Frequently Asked Questions

Dermatology consultations are initiated by a primary care provider (family doctor, nurse practitioner), or specialist by way of a referral (consultation request). We do not accept private-pay patients or provide walk-in appointments for medical dermatology concerns.

Not all skin conditions require assessment and management by a dermatologist. Your family doctor knows your needs best, and as a result we only assess and manage skin concerns identified by your family doctor as requiring a specialist opinion. Patients who do not have a family doctor are encouraged to obtain one. We believe that primary care is a fundamental part of your overall health and know that access may be difficult. In the Fraser Northwest area, you can use this link to look for local doctors accepting patients:

https://divisionsbc.ca/fraser-northwest/finding-a-family-doctor

Visits are scheduled according to whether they are a new concern (consultation) or related to a previously diagnosed issue (follow-up).

All new concerns require a referral from a family doctor, NP or specialist.

Follow-up visits will only be scheduled if it is outside the scope of the referring provider and the dermatologist deems it necessary.

For patients that have not seen the dermatologist in over 6 months, the cause of the concern may have changed and should be reassessed by a family practitioner to rule out any new potential issues.

At Spectrum Dermatology, we do our best to review referrals and schedule patients as quickly and efficiently as possible. Due to the high volume of referred patients we receive daily, the wait time to see one of our dermatologists for a non-urgent referral is approximately 4-6 months. Urgent referrals will be accommodated as soon as possible, usually within 3-4 weeks.

Please bring your health card and a list of current medications including a list of ALL creams you are using.

It is also recommended to take some good quality photos with your smartphone or camera and bring them with you as this may assist in diagnosis.

Please wear loose fit clothing as you may be required to change into a gown for a full skin exam.

Please remove ALL makeup and nail polish.

Dermatology appointments are typically brief and are focused on your referred skin concern only.

Please be realistic with your skin expectations. Many skin conditions tend to be chronic in nature and thus can be treated but not “cured”.

Many skin lesions are benign, and removal or treatment may not be covered by MSP.

While our doctors typically run-on time, one can never predict the seriousness of earlier patients. Thus, you can expect to be seen anywhere between your appointment time and as late as 60 minutes after your appointment time.

This depends on the condition and severity and will be determined during the consultation. Certain diagnoses are consultation only, where we diagnose the condition and provide management in the same visit (e.g., short-term prescriptions or biopsies) and write to your family doctor with recommendations for further management. Other concerns require 2-3 visits for additional investigations or assessing response to treatment. Some concerns require follow up at a regular interval (severe skin disease, oral immunosuppressants and biologics, skin cancer surveillance) for a period of time.

For virtual appointments, your doctor relies on your photos to assess your skin and make a diagnosis and treatment plan. If you have been asked to upload photographs please follow the instructions provided to submit clear photographs and ensure the best possible assessment.

We understand photos are not possible with some concerns - e.g. excessive sweating, rashes that are no longer present, etc. If this applies to you, you can disregard these guidelines.

Submitting poor quality photos may compromise the quality of medical care we can provide for you, increasing the chance of misdiagnosis of your condition, etc. If your photos is of poor-quality, your appointment will be cancelled until you resubmit appropriate photos

Please call reception to let us know. We’ll do our best to accommodate you when you arrive, but if you’re more than 15 minutes late, please be prepared to reschedule as we want to make sure we have enough time for your consultation or treatment.

We appreciate your patience and how long you've waited for your Dermatology consultation! To respect those patients still on our waitlist we kindly appreciate your assistance in attending your scheduled appointment.

If you miss an appointment, a cancellation fee will be charged. You will need to contact our clinic to book a new appointment. Please note that you will not be able to book a new appointment until all outstanding fees are paid.

There is a $75 fee for missed and late cancellations.

We will not reschedule a new appointment until any outstanding appointment fees have been paid.

Cosmetic dermatology treats patients for aesthetic reasons but have no medical need to do so.

Cosmetic concerns include (but are not limited to) aesthetic issues such as:

• Skin tag removal

• Benign lesion removal

• Botox injections

• Correcting skin tone

• Smoothing wrinkles

• Removing hair on the face or body

• Reducing surface fat

• Tightening skin

• Removing tattoos

• Treating cellulite

• Treating acne and acne scars

If you are still uncertain under which category your skincare concern falls, please give us a call and one of our staff will be happy to help you.

If your doctor has referred you to one of our dermatologists, The Medical Services Plan of BC (MSP) covers the consultation and follow-up appointment fees for five months. After six months, you’ll need another referral.

Medical concerns include (but are not limited to) skincare issues such as rashes, acne, eczema, rosacea and mole checks.