I think I've said it a multitude of times in some of my reviews but--- here we go again! ---- "getting old sucks, but it beats the alternative." I never gave the topic of skin cancer a 2nd thought until my father had to have a spot on his skin removed over 30 years ago. This threw me into a profound depression, and I got drunk (in those days, I didn't really need profound depression, or even mild depression, as an excuse to get drunk, although it was to my mind a very good excuse/reason). Turns out, skin cancer if caught early is not the worst cancer, and my father lived for several more decades. On another occasion, an older co-worker, with Irish skin fairer than mine, had a very large segment of skin removed from his face. It wasn't disfiguring, but he did look like he had come out the clear loser in a serious bar-room brawl. It was sinking in for me that cancer of any sort, skin or otherwise, wasn't something to take lightly. In my last physical, my doctor pointed to a spot on the side of my forehead, and said, almost casually, "You should get that looked at by a dermatologist." I was aware of the spot, which had been there for a few years, and had assumed it was merely the result of aging skin-- a "freckle" or "sunspot." I wasn't a "sun-lover," but during my childhood, my parents were devotees of lying in the sun at the beach, and, as an adult, I often ran for 6 miles at a stretch in the blazing sun. So, I wasn't cavalier about my doctor's suggestion. My oldest friend has a Mediterranean olive complexion, but he was a lifeguard and surfer in his younger days, and he's been going to a dermatologist for 20 years. I asked for a recommendation and he recommended Dr. Abbate. Nice guy, very knowledgeable, very thorough in his examination. Not loving the thought of having to drive to Riverdale, I sent an email to Dr. Abbate's office and to another dermatologist closer to home. Dr. Abbate's office responded immediately. The other guy? Never heard from him. My choice had been made. I did ask my friend, "This Dr. Abbate-- this isn't the kid we knew from grade school, is it? That Mark Abate is our age, and this Dr. on his website photo is a young man. This isn't a 'Picture of Dorian Gray' thing going on, is it?" "No," my friend replied calmly. "This isn't the same guy you were in Cub Scouts with." The office is modernistic, off of Rt. 23, but I do have to mention that the parking situation is abysmal. I had to circle around 3 or 4 times before I secured a spot. It appears that "valet service" is available, but I'm not entirely sure how that works out in a restaurant, much less a medical office. In the waiting room, I was surrounded by older people, which I have to admit was disconcerting to me. In spite of what I say, I still like to think of myself as firmly entrenched in middle-age as opposed to old-timer status. In fact, 1 guy in a wheelchair started trembling and had to be wheeled into a back room for a "medical emergency." EMT personnel arrived quickly on the scene. Hopefully, things worked out OK for him. (In fairness, there were 1 or 2 young people in the office and even a child.) Mercifully, it didn't take long for me to be called inside. I was told to take off my clothes with the exception of my shorts and put on a backless paper smock. This is always a bit unnerving to me as my physique is no longer that of the runner/weight-lifter I once was, and...the spot is on my face, Doc! Is this near-total nudity really necessary? The Dr. and nurse came in, and Dr. Abbate was very friendly and personable. I mentioned my old friend, and Dr. Abbate nodded his head fondly, and told me to say hello to him. He also mentioned that 1 of his golfing partners has the same last name as me, and wondered if we could be related? My last name is common in north Jersey and I shrugged. Maybe we are, maybe not. (Irrelevant aside: I have the same last name as a writer famous in the 20s, but the only "famous" people I might actually be related to are prohibition mobster Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll and old-time character actor J. Carrol Naish. Maybe. Then again, maybe not...) Dr. Abbate was thorough in his examination, looking at my feet, legs, under my arms, front, back, and backside. In deference to modesty, he asked about the groin area, and I was spared that part of the examination. He then asked if I had a problem with needles. Not really, but I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, so I kind of equivocated. He put the needle in, and then I guess "scraped" the facial spot in question (it stung a bit but no real pain). A small bandage was put on it, and I was told I would hear back in 2 weeks. We shook hands, and I made an appointment for next year. With the caveat about the difficult parking situation, this visit was as pleasant and painless as these things can possibly be. Dr. Abbate is a real nice guy, professional and thorough, and I'm glad I "picked" him as my dermatologist. Highly recommended. read more

I saw Dr. Abbate today in his Riverdale office. From the moment I stepped in, I felt at home. The desk staff was very welcoming and didn't give me any forms to fill out. I did those online. His medical assistant, Ashley, was a delight. Her manner and knowledge of medicine was impressive as was her explanation of the steps involved in the exam. Enter the charming and personable Dr. Abbate. Smiling and warm doctors are my favorite and Dr. Abbate did not disappoint. Not only was his exam thorough and his knowledge exceptional, his chairside manner was the best! I went there for damaged fingernails caused by acrylic nails and a fungus. I left with the feeling that I was in good hands. read more

You will wait forever to be seen and when you are, you will be rushed and shipped out

This is the worst dermatology practice where I have been a patient. Dr Abbate is "cut crazy" and wants to biopsy everything. The whole experience was bad. When I read a positive review, I wish the patient had been to any other dermatologist. read more

My regular dermatology group - could NOT make an app't. to get me in for 2 to 3 months. Called The Derm Group, & they had a cancellation that I could fill in 2 days (although..., it was for 8:15 in the morning). Dr. Abatte diagnosed it as skin cell basal carcinoma, & the office staff scheduled me the very next week - for another dermatologist who 'specializes' in this. Procedure took about 1/2 hr., & then a follow-up to have the stitches removed. BOTH doctors DID A FANTASTIC job! About a year after this, my wife needed to schedule an app't., & Dr. Abbate removed (rather quickly - in 15 minutes), a large, ruptured cyst. AMAZING! AND . . ., THANKS!!! read more

HORRIBLE. Stay away. Have been waiting for a biopsy result for over a month. Have left numerous messages for the doctor to call me back with the results and they will not call. Will never return here. read more

Most of the time the wait to see a physician is not too long. The two doctors that are there are very competent and friendly. At one point there were many doctors there to choose from, but they have moved on to greener pastures. Marc Abbate is wonderful and very thorough. Can't go wrong with him. read more

My family used to go to this practice for years. After switching, we found that they misdiagnosed my daughter's foot problem (probably making it worse) and ALWAYS found something in my standard body exam to freeze, cut, sample, etc. ($$). Plus, their appointment system is a shambles; should not have to wait an hour for an appointment. Plus while you are being examined the staff is always complaining/gossiping about how bad the place is. If you are an existing patient, get out now. FOR NEW PATIENTS - look elsewhere. read more

I just recently moved to Riverdale & was so excited to find out there is a Derm Group 5 minutes away! - Easy to make appointments, the check-in is quick & the wait time to see a doctor is reasonable. Everyone I have come across so far is polite, sweet & willing to listen & help! Dr. Jennifer Nardone is patient and answers all questions without hesitation. Highly recommend! read more

I wish I saw these reviews before I went. Horrible customer service. When there is an issue, their call center hangs up on you. Office wait time is horrible. 3:00 appointment, brought into back at 3:30 not seen by dr. until 4:10. Then she left and didn't come back in until 4:45. I was prescribed a medication that was denied by my health insurance and was put under re-evaluation (not their fault) but what is their fault, is that the re-evaluation was declined and no one in the office bothered to call me to let me know this. When I called, the woman was obnoxious and rude and when I questioned why I didn't receive a call, she continued to be rude. I asked for a supervisor, and she hung up. I called back and was hung up on again. Stay away if you want any type of customer service. read more

Non-follow up and continued processing errors on their end has delayed the ability to get my prescription in a timely manner. I have been waiting for 10+ weeks and the only time I get an update is when I call (and don't get hung up on or put on hold for 20mins). Very unprofessional group of people that work at this location and this entire group. read more

I would say AVOID this place if you can!! From my experience, the staff are very unfriendly and annoyed at your existence. Completely unwelcoming demeanor. Once you get into the private rooms you're welcomed with UNWASHED, DIRTY floors that you then have to get barefoot and stand on. You're then bombarded with forms and if you dare try to read extensively before signing, they'll shame, rush and bully you to sign. My suggestion to staff: make sure to forward these consent forms ahead of time so people have time to read and sign ahead. The procedure is very rushed, feeling more like an assembly line. They look down on you and judge you for having any questions. As for billing, when you ask for a patient portal to pay your bill online, they laugh in your face. Office staff said they couldn't even provide a receipt for my detailed procedures but could provide the bill amount. They told me I had to call in to obtain a receipt and pay the amount. However, when I called I was put on hold for 30+ minutes. When I recalled, I had someone berate me while I asked for an itemized receipt. I finally obtained it and paid off my bill, only to receive ANOTHER bill in the mail. Again, AVOID this place, you can find better literally anywhere else. read more

I was very unhappy with there handling of my issue. I only saw a P.A. not a doctor and not the same one as my first visit. Blood tests were ordered, I had to remind the second P.A. to review them. Issues were removed from my skin and after about 2 weeks still waiting for lab. results. Scripts were given by first P.A. nobody asked if they are working. Poor Service. read more

This review is only for the service I received "After" my wait for my appointment at 6am..... Dr. Abbate.. If there were 10 stars, that would be my rating for him. I was in and out in 10 minutes. No pain! Burned off 2 skin tags on my eyelids quickly and without no pain. I highly recommend Dr. Abbate!!! Thanks Doc, you rock!! You can read others about the appointment process and the wait you "will" endure here, etc.. If you have one, you will most likely not be seen at that time... Unless you arrive an hour before your scheduled appointment time. That sucks, but the service provided by the Doc - Dr. Abbate in my case, made the wait a non-issue and was well worth it. But you shouldn't be waiting for 30 or so minutes when you have a scheduled appointment - especially when you have the first appointment of the day! read more

Used them twice and don't ever intend to use them again. First off, their time is always more important than yours. Prepare to wait up to and over an hour. It is a constant complaint from people in the waiting area. My first experience was for squamous cell cancer on my shin. I had the biopsy, then the surgery. After the surgery, I was told it would be like a "bad rug burn". Could not have been further from the truth. I had a hole in my leg. Because of its location, it couldn't be stitched. Fine, but don't tell me it will be like a "bad rug burn". I wasn't even given wound care instructions. Wasn't told it would take up to 2 months to heal. I had to read all of that on the internet. My second visit was for two biopsies. As you can imagine, I was anxious because of my previous experience. That appointment was on 9/11. Today is 10/5 and despite calling twice, I have not received biopsy results. THAT IS UNCONSCIONABLE. I will never use them again. Now they expect me to pay $245? Haaaaa. read more

If I could give them zero stars I would. I should have realized when I walked in and the patient was complaining about how she paid her bills but yet was still getting bills stating she owed money was a red flag. This was my first time at this office and they do not tell you about any extra charges you may be billed for at your visit because you signed a consent form so therefore they are covered. I had a biopsy done and because they have to send it out and have a pathologist read it I was charged and NO ONE said anything of the additional charges I may have. I have had many biopsy done at other offices and never had additional charges. Yes I signed a consent form but they should be telling the patient there may be additional charges because they have to send it out to a lab which. I have never had this issue with any other office before and will never be going back. Horrible customer service and will take advantage of billing because you signed a consent form and do not need to tell you. read more

The worst, the wait time is outragious, had to take out my own stitches, they were supposed to dissolve, they never even did a follow up, they send you a bill from different offices for difference procedures and send you to collections even though you pay them monthly. they are aweful stay away, run like the wind!!!!! read more

I've been coming here for two years and I guess because I go 4-6 months between appointments I forget how terrible the service is. Today is the last straw. During my appointment 4 months ago I waited over an hour to be seen by the doctor so this time I tried to schedule an early morning appointment to avoid the atrocious wait. My appointment was for 9:00am and its 10:10 and I'm still waiting. Unless you can take an entire day off of work and you don't mind wasting a lot of time in a waiting room, don't come here. Plenty of good doctors in the area for me to give my business too. No respect for their patients time. When while, I know every nurses plan for the upcoming weekend. There is no lack of time for them to talk and gossip.... Ridiculous. read more

Horrible customer service! I waited 2 weeks for the doctor to call in a prescription that my insurance approved and he never did! I called them about 4x over this issue and each time I was told my message was marked "urgent" and would be taken care of. It never was. They also sent my original prescription to a pharmacy in East Orange that I never heard of and live about 45 minutes away from. Incompetent people working there! Stay away! read more

Marc Abbate, M.D. Amazing, the best I can't explain I never had this kind of service before in my life by fair most recommended place...... You are great at what you do.... read more

Dr Avnee Shah is awesome The front office staff leaves much to be desired They are so disorganized and not willing to assist patients Clearly they are very poorly managed and over-schedule read more

Another 45 minute wait BEFORE being called...my last visit ever. Herb ' read more

I had an appointment scheduled with Dr. Abate. After waiting for 1 hour in the waiting room, I went to the receptionist desk and they informed me that he had another 2 patients ahead of me. Total disrespect with my time. She told me that if I want to be seen on time, I need to make an appointment for 6AM and be the first one... seriously??? Why do you overbook after the first patient? Then, I have been calling them for 1 week to get my co-pay refund back. This is absurd. I won't be rescheduling my visit and I also not going to recommend this practice to any of my friends and family. read more

I just had to write a review for this practice since I was actually a little leery of going there once I made my initial appointment and reading all these horror stories of reviews. I'm happy to say that my experience with this practice was excellent! All the girls at the desk greeted me immediately and were very friendly and helpful. The PA I saw Nicole Colucci was absolutely wonderful, professional, smart, knowledgeable, answered all my questions and helped solve my problem then and there. I was in and out of the office in under 30 minutes. She even addressed other concerns I had about skin care that wasn't even related to my appointment. Very pleased and would definitely see her again. read more

avoid this group at all costs, either read the reviews here and on Google or not but you're being warned, I listened to my gf over the reviews and I am now almost 3 months later preparing for file complaints with NJ consumer affairs and the attorney general as well as filing a claim with the medical review board. went for a cyst to be removed, Dr Patel looked at it said he can remove it. I asked how much, how does it work with insurance cause I never get sick and have a high deductible, how do I find out exactly what I have to pay for the procedure? I got pushed out, told to set an appointment for 3 weeks for when his vacation is over and that was it. I called the office after I left, I was told someone would call me with that information...never happened, I called by Barbara head of billing who had no idea about it. After 2 days of missing hours at work, making phone calls, going back to the building 2 days in a row...I NEVER got my procedural codes for my insurance to tell me my surgery cost!! I had enough...my bank, Chase, they got my money back and I just recently got a follow up that Chase investigated them and THEY WERE INCORRECT so my money went from temporary to PERMANENTLY REIMBURSED TO ME. So how is my insurance siding with this group and Dr. Patel who violated the law by not giving me my info for insurance and if you go to NJ consumer affairs website, you'll see a banner stating on June 1, 2018 Gov Phil Murphy made it law that the doctor must give that information to the patient to get the surgical costs from their insurance, here's a direct copy and paste from the .gov site: Health care providers are required to tell a covered person how to determine the health benefits plans  in which the health care provider participates and recommend that the covered person contact their  health benefits plan for consultation on costs.  When scheduling facility admission or outpatient facility services, a physician is required to:  1. Provide a covered person and facility with the name, practice name, mailing address, and  telephone number of any other physician whose services are scheduled at the time of pre‐ admission, testing, registration, or admission when non‐emergency services are scheduled;  2. Provide information on how to determine the health benefits plans in which the other  physician participates; and  3. Recommend that the covered person contact his or her health benefits plan for consultation  on costs.  so he violated the law, my insurance through 2 levels of appeal sided with the doctor for me to pay him for not doing his job while Chase bank themselves fully investigated them and found them to be guilty of negligence and services not rendered. YOU WERE WARNED...they don't return calls, I was promised a supervisor call and CEO as well, I have the emails still from Barbara head of billing for this group. I called today too to try to have the bill wiped from their end and I was told someone would be calling me back...hasn't happened yet as of posting this review on this date. original appt was on June 26, 2018...still battling this group smh read more

Not recommended. I made an appointment to have my beauty mark removed. I got there waited in the waiting area for a half hour. The nursing assistant called me and she was nasty didn't even say hello just told me to go into the room. She asked what I was doing here and I told her and she's like oh well they said "Brianna" was doing this for u? And I'm like I said anyone can do it for me when I made the appointment. So Brianna came in and told me she doesn't do it and only one doctor can do it but he's only there once a month and it's on Wednesday in which I can't do because I work 9-9 on Wednesday's. I will not go back ever again. I made a useless appointment and wasted my time on my 1 day off of work. read more

I've been coming here for many years and find the care from the docs and PA's to be good. But the wait time is absolutely ridiculous. They double book appointments, which is just plain rude. One time my sister in law and I were booked with the same PA, same day, same time. Ridiculous. It's beyond rude to think that the patients have endless time to just sit in their waiting room. It's a shame because pretty much every review says the same thing about the wait time. Time to look for a new derm. Would not recommend this practice to anyone based on the wait time alone. read more

Very disappointed no follow up. No calls returned. Or returned call does not address concerns left in office message

First let me say that I didnt wait very long, and the office staff were pleasant. So no complaints there. My complaint is with Dr. Patel. After going thru everything with the nurse, Dr Patel came into the room. Within, I'd say 2-3 minutes he was already trying to run out the door. I had a few spots on my body I was concerned about. I didnt even get to go over all of them because I felt so rushed. He would look at a spot for 2 sec and say, "nothing to worry about." I showed him a weird wart looking thing on my thumb. He looked at it, said it was not a wart and he wasnt sure what it was. He said, "ill freeze it. And that should take care of it." He literally dabbed it for 2 sec with some freezer marker looking thing. And that was it. He tried to leave the room THREE TIMES. Where I had to say, "excuse me, I have other concerns." THREE TIMES! As for as the freeze thing. It did absolutely nothing. I still have the exact same growth on my thumb as I did back then (8/19). And I come to find out that I was charged $375 for it! Are you kidding me?! This office is run like a revolving door. There is no bedside manor to be heard of. They want you in and out at fast as possible. read more

Disapointing. Just a big factory line. Poor customer service skills. Doctor sees you for less than a minute and appears to be annoyed that you are there. Its a shame. read more

Don't waste your time. There are too many providers and too little rooms in this office. When asked how long of a wait, the secretary was sarcastic and rude. I'm sure she is asked this question from almost every client but she needs to have empathy. It has been over an hour and I'm still waiting. If I wasn't leaving for vacation tomorrow I would most certainly leave. This review is solely based on this office and not the practitioners as I haven't even seen one yet. Good luck with your search. Look elsewhere. read more

Dr. Abbate a member of the dermatology group owned a company in Rhode Island. I worked for this company. In my time there I spent $3000 on supplies. Dr. Abbate shut down the company and refused to reimburse me for the money I spent to run his company. I am a young worker with a family who can not afford to run a rich doctors business. This man stole from me and my family. Imagine his ethics and imagine the ethics of a group he belongs too. read more

After waiting on hold for 55 minutes finally hung up and tried again. Was forced to listen to their promotional recording again and again. Office opens at 6 am no one answered the phone until 10 am read more

I used the Derm group many years ago and was extremely pleased with Dr. Abbate, who was recommended by my primary doctor, but I was annoyed at having to wait for treatment after awhile. I switched to Gabby, PA who was wonderful. She was very caring and helpful. I had absolutely no problems with her treatment. I loved her! I recommended her to many people and they had no complaints. They all love her! Just recently, Dec. 2019 I developed a rash problem and called for an appointment. I was told Gabby had no openings and I could have an appointment in 2 weeks or see another PA. The itch was so bad I opted for the other PA. BIG MISTAKE! I later found out Gabby had an opening and was told I should make an appointment in the office rather than calling it in. The PA said I probably needed to have allergy tests and let her know when I was ready for them. The rash was healing very slowly, but unfortunately I developed a different rash on my legs. I was concerned and called at 9:30 for another appointment that day, but she was booked. I could leave a message and maybe she could squeeze me in or talk to me about the old rash and the new one. I received a call from the PA's assistant about 5:00 and she only discussed the procedures for allergy tests which I knew about. I had the tests done and was told to come back on the Friday. I went back on the Friday and the elevators were not working. I have a lung and knee problem and had to climb many steps. I had to use my inhaler when I got into the office and I was wheezing. No one asked if they could help or give me a cup of water. The staff was busy laughing and having a good time. Why wasn't there a plan in place if the computers were down? Why couldn't they use their personal phones to call patients about the outage or have someone in the lobby and warn people about the problem. I was told the computer was down, they would take pictures, and they would send me the results by Friday. I was out in 5 minutes! The next Friday came no results. Called on Monday 12/30/19 and wanted to speak to PA, volunteered to go to office if they were there. I was told the PA would speak to me when she had a chance. No phone call. but received the report by email within the hour. I had questions, but I got answers via internet. It took awhile! I expected them by mail. I will go back ONLY if I can get an appointment with Gabby or I will find another derm doctor! I was shocked to read so many negative reports that never seem to improve. Gabby would get 5 stars+ Frieda C. read more

Unprofessional, unorganized, no set hours and lack compassion for accountability. RUN RUN RUN Run Run away! The staff at this group are terrible. While my daughter was going to the Riverdale and Passaic office a staff member was fired causing the Passiac office to have hours outside of that which was indicated. The office closed all different hours from week to week. During one of my visits to the Riverside location, the staff was nasty to each other. I asked for a space to change my 7 monyh old and the doctor continued to come in the room, rushing me, because my daughtet was her last appointment, stripping my daughter of her dignity while her bottom hung out for all passing as she continued rushing me talking to my back with the door open. She told me during my scheduled visit that her children had practice and she had to go. She stated she spent more time with me then she normally would 10 mins into my appointment. She was very demeaning and rushed. Another staff member Yolie told me it's my fault because I reschedule my appointment too many times. When I explained my mother was just diagnosed with Cancer there was no apology for the misjudgment and inappropriateness. When I contacted the owner, after given the number from the office manager, who was, in fact the only professional, he put me on hold several times during the phone conversation and was very dismissive thereafter about my concerns. RUN AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! I would not normally write reviews as they are time consuming and I am easy going but the treatment my 7 month old and I received here was horrible. read more

Brianna was great! She made me feel very comfortable and relaxed during my procedure! She was very knowledgeable and would definitely recommend her! read more

Another great visit to the Dermatology Group. Reception was great as was my physician's assistant. Dr. Abbate was as always, wonderful. So glad that my whole family is under his and his associates' care. read more

Very poor service... Physician Assistant had to google the prescription in question; PA called it in and the pharmacy informed me days later that the prescription no longer exist. Waited for over an hour for my appointment at 7:30 am (didn't think I would wait that long for an early appt.) Spoke with PA for 5 minutes regarding a prescription/solution that didn't even exist. Would not suggest this location for any service. Also the call center is HORRIBLE as well. The office barely answers the phone. I made the mistake of not reading the reviews first... i hope you do. read more

From my experience, the physician assistant seemed knowledgeable and helpful in answering my questions. However, god forbid you have an issue with the medication and need to reach the doctor over the phone. IMPOSSIBLE. You reach the call center first who takes all your messages, but they never reach the doctor. Left 5 messages over the course of 3 days. Incompetent office. read more

I've been going to the Dermatology Group in Verona for years and switched to this location since I moved to the area - well, I am very sorry I did. I came in to have a small cyst removed and they absolutely butchered my arm. If I'd have known how horrendous the area was going to look after they got done with me I would have just left it alone and dealt with having the cyst there. Instead, I have a giant, unsightly scar on the middle of my upper arm that you can't miss. My stitches, which were supposed to stay in for two weeks after the procedure, started to fall out within a few days. This was on a weekend so I couldn't get in touch with anyone until Monday. I made another appointment for a few days later (the earliest they could see me) to have them look at it and see what they could do. They took a quick look, said everything was fine, and to keep it covered so it wouldn't get any worse. You could clearly see that it wasn't going to heal right as the stitches weren't holding the wound closed at all. Fast forward to eight months later and I have a bright red scar the size of a quarter with little scarred dots all around it where the stitches were sewn in - yes, every single point where they sewed me up is still clearly visible. It looks like someone took a bite out of my arm. To make it worse, a lump has formed from the scarring. The entire point of having the cyst removed was to get rid of the lump on my arm, and here I am with a lump that's bigger than the original cyst was plus this atrocious mess. Thanks, Dermatology Group! I am super excited to sport this ghastly, unnecessary scar for the rest of my life. read more