I finally mustered up the confidence to reach out to a surgeon I had been researching for a consultation. The receptionist said he requires a $50 down payment when scheduling the consult, which would be applied to any surgery/products/services in the future. Is this normal? A red flag? He appears to be a respected surgeon with great results, and I do feel like even if I didn't go through with the surgery I could use the 'credit' for Botox (something I do regularly anyway, just never before at this location). Am I overthinking this?

ETA: As a healthcare provider myself, I understand how frustrating it is to have a full schedule of patients and then a bunch of no-shows. I just feel like if I were going to implement a policy like this in order to deter no-shows I'd offer it as refundable if you show up for your appointment.