Vanderbilt Brain Tumor Center
First Appointment Information
Before your first appointment, be sure to gather together as much information about your medical history as possible to bring with you for your appointment. What to bring?
- Medical history: Copies of all of your medical records, including operative reports and pathology reports.
- Medical images: Copies of your medical images, including CT, MRI, PET scans, and angiograms.
- A list of questions to ask your physician.
- A friend or family member to help you remember what you have discussed with your doctor.
If you are referred to see a Neurosurgeon at Vanderbilt:
We want your clinic visit to go as smoothly as possible. In the Neurosurgery clinic, you can expect to have many people help to take care of you. All of the staff will be delighted to answer any questions that you might have during your visit.
- The office assistants will check you in, make copies of your insurance card, collect co-pays, and help you with the check out process, including scheduling for any additional testing, referrals or follow-up visits.
- The patient care technician or nurse will bring you back to the exam room, get vital signs and enter information into the computer.
- The medical team that includes residents and attending physicians will then see you.
The nurse will be an important contact person for you. She or he will help the doctor coordinate your outpatient care, answer questions, and fill out medical leave and disability forms for you. If you and your doctor decide that surgery is the best treatment for your condition, then many other people will get involved in your care. For example, a surgery coordinator will help to schedule your surgery and coordinate all of the steps needed to have the surgery take place.
