Dermatologist Scheduling Practices?

The relationship that she is going to have with her dermatologist is going to be ongoing for years. If she is not pleased about how the office schedules visits, then it is worth asking around for a dermatologist that other people like, and trying out a new one. I don't think taking off 3 spots in one visit should be a problem, unless they are really big spots. If that were the case, that should be the logic used, not a scheduling time issue.
I have had 3 malignant melanomas removed and many dysplasitc nevi removed. There has not been a limit to the number of spots removed at any given visit. (They seem to come sorta spread out over time, so probably the most taken off at any one time was 3 - mine have been all over.)
When I started this process (the 1st cancerous one) I went to a highly recommended Dr, who's practice was 2 hours away. After realizing that this is going to be an ongoing relationship - I asked him and others in my area and found someone who is still good, but located much closer. This makes the scheduling and planning for visits SO much easier, and I do not feel that my care has suffered.
More than you asked for, but hopefully that helps. :)

Is it ehtical no...is it illegal, that I don't know, but I do certainly recommend finding a new Dermatologist. It never hurts to have a second opinion. I took my children to A Tooth Doctor For Kids and they scheduled them all for pulpotomies (child root canals). This kind of freaked me out so I took them to another dental office and the dentist there was horrified that they would perform those as they were not needed for my kids. (to everyone reading this be forewarned that A Tooth Doctor For Kids also schedules visits with some of the public schools in AZ and if you don't see/sign the send home document saying they can't work on your children then they take that as a go ahead)

I would have her call other offices and check to see what their office would do in that situation. If she likes what the other office does instead, then she want to consider switching.

I would have her call her insurance company and ask if this is common practice for a dermatologist. If there is any suspicion they will send it to the investigations department for possible insurance fraud. In the mean time, sounds like there are other good doctors out there and will schedule visits to take care of more than one at a time.

Best of luck to your friend!

Not sure about how a practice would handle but she could try calling around and asking a couple of practices what their rules are. I had been going to a doctor's office that refused to let me bring all 3 of my older kids at one time--each had to be separate meaning 3 different dates for appointments and me taking more time from work. The place I go now limits it to 2 at a time but at least it doesn't mean 3 different days and other offices I have talked to have the same rule.

Doctors should be trying to make the patient as comfortable as possible and to reduce the number of visits to their office. I have not had this type of treatment so I do not know what is normal in this case, but it does seem strange to me. Everytime my family has had to go to the doctor, the doctor tries to get as much taken care of at one visit to reduce the additional costs of having anestesia multiple times and therefore multiple costs for one item that could have all been dealt with in one visit. Maybe your friend needs to insist that they do it in one appointment because she wants to reduce office visits and costs associated with multiple office visits.

This is the same reason for why I switched obgyn's. If I had an issue outside of my yearly exam, I had to schedule a second appt. Not only do I not have the extra time in my schedule for a second appt, but since when did doctors stop treating the whole patient? and YES. It is so that they can collect multiple fees, including from the insurance...which btw increases your maximum yearly benefit amount...putting you in possible jeopardy of not having enough yearly benefit left at the end of the year if something big comes up. It is completely unethical.