptionist. No other patients either, again. Still the soundtrack of "Camelot" playing, and all his articles about him starting a new career as an extra in Woody Allen movies all over the office. Guess he's a show-biz-o-phile. That stuff, and all kinds of ads for juvederm, botox, and all manner of idle rich, old, vain people stuff. Asks for the copay right away, again. I give him my card. He says, "No cash?" I told him that I didn't have any on me. The sign on the desk clearly says that they accept all cards and cash. He brings me into the office, and asks to see the growth, which is between my shoulder blades. I ask for a gown, which seemed to throw him off, but he found one somewhere and gave it to me. I changed, and he came in. There was no nurse, which I thought all male doctors kept around for their own protection. Anyway, he numbed the area with novocaine, excised a portion for the biopsy, and repeated that he thought it was definitely skin cancer. I asked, "basal cell or squamous cell?". He said, "basal". That was it. No explanation, talk of prognoses, nothing. Then he walked me out to make my next appointment for two weeks later, to discuss the lab results of the biopsy.
Visit III, two weeks later, in at 1:30, out at 1:36
Once again, no receptionist. He asks me for the copay immediately, and I gave him my card again, and this time he says, "Under $50 is cash only. (my copay is only $20) Didn't I tell you that last time?" I told him that he hadn't; he begrudgingly swiped the card and told me that next time I would have to pay a surcharge if I was charging less than $50. He brought me back into the office. He asked to see how I was healing up from the biopsy. Again, I had to ask for a gown before I could expose my back. When he came back in, he looked at it, and said, "Remember what I said I thought this was?" I nodded and said, "A basal cell carcinoma". He said, "well, that's what the lab results said it was. So we'll have t read more
