Can't get an appointment: Any tips on what to do?

I filled out the application to refer myself to Mayo but got denied. In over 53 doctor visitors with 11 local specialists, I have been unable to find answers to chronic fatigue/ gastric issues. I’m 41 with small children and have lost all quality of life. I Desperately need help and am wondering if they are tips on how I write my symptoms in the application? Could I have given too much info and causes confusion? Thanks!

My guess would be to look up your conditions in Mayo Clinic's online patient Diseases & Conditions information. Then review the following sections there specific to your ailments to see if you had covered enough ground; Preparing for your appointment, What you can do, Questions to ask your doctor, What to expect from your doctor, Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, and What you can do in the meantime.

My personal experience is only with helping my father to get his private long term care policy company to approve his application. I read the nurse's paperwork his rehab center had submitted and quickly realized why he was turned down. The paperwork stated for example he was not incontinent, when he had surgically been made incontinent! So if you haven't read all the medical paperwork you may have submitted I'd recommend starting there. I learned that families were actually videotaping problems in order to make their case! These days you may be competing against too many doctor referrals and/or a lot of high end insurance policies. A good Social Worker I have found often knows of any loop holes.

Hi @lukek and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. My suggestion would be to visit your local primary care physician and ask her/him for a referral. This not only ensures that the request takes priority, but it gives your physician a chance to share all of your symptoms without confusion.

You might like to read this discussion as well: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) treatments: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myalgic-encephalomyelitis-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-cfs-treatments/

How long has this been going on?

Thank you so much. It been 15 years of digestive issues with a sudden major down turn over the last two years. I appreciate the advice!

@lukek Could one of your doctors submit a referral? Sometimes physician to physician contact provides better results. I would talk to one of your drs. And see if they would try for you. Also try different Mayo locations- if you can travel.
Florida Mayo refused me because they didn’t have the right specialist, Mayo MN accepted. Sorry for all you troubles- I hope you find some answers soon!

Jeane Abbas

That seems to be the most consistent advice we are getting. Thank you so much, we will definitely do this.

For 2 years we have been trying to get an appointment for my wife to treat her for SIBO and Gastroparesis. Every time we try to get an appointment we are told they are not accepting new patients. Do you ever accept new patients? You are not even making a wait list so how does one become a patient? Do we have to crawl in through the ER? I am very frustrated and disappointed with Mayo Clinic. You are supposed to be there to help and yet we can't get help.

Hi @joe954, it is really hard to get an appointment anywhere these days with the strain on the health care system. It sounds like you've been doing everything in your power to get an appointment at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic is accepting new patients. However, in some departments, like GI and Internal Medicine, there is more demand than appointments available. New patient appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need. Availability depends on the nature and urgency of the problem and Mayo Clinic's ability to help (as determined by a Mayo Clinic doctor).

I know this isn't what you want to hear.

You might also consider seeking help with an affiliated hospital within the Mayo Clinic Care Network - Mayo Clinic expertise closer to home. See more info here:
- Mayo Clinic Care Network Members https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/care-network/network-members

Appointment denied - do I have any options?
Really just need to rant or get some advice. I know I'm not entitled to an appointment. I should have realized it was a long shot. But after 3 years of chronic pain and other issues, over a dozen different specialists and always being told that "you're fine" I sent in an application to be seen by the internal medicine team at mayo. I finally had some hope, and thought that a brilliant doctor would look over my records and symptoms and think of something they could do to help. In less than 48 hours, I got an email that "we are unable to offer you an appointment at this time." That's it. No "we'll keep your info for later." Or apply to another location. I called the appointment line to get clarification and was told that someone essentially took one look at my myriad of symptoms (that I noted may or may not be related) and decided that "oh nah that's too much to deal with".

Really what she said was they wrote that "They won't be able to meet my expectations." What expectations? What does that even mean? What are anyones expectations when they see a doctor? To see if they can help with a diagnosis or different treatment plan. It's not like I said that I want them to cure me. At this point with my illness I just want to know why I went from a healthy 27 year old to disabled and in constant pain in less than an year OR what I can do about it. I just need help. I'm so depressed being told by doctors that they can't help me. That I'm just doomed to be in pain and maybe get worse, maybe not. I'm trying to plan a wedding and in a year I don't even know if I'll be able to walk down the aisle on my own.

The lady I spoke with said the denial is effective for 6 months. Can i even apply to another location? Or will they just toss out the 50 pages of medical records that I know they retrieved from my other doctors and didn't even look at. Because my case looks too complicated? I can't even express how disappointed I am. Helping someone who cant get help elsewhere is literally the point. If one of the best teams can't even bother to read my case and give it a few seconds of thought, what else am I supposed to do? Of all the doctors who have dismissed me I really didn't think that would happen here so blatantly.

@yourefine220, I have to say, you have expressed yourself very calmly for being so disappointed. I bet you're feeling less calm and polite inside. Being denied an appointment when you invested so much hope in Mayo Clinic is a real blow. So let me start by saying, I get that. Unfortunately, Mayo Clinic gets more requests than appointments available. This seems to be the case every where these days.

You asked "do I have any options?" I believe you do.

If you choose to apply at another location, talk to the scheduler and the great questions you ask in your post.

Some other options to consider include:
- Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center: https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/pain-rehabilitation-center/sections/overview/ovc-20481691

This may be an approach you haven't considered. You can connect with other members who have been through the program here:
- Questions about Mayo Clinic Pain Rehab Center https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/status-of-mayo-clinic-pain-rehab-program/

Another considerations is the Mayo Clinic Care Network
The Mayo Clinic Care Network is a select group of independent health systems that are granted special access to Mayo Clinic's extensive knowledge and world-leading medical expertise. The Mayo Clinic Care Network helps keep care local by providing guidance and answers to many questions that might otherwise require a referral to a specialist. See the member hospitals here:
– Mayo Clinic Care Network https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/care-network/members