Michael Shapiro, MD

The worst doctors office I have ever ever been to. I called for the past month trying to get an appointment and a referral. They refused to help me and find the referral. They hung up on me multiple times. They transferred me multiple times and hung up the phone on me. I explained that I need an earlier appointment and they scheduled me in three months. This is not how a doctors office is supposed to proceed. This is a horrible office and the front desk and answering service need to be fired for their lack of care and complete and utter disgrace and neglect towards patients.

I took my father to Dr. Shapiro, and we had an extremely positive experience. Dr. Shapiro is a true professional, and skillfully removed a cancerous growth from my father. He was sensitive to my father's needs, was very kind, and also has a great sense of humor, which definitely helped diffuse what could have been an otherwise stressful situation. He answered all our questions patiently, and he made us feel as if we were his only patients. The office staff was very nice, too. My father and I highly recommend Dr. Shapiro.

Let me start with the good things. The office is very clean and the front desk receptionist was very polite. Dr. Shapiro was knowledgeable and overall I was satisfied with the treatment. However, my appointment was rescheduled twice not my choice. I left messages to reschedule the day that they gave me because for some reason when I would call the call would drop or maybe they were hanging up I don't want to assume. Mr. Shapiro is a man of no patience and seems a bit agitated. I'm not fond of needles and was unaware that I was getting one so I moved when i saw him about to pluck me and he flipped out and told me he will be back after he attends to his other 6 patients and that he's not going back and forth with me. I immediately told him that won't be necessary that I was caught off guard with that needle that he can proceed. It felt a bit awkward. He did a good job but that attitude was a bit much especially at 6 in the morning. I heard many people complaining about the wait time.

Today I had an 830 am appt, I was told 4 weeks ago by the front desk gentleman that I had the first app. When I arrived at 8:20 there was 20 people ahead of me. He told me the doctor changed his hours to start at 6. Shouldn’t a service like this call me to offer me an earlier appointment? 40 minutes later only 3 people were called. Then the fire alarm went off and we got evacuated. I just left. This is not the first time I had many people in front of me. It’s a shame because I do like the doctor. Time for a new dermatologist .

DO NOT GO THERE — find another doctor. That was my third visit during last 13 years — it was bad before but now it’s just ridiculous. #1. Filthy office, hazardous materials uncovered on the desk, garbage, hand tissue not in dispensers showing how lazy they are, blood spots on walls, no drinking water cups and nobody cares even after I noted it, not rude but unfriendly staff, whatch what you're seating on on chairs. But that’s nothing comparing to #2: Doc wants to get rich and he enforces not triple but something like “hexagon” (6) overbooking!!! One person per every free room, and there are 5-7, I guess but it doesn't work well. You will have to wait for 3.5 - 4 hrs (no exaggeration) even if you will come on time for your “appointment”, as they don’t respect people there because he accepts all cheap insurances and probably needs to cover money gap with higher numbers of patients. I don’t mind if he works overtime, I wouldn’t mind an hour wait too, but 4 hour wait any one would hardly accept. It’s not the case of one “bad day” or being “overbooked” because Doc got a brand new baby. When I came for my second visit in 2020, I waited too long but I took it “on the chin.” This time when I just showed up — there was an elderly American lady asking assistants: “I’ve been waiting for two hours, how much longer...?” They showed her the list and she was still #10, which at any scenario could be 90 more minutes for her. When I put my name on that list — I asked and they said I was #25 !!! All people came to see only ONE doctor! I estimated my waiting time, and asked to call me 45 min before my turn and left. They called me 2 3/4 hours later to tell it’s time to come back upstairs (which meant that I could be seen in 45 + another 60 + - ). I already met my wife and we were dining in a restaurant. One should remember: even if they call you in — there might be a 90 min wait inside just for the doctor to see you, as they have 3 stage line system: outside chairs, inside coaches and then in an individual room for undressing. I booked another appointment and asked to give me the day and time when I will be 100% first in line. They gave me two weeks later date at 7:30am-7:45am time frame to “be the first.” I arrived at 7:10am (!) and no one was responding to the door bell. Then a man was living the building and he let us in (there was another guy waiting before me). When we went up to the 5th floor — there were 5 people in there and I my name became 5th uncrossed name on the list !!! Assistant said that Doc was seeing patients since 6am! After AN HOUR WAIT — they called 4 names and took me in. I was assigned a room and thought everything was going to end soon. I was wrong. After seating in that room half undressed for another HOUR I still didn’t see the doctor. Fire alarm went on and I was told to leave the building. Waiting for firemen to check the building and get back upstairs made no sense anymore, which could take another two hours altogether. Poor elderly people had to go back home too, I guess. While fire alarm was not doc’s fault — everything else was. He had TWO HOURS TIME FRAME to see me for 10 minutes but it never happened before the fire alarm went on at 9:15am. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR -- FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR !!!

Unprofessional. Both doctor and staff. The doctor decided it was wonderful bedside manner to yell at my parents when they returned with what looked like an infection from a procedure he had done. Another instance that involved my parents- they were told one date and then sent a reminder with another one at a far later date. When called back they said not possible that the earlier date was even given. They were rude and stated if it’s that big of an emergency that it can’t wait a week find a doctor. Let’s not even talk about the hours of waiting while there.

I can not say anything about Dr. Shapiro as a specialist, because after 6 hours of waiting, we left the office. But the situation in the office itself and patient care are just awful. It is not clear why an appointment for many patients at the same time. As a result, the waiting room is full, people are nervous and waiting to see a doctor for several hours. We generally waited more than 6 hours and left with the intention to never contact the office again. Many other patients did the same. In addition, we want to note that many employees on the front desk behave inadmissibly rudely. Dr. Shapiro, you may be a good specialist, but you should not act so disrespectfully with people who have come to you for help.

I like Dr. Shapiro, he listens and yes he is fast since I feel he very good Doctor. He spotted a mole on my neck I got a call right back saying it was cancer he removed the cancer and his assistant was very calming. People are complaining over the time it’s because you have people in there that want to talk. He unfortunately doesn’t have that time. I believe he has 3 offices. Just tell him what you need and he will be right on it.

Horrible. Never again. I put his office name on my board for not to accidentally call and make appointment. Staff is so not professional. Front desk made several people unhappy, and when we tried to explain to the manager , she was trying to cover front desk workers. But not resolving the issues. We, patients had different issues. For my talking to the manager, they put me as the last came, on the list. I walked away. So frustrated for my time and unpleasant experience. Never never again to that office.

Overall, Vanguard is subpar. Unprofessional front desk employees. Dr. Shapiro butchered my body with scars. I was examined initially by Nargiza Volokos. She found 2 suspicious Beauty marks and then shave biopsied them. (Perfectly) - no scar left whatsoever… first photo shows this. Pathologist agreed they were atypical, one moderate and the other severe. But it WAS NOT melanoma. I was advised to remove them and did so. That’s where Dr. Shapiro came in. I had to remind him of the biopsy results when he came in the room for surgery. Seems as if he didn’t even review what the pathologist concluded. He then cut at least a 4” long incision out of my arm & back for a pea sized Beaty mark. Mohs surgery is specifically for preserving the most possible healthy tissue. Additionally, Mohs is not usually performed in benign conditions. And then once he finishes that one procedure on my arm, he then drops it on me that I have to come back in two weeks to have the other one removed. He just wants to bill my insurance. I was previously told by vanguard administration that both of them would be excised that same appointment… What really irritated me and inspired this review was that once Both of these procedures were completed after over 1 month, He then decided that there were three more beauty marks he saw on my body that he wanted to biopsy. He did the shave biopsies so deep, and I still have very ugly scars on my thigh, back and arm. Three months later, the scars are still very noticeable after using scar cream regularly. The nurse practitioner is so much better at dermatology than he is. I understand I’d rather be safe than sorry, but he did not have to make these scars so large for a tiny beauty mark that was benign. Again, how is the NP better at making my skin look good than the actual board-certified dermatologist that went to school for about 15 years?