I feel it's necessary to update my review for Michael Dans, MD from the one I wrote five years ago in which I gave him 5-stars after more than a decade of being his patient. Things have changed enough that I feel others could benefit from my recent experiences. Since 2021, I've had 3 negative experiences with Michael Dans. After the third one, I've decided I won't be going to his practice anymore. For context, I started seeing Dans around 2010. I was referred to him by a friend who is a dermatologist in SF. I will tell my friend about this so she can consider whether to recommend Dans or not. The first negative experience was regarding a prescription request for oral Rogaine. I had been using topical Rogaine for 15+ years and had decent results. Oral Rogaine had gained some popularity and boasted better results. I asked Dans (via the patient portal) if he would prescribe it for me. He told me I would have to schedule an in-person appointment to see him so he could advise me of the risks. $350 for a five-minute conversation? I told him I didn't feel it was necessary because I had read all the education materials about the drug and was aware of the risks, side effects, etc. He remained firm. I asked my primary care doctor if he would prescribe it and provided him with the background. My PCP prescribed it without any issue and did not charge me. Done. Next, at my last skin check with him (I see him annually because I spend a good amount of time in the sun). The visit lasted less than 5 minutes. I timed it because the year prior caused me concern about the amount of time he spent examining me. He did not do a thorough exam, in my opinion. He appeared in a hurry. He was out the door before I could ask questions. The third and final one. I have a prescription for athlete's foot which Dans prescribed for me. Pre-pandemic, I went to a gym regularly and the rash would flare up from time to time. About a year ago, I started going to a gym again. The athlete's foot came back, so I messaged Dans a couple of months ago to ask for a refill. The prescription and refills had expired. He told me I would have to schedule an office visit to see him. I called the office to speak with the office manager. I explained that I felt it was a waste of time and money for me to come in for this. The athlete's foot is the same as it's ever been. She was kind and cordial and said she'd talk to Dans. He was unrelenting: office visit or no prescription. My observation about this doctor: He doesn't appear to like patients, and he doesn't appear to enjoy practicing medicine. read more

They handled my being mistaken they accepted allergy tests with grace not gouging me by arranging to take care of paying for my yearly deduction required by Medicare. Dr. Dan's removed 2 moles near my ears and jaw with a freeze and provided recommendation for hives. The hives have gone away after 2 years of a bad condition. Quite a relief! read more

Michael J. Dans, MD, PhD - Dermatologists Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This was the worst "skin check" I've ever had. Dr. Dans was impatient, condescending, and dismissive. I booked an appointment here because I was told they used a dermatoscope during a skin check. Instead, Dr. Dans looked at me from afar for a few minutes while I was mostly covered up. When I asked if he was going to use a dermatoscope, he dismissed me, handed me a brochure, and explained that unless a mole is 6mm or larger, it's nothing. Wrong. This goes against everything about skin cancer; healthy moles can be larger than 6mm and melanoma can be the size of a pen tip. This was the most disappointing experience. read more

I've been working with Dr. Dans a little over a year now and have had nothing but a wonderful experience. The staff is friendly and the technology that's been put in place for scheduling appointments and follow up has greatly supported the positive experience. Dr. Dans himself is very patient with all of the questions I have and makes sure to walk me through my options clearly. He goes out of his way to find unique approaches in treatment and is sensitive to costs of prescriptions. I definitely recommend this office! read more

Generally a really terrific practice for general dermatology (not cosmetic), with the caveats that sometimes long waits and sometimes billing problems. What's great: Both doctors and the office staff seem very caring and thorough (although the newer person checking me in seemed a little spacey). They are very gentle and have done good jobs removing plantar worts and skin growths. They are very well informed and current compared to the junior people at Kathleen Welsh's office (where I go for cosmetic dermatology). I had a case of blue toes, and others had all sorts of crazy ideas at other practices. He realized it was not from COVID but simply that people had their bare feet when they worked from home. He learned this by keeping up with academic literature and going to conferences. Dr. Dans also does not overtreat or overprescribe and told me my toes probably not fungus but age related so didn't need medicine or laser treatment. What's not so great: They don't seem as good as Kathleen Welsh on all of the possibilities for products and treatments. One doctor suggested once SPF 15 anthelios because mexoryl reaches certain light waves - but it's only spf 15! If I were doing something cosmetic, I would go to Kathleen Welsh, my neighbor, and have her personally do it (although not most laser techniques). Her junior doctors are pretty lousy - for my blue toes, one suggested it could be .... lupus! On the billing: they are on my network. As a law professor, I know the deal with the devil: they get paid from the network, and they get patients fro the network. The price for doctors is they are stuck with network decisions on what is covered, and they can't balance bill for the rest. Despite that, I got a huge bill and had to take it up with the insurer. I appealed, and I got the doctor coverage for the office visit and the wort procedure. But thats not really my responsibility. read more

Dr Dans is the best dermatologist I have had so far. And I have been going to a dermatologist every 6 to 12 months for decades. He knows exactly what he is doing and I certainly appreciate that. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Dans for many years. He is professional, friendly, and always takes the time to explain diagnoses and possible solutions. It's easy to schedule an appointment, and I've never had to wait very long before being seen. His office doesn't accept Covered California health plans, so I see him on a cash basis. But it's well worth it! And very nice staff too! read more

I came in for some concerns about mild acne and desire to improve my skin appearance. Dr. Dans spent less than 5 minutes with me, didn't inspect my skin, and prescribed me medication. I had a mask on and only at the end of the visit did I realize that Dr. Dans didn't ask me to remove it to take a look at my breakouts or scarring. I don't feel any confidence in his diagnosis or prescription since he spent so little time actually looking at my skin. The visit ended up costing ~350 and my insurance covered 1/3 of it. read more

I've had two removal procedures done by Dr Dans and both times had an amazingly seamless experoence. Dr Dans is very friendly and fair and I say fair because the first time I went to another dermatologist nearby and what he wanted to charge me was 8 times - yes 8x - what Dr Dans did for the exact same procedure. I highly recommend him! read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Dans for a few years now and have always been impressed by his knowledge, patience, and friendliness. The entire office team is nice/friendly and I really couldn't ask for more. Five stars. read more

I wouldn't recommend him, he was dismissive about my concerns and he missed a huge cancer tumor in the center of my chest (that my new dermatologist saw immediately on exam). Maybe it was because I was gay? Or he thought my concerns weren't valid. I'm a retired nurse and he was one of the worst physicians I have ever seen. read more

Really positive experience with Dr. Dans, who made last minute accommodations to see me despite a really tight schedule on his end. I had a cyst that had received a cortisone treatment the week before, but unfortunately it was being quite stubborn and I had a key event I needed to look my best for. I called the office and they were able to squeeze me in, and Dr. Dans provided a second treatment on the cyst (though more conservative of an amount to avoid a potentially adverse and undesirable effect) that finally resolved it. He was friendly, matter of fact, and flexible. Can't thank him enough for his understanding of the situation and his help! read more

this was my first time at the office with Dans and i have to say this was absolutely a negative experience on all levels. i arrived 10 minutes before my 2:15pm appointment, after checking-in this at 2:25pm this unpleasant female clerk asked me to wait in a room for the doctor. at 2:45pm, having waited in the room for 20 minutes, the doctor finally showed up. he asked a few questions, then wrote a few over the counter creams for me. seriously, he did take time to fully understand for my visit nor he bother to recommend any tests to further assess the cause. he spent no more than 5 minutes with me, yet they billed my insurance for $300+. i find this office and the doctor extremely unprofessional because (1) if they can not see a patient at the time of the appointment, not 20 minutes later, then why bother to make the appointment. why is my time less valuable than his?? (2) neither the office clerk nor the doctor show 1% care about the patient other than what they can claim from the insurance. rest assure, i will never go back to see this doctor again - the entire visit was a waste of my time, let alone a joke!! read more

I have no idea if Dr. Dans even exists. I made an appointment - got phone calls for 3 days before the appointment telling me to bring my medical card and a photo idea and: "Arrive 10 minutes early!" Ok, I get it! There's this thing called email.... have you heard of it? I arrived 20 minutes early. Before 1, the help gave me papers to fill out and sign. Shortly after 1, they escorted me to a dingy room to be examined. I sat in a cheap white plastic chair for 45 minutes looking at the dirty floor, the scuffed up base boards and the exposed wiring job on this ancient building. When my phone said "1:45" that's when I left. I'd rather die of melanoma than have this guy be my doctor. read more

My visit began at 4:01 PM and ended shortly at 4:06 PM. I think this must be a record. When I proceeded to ask questions, I was told to 'reschedule' by Michael Dans. I very much understand a Doctor is a person and a professional, but they did choose one of the few industries working directly with people. As such, you'd expect some more appropriate bed side manner. This is not to mention what another reviewer alluded to, Scott T. quite a few issues around billing/scheduling, etc. Everything seemed to move quickly when I handed my credit card. Can he improve? Vastly. Am I willing to go back, till an individual whose likely seen 100's of patients and spent countless hours in training understand the simple concept of dealing with people? Nope Would I recommend him? No, based on his, abrupt and non-helpful approach - you go to a doctor because they're the only person who can possibly guide you medically. Answers including "Please reschedule to ask further questions after a 5 minute" read more

Dr. Dans is extremely knowledgeable, kind, professional, and attentive to his patients's needs. Cannot recommend him enough! 6 stars!

Dr. Michael Dans is a professional kind man with great knowledge about the skin. His recommendations on products and prescriptions have helped me greatly. The office location is convenient. Even though the interior decor is outdated it was still a comfortable setting. I plan on continuing to visit his office completed by a welcoming staff and professionalism. read more

The receptionist was slurring her speech and appeared to be disoriented and confused when I called at 10:30 am on a Monday. Telling me things like "fyi: this is tough" and "oopsie" Doesn't sound very professional to me. read more

I have had a good experiences with Dr. Dans so far. I went in to see him with concerns about a few old and new scars (from injuries, burns and bug bites) and a few other skin conditions. He was realistic about what to expect from each of the recommended treatments for my conditions. He could have given me false hope about fading and erasing my scars, but he did not. I appreciated that. The results of treatment that he recommended and administered for one of my skin conditions were excellent -- they exceeded my expectations! The condition is now gone and the treatment to eradicate it left no scars, which was my main concern. I recommend Dr. Dans. Be real... It isn't easy to feel comfortable when you are showing and talking to a doctor your abnormal skin conditions. Dr. Dans does his best to make you feel comfortable. read more

I chose Dr. Dans initially because he has both an MD and PhD in dermatology and focus in skin cancer and diseases. It's very important to me that my doctors are well educated or have lots of experience (preferably both). I come back because he is kind and calm. My previous dermatologist for years always would have a pretty aggressive approach- surgery and panic first, ask questions later - so in contrast this is refreshing! Front office staff are also friendly and competent (I didn't experience any of the problems I saw listed below...?) and they even have an online patient portal where you can take care of several things conveniently on the website, and not wait on hold. I'm very happy to continue being a patient here. Thanks Dr. Dans office! read more

I have been seeing Dr. Dans for a few years and he is definitely on top of his game. He always remembers what we discussed previously. His patience, knowledge and friendliness are great as well as his staff being very professional, pleasant. read more

Lousy medical care is easy to find and this establishment is no exception - what they excel at is bad service, unhelpful and under educated desk staff who are more inclined to find a way to bill you than to bill your insurance. Avoid at all costs.. Great alternatives with fantastic services are all over the city and even around the corner. read more

I've been seeing Dr. Dans for over 4 years. I don't see him for cosmetic work, but I see him for yearly skin exams. In the time I've known him, he's biopsied a bump on my arm, removed 3 suspect moles on my back and, has always been kind. He's also cauterized some skin tags. Great work. I have long waits and short waits. I have had a couple of snags with insurance/billing: I have a PPO and no co-pay and was asked to pay a co-pay when I first started seeing him. Now that they know how my insurance works, I don't have problems and do not get asked for co-pays anymore. read more

Went in for a check-in and decided to do a minor procedure based on the doctor recommendation. I was charged for several hundred dollars without being explained of the high costs invovled read more

Kind, approachable, informative - happy with my visit. Took some time and patience to get an appt as a new patient, solution is to call at 9am and check about cancelations. read more

I think I lucked out - After one failed attempt to schedule an appointment sooner than 1+ months out, I called back and got a slot the following week. The office is small and busy, but the staff is friendly and seems to get people in and out efficiently. My appt started at 11 and I was seen by 11:30 after filling out paperwork and verifying my insurance etc. Dr Dans is definitely a good dermatologist. He is super calm, friendly and experienced. He gave me sound advice - I am looking forward to being a continuing patient of his. read more

Dr Dans is really excellent, truly cares about people who come to see him, never rushes you, listens and is very helpful - everybody who works in that office is caring & professional, I run on trails a lot & had to see on a number of occasions (poison oak & various other) over the last 7 years. He has always been very helpful, never tried to sell me any products (they have a line of products that I was interested in and bought the one item several times - it's a very pleasant anti-poison oak cream with cooling effect). Everybody I had contact with in the office is very kind and helpful, and they will make sure you can get seen if it's urgent. Thank You so much! read more

I've been going to Dr. Dans regularly for over two years for cosmetic procedures and other dermatology related issues. I've found Dr. Dans to be open to discussing issues related to my skincare and other procedures I may be interested in. His demeanor has made me feel comfortable and at ease when discussing some sensitive subjects. He's treated me for a couple of embarrassing conditions that he treated with skill and professionalism. Additionally, the front office staff is always friendly and communicative when I come in. I've always been happy with the service, level of professionalism and discretion I have received at Dr Dans office! read more

Dr. Dans and his staff were professional, courteous, warm, timely, knowledgeable. Reception area was classy, welcoming. Dr. Dans examined me for possibly skin cancer, and immediately took a cell sampling, quiet, efficient, gentle. He has credentials from UC Davis on Regents Scholarship in biochemistry, NYU Medicine MD/PhD with residencies at Sloan Kettering and U of Pennsylvania. Staff of CPMC, and clinical instructor at UCSF. I feel I am in the best of hands, confident of his skills, and find him respectful and professional. He comes well recommended by my primary care physician. So pleased to have found him. read more

Seriously, things don't get any better than this team. Dr. Dans is that rare combination of brilliant medical mind plus movie star good looks. He's cordial and patient; goes to great lengths to ensure you really understand his diagnosis and your options. Then, together with his incredibly personable PA (adorable Carey Cano), fine tunes your treatment to achieve the results you desire. They're very encouraging and never lose sight of patient dignity. That kind of support is therapeutic in and of itself. I've been coming here for the better part of a year now and wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Dans to anyone seeking dermatological expertise and top-drawer care. read more

I am new to San Francisco and have had to find a new physicians. Dr. Dans is a gift. It was a wonderful experience to go into his office. The staff is fantastic he is fantastic. I also love that everything is online and that you get to review your records immediately. Dr. Dans connected with my new primary care physician and all of the information from my visit with him was in the primary care files. Very very happy. read more

I didn't have to wait too long except when first making the appointment. Maybe the first reviewer caught him on a really busy day. I found Dr. Dans wonderful. I got a mole biopsied and removed and he was very patient while I threw in a bunch of other questions too. He also spent the time explaining options and possible results which I found helpful since alot of doctors these days are too busy to even bother. He took care of the mole and more and now I have to go back to get the stitch removed. I'll update when that happens next week. UPDATE: it looks excellent where he took out my mole. He may be young but he's an excellent dermatologist. It has come to my attention that there are very few dermatology residencies in the US so the ones that do make it through are usually very skilled. Whew. read more

I was a patient of Dr. Dans and came to him with a skin condition that was very difficult to diagnose. I felt as though I were treated as a guinea pig and was given a regimen of prednisone that significantly worsened my skin condition, when I was tapered off too quickly. Dr. Dans read AFTER he prescribed the prednisone that a slow taper was better for my condition, yet did not bother to do this research prior to prescribing it. If it's a rare condition (his words), then wouldn't you do that research beforehand? PS - my skin has not yet fully healed from being covered in papules/lesions. His bedside manner also leaves a lot to be desired. When you've been suffering from an unknown condition for years, there needs to be a TWO-SIDED conversation and he seemed annoyed by my questions and suggestions. I've been living with this thing, so yeah I have an opinion. To be fair, he did refer me to UCSF after tersely stating that there was nothing else he could do for me. I'm not out to ruin anyone's reputation but this is an honest depiction of my experience going there. read more

I hate to say it but after being a patient for 5+ years when I have an ezema outbreak, they can't get me an appointment for 9 days.Obviously I need treatment when it happens, not later. Considering it would take the doctor about 5 minutes to look at the skin patch I've had before and issue a new perscription. It seems doctors should try to get their loyal patients in quickly when they need it- that is the basics of any professional service and the way my other doctors work. I hope no one else has to deal with this. read more

I had a great experience with Dr. Dans. He helped me with my acne and I love my skin now. I would recommend him to anyone I know. Really great guy and he really knew what he was doing. read more

Dr. Dans is fantastic. He has been helping me to treat my cystic acne and has been wonderful at every visit. He is very professional and knowledgeable and handles my 1000 questions with patience and care. He is a great dermatologist. read more

Dr. Dans is great and I've never had problems with his office staff. He's professional and very nice, but doesn't sugar coat. He's helped me a lot with various conditions, including recovery from a facial injury after I was in a car accident. I never feel rushed in my appointments and I think he takes appropriate time with patients - like just a short visit for a mole check but longer for something more serious. read more

Seen Dr. Dans twice. Nice fellow, appears thorough, no complaints whatsoever. Appt kept timely. Office staff pleasant and efficient. Examination room is perfectly acceptable. I have and will recommend Dr. Dans to my friends. read more

So I went for my annual checkup and discovered that the appointment delay that I experienced on my first visit wasn't just a fluke. I had to wait nearly an hour past my appointment time (which I arrived ten minutes early for), to be seen. And it seemed everyone else in the waiting room was frustrated by their wait as well. Just a head's up! read more

I have been very happy with Dr. Dans, after being less pleased with several other dermatologists. He has a quiet style, but communicates clearly. Unlike my previous dermatologist, he has always been willing to answer my questions and discuss points of interest. I see him every 6 months, and at the beginning of each appointment he brings up what we addressed last time--he obviously has taken a few minutes to review my chart and refresh his memory. I appreciate that he doesn't just walk in cold. Although I'm seeing him to be checked to make sure that skin cancer doesn't recur, he's helped with little things like pigment spots and funky toenails. I really appreciate that he doesn't try to sell me overpriced skin care products or unnecessary cosmetic procedures. This is one reason I prefer him to some other dermatologists I've seen. Given this, I don't think he over-emphasized fees. I've read a few reviews where people were furious because his office staff tried to collect all the information they could to ensure he'd get paid. Given that insurance companies now take lot of the money that physicians used to get, and that doctors often get stiffed when neither the insurance nor patient wants to pay, I don't think it's out of line for the staff to try to make sure Dr. Dans gets his fee. I notice that Dr. Dans' reviews, and a lot of other physicians' reviews on Yelp, report a surprising amount of discontent with office staff. Maybe, when we're concerned about our health, we feel vulnerable and become very sensitive. In any case, I haven't had any problem with the staff in this office. Like Dr. Dans, they are low key, even shy, but they have always been courteous and competent. I think some people go to doctors for cosmetic care in part because the experience is kind of emotionally nurturing. This would not be the place to come to if that's the primary thing you're after. I selected Dr. Dans because he was recommended both by a good friend and by my regular doctor. I would recommend him to anyone who wants to see a dermatologist for healthcare purposes. read more