Got my first appointment but no itinerary?

I have my first appointment scheduled as well. I believe you get your itinerary a week before your visit.

Hello @elsa308 and welcome @kasey78 since it was the bad old days for us, I’m sure things are changing all the time. We had our first appointment and we checked in two hours early at the main desk. We were given our itinerary when we checked in.
I am really glad we went early because it was certainly a warm and at the same time overwhelming and very positive feeling when we entered the Gonda building in Rochester.
We sat down and looked at our itinerary and quietly teared up with that feeling that we were finally in good hands with my husbands cancer.
I pray you have the same feeling and get the same care we returned to there for several years for care and follow up. It always felt amazing when we walked through the doors.

@elsa308 and@kasey78

Scheduling additional appointments and tests will depend on the individual, provider, and medical information you have already shared with Mayo. Sometimes you will be scheduled for tests before you see the provider, other times you meet with the provider first, who determines what tests need to be done.

The nurse call prior to your first appointment is probably to review medications and allergies, so the information is up to date before the appointment. set

The patient portal is the best way to view your scheduled appointments. Sometimes, when you check in for your first appointment, the desk attendant will review any scheduled tests.

Also, you might want to check out this discussion about preparing for an appointment with a specialist.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-do-you-prepare-for-an-appointment-at-mayo-clinic/

I would call back and ask what to expect. Mayo is very good about scheduling appointments for all in one day. You may not get the exact itinerary ahead, but you'll wanna know if its a full day or over two days. I would also ask if you should plan to stay over night.
My first appointment was a full day seeing 3 different doctors in different departments. Then I returned 4 days later (the next week) for scans and two more doctors. I live and 2 hours away so I was okay with two full days a week apart. I know patients who travel much further or fly in who prefer two days in a row. Mayo may be still putting your itinerary together. But you may want to tell them your travel plans as well.

@auntieoakley
Thank you, I am coming from Peoria Illinois. I have evaluation with hematology in June. SO far when appointment was made scheduler didn't have much information said evaluation is about 2hrs but could change. I am nervous but I am so hopeful that i will finally get answers/ diagnosis. I definitely feel like I am in the right hands.
Thank you again

Get all your history and lab data in order. If tests are on EPIC records they will have access to the results
I arrived a day early and walked around campus to get familiar with locations and timing. Nice food stops en route using sub and skyway. Enough attractions to keep a companion occupied for 2 days.
I had to avoid alcohol and caffeine for 3 days.

I have been told by several knowledgeable people "Mayo has it's own way of doing things", and boy, were they correct! I had a wonderful NET team at UIHC in Iowa City, IA. I followed up with the team every 6 months and did not find the travel time (about 5 hours) particularly onerous for approximately 2+ years. Eventually, it became apparent that the drive time was becoming harder to take, and it was suggested by one of the doctors on my team that perhaps I should consider moving my care to "closer to home". After deciding to transfer my care to Mayo I quickly learned that the Mayo certainly DOES have " ... it's own way of doing things".

Scheduling has always been challenging. I receive an itinerary via Mayo's Patient Portal. Being a "list" person, I immediately put the appointment schedule (date and times) in my calendar and if needed, make a hotel reservation (Hope Lodge in Rochester not available for a one-night stay). Then maybe a couple of months later the Patient Portal informs me I have a new message and learn the dates and times for my appointments have changed.

After a couple of appt changes I finally called Mayo to ask what in the heck was going on? I was told the first 'itinerary' was basically a place holder and that it was normal to have dates/times (mostly the times) modified up until much closer to the exact date. I found this very frustrating from a 'list' person's perspective, from having to change hotel dates, etc. I have learned to now to just put the date in my calendar and wait to make any hotel reservation until MUCH CLOSER to the date (this also narrows hotel choice due to lack of availability). I was getting sick and tired of having to change all the appt times every time it was revised - most times the date didn't change, but it has.

So, my bottom line to you: Check your Patient Portal often because things change and that's one of the ways Mayo does things differently. No need to be nervous - it will all work out, 🙂 I hope things go well (good?) for you, 🙂

I stay at Homewood Suites when I visit Mayo Rochester and they always tell me to book an additional night beyond what I am scheduled for at the Clinic because it is easier to cancel a day once I check in than it is to add a day once I am there if appts get added for an additional day beyond what was on my original itinerary. Don’t forget to make your hotel reservation directly with the hotel on the phone and ask for the Mayo discount. My experience is the general reservation number has no idea what the Mayo discount is.