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Maria L. Wei

MD PhD

Dermatologist and melanoma specialist

Dr. Maria L. Wei is a dermatologist who specializes in melanoma and disorders of pigmentation, both acquired and inherited. She directs the UCSF Pigmented Lesions/Melanoma Surveillance Clinic, which cares for individuals with melanoma as well as patients at high risk for developing melanoma – a group that includes those with a family history of melanoma, those with genetic test results indicating a risk, and those with many moles or large congenital moles.

Wei leads a research laboratory that studies melanoma, investigating the biology of melanin-producing cells and how melanomas become resistant to treatment. The laboratory also seeks to understand the gender disparity in melanoma outcomes (why men and women have different outcomes) and is investigating novel biomarkers for melanoma (measurable substances that indicate the disease).

  • Education

    Duke University School of Medicine, MD, 1992

  • Fellowships

    UCSF Medical Center, Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2002

  • Board Certifications

    Dermatology, American Board of Dermatology

  • Academic Title

    Professor

Where I see patients (2)

    My reviews

    4.7

    Overall Experience
    479 Ratings
    About our process
    Nov 29, 2023
    Dr Maria Wei is a very special member of the UCSF derma team.
    Nov 29, 2023
    Dr Wei is excellent!
    Nov 17, 2023
    Dr. Wei was in a hurry and told me so she did not have time to give me a full body exam and that Idid not need on for another s 6 months and then as I mentioned her schedule is not open... The appointment was rushed and I am not happy with that.
    Nov 15, 2023
    Dr. Wei is caring and answers questions. An excellent physician.
    Nov 03, 2023
    It was a pleasant experience considering the stage of my melanoma.
    Nov 02, 2023
    I am so glad to have Dr. Wei as my care provider.
    Oct 18, 2023
    Dr Wei is The Best!!
    Oct 17, 2023
    Dr Wei is awesome
    Oct 16, 2023
    Dr Wei is Awesome! I've had a lot of dermatology issues and Dr. Wei has literally saved my life. She is extremely knowledgeable great communicator and just great at what she does. I really appreciate the care given to me by Dr Wei and all of UCSF!
    Oct 08, 2023
    Dr. Wei is the BEST of the BEST!!
    Oct 06, 2023
    She was excellent!
    Sep 28, 2023
    I came in to see Dr Wei as my regular provider did not have appt available for awhile. After waiting for so long I was frustrated by the time the doctor came in and she was not receptive to that frustration (am sure she had a long day as well so I get it) but she made me feel even worse about being there as I came in sooner than she felt I should be getting a follow up (my regular doctor said every 6 months is fine and she felt a year was sufficient and I came in sooner than 6 months). I think the appt just started off on the wrong foot but I felt really bad after leaving and these appointments are stressful as it is.
    Sep 28, 2023
    Dr Wei is amazing seems like over scheduling her is always the issue need to schedule less patients per day always 45-1 hour wait time
    Sep 27, 2023
    Exceptional professional and empathetic
    Sep 23, 2023
    Provider seemed pressed for time. Exam seemed more rushed than usual. Concerned that my previous health problems were not taken into account.
    Sep 21, 2023
    Maria is amazing!
    Sep 15, 2023
    Excellent thank you!
    Sep 14, 2023
    Dr Wei was kind and considerate. It took us a minute to get our communication style down but that's to be expected. She was reassuring about my skin care.
    Sep 01, 2023
    I really like Dr. Wei. I gained additional information from her. Thank you. I like the printout with the after visit summary.
    Aug 30, 2023
    Very good
    Aug 23, 2023
    I felt that the doctor was highly competent and trusted her medical decisions. I am grateful I was able to eventually get an appointment her. However like the assistant she was clearly under too much time pressure to encourage questions and give thorough explanations. The experience from the check in person to the assistant to the doctor visit left me feeling the stress that they clearly feel. I wish there had been time to ask questions about the various skin conditions and about preventative care. I noticed that after visit notes had written in them that things were "discussed" with the patient that were never even mentioned. Presumably these are automatically included in every note whether or not they are actually discussed. Let me be clear that I felt that the doctor was highly competent and I'm sure if she were under less time pressure she would have been more patient. I felt for her and the staff for having to rush like they were in some sort of race. That time pressure very at did not make for a better patient experience. Care at UCSF is expensive. I would expect the doctors and staff to have working conditions that allow them to make patients feel comfortable.
    Aug 18, 2023
    This was my first visit with this doctor and I z was very happy.
    Aug 14, 2023
    I am a continuing patient. Dr. Wei is a fantastic dermatology physician in every way. She is consistently excellent.
    Aug 11, 2023
    I was grateful to be scheduled with a care provider who was professor with impressive expertise. I believe this is the most important consideration. It was not on the above list.
    Aug 04, 2023
    She was very thorough and explained things well.
    Aug 03, 2023
    Dr Wei is outstanding. I have a lot of serious and I'm extremely confident in her care
    Aug 02, 2023
    I'm still a bit confused about the care of the wound going forward.
    Jul 28, 2023
    Dr. Wei is a wonderful and talented melanoma specialist. I appreciate being able to see her.
    Jul 14, 2023
    Excellent in every way.
    Jul 05, 2023
    It was my first time seeing this physician. I found her condescending and curt. I do not plan to see her again.
    Jun 29, 2023
    She seemed thorough and friendly but examined me very quickly probably because she was running an hour late. I did not get the impression that she was distracted and I was not particularly worried that she missed some thing.
    Jun 29, 2023
    Best melanoma clinic in California. But appointment scheduling and lateness are a big problem
    Jun 28, 2023
    Her instructions were clear and fast. I had to listen hard to remember her instructions. I just wished she paused and gave me a chance to ask questions.
    Jun 23, 2023
    Dr. Wei care makes up for the difficulties in scheduling
    Jun 17, 2023
    Health care is challenging but the care that I receive from Dr Wei is OUTSTANDING; she is both an excellent physician and human being! Thank you!
    Jun 16, 2023
    My only issue was the wait time. If UCSF is going to ask me to be 15 minutes early to my appointment then they shouldn't make me wait an additional 45 minutes. Makes no sense.
    Jun 02, 2023
    Dr Wei is an exceptional physician. Incredibly competent and efficient. She welcomes any questions and concerns you have. I never feel hurried. I have so much confidence In her. Seeing a dermatologist on an ongoing basis Is stressful; she makes It a bearable experience.
    Jun 01, 2023
    The wait time is the sole issue but it's significant
    May 24, 2023
    I think Dr. Wei is an excellent doctor and she is very attentive and complete in her exams.
    May 13, 2023
    She was best or second bets ever.
    May 05, 2023
    Exceptional care. Extremely knowledgeable. Feel so fortunate to have such a dedicated professional caring for me.
    May 04, 2023
    Very good experience
    May 04, 2023
    I love Dr. Wei I truly believe she cares about her patients.
    Apr 28, 2023
    Clear friendly and professional communication.
    Apr 26, 2023
    Very professional efficient caring
    Apr 21, 2023
    The meeting was delayed and everything felt hurried.
    Apr 13, 2023
    Brilliant physician and diagnostician! Extraordinarily competent caring compassionate friendly and excellent communicator!
    Apr 12, 2023
    Dr Wei spent maybe 5 minutes with me. She was obviously rushed and disinterested. My prior meetings with her were not like this. I will be looking for a new dermatologist.
    Apr 07, 2023
    She was vert professional and took extra time to explain things to us. Very personal and likable. This is the first time I have seen her and I plan to keep on seeing her as needed.
    Apr 05, 2023
    Very short visit.
    Mar 23, 2023
    Dr. Wei is great! My complaints are about the process of getting to see her.
    Mar 22, 2023
    --Dr. Wei is excellent!
    Mar 17, 2023
    Dr Wei did not listen to my original diagnosis and went on and on about how I can only take less than 5 mins of shower. She didn't listen to me she just kept going on and on about what she thinks my needs are. I will make another appt w a different physician.
    Feb 25, 2023
    Dr. Wei is exceptional
    Feb 24, 2023
    Dr Wei is a great doctor and needs the organization to support her work and care for her patients.She caught my cancer immediately and I had it removed. She continues to impress me with her professional and caring approach.
    Feb 23, 2023
    Didn't get exact timeline for next appointment but usually that happens on follow up a few days later anyway
    Feb 22, 2023
    Dr. Wei is an excellent care provider.
    Feb 20, 2023
    Dr. Wei seems distracted and stressed this visit when compared to previous visits perhaps due to clinic running late.
    Feb 15, 2023
    Dr Wei is extremely knowledgeable professional and easy to talk with
    Feb 11, 2023
    I was referred to Dr. Wei for a skin mapping procedure. She was super thorough and ended up pointing me toward genetic testing which came to me as a surprise. She was very thorough In delving deep into my family history of all cancers. I didn't walk away knowing exactly how it would benefit me and found I was kind of piecing it together for myself. That being said my brain is slow to process unexpected information and there were certainly follow up questions I could have asked but didn't think of at the time. I haven't gone back on the portal to ask them yet as my visit was only a couple of days ago.
    Feb 09, 2023
    The total wait time for my appointment from the time I arrived to the time I left the office was about 2 hours. This is too long to wait for quality care.
    Feb 06, 2023
    Dr. Wei is excellent in all areas
    Feb 03, 2023
    Dr. Was very helpful and provided me with a clear plan for care
    Feb 03, 2023
    One of the best dermatologist I've ever been too. She is great!
    Feb 03, 2023
    Not follow up. Awaiting two prescriptions.
    Feb 02, 2023
    Given the office issues - but care is more important. Why the trade off at a Magnet hospital?
    Feb 02, 2023
    She has always been great
    Jan 26, 2023
    Dr. Wei is outstanding. Her expertise and devoted care with an exceptional bedside manner is rare. I am very grateful for her attentiveness and continued care.
    Jan 26, 2023
    Both the resident and Dr wei were wonderful
    Jan 06, 2023
    Provider is excellent and very thorough
    Dec 27, 2022
    Dr Wei was nice. But I wish I could have had a more careful examination of my skin. And discussion of my skin. It was a super quick view of my skin. Maybe she's that good. But I prefer informative discussions that help me feel confident going forward on prevention of cancer cells.
    Nov 27, 2022
    She was moving fast not much time to talk. But since this was my second time seeing her I know she's careful and attentive.
    Nov 24, 2022
    I am sure the doctor is knowledgeable and experienced though I don't find her to be warm relational or interested in the health issue I'm working with and possible solutions in treatment. She may be overworked as she's rushed and seems impatient with questions. Particularly when treatment recommendations involve side effects that feel important to discuss. So I can make informed choices about treatment that has an impact on my quality of life. She doesn't seem understanding just busy and impatient.
    Nov 04, 2022
    Dr Wei is very good doctor
    Nov 03, 2022
    Dr Wei is a wonderful doctor. She listens to me and is also very kind.
    Oct 15, 2022
    First visit (saw an are of concern and talked about removal) second visit (took pics of area) visit seemed rushed. No removal as expected. I hope the area isn't serious.
    Oct 13, 2022
    Very good experience
    Oct 08, 2022
    I have been seeing Dr. Wei for about a decade now. She is consistently really observant very open to answering any questions I have and great at explaining the answers. Outstanding!
    Oct 07, 2022
    She said she would prescribe me medication that was urgent to take but I have not received the prescription and she has not gotten back to me in over three days terrible experience.
    Sep 29, 2022
    Excellent
    Sep 29, 2022
    Care and support by the Medical Doctors was considerably better than "Very Good" - it was Excellent !
    Sep 16, 2022
    I was happy to be seen on time. Although my condition had improved and no particular follow up was advised instructions on care were rushed and I felt they were general instructions (not specific for me?).
    Sep 07, 2022
    She was Ill prepared couldn't find the referral that was sent to her once in June and again in July I was asked questions I don't have answers for because it's all in the referral I was called by ucsf because of a referral and she is asking why I'm there
    Sep 04, 2022
    She was very late and I felt like she was really rushing through the appointment
    Sep 01, 2022
    There was a fairly long delay. I would have appreciated better communication. The screens at Mission Bay work nicely - "oh he's running 50 minutes behind I'll go get something to eat and come back". The receptionist declined to be transparent and simply said things were running late.
    Aug 10, 2022
    Very good experience
    Aug 07, 2022
    Everything was friendly but professional at the same time.
    Aug 03, 2022
    She was very indifferent and seemed in a rush and just overall like I was wasting her time. She is competent but her bedside manner is not helpful. It took months just to get the appointment and for me to schedule out a babysitter just so I could do this appointment for my own health. I felt very discouraged and I didn't even bother asking her all of my questions because she made me feel like all my questions were stupid. I will not be coming back to her and I'm really disappointed in UCSF overall. This is why I usually go through Sutter. Maybe she was having a bad day but when she's in the room with a patient she should be present and treat her patients like they matter. The only decent person in that office was the receptionist.
    Jul 22, 2022
    Because the Doctor made some changes from the original plan to enhance the wound bandaging after the procedure there was some confusion re: my follow-up-care instructions. The nurse/assistant cleared up those questions directly with the doctor on my behalf.
    Jul 21, 2022
    Never got to see provider because she was so far behind
    Jun 09, 2022
    Dr Wei is a total pro: smart respectful a gifted natural teacher. A true pleasure to work with.
    Jun 03, 2022
    Dr. Wei is the greatest
    Apr 28, 2022
    Very detailed
    Apr 28, 2022
    Dr. Wei is a very conscientious and knowledgeable dermatologist. I have been receiving care from her for more than ten years and appreciate her professionalism very much.
    Apr 20, 2022
    She did an outstanding job!
    Apr 14, 2022
    Very good experience
    Apr 09, 2022
    She is beyond excellent
    Apr 05, 2022
    I felt I received excellent care!
    Mar 26, 2022
    Dr. Wei is one of the best doctors I've had. I would absolutely recommend her to all who need care in her specialty field.
    Mar 24, 2022
    Good
    Mar 01, 2022
    Total body exam seemed hurried. Was promised full body photos which were not done. No plan of action given as more pathology Info is needed. Would have liked more detailed info as to why pathology reports were ambiguous. Wanted terms being used explained in more detail. I wanted to inderstand the pathology report completely and understand why mine is a complicated case.
    Feb 28, 2022
    Very good dr.
    Feb 17, 2022
    Relaxed friendly empathetic and informative. A very good experience.
    Feb 16, 2022
    Excellent doctor.
    Feb 10, 2022
    Dr Wei is the best educated doctor I have ever seen She has all the qualities a excellent doctor should have

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