Ten Things to Know Before Visiting the Mayo Clinic

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been world renowned for the quality, accessibility, and efficiency of its medical care for many decades. For many who travel there, it is their last bastion of hope in finding treatment for a complicated or terminal medical condition.

Although it may seem a big (employing over 40,000 people) and intimidating place, knowing a few helpful tips before arriving at the Mayo Clinic can make your experience go more smoothly and may even help shorten your stay, thereby saving you time and money.

In most cases you don't need a doctor's referral to go to the Mayo Clinic. You can get an appointment by simply calling their phone number at 507-538-3270 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Central time, Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. Or you can request an appointment online by going to www.mayoclinic.org.

You will have to wait a few months to be seen. Unless you are gravely ill or have special circumstances, you will probably need to wait several months before you get in. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need. After you make your appointment you will receive a packet in the mail with details confirming your appointment time and any other pertinent information you may need before your arrival at the clinic.

Your wait time for your appointment will be shorter if you schedule your visit during the winter months. Because most people schedule their routine physicals and other medical tests during the good weather months, if you request your appointment during spring or summer, plan on your wait time to be somewhat longer.

Plan to stay for at least five business days. Most people who visit the Mayo Clinic should plan to stay at a nearby hotel for at least five business days. Your stay could wind up being longer or shorter, but three to five days is about the average length of time it takes to complete most patients' battery of tests. If your stay lasts only three days, you can always cancel any extra hotel nights you reserved. Most hotels that cater to Mayo Clinic guests are very accommodating to patients' changing schedules and do not penalize for canceling reservations. Check the hotel's policy before making your reservation.

Many nearby hotels provide wheelchairs. If you feel you may be in need of a wheelchair during your stay, many of the adjacent hotels have wheelchairs parked in the hallways for the taking for guests to use as needed. Call the hotel ahead of time to see whether they provide complimentary wheelchairs if you think you may require one.

Use the "checker" system whenever you can. You will hear the word "checker" frequently during your stay at Mayo. The term "checker" refers to checking in early at any department where you have a test scheduled. As you go through your schedule of appointments during your stay, which will likely be several pages long, encompassing several different buildings on a number of different floors, other appointments may be added by doctors who feel they are necessary. Sometimes the first available opening in a department may be hours or days away. However, if you go to that department's reception desk and ask to wait as a "checker," many times they are able to get you right in. Your schedule of appointments must be followed in sequence, even if there are large blocks of time between them. However, if you find yourself with more than an hour's worth of time between appointments, you are encouraged to go to your next appointment as checker and more often than not, after a short wait, you will be seen. You can then go as a checker to your next appointment, and the next one, and so on. By condensing your appointments into a shorter time frame, you can potentially shave days off of your stay.

Keep people posted by using Care Pages. Many of the departments have computer stations in their reception areas that you can use free of charge. One great means of keeping people back home posted on a patient's progress is through Care Pages. Once you are registered as a patient you will be able to access the Mayo Clinic Care Pages website and create your own page about the patient and give updates to family and friends. This service is also free of charge.

Utilize the subway level. Although it is called a "subway," the only motorized vehicles you'll find in the elaborate underground walkway that connects the Mayo Clinic's downtown campus buildings are motorized wheelchairs. The subway connects the Mayo, Gonda and Charlton buildings, and Rochester Methodist Hospital, and is a bustling underground maze lined with numerous gift shops, restaurants, cafes, and gourmet coffee shops.

The Mayo Clinic store. The Mayo Clinic houses its own store where specialty medical supplies can be purchase should the need arise.

Places to take a break. If you happen to be visiting the Mayo Clinic during the summer season, taking a break from doctor's visits is only a few steps away in the modern outdoor pedestrian street in the center of the Mayo campus. Off limits to vehicles, the spacious promenade offers tables to sit at while listening to live music performed in the amphitheater. Or enjoy lunch at one of the many local restaurants that offer patio dining. One end of the street houses numerous shops, outdoor vendors, manicured gardens, and benches to relax on. During colder weather, visitors can take advantage of shopping at the indoor shopping malls that are connected to the clinic by enclosed walkways. Many of the local restaurants are also accessible via indoor walkways.