Patricia Cavender's Online Review Report Card

Dr. Cavender is just one of the nicest doctors we have met. She has been treating my wife for eczema. She always writes down instructions for different treatments/medications on a piece of paper with very neat writing. Very few doctors would take the time to do this. We truly appreciate her care.

Every time I've gone here, I've been seen quickly and have had all my problems addressed. Dr Cavender is great at explaining skin conditions and is conservative with recommending treatments. She helped me resolve years long acne issue, and I've maintained clear skin

I made an appointment by phone and confirmed that they accept Methodist Hospital insurance. They sent me a text sending me to the Pasadena office, then when I arrived the receptionist told me I should be at the Arcadia office. I drove to Arcadia only to be told that they don't accept Methodist Hospital insurance. It was a complete waste of my time, and I never even received an apology. The office staff were not very pleasant.

My sister was looking to get some skin care and we wanted to see a doctor to see what was wrong with her finger. So we called for an appointment and the doctor gave us the wrong address and we spent several minutes trying to find the right one. By the time we got there the secretary Liz said that we had been late for our 3:15 appointment. We tried explaining that they shouldn't have given the wrong address and the wrong phone number for the doctor and we demanded to see the doctor for our appointment. However they ignored us and kept saying that our appointment was for 3:15. Do not ever go here or try to get help from this doctor. I don't know how you can become a doctor yet be so stupid as in putting in the wrong address and number for your office. If possible I would have rated this less than 1 star, they don't even deserve any of these ratings. Don't know how this is rated as 3 stars.

I'm a skin cancer patient who has had at least 18 skin cancers removed previously, so I'm pretty used to going to dermatologists and how this works, but it's never worked out THIS way before! After having my appointment with Dr Chan cancelled for not being interesting enough, I was scheduled to see Dr Cavender. She came in with a huge attitude, was extremely gruff and rude, cut me off every time I tried to talk, and generally acting as if I've ruined her entire life just by being there. She flat refused to look at several lesions I needed checked, even rolling her eyes at one point. When I showed her two that had come back after already having had Mohs surgery, she wanted to argue with me saying I never had Mohs because she couldn't see the scars. Indeed, my old Dermatologist was an excellent seamster and the scars ARE impressive but if you actually look closely, you can see them. The only reason I left him was that I moved away. She didn't believe me but begrudgingly removed them and said "Well I guess we'll see when the path report comes back." Well the path report shows I was right and there was no need for her attitude. The nurse in the room with me seemed put off by Dr Cavender's anger too and just sorta tried to move things along. Then she has me completely naked, lying on the table to be checked and she says she'll be back and swings the door open wide, leaving me completely exposed to at least half dozen people standing outside the door. No one bothers to shut the door and acts like this is totally normal. A couple patients noticed me lying there, seemed embarrassed, and quickly averted their eyes, but still no one would close the door. I also have several mouth ulcers that need to be biopsied for autoimmune disorder but she wouldn't even look at them. As I was asking about mouth ulcers she cut me off and insisted I probably had a virus or something 6 months ago, (I have no idea why that number) which caused the ulcers. Huh? No ma'am, I certainly was not sick and these have been coming on and off for decades, not months. I only recently learned I needed to report them to my dermatologist. When she was writing her notes at the end of the visit, she reiterated her false narrative. Dr Cavender said she'd call me with the path results in the next day or two. No one called. Two weeks later, I still hadn't heard back so I called them. They act like they never heard of me. The receptionist said they can't find my file but that Dr Cavender would find it and call me in the morning. Morning came and the receptionist calls to tell me they called and left a message a while back, which was a blatant lie. I was waiting for these results, I would have returned the call, and I don't delete messages so it would still be there. It is not, because it never happened. There isn't even an incoming call from there. Then she tells me indeed the two are cancer but she doesn't have a single answer for any basic questions and says I can't talk to the doctor because she's busy with patients. I AM A PATIENT and I waited at home for her call she never made. Twice. The receptionist just repeated herself that the doctor was busy with patients so I told her thanks and hung up. Needless to say, I won't be going back to the California Skin Institute for any reason, and I hope others take heed. At first I thought she must just be having a bad day, I'm sure she'll be better next time. The first visit was totally unacceptable but after waiting two weeks for results and still getting dismissed, I'm done. I'd rather drive the two hours each way to get to see Dr Excellent Seamster who always treats me respectfully, responds in a timely manner to give pathology results, and is happy to discuss/explain my conditions and plan of treatment.

Unlike Victoria, my experience was very good from the first call to schedule an appointment to my actual first appointment. And what I want to emphasize: this was by far the cleanest doctor's office I've ever seen! If each office would look like this, I would feel much better when having to schedule a doctor's appointment! The team in the office was very nice. And doctor Cavender did what she had to do - she checked my body and gave me her opinion on what she saw and what she would recommend (which confirmed what I actually already expected). She even had time for a little small talk. But in general she seems not to be a big communicator - which is fine, as this is not what she is paid for, right? ;-) I think I found my dermatologist office for the future - I felt very comfortable with everything!

Initially was trying to make an appointment with Dr.Chan at California Institute however was transferred to Dr.Cavender. Scheduled a zoom appointment for 7/28/20 at 8:45, the day before it was moved to 2:45; understandable things happen. Signed all the paper work needed however office manager insisted she didn't receive them. Re-emailed them and she said be patient it's like waiting in the office to see the doctor? Thirty minutes holding on zoom and called back the office and office manager insisted my paper work wasn't received? 40 minutes waiting on zoom and just canceled my appointment! See many of my doctor via zoom and none are this disorganized and yet Cavender couldn't even be bothered to pick up the zoom meeting to say something, anything to justify this situation. Sorry but what a waste of time! Next time you call California Institute make sure they connect you with the right doctor.

I was quite surprised when this doctor walked into the examination room without even saying hello. I found her bedside manner to be lacking. She took up most of the time typing on the computer, rather than addressing the medical issue.

I saw Dr. Cavender while living in Pasadena for 3+ years; Last year I moved back to the east coast and truly miss her and her staff. She is the most thorough dermatologist that I've ever seen and has an excellent bed side manner. Stephen

Dr. Patty was extremely helpful, very knowledgeable, and she and her staff were so friendly the whole time. Great doctor!