Spectrum Dermatology of Seattle (First Hill) — Local services in Seattle

After reading the reviews we had high hopes for our visit to Spectrum Dermatology, and after providing extensive details regarding the reason for the visit and the fact we were to be paying out of pocket as well traveling close to a 7 hour drive from Canada expected to be met with a competent, prepared Dermatologist.

UNFORTUNATELY the visit was nothing but a huge waste of money and a complete and utter disappointment. I had provided a previous pathology report weeks before during the very first phone call with the receptionist indicating the need for specialized testing (that would have been over a year wait where we came from)— I was told that it had been read over and that there were a couple working theories on what the cause of my problems could be.

When we arrived The Dr assigned "Dr. Natalie Kudlak" was not only late more than 15 minute's— she had absolutely NO CLUE what I had come in for! SO WHO READ THE PATHOLOGY REPORT I PROVIDED ...???? Not to mention she told us the cost of the testing wouldn't could not be estimated, a completely different story than what was told to us before we made the trip,

THAN TO MAKE IT WORSE! She all but refused to do the specialized testing we had driven all the way for! Citing that based on the report she didnt think it was necessary! ... SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT— because your New Dr never bothered to do her preparations and read the information provided my girlfriend and I wasted hundreds if not over a thousand Dollars and countless hours traveling to your clinic after being assured they could get to the bottom of what I had explained to them was years and countless attempts to resolve the issues I have been plagued with.

Even after explaining we had come all this way she was incredibly resistant, practically refusing to do any biopsy's standard or specialized. At that point i had to flat out tell her to just take a biopsy of a lesion On the back of my neck that was not even a serious concern to begin with— which unfortunately eneded up being absolutely no help diagnosing the issues we had inquired about in the begging, provided the pathology report on the issue we had dedicated our time, energy and hard earned money to being solved.

ON TOP OF THAT she rambled the whole time constantly correcting herself, it seemed like she was just spewing words in an effort to fill the time and once she stopped talking she reverted to only saying "yep" and "ya" to almost everything i was telling her, staring at the floor the rest of the appointment.

FINALLY to top it off I asked her to take a second biopsy of a completely different looking lesion in a different area on my body, TO WHICH SHE FLAT OUT REFUSED TO DO... going on about first as a DR to do no harm... the only harm done was the harm to both my girlfriend and I's wallet, our time and the complete waste of energy spent on this complete and utter disappointment from Spectrum Dermatology.

From the website this Dr is new to the clinic so maybe the other Dr's there aren't completely incompetent but I wouldn't be rolling the dice to find...

I would have rated it 0 stars (if i could) but the front desk lady was very kind and so 1 star seems justified.

I scheduled a new patient consultation and never receieved any paperwork ahead of time to do online, (because i would have done that in a heartbeat). I took the water taxi all the way from west seattle, walked up madison, got to the building 15 minutes before my appointment but when I went inside to get on the elevator, it never came. I eventually saw a sign that said because the elevator was out, an alternative way to get to the correct floor was provided. So i took a picture of the sign, walked to where it said to go and was still lost as to where to find the door. I went into the vet clinic to ask for help and they even said "yeah, it is confusing, let me walk you there" and they took me over to the elevators. I told them about the sign I saw about the elevators, that they were under repair and there was even a guy working on one of them and so they showed me where the stairs were...i climbed 7 floors to find out there was no door to the office, just some back door you needed a code for. So I go back down and decide to ask the elevator repairman, who was currently working on one of the elevators, on how to get up to the floor and he said the other one was working, great...would have been nice to know... I finally get to the office, literally 2 minutes late, dripping in sweat, to be told that the provider wouldnt be able to see me now. I get it that new patients have to come in early to fill out paperwork, which i tried to be, but never have i ever been declined for being a couple minutes late, especially when i explained i was lost (again new patient). I stayed to fill out the paperwork and reschedule (which during that time, only one other patient came in, so it wasnt busy at all) but i was upset because i waited so long for this appt and was excited to finally get help. Again the front desk lady was apologetic and kind but the providers seem to not care about the experiences of new patients and understand that they are dealing with humans. I decided shortly after i left that I can and deserve to have a better experience elsewhere.

After reading some reviews, it seems like this is a common thing for new patients. Guess i should have read the reviews before scheduling

PS. If you cancel and decide to go elsewhere, make sure to request a deletion of all your information because they take your entire card information. I dont have anything against that, i know its policy at some places but if you discontinue going there, make sure they dont keep...

I wrote an earlier review that somehow did not seem to have posted.

When I went back to see if there was the usual canned "owner response" to my review, I realized my review did not post.

So, here is a repeat (with the added benefit on my part of having read many other reviews now that experienced similar issues)

Just as other reviewers below, I fall into the category that I rarely post Google reviews (I think I have 5). But, my visit to Spectrum was exceptional to the point that I feel others need to be forewarned (because Spectrum will NOT forewarn you).

I am fully insured with excellent Regence insurance (I work at UW Seattle).

Arriving for my first visit, the receptionist insisted I would have to hand over my full(!!!) credit card information WITH A BLANK(!!!) authorization.

When was the last time you were asked to hand over a blank credit card authorization, ever, - is that even legal?

When I could not provide that credit card info, they said, well, I could not see the doctor, that was just their policy.

But I was insured I said and was kind of blown away. Then the staff said I could make a $250 PREPAYMENT "cash or card" to see Dr Zook that day.

My visit was not for anything elective. Just a standard body scan, covered by my insurance. My first medical provider EVER demanding prepayment or blank credit card authorization although I presented full, valid insurance info along with the original insurance card! I-was-stunned.

As other reviews state, the receptionists (BOTH!) could not have been been more disinterested in resolving/addressing the issue. Try talking to them and you get mechanical "Sorry that's our policy." I in turn was sorry I had taken time off work and wasted my morning with this super unethically sounding money grabbing office.

I waited to give the doc a chance to talk to me, she never appeared. Creepy. How does it feel as a doctor to know your patient is in the waiting room but you wont see him because he could not prepay $250 or give you a blank credit card authorization although he has excellent medical insurance?

MUST READ: see other reviews below of those who subsequently find their credit cards charged in full despite being fully insured and similar experiences...