How to Use a Virtual Assistant: Get an Earlier Appointment with a Busy Doctor

Ari M November 9, 2010 Posts 2 Comments

I hate going to the doctor, but I hate it even more when I need to schedule an appointment, and my doctor isn’t available for over a month. I’ve finally figure out a way around this.

Every doctor’s office has cancellations on an almost daily basis, but who wants to call in every day? I don’t, but my virtual assistans would be happy to. I decided to ask a Fancy Hands (why we like it) virtual assistant to nag my doctor’s office until they gave in, actually, until the VA got lucky and called shortly after a cancellation.

Here is the template I used. It worked out quite well, and my appointment is now only two weeks away.

Hello,
Please call [doctor's office phone number] daily (I suggest before 9AM) and ask if there are any cancellations for today or any time in the next 2 weeks. Please call every day until a cancellation is found. I do not care which doctor I see.
Use [link to my free/busy information (instructions for finding a link to your Google Calendar public link)] to find a time where I am available. Please provide 15 minutes of padding before the appointment and make sure I have 90 minutes free for the appointment. (Don’t worry about travel time afterward. I have accounted for that with the 90 minutes.)
If you find an appointment the day of, please send me an email immediately to [cell phone texting email address (list of email to SMS gateways)]. Make sure this email is less than 160 characters. If you need to send me more information, please send an additional email.
When they ask what I need to be seen for, [explain why you need to see the doctor].
Here is all the info you should need:
[name]
[birthday]
[phone]
[full address]
[insurance information]
When sending me the info. Please let me know the date and time of the appointment, the doctor and the exact address.
Please update me when you have made the first call and then update me every Tuesday and Thursday until you have found an opening. Again, please call every day during the week.
Thanks,
[your name]

Note that I shared a link to my free/busy info on my Google Calendar. Make sure when setting up public link to make the actual details of your calendar private so that it only shows whether you are free or busy.

If you have any suggestions or tweaks for this template, let us know.

About The Author

Ari M

In 2006, I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Crohn's is an incurable disease of the digestive tract. My case was severe, and required over a dozen daily medications and several hospital visits. After reaching a personal low point in hospital, I decided he would do everything in my power to strengthen my by then weak body. Through a combination of yoga, nutrition, natural supplements and rigorous exercise (Ironman and Crossfit) i was able to fight back the symptoms of Crohn's until I was finally able to suspend my medication. Eventually I was declared free of all traces of the 'incurable' disease, and competed in Ironman France in June of 2011. I has since spoken at seminars and at a regional TED Talk about my struggle against a seemingly insurmountable opponent. Through the process of data collection, self tracking, and analysis, I helped develop Less Doing. This was a way of dealing with the daily stresses of life by optimizing, automating, and outsourcing all of my tasks in life and business. Now I focus on Achievement Architecture, helping individuals be more effective at everything.