What is The Best Time to Schedule Your Medical Appointments?

Medical appointments range from the endless wait variety to the walk right into the examination room type.   Unfortunately, it’s the former that are much more common than the latter. It shouldn’t have to be that way – and although there are no foolproof methods to always avoid the interminable wait, there are some ideas that can help you book a more manageable visit.  There are also ways to avoid self-sabotaging and missing the appointments you have made.

It’s probably not a shocker, but the appointments that people tend to skip the most are Monday mornings.  It’s understandable – the Monday Blahs are not simply a myth, they have actual consequences. But even though people skip early week appointments the most, they also tend to schedule more heavily then.  End of the week appointments – Thursday and Fridays – are well kept, so if you’re the type who may not always keep an appointment, you’re better of scheduling at the end of the week.

Of course, the downside to that plan is that Fridays are very popular – second in the weekdays to only Tuesdays for scheduled appointments.  Wednesdays tend to be the slowest appointments day – but there is a downside to this, also: it’s the most popular day of the week for doctors to take the afternoon off, and so the mornings can fill up fast.

Time of day also impacts your waits – and possibly the quality of your appointment.  The first appointment of the day assures you no wait in front of you, and medical people, like most of us, are usually freshest and most alert as the day begins.  So, when that receptionist asks you if you want the 7:30 in the morning slot or the 8:30, don’t jump for the extra hour of sleep automatically. It could end up costing you more time in the overall length of your day.  

Even though the backups may already be underway, the two most popular times that people try to schedule are 10 AM and 2 PM, regardless of what day it is.  The toughest times to get appointments are between 11 AM and noon, and again between 4 PM and 5 PM. Offices usually anticipate some time to catch up if things are falling behind schedule and may not book the hour before lunchtime and end of the day so tightly.  Whatever time you do choose for your appointments, you can rest assured that Metro Trans will be ready and waiting to take you to them and pick you up!  Schedule with us today for your next appointment and leave the driving to us!