Jeffrey Karaban, MD

I saw Dr. Karaban once and never again! He SCARRED my hand on my first and only visit!
First, I waited over 30 minutes for my appointment and I was on time! I only chose him because my primary doctor recommended him because my insurance covered him. I have HUGE REGRETS! I saw him for issues about my skin– face and a few areas on my body. He introduced himself and he a resident doctor (odd for an initial visit) with him. I begin telling him why I was in to see him and asked a few questions. He then interrupted my and RUDELY told me that I could ask him a total of 3 questions, and only 3 questions, or he would leave and end the appointment! My mouth dropped open and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was so strange– demanding and short with me. He was in the room with me for a total of 10 minutes and that was it! He froze a few bumps on my hand (which came back immediately) and I now have a scar on my hand where he used the hot ice! He also never asked me if I wanted the bumps removed! He just brought out this device and started doing it! I tried to stop him to ask what he was doing and he just kept doing it! ABSOLUTELY A NIGHTMARE EXPERIENCE!

I WOULD STAY AWAY!!!
My family has a lot of moles, but no history of skin cancer. I was a new patient and after doing a quick scan said I had cancer and that we needed to do hole punches of 5 moles and get them out immediately. I scheduled an appointment for next week and then consulted my mother. She informed me that every dermatologist she has seen has done a biopsy first on suspicious moles since a punch often leaves a scar.
I then went to another dermatologist for a second opinion and they said that although I have many freckles and moles, there weren’t any that were cause for immediate concern. Instead we just need to monitor for suspicious activity.
I don’t know if he was scamming for money or is just incompetent, I would avoid going to him all together.

I have had to wait, sometimes quite a while, to see the Dr, but now I just call ahead. I have a LOT of moles and have had to get some removed. He’s extremely thorough, and a team of nurses always come in and take notes /​take pictures during the check ups. I have had to fight for a full-​body checkup at a different Dr and I’m glad to have found one that is thorough and keeps records of my skin.
Be ware: if you have an HMO you WILL need a referral before going to ANY dermatologist. And you’d better find one in your network!

It’s the administrative staff that has this 1 star rating, not Dr. Karaban, but he, unfortunately, has to suffer. The typist is the bad egg. She’s robotic, wouldn’t do as I asked her to do regarding an administrative task about the printed bill. Asked her to change «cosmetic consultation» to «medical consutation.» I suspect she does not know how to do this, but she refused impolitely. (I am an elderly woman, probably the age of her grandmother. I doubt if she would talk to her grandmother as she talked at me… or maybe she would having been badly raised.) Had she told me she didn’t know how to do this, I would have accepted her deficiency. Apparently, she has annoyed other patients, for the receptionist chimed in to help her. (Does it matter that the receptionist called my request «Fraud?» No, it’s just an employee trying to help another employee in trouble, again, with a patient. It probably works, this 2-​teaming, otherwise it wouldn’t have happened. Side note: It’s not fraud; rather, it’s more general than cosmetic consultation. I called this to her attention and she stopped talking, but didn’t apologize.) And so, that’s my story. It’s not a good story.

I’ve seem Doctor Karaban since 1989 for Alopecia Areata and other skin things over the years. I have had to see doctors about my condition my whole life and I am pretty picky when it comes time to doctors and when I found Dr. Karaban, I was set. He has always taken my Alopecia seriously and never brushed it off like some other docs have. He keeps current on the latest theories and treatments. He always double checks to make sure if I have insurance, sometimes I have not and sometimes he has not been included in my plan, but I would see him anyway. I like that he cares about that too and takes it into account. He makes sure to give me samples so I can try some products before I have to spend a fortune on a medication to be filled, I can maybe try to make sure I don’t have a reaction. He also gives out coupons and rebate forms, which has saved me hundreds of dollars in the past couple of years. He has even steered me to a University for treatment when he thought that would help me. In the end, I went back to him for treatment.
I think he is a wonderful doctor. He is busy, he talks fast and he knows a lot so he may seem rushed. If you ask him questions, he will spend the time to answer your questions or he will ask his PA to help if he is short on time or behind. Dermatologists never know who they are going to see that day or know what the patient will need done. He tries to accommodate the patient needs during that very appointment versus having the patient come back for another appointment. This can make the wait time long some times. But I think it is well worth it. My whole family now goes to him and I recommend him whenever someone asks if I know a good dermatologist.
Also, when it has gotten busy and I am behind in making an appointment, I have even seen his PA. I think she is great too. The front desk and nurses have also been very helpful over the years.
I love Dr. Karaban and his Lincoln Park Dermatology practice.
Cathy, from Chicago

I saw this office’s PA, Sangini, a couple weeks ago and was given four prescriptions to help clear up my skin. So far I haven’t noticed much of a change, but hopefully it’s coming… it’s coming… it’s coming…
The reception ladies and the nurse were very pleasant. I waited about 10 minutes in the waiting room and then another 10+ in the doctor’s office. Not too bad.
I was hoping to get put on Accutane (if that’s still a thing) because I don’t have time for a rigorous skin regimen at home, and was a little disappointed that Sangini was more in favor of creams than a hardcore acne-​/​liver-​ruining drug. But if Retin-​A et al. eventually does the trick, that’s fine with me. I left with a bag of Rx samples and some coupons for my prescriptions, which was great. Two of the prescriptions Sangini gave me will cost an arm and a leg, even with our insurance, so I called back to see if I can be switched to something else, and everyone I spoke to was extremely sweet and accommodating. Overall, I felt like my concerns were listened to and addressed, so hopefully Sangini’s diagnosis is correct and the skin regimen will make a difference.
Side note: I brought my young daughter with me and by the end of the appointment she was having a meltdown, but the whole office was really patient with us, which I really appreciated. The nurse, on several occasions, offered my daughter suckers to help pacify her, and it worked.
Also, the parking they validate is the St. Joe’s lot across the street on Sheridan. It cost me $ 4, and I’m pretty sure I could’ve paid less in a metered spot.

Everything everyone says is very true. I have been going to Dr. Karaban for many years. I get frustrated because of the 1 hr or more wait times, too, then try another dermatologist. I think many of them are behind in scheduling and also have long waits because of the many precedures they do throughout the day. However, I have always thought Dr. K is a fantastic doctor. Since he’s running behind, when he finally gets into the room and sees you, you don’t feel rushed. He is very thorough and compassionate. I haven’t found another dermatologist that I like as well. If you have the time to wait, I think he’s the best derm I’ve ever seen.

Wow, I’m surprised at all the bad reviews. My review regards my acne treatment.
I went there after I broke out with painful cystic acne after I was prescribed birth control pills to specifically clear my face. Well the opposite occurred, and I had an allergic reaction to pills… it was HORRIBLE. The PA and MA were very nice and friendly. Yes, they told me about dermabrasion and gave me a pamphlet, but I found the info useful. They were not pushy at all. Anyway, he prescribed me benzaclin and something else and it cleared my skin up soooo much! Once I told him I didn’t have insurance he told the medical assistant to give me a BUNCH of samples! Once she handed me the bag, she told me to let her know if I needed anymore samples. I was so happy! The samples lasted me several months! My acne would have never cleared if they didn’t do this for me. I am very thankful.

Wow, I’m glad I started seeing Dr. Karaban before I read all the reviews ;) I’ve personally had a good experience with him. Allow me to elaborate…
The Office
In general, the people that take the appointments are a little snooty. But, once you go there a few times, you get over it. And, to be fair, they are a very busy office. Appointments can usually be scored within a month or so.
The Nurses or Interns (Forgive me, I don’t know your actual titles!)
Are awesome. They are super motivated and good at ‘translating’ for Dr. Karaban. They seem to respect him and are very, very nice.
Dr. Karaban
He is certainly a bit eccentric! He talks a mile a minute, but if you ask him to clarify, he will. I usually take notes while he’s talking, because he tends to hand me a pile of scripts and instructions for the next 6 months, even though he wants to see me every few months. If you can deal with that style, you’ll be in good hands. I’m seeing him for treatment of ‘medium’ rosacea. When I first started seeing him, my face was very, very bumpy and red, to the point where I was really getting embarrassed when people would ask ‘what’s wrong with your face?’ My old dermatologists ways were not really working for me. Dr. Karaban was much more aggressive about it, reassuring me that we could make it ‘much, much better’ over time. I trusted him and it’s been a year and a half and he was right. It gets better and better as long as I follow his instructions. Bottom line is that you have to clarify and ask questions to get the most out of him. He reminds me of a ‘creative genius’ that you want to keep pushing until you understand what they mean. Perhaps the most important thing to me is that he said, during one of our first visits «You’ve been tested for Lupus, right?» I said «What? Why? No!» His response: «Well, it’s rare, but sometimes your facial redness pattern is a sign of lupus.» Luckily, I don’t have lupus, but no one before him had tested me for it… and, isn’t it about looking at symptoms and making sure something more isn’t wrong? That’s what Doctor’s are for! Thanks Dr. K!
Cost/​Products
I use a replenix moisturizing face wash that they recommended. Though it’s almost $ 20 a bottle, I am sticking to it, because I like it a lot. My HMO covers my visits with a $ 20 copay (United HealthCare.) One thing that really made me trust in Dr. Karaban was that, when I told him my insurance company wouldn’t cover Doryx, and that I couldn’t afford the $ 500 a month for it, he was like ‘oh, don’t worry about that — we have lots of discount cards for you.’ Sure, they are probably given to lots of dermatologists, but the fact that he told me about it from the get go has made much happier. I now only pay $ 25 a month :) He’s also big on giving you samples of what you need.
Parking/​Location:
Difficult! Meters, but that goes with the neighborhood ;) While you’re there, treat yourself to Miss Asia, a little place a block west on diversey. Enjoy! See? Now your skin looks good AND you had a good lunch. ;)

I can only echo all of the negative reviews. I sat for an hour before my appointment, and when I finally saw the doctor, he proceeded to try to sell me a series of overpriced fancy moisturizers.
I didn’t have any billing issues, but I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. Are you trying to help people, or pimp the products the reps are peddling? He gave me ample samples to treat my condition — some which made my skin worse and one that actually helped.
I switched back to my original derm. Even though his office wasn’t as fancy, he’s on time and doesn’t give me a hard sell on overpriced gunk I don’t need.

I waited AT LEAST 45 minutes each time I was in Karaban’s office to even get through the first door. Don’t even get me started on how long I waited once they sat me in a room.
Karaban had a field day with my pale, fair Irish skin and thought I should have about 10 moles removed. Thankfully we reigned that down to about 5. Everything came out fine, except the end result after the stitches. Karaban, at the minimum, put at least 4 stitches to each mole. I now have horrible scars on my stomach and back that will never heal correctly.
I just finally got my last bill which is was dated for 3 months ago. Thanks for the heads up doc. I will never go back to him, nor do I recommend anyone to go there. The office workers are nothing but rude and you’ll leave feeling like you were Karaban’s steak he just hacked at.

I have HMO insurance, and my Primary Doctor begrudgingly gave me a referral to Dr. Karaban because, «He is not my first choice, but he accepts your insurance.» When I booked my first appointment, I was also hounded to turn in my referral, and have my Primary doctor recommend several visits, so they can «get paid.» But, I am used to dealing with that because I chose HMO.
The office is crazy. You will make an appointment, and still have to wait at least 45 minutes to an hour to be seen. The receptionist told me to, «Call ahead next time, on the morning of your appointment, to see how the Dr. is running that day.» That means I have to clear my schedule for the entire day, just in case he is running behind and cannot properly schedule appointments.
I have very fair, freckled skin, and I used to work in a tanning salon in high school. I have some suspicious moles on my back. ALL of which Dr. Karaban deemed cancerous, and worthy of removal. I had to go to him for about three months to remove all four of the moles. He would not remove more than one at a time. What I am MOST upset about, though, is that I have a huge, disgusting SCAR where he removed a mole from my left shoulder. When I wear strapless dresses, it is very noticeable. I just think a better surgeon would have done a better job.
Also, I was very annoyed by the pushy PA. She is a beautiful Indian woman, who apparently did not get into med school, so she settled for a PA program. She was a hard core salesgirl– pushing me into very expensive dermabrasion, laser treatments, chemical peels, it seemed ANYTHING to get more money out of me. So, after I get in to finally see Dr. Karaban, I have to sit for a sales pitch from the PA for another 15 minutes. No THANKS.
I am going back to my regular doctor and asking for a new referral.

I first saw Dr. Karaban after 10 years without visiting a dermatologist, and I have had positive experiences with him. I’m quite fair skinned, and after a skin exam, he recommended the removal of two moles on my back. Both of the procedures he performed to remove the moles were painless and quick, and each healed well.
He’s friendly, and he worked with me to deal with an insurance issue that was causing problems relating to the treatment he performed.
The wait is typically a little long, but not terrible, and the staff in the office are friendly enough.

I have been a patient of Dr. Karaban for 3 years.
First and foremost, in all my office visits, I have never waited less than 45 min to see the doctor — even for morning appointments.
Additionally, the doctor seems a little… spacey. The doctor has written down that my symptoms appeared on the wrong side of the body, misdiagnosed a large, painful and eventually expensive problem (I had to have a large infected cyst removed by a surgeon at a cost of thousands of dollars after Dr karaban said the cyst was not an issue… the misdiagnosis lead to mistreatment which exacerbated the problem), and even acted surprised when looking at other symptoms… «oh, so that’s what you’re experiencing — i didnt see that!» really, doctor? you didnt understand the symptoms you were supposedly treating FOR 3 YEARS?
it seems like this office is mainly concerned with cash flow — cramming as many patients in as possible, selling prescription products of his own office’s formula («how did that stuff I gave you work?» «uh, not very well…» «hmm, sorry.»), charging for cancellations, etc.
Really, if this guy didnt have my 3 year history under his thumb, I would have jetted. If you’re seeking a dermatologist — ask for another referral.
oh, and it would probably have been nice to know that I’m not supposed to drink on accutane. you’d think that would have been important information for a twenty-​something patient. i can only hope my liver doesnt take too severe a beating.

I am sad to read all these reviews of Dr. Karaban but I am not surprised. I went to him from about 1996 to 2000. He removed several moles, was always busy and did run late but his treatment was OK. However, I attest to his hotheadedness and sometimes unprofessional behavior. In one mole removal surgery, he took a phone call in the room where he was prepping me for minor surgery (skin removal larger than a mole which required stitches). He got angry and raised his voice to the other caller and was arguing while I lay on the table waiting for the surgery. This did not make me feel good as he was about to cut into me! I asked him if he was OK after the call and he said yes and then did the surgery. Granted it was minor surgery but it was scary to see him so angry and then know he was going to cut into me!
Dr. K also seemed to take pharmaceutical rep visits over patient visits. I have waited more than once while he chatted with sales reps while I was waiting to see him and it made him late for my visit.
When I tried calling to schedule and appoint a year later, I could not get through to a receptionist at all. I left several messages and never got a call back. I thought he had gone out of business! I’ve been looking for a good derm since and although I see he is still in business I won’t be going back!

I have been a patient of Dr. Karaban for over a year. I have AK and the treatment he prescribed worked very well and was not too bothersome. He is carefull to be very spcific about his diagnosis and gives the patient the full picture with various treatment options. He suggests ways in which to keep costs down. If you are a vain person he will work with you to get your skin in the most beautiful condition. If you are just concerned about cancer he will address only that issue. It is clear that he has LOTS of experience as a dematologist, and is a thoughtfull doctor. If you are 65 or older I would recommend you see him (or some dermatologist) at least once a year.
At least some of his office secretarial staff needs an attituude adjustment. I am usually kept waiting 1 hour past the appointment time to see the doctor. (e.g. on my most recent visit I asked if he was running on time and was told they had «no idea») All of this is not enough of a downside to keep me from being his patient. BUT IT IS see below…
I recently tried to make a follow up appointment with Dr. Karaban.
I called his office twice and left a message that I wanted to make an appointment. Both times I got voice mail, with a promise that I would be called back. I never was called back. I have had enough. I called again and asked to have a copy of my medical records sent to me, since I am going elsewhere. They assured me that they would go out in the next two days and charged me $ 12. It has now been over 12 days and I still did not received them. They assured me that they had been sent. I called again and got them 2 days later.
I love my new doctor. He keeps his appointments on time, has several assistants who are dermatologists in training and a very efficient office staff. Most importantly he listens very attentively to my concerns. He also wants to see me every 6 months and makes an appointment in advance — something that Dr. Karaban does not do.

After researching several dermatologists, I finally decided to go with Dr. Karaban for some mole concerns. I was a little worried because I had never been to a dermatologist before and there were several mixed reviews from other patients. However, I am pleased to report that my experiences were good.
I never waited more than 20 mins in the waiting room and about 15 mins in the examining room. He seemed very knowledgeable and answered all my questions. My treatments were fairly quick and painless.
I would definitely go back to him again, and I would refer him to my friends and family.

I don’t even want to give this man the one star. This office will basically try and milk you for every penny. I went in to have a mole checked out. I had one pimple — the first one I’d had in a loooong time. He tried to put me on regular medication… like the kind you take for the rest of your life. Then after having two moles removed I went in for a follow up. This is where it gets bad:
— I took the first appointment of the day so that I could be sure to be seen on time. I arrived 10 minutes early. Thirty minutes later I asked if I could reschedule because I had to get to work at some point and didn’t want to wait any longer. I was rudely told there would be a fee to reschedule. Five minutes later the nurse and doctor walked in still wearing coats. Finally, 45 minutes after my appointment was scheduled for I was called back. Another 10 minutes of waiting and the doctor came in. He told me that the tests came back inconclusive and he wanted to remove more just to be safe and that I should schedule an appointment. I waited over an hour, paid a $ 10 copay (not much but still money) AND my insurance was billed a ridiculous sum for the doctor to tell me I had to schedule another appointment.
It’s no wonder this place is easy to get appointments for. Avoid at all costs!

I completely disagree with the previous review. I’ve been a patient of Dr. Karaban for the past 6 years. I’m rarely on hold when I call. Granted the staff is not jumping for joy, but they have never been rude or unfriendly.
More importantly, Dr. K is great. He answers all of my random questions related to acne or other skin concerns. He gets right to the point. His assistants/​interns have always been cool too. He totally hooks me up with samples, coupons and Rx’s.

So I went back to this doctor. Well not Dr. Karaban but the other doctor in his office. I didn’t want to due to being put on hold for 10 minutes at a time, but I went, hoping this time would be different. Well this time it wasn’t much better:
1) I didn’t get a call to confirm my appointment and I had to call 4 times until they actually answered.
2) I showed up 10 minutes early for my appointment to find out I needed a referral for a follow up appointment. I told the lady that I didn’t know that and she looked at me like I was an idiot. She told me it was in my insurance policy. Who reads that? I’m calling them tomorrow to find out if that’s actually true.
3) After sitting for 30 minutes after my scheduled appointment I went to the lady and asked if my appointment time was correct and she said yep. I asked when I’d be seen she told me she’d check with the nurse. Well I was then put in a room right away.
4) Once I was put in my room, I sat waiting for 30 more minutes. After waiting for an hour after my scheduled appointment I walked up to the lady, again, and told them I was leaving because I’d been waiting for an hour and had yet to speak to anyone other then her.
The doctor then came and I discussed my displeasure. While he was great, I’m so unhappy with his staff that I just don’t know if I can do it again. I’ve never had a doctors appointment like this in my life. I’m at the point I’d rather have dental work done without Novocaine rather then dealing with these ladies again.
Update: I went back for another appointment and I had to wait forever again. Finally when I saw the doctor he told me I should get a chemical peel on my face for these little spots I had. I said «doc, I’m heading to Mexico for a week, I don’t think that’s okay.» He told me not to worry. Then his assistant doctor came in and said I shouldn’t get a chemical peel if I’m going to be in the sun for a long period of time. How could my doctor not know that? Needless to say I never went back because he was a terrible doctor and his staff was even worse.