How to Get a Doctor’s Appointment Faster: Proven Tips
You may have noticed it is taking longer to get a doctor’s appointment with your primary care provider or a specialist. No one should have to wait months for medical care, but that is what many people hear when they call to schedule.
Practices and large medical centers are booking new appointments far into the future. If the point of that visit is to confirm a diagnosis or start a treatment plan, a long wait can put your health at risk or delay relief. That is not acceptable.
The numbers back up what you are experiencing. AMN Healthcare’s 2025 Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times called 1,391 physician offices across 15 major metro areas and six specialties. The average wait for a new appointment was 31 days, up 19 percent from 2022 and up 48 percent from 2004, when the survey started. Obstetrics and gynecology had the longest wait at 41.8 days, up 33 percent since 2022. Gastroenterology averaged 40 days and dermatology 36.5 days. Orthopedic surgery was the only specialty that improved, at 12 days. Where you live matters too. Boston averaged 65 days while Atlanta averaged 12.
Why the doctor’s appointment wait keeps growing
“The doctor shortage is getting worse,” said Sharon Sagarra, MBA, a Fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executives, an independent consultant for the Medical Group Management Association, and founder of Sagarra Medical Consulting LLC. At the same time, she said, many people do not want to see a mid-level provider such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, even though those providers are extensions of the physicians they work under.
Another reason for long waits is the massive consolidation of healthcare organizations, said John Matulis, DO, who is board certified in internal medicine. Dr. Matulis founded Second Mountain Internal Medicine PC after 10 years of practice at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He now provides ongoing in-home primary care for home bound seniors in the Oxford Hills region of Maine.
With consolidation came centralized call centers. When you call to schedule, you are not talking to someone who works alongside your provider, Dr. Matulis said. The scheduler does not know the practice or your situation. Without that context, schedulers simply book what the calendar shows them and leave it at that.
How to get a doctor’s appointment more quickly
If you are staring down a long wait for care you need now, here are five things to try.
1. Ask for the practice administrator. The administrator can recognize the priority of your need and move schedules around, Ms. Sagarra said. Be clear and concise about why you need to be seen sooner. Is this a new problem, a new diagnosis, or a second opinion? The more specific you are, the easier it is for the administrator to judge how long your visit will take and find an opening that fits. The administrator can also raise it with the doctor, who understands the clinical urgency in a way a receptionist cannot.
2. Get on the cancellation list. Most offices keep one. Ask to be added, then call back every couple of weeks to confirm you are still on it. Offices often help the most recent caller first, so staying visible works in your favor.
3. Ask about Monday openings. Many practices hold a few Monday appointments open to handle weekend callbacks, Ms. Sagarra said. Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be lighter as well.
4. Request a telehealth visit. If you are already established with the practice, you can often get a telehealth appointment quickly, because those visits are booked in a separate block. If the physician sees during that visit that you need to be examined in person, the physician will push to get you in, Ms. Sagarra said.
5. Ask your primary care provider to call. Both Ms. Sagarra and Dr. Matulis said your primary care provider can often call the specialist directly and explain the medical reasons you need to be seen. “Ideally, the primary care physician should be an advocate,” Dr. Matulis said. If you are going to book the appointment yourself, ask your provider whether there is a direct number to a nurse in the specialist’s practice.
Consider a patient advocate to help
Getting an appointment sometimes takes lots of phone calls, persistence, and follow up. Most people are doing that while they feel sick or worried, or while caring for someone who is. That is exactly the work a patient advocate takes off your plate.
You should not have to wait months for care you need now.
