IN THE SAME WAY that a dermatologist can recognize an appropriate setting for patient consultation (good illumination, privacy, or an unhurried atmosphere), he or she can also recognize an inappropriate one: a social gathering, a supermarket aisle, or the proverbial curbside. Requests often come from colleagues, friends, or even strangers for a ''quick look'' that takes the form of a peek at a hastily exposed bit of skin, in poor lighting, along with a whispered word of history. Under such circumstances, the person requesting the consultation is not officially a patient and, therefore, for lack of a better term, will be referred to as the requester.
The advantages of an unofficial consultation for the requester are clear: no waiting, no fee, no bother. The disadvantages of such consultations, surprisingly, have not been well documented. Weinberg et al1 addressed the subject, mainly noting the value and frequency of informal physician-physician