Finding an Endocrinologist Near You Accepting New Patients

Why is it hard to find an endocrinologist accepting new patients?

Endocrinology is a relatively small specialty relative to demand. Conditions like diabetes, thyroid disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome are common and growing, but the number of practicing endocrinologists has not kept pace. A workforce analysis found a shortage of roughly 1,500 adult endocrinologist full-time-equivalent positions, with the gap projected to widen 1Ref 1Vigersky RA, Fish L, Hogan P, Stewart A, Kutler S, Ladenson PW, McDermott M, Hupart KH (2014).The Clinical Endocrinology Workforce: Current Status and Future Projections of Supply and Demand.Shortage of approximately 1,500 adult full-time-equivalent endocrinologists; gap projected to expand to 2,700 by 2025 without intervention. Rural and suburban areas often have one or two endocrinologists serving a large population, while urban academic medical centers may have better depth but long wait lists of their own.

A cross-sectional study of appointment scheduling in major U.S. cities found the mean wait time to see an endocrinologist was approximately 82 days — more than twice the wait for a cardiologist in the same market 2Ref 2Basch CH, Hillyer GC, Basch CE (2024).Wait Times for Scheduling Appointments for Prevention of Macrovascular and Microvascular Complications of Diabetes: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.Mean endocrinologist new-patient wait time approximately 82 days (median 72 days) in major U.S. metro areas — more than twice the mean wait for cardiologists.

Where to search for an endocrinologist near you

Your insurance carrier's directory The most practical starting point if you have insurance. Filter by specialty (endocrinology or endocrinologist), your zip code, and in-network status. Call the top two or three results to confirm they are accepting new patients — directories are not always current.

Your PCP's referral If your primary care provider sends a referral, they often have established relationships with endocrinologists in the area and know which practices are currently taking new patients. A referral from a known PCP can sometimes yield an earlier appointment than a self-referral.

Major health system or academic medical center Large health systems (university hospitals, regional medical centers) typically have endocrinology departments with online scheduling. New patient wait times are often longer, but the breadth of subspecialty expertise is greater.

American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) AACE's Find an Endocrinologist tool at pro.aace.com allows searches by location and subspecialty interest.

What wait times should you expect?

Wait times for new endocrinology patients vary widely:

• Urban areas (major metro markets): the average wait is approximately 82 days 2Ref 2Basch CH, Hillyer GC, Basch CE (2024).Wait Times for Scheduling Appointments for Prevention of Macrovascular and Microvascular Complications of Diabetes: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.Mean endocrinologist new-patient wait time approximately 82 days (median 72 days) in major U.S. metro areas — more than twice the mean wait for cardiologists, though some practices schedule within a few weeks.
• Less populated or rural areas: waits of 3 to 6 months are not unusual, reflecting the ongoing workforce shortage 1Ref 1Vigersky RA, Fish L, Hogan P, Stewart A, Kutler S, Ladenson PW, McDermott M, Hupart KH (2014).The Clinical Endocrinology Workforce: Current Status and Future Projections of Supply and Demand.Shortage of approximately 1,500 adult full-time-equivalent endocrinologists; gap projected to expand to 2,700 by 2025 without intervention.
• Urgent referrals: if your PCP marks the referral as clinically urgent (for example, uncontrolled diabetes or a suspected pituitary tumor), practices typically try to accommodate sooner.

If the wait at the first practice you contact is very long, it is reasonable to get on multiple wait lists simultaneously and take the earliest opening.

What to do while you wait for an endocrinology appointment

Waiting several months without clinical support is not the right approach for an active condition. A primary care clinician can:

• Manage your diabetes, thyroid medication, or other endocrine condition while you wait
• Order and interpret labs so you arrive at the endocrinologist with recent data
• Adjust medication dosages as needed in the interim
• Escalate the referral urgency if your condition is worsening

A Gale primary care clinician can step in to bridge this gap and coordinate your care through the specialist transition.