Ratings of 1 indicate that a clinic was poorly operated.
Ratings of 10 indicate that a clinic operated very well.
Scheduling
8.9
8.9
Scheduling
Ratings of 1 mean it was difficult to schedule appointments with this clinic.
Ratings of 10 mean it was easy to schedule appointments.
Billing Department
7.7
7.7
Billing Department
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory billing department.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent billing department.
Nursing Team
8.7
8.7
Nursing Team
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory nursing team.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent nursing team.
LGBTQ+ Care
9.6
9.6
LGBTQ+ Care
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory LGBTQ+ care.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent LGBTQ+ care.
Attention to Detail
7.7
7.7
Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is on a 1 - 10 scale, and is scored based on the rate, and severity, of errors committed by the clinic according to the patients.
For example, a severe error might be failing to inform a patient of critical information, while a small error might be failing to call a patient with results.
CDC Success Rates
This is the most recent data from the CDC. The CDC cautions that it should not be used to compare doctors and clinics. This data represents the outcomes of IVF cycles when using a person's own eggs.
For more information please see our FAQs.
Where you see a “?” on the chart, a clinic has done fewer than 20 cycles in this category and age range, so the CDC says showing percentages from this small data set would be misleading and unreliable.
He [Dr. Mukherjee] would not show up to procedures he said he would do, he would want to trigger me early and I would have to correct him, he did the same cycle 5 times when I asked him specifically to change protocol that wasn't working. He advised me against a laparoscopy and I went and had one with another doctor and they found moderate endometriosis...standard ivf retrievals follistim/menopur high doses not variation other than the day I was triggered.
RMA is a factory, like most of the clinics in NYC. I found it clean and efficient but always busy. Always a wait during monitoring hours...I had an awesome financial coordinator! Couldn't reccomend her enough! Thank you Joann ndor...Really liked the nurses and carer coordinator. No complaints other than getting bad news from strangers and nurses I never met many times which I felt was inappropriate...Super busy at all times. Always a wait
How was your experience with Tanmoy Mukherjee at RMA of New York?
I feel like I wasted my time and my insurance money with someone too busy to give me the individualized attention and care that I needed. 5 retrievals and 1 failed double FET and I feel like I completely wasted my time with him. All of my bloodwork and numbers show that a different approach was needed and with him there is zero thinking outside of the box. Factory. Number. You don't matter as a patient or a person.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Tanmoy Mukherjee at RMA of New York?
Don't waste you time. I never felt better than when I went to two separate opinions after and they both said WTF was he doing.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Tanmoy Mukherjee at RMA of New York?
He would not show up to procedures he said he would do, he would want to trigger me early and I would have to correct him, he did the same cycle 5 times when I asked him specifically to change protocol that wasn't working. He advised me against a laparoscopy and I went and had one with another doctor and they found moderate endometriosis.
Describe the protocols Tanmoy Mukherjee used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
standard ivf retrievals follistim/menopur high doses not variation other than the day I was triggered.
Describe your experience with your nurse at RMA of New York.
Really liked the nurses and carer coordinator. No complaints other than getting bad news from strangers and nurses I never met many times which I felt was inappropriate.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
RMA is a factory, like most of the clinics in NYC. I found it clean and efficient but always busy. Always a wait during monitoring hours. I am not sure if other doctors are like Dr. Mukhergee but if you are not an easy case or want someone to pay attention to your care and not make you feel like he has somewhere better to be- then don't go to Dr. Mukhergee.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
Super busy at all times. Always a wait.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Tanmoy Mukherjee at RMA of New York.
I had an awesome financial coordinator! Couldn't reccomend her enough! Thank you Joann ndor
Describe Tanmoy Mukherjee's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of New York.
He agreed to transfer two. I had one high quality and one low quality. Both failed no implantation.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
being told to trigger early. Dr. Mukhergee not being present at a procedure he said he would do. Telling Dr. Mukhergee, nurses, and my coordinator that I wanted a change in protocol and getting the same exact one with the same exact results.
During the few times where I saw Dr. Davis I really liked him, but most of the time I was interacting with nurses, staff, and other doctors....There was miscommunication between those people and it seemed that the staff/nurses/doctors did not read my chart....I was not quite ready to do IVF and wanted to try other options, using letrizol, ovidrel, and progesterone with timed intercourse. I liked that Dr. Davis was open to this and never pushed me to move forward before I was ready.
The clinic [RMA - Downtown] usually responds quickly to questions. They typically contact by phone, which could be tough while I was at work and involved a lot of phone tag....There were some issues with some nurses/staff not understanding my files and difficulty with communication. I also had an incident when I came on time for monitoring hours but they would not test me because the doctor's schedule was backed up. I had to take more time off work to go uptown for the test.
How was your experience with Joseph Davis at RMA of New York?
During the few times where I saw Dr. Davis I really liked him, but most of the time I was interacting with nurses, staff, and other doctors. My case is a bit different from most and I had to regularly remind each person I was in contact with. There was miscommunication between those people and it seemed that the staff/nurses/doctors did not read my chart. My big issue is with RMA as a practice. I don't think I realized how much of a problem it was until I left the practice upon moving.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joseph Davis at RMA of New York?
As Dr. Davis to ensure that you care is known across all members of the RMA team.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Joseph Davis at RMA of New York?
Most of the nurses and doctors at RMA were kind, friendly, and sensitive
Describe the protocols Joseph Davis used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
I was not quite ready to do IVF and wanted to try other options, using letrizol, ovidrel, and progesterone with timed intercourse. I liked that Dr. Davis was open to this and never pushed me to move forward before I was ready. It was difficult that it never felt like we were trying to figure out what is wrong, but just trying solutions. None of these treatments ended in pregnancy. When IVF was a next step, I was moving out of state and did not continue at RMA for that reason.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
there were several nurses and I never knew who to contact. This was where problems arose with each nurse not knowing my care plan. I had to explain it repeatedly.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
The clinic usually responds quickly to questions. They typically contact by phone, which could be tough while I was at work and involved a lot of phone tag. I asked to be emailed and that made things much easier. There are several locations that you can go to for monitoring hours, but this was not always clear, so just ask.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
There were some issues with some nurses/staff not understanding my files and difficulty with communication. I also had an incident when I came on time for monitoring hours but they would not test me because the doctor's schedule was backed up. I had to take more time off work to go uptown for the test.
We started with medicated cycles [with Dr. Rashmi Kudesia] and IUI given there were no other signals that we had any issues. After that failed 6 times, we moved to IVF. I went through 3 IVF cycles with Dr. Kudesia, all with different protocols. The first led to 0 day 5 embyros, the second had 1 (but it was abnormal following PGS testing) and the 3rd we did a day 5 fresh transfer as a last ditch effort to see if that would work.
I feel that we didn't truly receive any personalized treatment. There is a standard set of tools that RMA uses without going deep on what the underlying issue might be. After 2 failed IVF cycles based on getting no PGC testing embryos, a panel of the RMA doctors didn't have any other suggestions beyond a different IVF protocol. They are not open to day 3 transfers. Since transferring to a different practice, we've done secondary tests for genetics, a biopsy identifying an infection, sperm fragmentation test and uncovered issues with each of these. These tests just were not available at RMA. We now think of RMA as a place to go to have certain procedures administered to you, but I don't think about it as a place where your doctor can truly "treat" you by offering individualized care and service.
How was your experience with Rashmi Kudesia at RMA of New York?
Dr. Kudesia was available to answer questions in person when we made an appointment. She was clear, balanced and walked us through the available data on medicated cycles with IUI and IVF. We are a couple with a lot of questions and she took her time to answer everything. It never felt like she was trying to push us in a specific direction and she didn't get defensive when we questioned certain approaches based on our failed outcomes. She took time to call us over the weekend after we found out about all our embryos failing to reach day 5. It was devastating news, but we appreciated her call. She is upbeat, cheerful and encouraged me to stay positive while recognizing that was hard to do.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rashmi Kudesia at RMA of New York?
Schedule specific appointments if you want to have time to ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rashmi Kudesia at RMA of New York?
Dr. Kudesia was very understanding of our situation. We were grieving from the loss of our daughter who died shortly after she was born and found ourselves faced with infertility. Dr. Kudesia was incredibly sympathetic and available to meet with us on a regular basis to patiently answer all of our questions about medicated cycles, IUI and IVF.
Describe the protocols Rashmi Kudesia used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
With our daughter who passed away, I got pregnant quickly so Dr. Kudesia expected that we would get pregnant again. We started with medicated cycles and IUI given there were no other signals that we had any issues. After that failed 6 times, we moved to IVF. I went through 3 IVF cycles with Dr. Kudesia, all with different protocols. The first led to 0 day 5 embyros, the second had 1 (but it was abnormal following PGS testing) and the 3rd we did a day 5 fresh transfer as a last ditch effort to see if that would work.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
I saw numerous nurses over the course of my year at RMA. The quality of the staff differed, but they were available to answer questions when I called RMA.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
Having now gone to another practice, I see that RMA is a fertility factory. In retrospect, I feel that we didn't truly receive any personalized treatment. There is a standard set of tools that RMA uses without going deep on what the underlying issue might be. After 2 failed IVF cycles based on getting no PGC testing embryos, a panel of the RMA doctors didn't have any other suggestions beyond a different IVF protocol. They are not open to day 3 transfers. Since transferring to a different practice, we've done secondary tests for genetics, a biopsy identifying an infection, sperm fragmentation test and uncovered issues with each of these. These tests just were not available at RMA. We now think of RMA as a place to go to have certain procedures administered to you, but I don't think about it as a place where your doctor can truly "treat" you by offering individualized care and service.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
Monitoring was fine in the morning. I got there when it opened and there was often a couple people in front of me waiting to go in.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rashmi Kudesia at RMA of New York.
Covered by my insurance, but I've used up all my coverage and still am not pregnant.
Describe Rashmi Kudesia's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of New York.
When we did the day 5 fresh transfer, we agreed to transfer 2 embryos.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
Information was not shared between the doctor, IVF coordinator and the nurses in a consistent way. I often had to restate my case and be very diligent about my schedule and treatment.
In June, he [Dr. Alan Copperman] told us we would be pregnant by Thanksgiving. We then went through two rounds of egg retrievals, neither of which resulted in any viable embryos to test for the genetic disease and freeze. His only change between round 1 and 2 was to bump up the hormones - no additional testing for any unknown factors that caused the issues. When the 2nd egg retrieval didn't work, he treated us like we were the problem and left me wondering if I had unknown fertility issues.
It [RMA of New York] was a cattle call. Getting there really early was the best way to avoid a very long wait...The finance team has been nothing but rude and lacking in compassion this entire process...Appointments are never on time and trying to get through on the phone is just as stressful - you're guaranteed to listen to a lot of hold music...There's a real lack of care towards patients here that is felt especially when the news is bad.
How was your experience with Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
My husband and I came to see Dr. Copperman because we had both tested as carriers for a genetic disease. In June, he told us we would be pregnant by Thanksgiving. We then went through two rounds of egg retrievals, neither of which resulted in any viable embryos to test for the genetic disease and freeze. His only change between round 1 and 2 was to bump up the hormones - no additional testing for any unknown factors that caused the issues. When the 2nd egg retrieval didn't work, he treated us like we were the problem and left me wondering if I had unknown fertility issues. We switched to another doctor and I'm now pregnant after one very successful round of IVF, with four frozen embryos to spare. So clearly, the problem wasn't with me. I recognize this is all a bit magic, a bit of a crapshoot, but to have my IVF doctor treat me like an annoyance for not performing the way he assumed I would is really the icing on the cake of an already extremely rough experience.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
I would get a second opinion.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
RMA is a cattle call. The office is always packed and appointments never take place on time.
Describe your experience with your nurse at RMA of New York. (Assigned nurse: Samantha)
I was assigned a coordinator of Dr. Copperman. She was lovely and very helpful and communicative, but because I was never given contact info for Dr. Copperman, she was a poor substitute in the moments when I really needed to speak to my doctor. Also, the nursing team in general had terrible bedside manner. When all our embryos failed after an egg retrieval, a nurse left me a voicemail on a Saturday morning to inform me. When I called back, I was told she didn't think Dr. Copperman could speak to me until Monday. I only got a call back from Dr. Copperman after expressing the fact that that was an unacceptable response. There's a real lack of care towards patients here that is felt especially when the news is bad.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
RMA is a cattle call. Appointments are never on time and trying to get through on the phone is just as stressful - you're guaranteed to listen to a lot of hold music. They are also very shady about billing practices. My husband was going somewhere with Zika before an egg retrieval, so we had him freeze sperm in advance, just in case. When he returned, Zika-free, and we proceeded with the transfers with fresh sperm, we assumed the frozen sperm had been thrown out, since no one told us otherwise. Six months after we stopped going to RMA, we received a $500 bill for the storage of the sperm. We are still trying to untangle this mess, both in terms of paying the bill and also making sure they stop storing his sperm, and it's now been 8 months since we left the practice. The finance team has been nothing but rude and lacking in compassion this entire process.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
It was a cattle call. Getting there really early was the best way to avoid a very long wait.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call with results
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
When I was waiting for results of a test, I was told inconsistent information about when I would get the results. I was left hounding the office for the results, checking in weekly and told every week that they wouldn't be ready for another week. They also really drag their feet when it comes to sharing records with another office.
Dr. McAvey understood why I was undergoing treatment and knew I ultimately preferred conceiving with a partner. She forwarded information to me on singles events, without my prompting, which really touched me as a thoughtful and caring act. Dr. McAvey clearly had an interest in my general happiness and life goals, outside of fertility treatments...She was approachable, relatable, thoughtful, attentive and responsive.
RMA is like a factory. It treats thousands of patients daily so must operate methodically. You feel it waiting in the waiting room for an hour just to receive 5 minutes of monitoring. The strength is that they see it all, have the best doctors who are leading fertility research and advocacy. The downside is that you do not receive individual attention
How was your experience with Beth McAvey at RMA of New York?
As described in the prior response on how Dr. McAvey made me feel human as opposed to a number, she also explained my options for fertility treatments, including egg retrieval and embryo freezing. Without judgment and without forcing an opinion, but with helpful guidance to assist me with making the most appropriate decisions for me during that time. She was approachable, relatable, thoughtful, attentive and responsive.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Beth McAvey at RMA of New York?
Be open, communicative and ask questions
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Beth McAvey at RMA of New York?
Dr. McAvey understood why I was undergoing treatment and knew I ultimately preferred conceiving with a partner. She forwarded information to me on singles events, without my prompting, which really touched me as a thoughtful and caring act. Dr. McAvey clearly had an interest in my general happiness and life goals, outside of fertility treatments.
Describe the protocols Beth McAvey used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
I think my protocol was standard for someone with my statistics, including age and base hormone levels. It’s known as antagon and I started with clomid, gonadotropins. 300 Gonal-f mornings, 2-3 vials menopur,l evening, introducing cetrotide when added the third menopur vial. All for about 10-12 days before trigger shot.
Describe your experience with your nurse at RMA of New York. (Assigned nurse: Connie)
Connie was my nurse when I was going through IVF and was always responsive, patient, understanding and attentive. I felt comfortable asking her any questions and she alleviated my fears.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
RMA is like a factory. It treats thousands of patients daily so must operate methodically. You feel it waiting in the waiting room for an hour just to receive 5 minutes of monitoring. The strength is that they see it all, have the best doctors who are leading fertility research and advocacy. The downside is that you do not receive individual attention unless you make the effort and learn to prove and ask as many questions without feeling like you’re annoyingly the staff. It’s important to obtain as much information as you need so that you understand what your body is going through and all of your options. Do not be shy! You’re paying a lot of money for this and it’s one of the most important decisions in your life. Make the most of the expertise this medical clinic and its staff has to offer.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
Monitoring was done early in the morning so it didn’t interrupt the regular work day, which was quite convenient for me. Given RMA’s popularity, a 5 minute visit usually lasted an hour because of the number of patients in the waiting room on any given day. It’s a well-oiled machine though and I knew what to expect each visit, with blood work done first, wait for a while, then ultrasound. If I wanted to speak with a nurse that was another wait. The above description is regarding the west and east side offices. Downtown was much smaller and therefore a shorter wait and less stressful experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Beth McAvey at RMA of New York.
Estimated medical costs were ~$9,000. Medications ~$5,000.
Describe Beth McAvey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of New York.
N/A
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call with results
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
My options weren’t laid out to me without my prompting. I didn’t consider that if I only had one viable embryo during ivf I had the option to go through another round. This didn’t occur to me as I was focused on pgt results and not thinking about next steps. I would have liked my doctor’s team to have called to lay out my options so that I had time to consider them without delay.
My dr [Dr. Kimberly Thornton] and I opted to do an unmedicated iui...My dr provided me with test results and said she was uncertain about something but felt safe continuing with one iui if I wanted without further testing...was very good about giving me options and helping me weigh the pros and cons of each, allowing me to make my own choices. She seemed to understand LGBT fertility care and acknowledge that it may look different from other fertility care.
Pros [at RMA of New York]: The doctors are excellent and provide great care. They have in house blood work and the nurses always managed to get my bloodwork easily and with minimal pain. The doctors listen to you. Cons: you likely won’t see your own dr for your procedure - it will likely be a stranger to you. There are so many patients that with the clinic as a while you feel very much like a number and a statistic rather than a human.
How was your experience with Kimberley Thornton at RMA of New York?
My doctor was very good about giving me options and helping me weigh the pros and cons of each, allowing me to make my own choices. She seemed to understand LGBT fertility care and acknowledge that it may look different from other fertility care.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kimberley Thornton at RMA of New York?
Know the limits and rules of the clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kimberley Thornton at RMA of New York?
I felt like a human with the doctor but more of a number with the clinic. Nurses that called didn’t seem to know me or my case and I had to know what my own protocol was if it was different than their standard.
Describe the protocols Kimberley Thornton used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
I did not use any medication. I tracked my ovulation with OPK tests and called the clinic when I was ovulating and went in for iui. I did a LOT of testing before iui.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
The nurses were great with blood work and in my appointments but the nurses who called me clearly told everyone the exact same thing. If I hadn’t really advocated for myself and insisted on speaking to my doctor before purchasing medication I would have purchased unnecessary medication.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
Pros: The doctors are excellent and provide great care. They have in house blood work and the nurses always managed to get my bloodwork easily and with minimal pain. The doctors listen to you.
Cons: you likely won’t see your own dr for your procedure - it will likely be a stranger to you. There are so many patients that with the clinic as a while you feel very much like a number and a statistic rather than a human.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kimberley Thornton at RMA of New York.
RMA was able to get all of my appointments and testing covered by insurance. I paid about $400 for my iui itself.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
-My dr and I opted to do an unmedicated iui. A nurse I had never spoken to called and told me I needed to purchase a list of medications. When I explained that I was doing unmedicated she swore that I needed this particular list either way. I had to demand to speak to my dr to clarify that I did not need medication.
-My dr provided me with test results and said she was uncertain about something but felt safe continuing with one iui if I wanted without further testing. I called to schedule my iui and the nurse looked at my chart and said I could not do my iui. I was so upset thinking I couldn’t proceed and not understanding why. I asked to speak to my dr and she told me I could proceed and to come in that day.
Dr. Mukherjee was pretty much kind, but we just felt rushed each time we saw him and then at our last consultation to discuss the failed embryo, he seemed to be pessimistic about future fertility treatments and didn't really seem to hear us that we were thinking of a second child. Also, the only thing that changed about our protocol between the first egg freezing and the 2nd time which was embryo freezing, was that he added Clomid and Ganirelix to my protocol. I took all the Clomid prescribed (5 days) and 1 day of Ganirelix, but the result of 1 egg harvested was the same.
RMA was recommended to me many times, via Facebook, via friends, etc. so I went with them. They seemed professional, but definitely it felt like a factory there, and a little disorganized. The waiting room was a bit depressing; I think for your first cycle, things are overwhelming always and for subsequent cycles, you get used to things more. I thought the nurses who gave the bloodtests were super pro; the doctors giving the ultrasounds for monitoring always seemed in a rush though they were professional, but I remember the first time I went for monitoring, they didn't even instruct me on what I should do next or even if I could wipe myself off with what materials and what to do with the gown...they just left me there. Luckily my partner was there. It didn't feel like a particularly nurturing environment. But I talked to a friend who had had success with IVF and that did help because she warned me about the factory feeling.
How was your experience with Tanmoy Mukherjee at RMA of New York?
I'll repeat what I had said before: Dr. Mukherjee at RMA was recommended by a friend, who hasn't had a successful fertility experience, but I trusted her recommendation. He was always kind and took time to email respond, sometimes quickly, sometimes after some days. When I did see him for consultation or ultrasounds though, I found that sometimes I didn't ask all my questions because he seemed very busy and rushed. He did call me personally though, when to tell me about my one frozen embryo not making it past Day 3 or Day 4, even after the nurse had called me after the bad news. I did an egg freezing cycle with him in July of 2019 (out of 4 follicles, only 1 egg was viable and was frozen) and then I tried an embryo freezing cycle again in February 2020, and this time, there were 5 follicles but again, only 1 egg was viable and was successfully fertilized by my partner's sperm, but didn't make it to Day 5. It was heartbreaking to then end up with nothing after spending $17,000 or so when all was said and done. At our last consultation, Dr. Mukherjee said our best chance was to try naturally as I had a low reserve and rather than spend tens of thousands of dollars, that was our best bet, but my partner and I decided to change to a different doctor at Weill-Cornell who has been very kind and thorough and spent over an hour with us at our first consultation, patiently. He was recommended by a different friend who had a successful IVF cycle with him.
So in summary, Dr. Mukherjee was pretty much kind, but we just felt rushed each time we saw him and then at our last consultation to discuss the failed embryo, he seemed to be pessimistic about future fertility treatments and didn't really seem to hear us that we were thinking of a second child. Also, the only thing that changed about our protocol between the first egg freezing and the 2nd time which was embryo freezing, was that he added Clomid and Ganirelix to my protocol. I took all the Clomid prescribed (5 days) and 1 day of Ganirelix, but the result of 1 egg harvested was the same.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Tanmoy Mukherjee at RMA of New York?
Be sure to ask all your questions and not let him make you feel rushed and shy -- also, bring your partner when possible as I found that my partner was more assertive and not shy when asking questions, whereas I was. It was good also to have my partner there to make sure I didn't forget to ask anything. Have your questions written out in advance on your phone or wherever so you don't forget anything. I do remember once when I needed a signature from a doctor about getting physical therapy for my shoulders continued that he was happy to help me, and I do appreciate that. Also, he helped expedite my getting all my medical records, especially after my failed embryo freezing cycle.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Tanmoy Mukherjee at RMA of New York?
Dr. Mukherjee at RMA was recommended by a friend, who hasn't had a successful fertility experience, but I trusted her recommendation. He was always kind and took time to email respond, sometimes quickly, sometimes after some days. When I did see him for consultation or ultrasounds though, I found that sometimes I didn't ask all my questions because he seemed very busy and rushed. He did call me personally though, when to tell me about my one frozen embryo not making it past Day 3 or Day 4, even after the nurse had called me to convey the bad news. I did an egg freezing cycle with him in July of 2019 (out of 4 follicles, only 1 egg was viable and was frozen) and then I tried an embryo freezing cycle again in February 2020, and this time, there were 5 follicles but again, only 1 egg was viable and was successfully fertilized by my partner's sperm, but didn't make it to Day 5. It was heartbreaking to then end up with nothing after spending $17,000 or so when all was said and done. At our last consultation, Dr. Mukherjee said our best chance was to try naturally as I had a low reserve and rather than spend tens of thousands of dollars, that was our best bet, but my partner and I decided to change to a different doctor at Weill-Cornell recommended by a different friend, who had a successful IVF cycle with him.
So in summary, Dr. Mukherjee was pretty much kind, but we just felt rushed each time we saw him and then at our last consultation to discuss the failed embryo, he seemed to be pessimistic about future fertility treatments and didn't really seem to hear us that we were thinking of a second child. Also, the only thing that changed about our protocol between the first egg freezing and the 2nd time which was embryo freezing, was that he added Clomid and Ganirelix to my protocol. I took all the Clomid prescribed (5 days) and 1 day of Ganirelix, but the result of 1 egg harvested was the same.
Describe the protocols Tanmoy Mukherjee used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
I did an egg freezing cycle with him in July of 2019 (out of 4 follicles, only 1 egg was viable and was frozen). The protocol included Gonal-F and Menopur and the trigger shot. I actually started taking the injections fully on Day 4 because my Day 2 was a Sunday, and they told me to come in on Monday. After some confusion with Freedom Pharmacy and also the quite unclear videos from RMA on the injection methods (because I didn't have my medications or syringes with me to get a real life demo from the nurse), I ended up not injecting Gonal F or Menopur fully on Day 3. I'm not sure if my lateness in finally getting the injections correct meant that I had less stimulation, but anyway, I did manage to get 1 egg harvested and frozen. I was hoping for 2, but they said that one of the eggs was already degenerated when they harvested them.
I then tried an embryo freezing cycle in February 2020, and this time, he added Clomid and Ganirelix to my protocol. I took all the Clomid prescribed (5 days) and 1 day of Ganirelix, but the result of 1 egg harvested was the same. There were 5 follicles, and Dr. Mukherjee was hopefully that we could get 4 or 5 eggs harvested. But while the one egg that was harvested was successfully fertilized by my partner's sperm, it didn't make it to Day 5. It was heartbreaking to then end up with nothing after spending $17,000 or so when all was said and done. At that time, United Healthcare helped cover some medications, but I mainly used my 75% discount Compassionate Care card. My insurance did not cover the cycle. At our last consultation, Dr. Mukherjee said our best chance was to try naturally as I had a low ovarian reserve and rather than spend tens of thousands of dollars, that was our best bet, but my partner and I decided to change to a different doctor at Weill-Cornell who has been very kind and thorough and spent over an hour with us at our first consultation, patiently. He was recommended by a different friend who had a successful IVF cycle with him.
Describe your experience with your nurse at RMA of New York. (Assigned nurse: In July 2019, it was Antionette Wearing; in February 2020, it was Abigail Epstein because Antionette apparently had left RMA. I will review Abigail Epstein since she is still there at RMA. But I would have rated Antionette poorly as she was very bad a communicating; perhaps that's why she's not there anymore.)
The first nurse Antionette Wearing was ok, but I can't even remember meeting her in person. She didn't really explain things clearly to me, and this would have been essential as it was my first cycle and I had never done injections before. I don't think she was there on my first nurse visit, so I spoke with another nurse. I remember being particularly frustrated when it seemed that Freedom Pharmacy and RMA were making me determine things about the medications that were totally unclear to me (regarding dosages, units, etc.) and I just broke down crying at some point while on the phone with a different nurse at RMA because Antionette wasn't available. The stress of the egg freezing cycle was already overpowering, and the fact that they each seemed to expect me to already know everything despite the videos not being totally clear was unfair, I felt.
My other nurse Abigail Epstein when I did the February 2020 cycle was much nicer and attentive and I saw and met with her often. I think she was in training when I was doing my last cycle, actually, and she remembered my partner also. Anyway, of course I knew much better what I was doing, but unfortunately, the cycle wasn't successful as an embryo freezing cycle, and that makes me a little doubtful as well of the 1 egg I have frozen still at RMA. Other than that, whenever I spoke to a nurse if I had questions at my monitoring sessions, they were always helpful and kind and did in fact call back (almost always) if I left a message.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
RMA was recommended to me many times, via Facebook, via friends, etc. so I went with them. They seemed professional, but definitely it felt like a factory there, and a little disorganized. The waiting room was a bit depressing; I think for your first cycle, things are overwhelming always and for subsequent cycles, you get used to things more. I thought the nurses who gave the bloodtests were super pro; the doctors giving the ultrasounds for monitoring always seemed in a rush though they were professional, but I remember the first time I went for monitoring, they didn't even instruct me on what I should do next or even if I could wipe myself off with what materials and what to do with the gown...they just left me there. Luckily my partner was there. It didn't feel like a particularly nurturing environment. But I talked to a friend who had had success with IVF and that did help because she warned me about the factory feeling.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
It was convenient to have this monitoring hours range, but I found that the earlier I went, the faster I was seen. If I came in closer to the end of the period, I had to wait much longer.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Tanmoy Mukherjee at RMA of New York.
For my most recent cycle, I paid about $2550 in medications, $750 for anaesthesia, $13,115 for the embryo freezing cycle, so total was around $16,415. I believe the egg freezing was about $9,000 for the cycle and other costs were similar.
Describe Tanmoy Mukherjee's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of New York.
We never got to that point - we didn't yet intend for IVF, only embryo freezing.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
Mainly it was concerning miscommunication with Freedom Pharmacy. I don't remember all the details, but I remember being confused with the dosage and also because Freedom was mail-in only, I ended up using Kings Pharmacy because they were local and I could go there in person. I remember the big failure with Freedom Pharmacy was that it was a Sunday that I called them, and they couldn't ship out on Sundays. The other error on their part was that just before they closed, they left me a message that they needed my verification before charging my credit card because it was a large purchase, but they did not tell me ahead of time that they would need my verification, so I missed their call and thus my medications were shipped late. RMA did at least give me Gonal and Menopur to take for the first day at least -- but as I mentioned before, I didn't inject the Gonal correctly (it wasn't clear on the video that one had to press the pen all the way in -- and then for the Menopur, the video only showed the injecting of the saline solution into one of the vials - it wasn't clear to me that 1 amp was 2 vials. All these were not clear and for the first time ever dealing with needles, I thought that the nurses could have taken way more time in showing me in person how to inject. She just said "watch the videos, it shows everything" and it indeed did not. Anyway, the first cycle was very stressful in dealing with the pharmacies and RMA in general. I found it exhausting to have to explain everything to a different nurse every time.
Dr. McAvey was very sympathetic and listened to our concerns. ... she didn't seem particularly resourceful when we were faced with the results of the initial workup. It turned out we had a combination of DOR and male factor infertility, and she immediately suggested donor eggs, which we weren't ready for. ... we were disappointed by the lack of real treatment strategies for using my own eggs first.
It's a large clinic with multiple locations and many patients, but the staff does make you feel like you are a human, which we really appreciated. (We didn't have much of an interaction beyond a few consultations and workup, because we went elsewhere for our actual treatment.) It felt like RMA is run well. Both our appointments were on time and we didn't have any billing issues. ...
How was your experience with Beth McAvey at RMA of New York?
Dr. McAvey was warm and compassionate. It put us at ease, but she didn't seem particularly resourceful when we were faced with the results of the initial workup. It turned out we had a combination of DOR and male factor infertility, and she immediately suggested donor eggs, which we weren't ready for. We wanted to try with my own eggs at least once before going down that route. We decided to consult elsewhere for a second opinion, as we weren't sure if Dr. McAvey had the expertise for us. The treatment plan she suggested was either donor eggs or cookie-cutter IVF that didn't seem tailored at all.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Beth McAvey at RMA of New York?
Dr. McAvey was very sympathetic and listened to our concerns. She was the first doctor we saw with our suspected infertility, and I appreciated being treated like a human when we were apprehensive and unsure what the future holds.
Describe the protocols Beth McAvey used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
Her first suggestion was using donor eggs due to my low ovarian reserve/high FSH. While I understood that donor eggs would give us much higher potential for success, we were disappointed by the lack of real treatment strategies for using my own eggs first.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
It's a large clinic with multiple locations and many patients, but the staff does make you feel like you are a human, which we really appreciated. (We didn't have much of an interaction beyond a few consultations and workup, because we went elsewhere for our actual treatment.) It felt like RMA is run well. Both our appointments were on time and we didn't have any billing issues.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Dr. Sandler made himself accessible for questions and to discuss changes in course of treatment, but did not present option other than injectables. Also, there was no sense of urgency in how I was treated or real discussion about the effects of time and delay...Be proactive and push communication...Standard IVF with injectable medication because of age and ovarian reserve. One cycle was converted to an IUI due to minimal response to medication and overall coverage limitations of insurance.
As a patient [at RMA of New York], I did not form any personal relationship with the nursing staff nor was any nurse educated about my specific case...Monitoring hours were a zoo...RMA is a mill, and I believe their approach is one that will only work for easy cases. The general refrain was "every cycle is different," without specifically addressing the individual patient. An assessment of my partner and us as a couple would also have been helpful.
How was your experience with Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York?
Dr. Sandler made himself accessible for questions and to discuss changes in course of treatment, but did not present option other than injectables. Also, there was no sense of urgency in how I was treated or real discussion about the effects of time and delay.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York?
Be proactive and push communication
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York?
RMA is a mill, the standard answer to questions about tailored treatment is "every cycle is different," and as a patient I was pushed to keep doing IVF cycles
Describe the protocols Benjamin Sandler used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
Standard IVF with injectable medication because of age and ovarian reserve. One cycle was converted to an IUI due to minimal response to medication and overall coverage limitations of insurance.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
As a patient, I did not form any personal relationship with the nursing staff nor was any nurse educated about my specific case.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
RMA is a mill, and I believe their approach is one that will only work for easy cases. The general refrain was "every cycle is different," without specifically addressing the individual patient. An assessment of my partner and us as a couple would also have been helpful.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
Monitoring hours were a zoo
Describe the costs associated with your care under Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York.
approximately $25,000
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Davis has good bedside manner. He's friendly and explains things well. He seems pretty sympathetic to what I'm going through. He doesn't necessarily give me any sense of hope for my case so I never really know what he's thinking but overall, my experience with him as my doc has been positive...Estrogen priming - started with this one because of my low AMH, high FSH. Didn't work. Only had one follicle so converted to IUI. Lupron microflare - about to start now.
strengths: clean, well-established, responsive. weaknesses: sometimes during monitoring hours, it can feel very factor farm like with all the women waiting...my husband went in for labwork once and they forgot to test him for something so he had to go back to get tested again...Davis has good bedside manner. He's friendly and explains things well. He seems pretty sympathetic to what I'm going through. He doesn't necessarily give me any sense of hope for my case so I never really know what he's thinking but overall, my experience with him as my doc has been positive.
How was your experience with Joseph Davis at RMA of New York?
Davis has good bedside manner. He's friendly and explains things well. He seems pretty sympathetic to what I'm going through. He doesn't necessarily give me any sense of hope for my case so I never really know what he's thinking but overall, my experience with him as my doc has been positive.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joseph Davis at RMA of New York?
Ask all of the questions! Email him with outstanding questions, he's very responsive.
Describe the protocols Joseph Davis used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
Estrogen priming - started with this one because of my low AMH, high FSH. Didn't work. Only had one follicle so converted to IUI.
Lupron microflare - about to start now.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
Good. Pretty quick interaction with them but they're good.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
strengths: clean, well-established, responsive.
weaknesses: sometimes during monitoring hours, it can feel very factor farm like with all the women waiting.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Joseph Davis at RMA of New York.
15,200 or so per IVF cycle
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
my husband went in for labwork once and they forgot to test him for something so he had to go back to get tested again.
[Dr. Joseph] Davis has good bedside manner. He's friendly and explains things well. He seems pretty sympathetic to what I'm going through. He doesn't necessarily give me any sense of hope for my case so I never really know what he's thinking but overall, my experience with him as my doc has been positive...Ask all of the questions! Don't feel bad about keeping him longer than you think you should.
strengths [of RMA of New York]: clean, well-established, responsive. weaknesses: sometimes during monitoring hours, it can feel very factor farm like with all the women waiting...my husband went in for labwork once and they forgot to test him for something so he had to go back to get tested again...15,200 or so per IVF cycle...Davis has good bedside manner. He's friendly and explains things well. He seems pretty sympathetic to what I'm going through. He doesn't necessarily give me any sense of hope for my case so I never really know what he's thinking but overall, my experience with him as my doc has been positive.
How was your experience with Joseph Davis at RMA of New York?
Davis has good bedside manner. He's friendly and explains things well. He seems pretty sympathetic to what I'm going through. He doesn't necessarily give me any sense of hope for my case so I never really know what he's thinking but overall, my experience with him as my doc has been positive.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joseph Davis at RMA of New York?
Ask all of the questions! Don't feel bad about keeping him longer than you think you should.
Describe the protocols Joseph Davis used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
Estrogen priming - started with this one because of my low AMH, high FSH. Didn't work. Only had one follicle so converted to IUI.
Lupron microflare - about to start now.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
Good. Pretty quick interaction with them but they're good.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
strengths: clean, well-established, responsive.
weaknesses: sometimes during monitoring hours, it can feel very factor farm like with all the women waiting.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Joseph Davis at RMA of New York.
15,200 or so per IVF cycle
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
my husband went in for labwork once and they forgot to test him for something so he had to go back to get tested again.
He [Dr. Jeffrey Klein] was very informative and was very nice to us and respectable. Unfortunately he did not direct perform any procedures and the location we were sent to have our IUIs done treated us like just a number...When i wasnt getting pregnant, he adjusted my routine and then switched me to letrozole which then produced me with a positive test.
Wonderful doctors and [RMA of New York] offices but none of them perform the actual inseminations. They send you to manhattan in the middle of downtown with nightmare parking and send you to the business office where they treat you like a number...[nurses are] Friendly and knowledgeable...The consults and check ups felt intimate but for each insemination i was sent to another location where they treat you like a number
How was your experience with Jeffrey Klein at RMA of New York?
He was very informative and was very nice to us and respectable. Unfortunately he did not direct perform any procedures and the location we were sent to have our IUIs done treated us like just a number.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Klein at RMA of New York?
Make sure you ask where and who will be doing the procedure. They don't inform you until after the fact that its all done in separate location
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Klein at RMA of New York?
The consults and check ups felt intimate but for each insemination i was sent to another location where they treat you like a number
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Klein used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
I was young and healthy so they wasn't to much of a strategy just clomid to control ovulation and sync it according to IUIs scheduling. When i wasnt getting pregnant, he adjusted my routine and then switched me to letrozole which then produced me with a positive test.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
Friendly and knowledgeable
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
Wonderful doctors and offices but none of them perform the actual inseminations. They send you to manhattan in the middle of downtown with nightmare parking and send you to the business office where they treat you like a number
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Klein at RMA of New York.
I was covered 60% through insurance the rest was billed
Describe Jeffrey Klein's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of New York.
I'm a science nerd so I appreciated having this information, but he [Dr Sandler] sometimes presented the information just as information giving me little indication as to how this information would affect my husband and I in real life. It seemed like he was using a "flow chart" of sorts where if treatment A didn't work then we move on to treatment B without necessarily considering me, my history or how the previous treatment went.
RMA is a huge practice. This has its benefits, but for me, it seemed to have more drawbacks...Each time I called I would have to give a brief overview of my history and a different person would contact me. There were times when I was given two different answers to the same question and had to navigate very confusing waters with little direction.
How was your experience with Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York?
Dr. Sandler is incredibly knowledgeable and often explained what was going on in great, scientific detail. I'm a science nerd so I appreciated having this information, but he sometimes presented the information just as information giving me little indication as to how this information would affect my husband and I in real life. It seemed like he was using a "flow chart" of sorts where if treatment A didn't work then we move on to treatment B without necessarily considering me, my history or how the previous treatment went. He was somewhat personable, but I wouldn't say his bedside manner was always great. Sometimes it seemed as if he wanted to succeed with us more to advance his own ego than to give us sometime we want so badly.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York?
Don't expect warm and fuzzy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York?
RMA is a huge practice. This has its benefits, but for me, it seemed to have more drawbacks. I never spoke directly with Dr. Sandler when I had a question or corner, nor did I have contact information for a specific nurse or assistant. Each time I called I would have to give a brief overview of my history and a different person would contact me. There were times when I was given two different answers to the same question and had to navigate very confusing waters with little direction. Everyone was nice enough, but many times I felt that the person I was dealing with was not looking at me as a human, with very complicated emotions surrounding infertility and the treatments I was going through.
Describe the protocols Benjamin Sandler used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
We started with three cycles of IUI using the pill Letrozol and Ovidrel for the trigger shot. I was told each time I went for monitoring that I was responding well to the medication, but got a negative result each time. I don't recall having any side effects from the Letrozol. I bruised at the injection site from the Ovidrel (but I bruise easily in general). Then we moved on to a traditional IVF cycle. We used Follistim, Menopur, Cetrotide, and Ovidrel again for the trigger shot. Giving the shots to myself wasn't as bad as I expected. I bruised at the injection sites (which you should try to vary as much as possible to avoid injuring the same spot repeatedly) and was sometimes red and irritated as well. I had a very "full" feeling with the injections (which I was told was normal bloating) and was sometimes uncomfortable for a few minutes after each shot (mostly with the Menopur and Cetrotide). We got 9 eggs from this cycle, and at the time were told this was a good number. Unfortunately, only 4 fertilized with ICSI (my husband had testicular cancer in 2013 so they did this because of his medical history) and by the time day 5 came around for the transfer only one was left (it was not at blastocyst stage yet, but they transferred it because it was all that we had and said there was still a chance that we could get pregnant). We did not, however. When we met with Dr. Sandler for a follow-up we were told that 9 eggs was not really a good number (not sure why we were told at the time that it was) and for someone my age and without any other obvious health issues they would have expected more (a doctor we saw before beginning this whole process brought up the idea of endometriosis but Dr. Sandler felt strongly that he did not need to investigate this further). We were also told that my right and left ovaries produced a different number of eggs during this cycle. Dr. Sandler said he would like to see more egg production and more even production between the two ovaries so he recommended another round of IVF but using what they called a "flare protocol". So for IVF round 2, I went on a birth control pill for about 20 days first (this is supposed to shut the whole system down so that when the injections begin, the system is "flared" up and made to produce more eggs and with evenness between the ovaries). Then I did injections again, but this time using Lupron, Follistim, Menopur and then Ovidrel for the trigger shot. This time 13 eggs were retrieved, 8 fertilized with ICSI and 3 remained at the time of transfer. Dr. Sandler recommended that we transfer two embryos (this time they made it to the blastocyst stage) so we did. The third was allowed to mature another day and was frozen on day 6. I should also mention that with all rounds I also used Medrol, Endometrin, and Prometrium after the transfers (I also took a single dose of an antibiotic with each round). Again, we got a negative pregnancy test. We met with Dr. Sandler again and were told that the one embryo that was frozen made it to a very good stage (all embryos are given a rating based on their development) and he recommended that we transfer that frozen embryo. So we did. I took Estradiol and then used the same progesterone as with the fresh transfers. Again, a negative pregnancy test. We used all of our available insurance benefits and also paid a lot of money out of pocket with Dr. Sandler. So after many failed attempts we decided to try a different doctor just to have a fresh set of eyes look at our case.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
With the exception of one nurse, they were generally very quick to give information and sometimes I felt like I was being rushed off the phone. Some seemed somewhat unhappy to be doing what they were doing. I know we all have bad days and things going on outside of work, but this is a very sensitive field to be working in so one would think they would have been a bit more compassionate.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
Very large, clean, and "doctor office" like. Easy to get to for me which was a plus.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
I tried getting to the office before it technically opened since I have to be at work early in the morning (by 8am). Usually there were about 5 people there with me. They generally started seeing patients for monitoring on time. The longest I waited was an hour, but that only happened once.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York.
All three cycles of IUI were covered by our insurance and I do not recall the specific costs. A round if IVF with medications ran well over $10,000. Payment was due on day one of the cycle and in full. The anesthesiologist did not take insurance so each retrieval required at least $750 out of pocket. I spoke with Dr. Sandler at the last follow up appointment about finances and he was able to reduce the cost of the frozen transfer that we did.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
I was given conflicting information several times. Instructions given on my voicemail were often different than those on the actual prescription requiring several phone calls to clarify. I showed up once for bloodworm and an ultrasound as instructed and was asked why I was there as the orders had not been properly sent. I had to call on many occasions to ask for refills. The "IVF coordinator" who I was given contact information for often had to consult with a nurse or two to get an answer to a question when one was directed to her.
When we were with Dr. Lederman for a sit-down appointment he would take his time, never rushing us, and discuss whatever we needed....We were also very under-prepared for a lot of things that happened along the way-- stopping our first cycle (nobody had ever mentioned that might happen), transferring more than one embryo (we had only ever been told, for years, that one embryo would be transferred due to my age), an ectopic outcome.
***YOU WILL ALMOST NEVER SEE YOUR DOCTOR*** [at RMA of New York] While your doctor will call you with results, they will rarely--if ever-- be the person you see for monitoring or do any of your procedures. If you need weekend monitoring there is only one office open and it is like a cattle call. The wait can be an hour+ at times.
How was your experience with Matthew Lederman at RMA of New York?
He is thorough, but this can also be to his detriment. He spends a lot of time spouting facts and figures that don't necessarily apply to you (for example I'm 32, I don't particularly care about the success rates for women 40+ or risks for them). We were also very under-prepared for a lot of things that happened along the way-- stopping our first cycle (nobody had ever mentioned that might happen), transferring more than one embryo (we had only ever been told, for years, that one embryo would be transferred due to my age), an ectopic outcome.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Matthew Lederman at RMA of New York?
This is hard. You don't know what you don't know, so it's impossible to tell someone to ask a lot of questions, etc. when you don't know what to ask and you feel like you're getting thorough information.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Matthew Lederman at RMA of New York?
When we were with Dr. Lederman for a sit-down appointment he would take his time, never rushing us, and discuss whatever we needed. For anything else-- monitoring, egg retrieval, embryo transfer-- we rarely saw him and just had to take whoever was on staff that day,
Describe the protocols Matthew Lederman used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
1) IVF-- my husband had testicular cancer and so his sperm count was low. Our first cycle was stopped as I was told my eggs weren't developing as a "cohort". Two eggs were "racing ahead of the pack" and Dr. Lederman felt like due to my age and health, we could do better. It was converted to an IUI where I had a negative home pregnancy test and the dr's office had a low positive (chemical pregnancy most likely).
2) Once I got my period I was put on birth control (pill) for about 2.5 weeks and then started hormone injections again. It took longer than anticipated before they did the egg retrieval (we were told about 10 days, it was 14 before my retrieval). My egg retrieval was extremely painful and I couldn't move and was in the worst pain of my life for several days. Nobody would prescribe me anything for the pain (various other materials I read online said other patients at other clinics were always sent home with an rx painkiller). I had also been told this procedure is "painless". They got 12 eggs, 10 were mature enough to fertilize (ICSI), 8 were successful, 6 grew, and we wound up with 2 the day-of. The doctor who did our transfer, literally as they were wheeling me out of the waiting area and into the transfer room, said "oh we want to put both back" so my husband and I didn't really have time to even think about it. We had been told, for years, that only ONE egg would ever be transferred.
3) This resulted in an ectopic pregnancy and the most difficult time of our lives. The pregnancy test came back low positive (hcg about 8) so they told me it didn't work. Then my numbers continued to triple every 2-3 days and make huge jumps. This whole time I was in for monitoring every 2-3 days where various doctors, who were not my doctor, would tell me they didn't know what was wrong but something definitely was even though my numbers were in the normal range. I was repeatedly told they "couldn't find it" (the sac). After a couple weeks of this (getting good new the numbers were rising and then terrible news that they were convinced something was terribly wrong because they couldn't see anything) I was sent to an ultrasound clinic with higher tech machines as, after weeks of torture, my doctors office finally informed me that their machines aren't good enough to see anything that early anyway (!!!!). This place found an ectopic pregnancy in my left tube. I had two shots of methotrexate that evening and we had to stop trying for three months.
4) After three months, we went back to Dr. Lederman and said at this time we are only willing to try IUI (something less invasive). We are in the middle of our first cycle with Clomid.
Describe your experience with your nurse at RMA of New York. (Assigned nurse: Christine, but she left halfway through our first IVF cycle and then we had nobody)
Erin was the main nurse we had contact with. She was very kind and caring and compassionate.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
***YOU WILL ALMOST NEVER SEE YOUR DOCTOR***
While your doctor will call you with results, they will rarely--if ever-- be the person you see for monitoring or do any of your procedures. If you need weekend monitoring there is only one office open and it is like a cattle call. The wait can be an hour+ at times.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
The weekend had one location open across the entire city and it was a cattle call. It is a nightmare to go there with waits lasting over an hour, nowhere to sit, etc.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Matthew Lederman at RMA of New York.
Our insurance covers this. I just have an occasional co-pay.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
They double-charged our insurance for our first IUI which then put us over our limit for coverage and stuck us with a huge bill. It took many days of calling the office and insurance company for this to get straightened out.
They would routinely tell my husband he needed to come in for tests or bloodwork which they had already done.
Over all I liked Dr. Copperman, I do wish I saw him more. His bed side manner is decent, although he can have a bit of a sarcastic way about him which can be good for some and bad for others. He used a different protocol than my previous doctor which I liked and seemed more appropriate for someone my age dealing with diminishing ovarian reserves.
I really struggled with my experience at RMA. I really liked Dr. Copperman when I met with him so I knew going in he knew what he was doing. After the initial one on one meeting, nothing about the experience was personal. I almost never saw my own doctor, i always seemed to speak to a different nurse, and overall communication with the nurses was poor. The most obvious reason why i felt like a number was the atmosphere of the clinic, it has a "herding cattle" atmosphere. There are always at least 20 people in the waiting room if not 40.
How was your experience with Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
Over all I liked Dr. Copperman, I do wish I saw him more. His bed side manner is decent, although he can have a bit of a sarcastic way about him which can be good for some and bad for others. He used a different protocol than my previous doctor which I liked and seemed more appropriate for someone my age dealing with diminishing ovarian reserves.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
Don't be afraid to ask him questions. He sees a lot of patients and can be very quick during a monitoring appointments and can make it hard to get your questions asked and it can feel a little rushed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
I really struggled with my experience at RMA. I really liked Dr. Copperman when I met with him so I knew going in he knew what he was doing. After the initial one on one meeting, nothing about the experience was personal. I almost never saw my own doctor, i always seemed to speak to a different nurse, and overall communication with the nurses was poor. The most obvious reason why i felt like a number was the atmosphere of the clinic, it has a "herding cattle" atmosphere. There are always at least 20 people in the waiting room if not 40.
Describe the protocols Alan Copperman used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
Dr. Copperman used something called the short protocol with me for the cycle. This adds in a medicine called luperon which helps your brain to naturally produce FSH. Since I am considered to be young in the fertility world, he said this protocol can be very successful as my body can be very receptive. In addition to the Luperon I also took menopur and follistim. The short protocol also doesn't require estrogen beforehand or ovulation tracking. I was also put on the pill for two weeks before my cycle to jump start my cycle.
Describe your experience with your nurse at RMA of New York. (Assigned nurse: Maya)
My coordinator was overall good. She was good at communicating besides a few times when she didn't respond to my email and I had to follow up.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
Besides the great doctors that work there, there arent too many strengths to the clinic. Although this may not seem important, this really bothered me during my treatment - the office staff and even some nurses dressed very inappropriately for a doctors office setting. They did not represent the clinic well and it was hard to take many of the seriously. The clinic is always always crowded. I was actually surprised how quickly they get people in and out. I did really enjoy the women who did the blood tests, they were all warm and friendly!
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
There was a window of time in the morning which was nice in a way since I didn't have to miss work. They are very quick and on average would probably spend 15 min waiting which wasn't terrible considering how many people were waiting.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alan Copperman at RMA of New York.
treatment for embryo freezing was $12,000 plus the cost of meds
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
I really wish the nurses and doctors would have spent more time going over results with me. Having done two cycles before this, one successful and one failed, i know what signs to look for. There were times my blood results came back and they were not clear at all whether they were good or bad and I felt like i was left wondering. I think for patients who are not very involved with their treatment this isn't a major problem. Besides that, it was just the overall atmosphere of the office that I didn't like.
When I miscarried my genetically-tested embryo, I felt I could have used a little more sympathy and care from Dr. Grunfeld. He said he was "sorry" and knew it was "disappointing" but at my follow up appointment (after the miscarriage and after the second failed cycle) was all about statistics and why I should keep going, with little thought to what I had been through...I think Dr. Grunfeld is a good "doctor" and by that, I mean a scientist. I think he "knows his stuff" and is generally a decent person. My chief complaint is that he was way too overly optimistic when I first started and, as a consequence, I was extremely shocked by what happened and where I am now.
There were on occasion very long waits but I don't blame the clinic [RMA] for that. I think they moved people in and out as efficiently as possible...The nursing staff is overall very responsive and very nice. I have no complaints about them...I'd say on balance, I felt more like a number. The cycle process itself is very "cattle-cally" with little time spent with the patient. This did not bother me so much because I understand they have to see a lot of patients, and it is very much a "numbers" game.
How was your experience with Lawrence Grunfeld at RMA of New York?
I think Dr. Grunfeld is a good "doctor" and by that, I mean a scientist. I think he "knows his stuff" and is generally a decent person. My chief complaint is that he was way too overly optimistic when I first started and, as a consequence, I was extremely shocked by what happened and where I am now. When I went to see him about IVF, he made it seem like a fait-accompli that I would have a baby. And it all went well -- until it didn't. I had one embryo from my first round that genetically tested normal and implanted. I miscarried it, and it turned out the fetus had Down's Syndrome. Dr. Grunfeld never communicated to me that PGS was not 100% (I am sure I signed something that said I know). I would have appreciated a little more caution from him and a little more sympathy. When I went in for my follow up appointment, he didn't remember that the fetus had Down's and was not prepared. This was upsetting. He also urged me to another round which I did. I got 10 eggs but no PGS-normal embryos. When I went to see him for my next follow-up appointment, he told me to keep going but I could not at that point as my insurance had run out. I then did an IUI where I really felt like an afterthought to him and the clinic. Overall, it was a disappointing experience though I don't really blame Dr. Grunfeld.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lawrence Grunfeld at RMA of New York?
Be careful if he is overly optimistic. IVF is not a fail-safe. Dr. Grunfeld will make it seem like it is.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Lawrence Grunfeld at RMA of New York?
I'd say on balance, I felt more like a number. The cycle process itself is very "cattle-cally" with little time spent with the patient. This did not bother me so much because I understand they have to see a lot of patients, and it is very much a "numbers" game.
When I miscarried my genetically-tested embryo, I felt I could have used a little more sympathy and care from Dr. Grunfeld. He said he was "sorry" and knew it was "disappointing" but at my follow up appointment (after the miscarriage and after the second failed cycle) was all about statistics and why I should keep going, with little thought to what I had been through.
Describe the protocols Lawrence Grunfeld used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
I had the same protocol for both cycles. Gonal-F (c. 150), Menopur (between 2-3 vials), then the trigger. Dr. Grunfeld made no adjustments in between cycles which I understand. Both cycles produced a good amount of eggs -- it was just an egg quality issue given my age.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
The nursing staff is overall very responsive and very nice. I have no complaints about them.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
Strengths are experience, organization, coordination. Weaknesses are that it can feel a bit impersonal.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
There were on occasion very long waits but I don't blame the clinic for that. I think they moved people in and out as efficiently as possible.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Lawrence Grunfeld at RMA of New York.
My insurance covered most of it though I had to $1,000 per cycle for shipping of the embryos, $750 per cycle for anastheisa, and $3,000 for genetic testing of up to 10 embryos.
I felt like a number because this Dr. [Copperman] only seemed to show compassion when it came to deciding to do my IVF with him. He was not willing to listen to my ideas of things to do differently this round since I had 2 failed IVFs prior to him. He seemed stubborn on his ways to repeat the same medications like my previous IVFs just at a lower dose...He never called to apologize about my miscarriage which I found hurtful.
This is a factory setting clinic [RMA]. There is often very long waits during monitoring. Do not expect to see your doctor during monitoring visits. The doctors were all pleasant overall but I prefer seeing my own doctor throughout this process which was impossible. You also need to be on top of you test results..etc because they forget to call you... During my miscarriage I was having intense labor like pain. The nurse said she would call in a stronger pain killer and failed to do so.
How was your experience with Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
When I met this dr he was very nice and looked into my eyes saying " I will get you pregnant." This doctor is pretty set in his ways and is not open to patient suggestions. Ive had several failed IVFS prior to seeing him so I knew what to expect. I have a tendency to make many eggs and embryos and they all arrest. He basically did the same IVF stim cycle as my previous dr and just lowered the medication dose a bit. He did not take my MTHFR seriously and said I do not need to take baby aspirin or lovenox. I ended up getting 2 poor quality but PGD tested normal embryos with him. They only made it to blast on day 6 and 7. He only let me transfer one and it stuck! I had to ask him to check my thyroid levels which he neglected to check and they were high! I had to start medication immediately since I was currently pregnant but it takes over a month for the medication to work. I ended up miscarrying. My progesterone levels were on the lower side and he didn't seem to care. He never called to apologize about my miscarriage which I found hurtful. I felt like I slid between the cracks because I look young and he probably figured it would be an easy cycle. I will never forget when I asked him why I miscarried a normal embryo and he answered " you are just unlucky".
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
To be your own advocate because he does not look at everything and important testing numbers get neglected.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
I felt like a number because this Dr. only seemed to show compassion when it came to deciding to do my IVF with him. He was not willing to listen to my ideas of things to do differently this round since I had 2 failed IVFs prior to him. He seemed stubborn on his ways to repeat the same medications like my previous IVFs just at a lower dose. I did get pregnant but my baby stopped growing at 5 1/2 weeks. He had to induce a miscarriage using cytomel and it was pretty traumatizing. When I asked why did this PGD normal embryo stop growing he answered " you are just unlucky". I will NEVER forget that.
Describe the protocols Alan Copperman used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
We used Gonal F 150 mg, menopur, ganirelix and a HCG/Lupron dual trigger to avoid hyperstimulation. I ended up with 22 eggs, 13 mature, 2 made it to blast but only on day 6 and 7. They were biopsied and PGD tested and then were frozen. I did a FET that following month which resulted in an unexplained miscarriage.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
Some nurses were really nice. Jordan was the most compassionate nurse when delivering news on the phone. Leyla was the complete opposite and made me cry even more because of how she delivered sensitive information. She was very cold and uncaring.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
This is a factory setting clinic. There is often very long waits during monitoring. Do not expect to see your doctor during monitoring visits. The doctors were all pleasant overall but I prefer seeing my own doctor throughout this process which was impossible. You also need to be on top of you test results..etc because they forget to call you.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
RMA had a few locations throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan where you can do monitoring. The Manhattan offices were like a cattle call. I once was in the waiting room for almost 2 hours! the Brooklyn office is a little less of a wait because its a smaller office.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alan Copperman at RMA of New York.
My IVF was not covered by insurance so the medications, egg retrieval, PGD testing, and FET was around $25,000.
Describe Alan Copperman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of New York.
My dr. strongly suggested transferring only 1 embryo because it was PGD tested normal. I had 2 embryos that were poor quality but both PGD normal and he refused to transfer both. I ended up miscarrying one. I have not transferred the other yet.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
They forgot to call me with important results. During my miscarriage I was having intense labor like pain. The nurse said she would call in a stronger pain killer and failed to do so. She also did not check in on me when she said she would. Certain blood tests like TSH were neglected to be checked and certain levels like progesterone werent taken seriously when they were low.
Dr Talebian was very caring and took extra time to talk to me and answer calls. She was not always there and not always the doctor on call to help me. It was hard to tell in my case because the results of the very expensive procedure were not what I wanted or had hoped for, so it was overall disappointing. She handled that well I think, though I never felt I had as much time as I wanted with her...
[RMA - Downtown is]...A bit like a factory. Very nice and smart, but often felt business-like and I often wondered if I was getting the BEST protocol and price for me, or if I was just one amongst dozens of women... overall it was professional and organized. They helped a lot with finances and structure...The nurses were all great and patient...it was just that they were ALWAYS different. Very caring, but inconsistent. They just all seemed very busy...
How was your experience with Sheeva Talebian at RMA of New York?
Dr Talebian was very caring and took extra time to talk to me and answer calls. She was not always there and not always the doctor on call to help me. It was hard to tell in my case because the results of the very expensive procedure were not what I wanted or had hoped for, so it was overall disappointing. She handled that well I think, though I never felt I had as much time as I wanted with her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sheeva Talebian at RMA of New York?
Push hard. They will whisk you through if you don't demand answers and work really hard to understand and push for the best treatment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sheeva Talebian at RMA of New York?
The folks at RMA were always kind, patient and considerate. They were also busy, efficient and tactical. I often felt rushed and like I couldn't ask all of my questions. The doctors always treated me like a human, but I always also felt that I wasn't getting complete information.
Describe the protocols Sheeva Talebian used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
I started with the pill for 3 weeks, which was based on my low AMH numbers. Then I did a standard protocol for a long cycle (meds were very costly). I had 3 eggs we hoped to retrieve and we only got one.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
The nurses were all great and patient...it was just that they were ALWAYS different. Very caring, but inconsistent. They just all seemed very busy.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
A bit like a factory. Very nice and smart, but often felt business-like and I often wondered if I was getting the BEST protocol and price for me, or if I was just one amongst dozens of women... overall it was professional and organized. They helped a lot with finances and structure.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
Easy and pretty efficient...
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sheeva Talebian at RMA of New York.
$14k. They did give me a small discount to get started and they advised about med costs.
Dr. Knopman seemed to understand what I was going through and she had a game plan to help my husband and I achieve our goal of becoming parents. She was always 100% involved in my case and made sure I saw her when I came in for monitoring.... When I had spotting early in my pregnancy, she had me come in right away to alleviate my fear that something was wrong.... She is also very down to earth and will chat with you about other things going on in your life so you don’t feel so stuck in your infertility bubble
The nursing staff was amazing at RMA! They were always friendly, professional, and helpful with questions. I appreciated all the support they provided during my time there....This clinic is similar to others in that it’s a bit of a machine. Many people there first thing in the morning, waiting for your name to be called, mostly friendly staff at the front desk/billing. I did not appreciate that the billing department screwed up a few of my bills and directed me to the wrong insurance causing me to have to pay for IVF
How was your experience with Jaime Knopman at RMA of New York?
Dr. Knopman was confident that she could help me and that confidence transferred to me. When we sat down to make a game plan I felt like a weight had been slightly lifted. She had a plan and we were going to make that baby! She made sure to see me whenever she was in the office and she performed all of my procedures (egg retrieval and embroyo transfer). When I had spotting early in my pregnancy, she had me come in right away to alleviate my fear that something was wrong. She is also very down to earth and will chat with you about other things going on in your life so you don’t feel so stuck in your infertility bubble when you’re at the office practically every day. I will be returning to Dr. Knopman whenever I am ready for baby #2.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jaime Knopman at RMA of New York?
Trust her, you’re in good hands. Although, with any doctor, make sure you ask questions if you don’t understand something and advocate for yourself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jaime Knopman at RMA of New York?
Dr. Knopman seemed to understand what I was going through and she had a game plan to help my husband and I achieve our goal of becoming parents. She was always 100% involved in my case and made sure I saw her when I came in for monitoring. She celebrated me when I had success and helped me find confidence when some months didn’t work.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
The nursing staff was amazing at RMA! They were always friendly, professional, and helpful with questions. I appreciated all the support they provided during my time there.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
This clinic is similar to others in that it’s a bit of a machine. Many people there first thing in the morning, waiting for your name to be called, mostly friendly staff at the front desk/billing. I did not appreciate that the billing department screwed up a few of my bills and directed me to the wrong insurance causing me to have to pay for IVF. Make sure to speak with more than 1 person and take down their name. Thankfully this clinic is mostly well-organzied. They didn’t lose my information or bother me about paperwork that I had already turned in like another clinic that I went to.
Describe Jaime Knopman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of New York.
Dr Knopman encouraged me to transfer 1 embryo because I am young and had good embryos. She felt that putting 1 embryo in for 2 cycles was just as effective as putting 2 embryos in for 1 cycle.
Dr. Grunfeld is very patient and easy going, he very knowledgeable is good about answering any questions you have; however, I felt like I had to be in charge... I also felt he was very pushy towards doing an IVF. I feel like the saline ultrasound should have been done before my 3 unsuccessful IUI s...r. Grunfeld saw the ultrasound he was convinced my uterus was fine and that it wasn't anything to worry about. I had to push him to do the hysteroscopy , he did in fact find and remove polyps.
Very organized [at RMA - New York] , sometimes wait times during weekend monitoring hours are long. You need to be on top of them with your paperwork and blood work, they don't always call u back for results u need to call back...Nurse always answered phone calls took few days to get an answer via email. Nurse was patient and caring... I paid approximately $1400 for hysteroscopy...I was covered by insurance for IUI and Clomid. I paid $75 for Ovadril.
How was your experience with Lawrence Grunfeld at RMA of New York?
Dr. Grunfeld is very patient and easy going, he very knowledgeable is good about answering any questions you have; however, I felt like I had to be in charge. For example I kept on telling him I was staining between cycles he said it's normal, may just be mid-cycle bleeding. It wasn't until I went to the Brooklyn office to do monitoring where I spoke to Dr. Kudesia and she suggested a saline ultrasound sound, she did it and found polyps. She told me I should have a hysteroscopy to remove them. Even after Dr. Grunfeld saw the ultrasound he was convinced my uterus was fine and that it wasn't anything to worry about. I had to push him to do the hysteroscopy , he did in fact find and remove polyps. I also felt he was very pushy towards doing an IVF. I feel like the saline ultrasound should have been done before my 3 unsuccessful IUI s.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Lawrence Grunfeld at RMA of New York?
do your research and fight for what you want and believe.
Describe your experience with your nurse at RMA of New York. (Assigned nurse: Don't remember the name)
Nurse always answered phone calls took few days to get an answer via email. Nurse was patient and caring
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
Very organized , sometimes wait times during weekend monitoring hours are long. You need to be on top of them with your paperwork and blood work, they don't always call u back for results u need to call back
Describe the costs associated with your care under Lawrence Grunfeld at RMA of New York.
I was covered by insurance for IUI and Clomid. I paid $75 for Ovadril. I paid approximately $1400 for hysteroscopy which went towards my $2000 deductable .
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
met dr [Dr. Kudesia] once and she explained everything extremely quickly. when asked questions to clarify/break down the lingo, she seemed impatient. i felt like she was on the clock and i was allotted only 15 minutes of her consultation time...aside from initial visit, I have not seen dr kudesia again. i have undergone three cycles of medicated treatment (ovidrel + letrizol) and they have been unsuccessful - she did not follow up ever. furthermore, last treatment resulted in extreme adverse side effects to the ovidrel which I found out AFTER being in NY Downtown Presbyterian Hospital ER, again no call from Dr Kudesia. She increased the ovidrel mg after being notified that I wasn't successful but that increase in dosage likely led to the ER visit. The overall lack of concern for my health and lack of follow up is concerning...
great staff [at RMA of New York - Brooklyn], good attitude...Ask her questions, see if she's taking due care in fully addressing your concerns and clarifying medical jargon. Also ask how involved she will be in future visits and procedures...
How was your experience with Rashmi Kudesia at RMA of New York?
aside from initial visit, I have not seen dr kudesia again. i have undergone three cycles of medicated treatment (ovidrel + letrizol) and they have been unsuccessful - she did not follow up ever. furthermore, last treatment resulted in extreme adverse side effects to the ovidrel which I found out AFTER being in NY Downtown Presbyterian Hospital ER, again no call from Dr Kudesia. She increased the ovidrel mg after being notified that I wasn't successful but that increase in dosage likely led to the ER visit. The overall lack of concern for my health and lack of follow up is concerning.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rashmi Kudesia at RMA of New York?
Ask her questions, see if she's taking due care in fully addressing your concerns and clarifying medical jargon. Also ask how involved she will be in future visits and procedures.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rashmi Kudesia at RMA of New York?
met dr once and she explained everything extremely quickly. when asked questions to clarify/break down the lingo, she seemed impatient. i felt like she was on the clock and i was allotted only 15 minutes of her consultation time.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
one on one, he's [Dr. Copperman] fabulous and attentive and when I was alone with him, I did feel like he cared about me, but then I wouldn't see him for week, he never did my retrieval and I didn't get many answers on why my cycles did not work...Know that hes a great doctor with a high success rate but you will not get personalized attention....the whole process [at RMA] is extremely impersonal. there are usually 30 women in the waiting area at any given time, you never know what doctor will be doing your sonogram, there is no personalized attention with who calls you with daily updates, you rarely see your own doctor and the protocol is extremely cookie cutter.
the whole process is extremely impersonal [at RMA =- East Side]. there are usually 30 women in the waiting area at any given time, you never know what doctor will be doing your sonogram, there is no personalized attention with who calls you with daily updates, you rarely see your own doctor and the protocol is extremely cookie cutter...Pro: high success rate Con: not personal, long wait time, rarely see same doc...Know that hes [Dr. Cooperman] a great doctor with a high success rate but you will not get personalized attention.
How was your experience with Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
one on one, he's fabulous and attentive and when I was alone with him, I did feel like he cared about me, but then I wouldn't see him for week, he never did my retrieval and I didn't get many answers on why my cycles did not work.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
Know that hes a great doctor with a high success rate but you will not get personalized attention.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alan Copperman at RMA of New York?
the whole process is extremely impersonal. there are usually 30 women in the waiting area at any given time, you never know what doctor will be doing your sonogram, there is no personalized attention with who calls you with daily updates, you rarely see your own doctor and the protocol is extremely cookie cutter.
Describe the protocols Alan Copperman used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
do not remember
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
Pro: high success rate
Con: not personal, long wait time, rarely see same doc
He was fine. He seemed honest and open and nice. But he wasn't involved much in my care that I could see. The facility is so big that he was a very small part of my care. I was always told that he was "reviewing" my data, but I never heard from him...Dr. Klein was fine. But he was a very small part of my experience at RMA.
My egg retrieval experience with RMA was absolutely one of the worst medical experiences of my life. I asked to meet the doctor before the procedure and was told I couldn't unless it was an emergency of some sort. When I was ushered into the operating room, loud rock and roll was playing and no one greeted me or made me feel like I was a human being. I truly felt like a piece of meat on an assembly line. I got to meet exactly zero people involved with my care -- did not get to meet the anesthesiologist or the embryologist or the primary doctor. When I was put on the table in the operating room and started weeping because I felt vulnerable and exposed, no one acknowledge
How was your experience with Joshua Klein at RMA of New York?
He was fine. He seemed honest and open and nice. But he wasn't involved much in my care that I could see. The facility is so big that he was a very small part of my care. I was always told that he was "reviewing" my data, but I never heard from him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Joshua Klein at RMA of New York?
Ask how many times you'll have contact with him during the course of your care.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Joshua Klein at RMA of New York?
Dr. Klein was fine. But he was a very small part of my experience at RMA. I only saw him at the very beginning and the very end of my treatment. Everything in between was a new person or a nurse or a rotating doctor. I never felt like there was continuity of care or any attention to detail with my case. The main RMA office in midtown Manhattan is horrible. The waiting room is HUGE and it really feels like a cattle call of patients. My egg retrieval experience with RMA was absolutely one of the worst medical experiences of my life. I asked to meet the doctor before the procedure and was told I couldn't unless it was an emergency of some sort. When I was ushered into the operating room, loud rock and roll was playing and no one greeted me or made me feel like I was a human being. I truly felt like a piece of meat on an assembly line. I got to meet exactly zero people involved with my care -- did not get to meet the anesthesiologist or the embryologist or the primary doctor. When I was put on the table in the operating room and started weeping because I felt vulnerable and exposed, no one acknowledged me or how I was doing. In short, no one spoke to me. I was truly just a piece of meat. Horrific.
Describe the protocols Joshua Klein used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
Can't remember exact protocols. But it was pretty standard IVF stuff.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
They were different every time. The phlebotomists were the WORST and I had bruises all the time. The nursing staff did not seem to want to get involved in continuity of care. I asked if I could see the same person and was told that it was "whoever is on call." They all seemed young and disengaged.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
The second (and successful) clinic I went to was Madison Women's Health on the UES. They are AMAZING. They are exactly what anyone would want -- individualized attention, specific nurses helping & calling everyday, great attention to detail, great bedside manner. I felt so confident and happy with this clinic.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
Ugh. Different person every time. Phlebotomists were truly awful.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Joshua Klein at RMA of New York.
Covered by insurance
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
Dr. Sandler was beyond unhelpful. We were rushed into ivf without being given the proper level of expectation or care. I was not told what to expect or what would be considered success....he was pushy and didn't listen. he made up his mind early and never made eye contact I never knew what to expect. when i finally got him to actually call me back he rushed me and treated me like i was an idiot. When i ovulated thru the stims he blamed me instead of the fact the monitoring doctor's should have caught the LH spike. A horrible experience.
The practice [RMA of New York on the eastside] is large and feels like a human farm. I never had the same doctor twice in daily rotation and for that reason they miss the fact that I had ovulated early - thus a cancelled cycle. I should have known on my first day of cycling when they had me down for a beta pregnancy test and not to start my ivf cycle. then the finance coordinator Hira NEVER met with us - declined to show up for a scheduled appointment and never could answer why all of our insurance money was used for a cycle that never got to a retrieval.
How was your experience with Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York?
he was pushy and didn't listen. he made up his mind early and never made eye contact I never knew what to expect. when i finally got him to actually call me back he rushed me and treated me like i was an idiot. When i ovulated thru the stims he blamed me instead of the fact the monitoring doctor's should have caught the LH spike. A horrible experience.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York?
change doctors. he's set in his ways and impersonal.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York?
Dr. Sandler was beyond unhelpful. We were rushed into ivf without being given the proper level of expectation or care. I was not told what to expect or what would be considered success. The practice is large and feels like a human farm. I never had the same doctor twice in daily rotation and for that reason they miss the fact that I had ovulated early - thus a cancelled cycle. I should have known on my first day of cycling when they had me down for a beta pregnancy test and not to start my ivf cycle. then the finance coordinator Hira NEVER met with us - declined to show up for a scheduled appointment and never could answer why all of our insurance money was used for a cycle that never got to a retrieval.
Describe the protocols Benjamin Sandler used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
he used a standard antagonist high dose with no priming. I have DOR and a low AFC but he never explained his rationale. I couldn't even find out which protocol I was on till a few days before the cycle - there was next to no communication. I only produced three follicles but again he never told me what to expect and i never saw the same doctor twice so being in the dark completely was a horrible feeling during this process.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
they were ok but it's a farm there - so many patients and everyone is overworked.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
too busy ,too many patients. they are greedy and just interested in getting money and billing insurance.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Benjamin Sandler at RMA of New York.
my insurance covered a lifetime of 20k. they used all of it and i never got to egg retrieval. a waste.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
they had me in the system wrong - my first monitoring for IVF was down as a beta pregnancy test - what an insult. They didn't monitor me properly and ended up being a cancelled cycle. billing was a nightmare,
Pregnancy did not result from my treatment with Dr. Knapman, which skews my response, but overall I thought she was fine. I wish she had considered factors such as diet, potential immune or lifestyle issues, or suggested supplementary treatment or investigation of the reason that my transfer of a seemingly healthy embryo did not work. Upon completing treatment with her, I have spoken to many other people who mention their doctors suggesting acupuncture, reaching an ideal weight, tracking basal body temperature to determine ideal transfer time, etc. There was very little discussion about any of those things - I was especially concerned with the timing of IUI because I was using frozen donor sperm which does not stay alive as long as fresh sperm, but she seemed to apply a formulaic approach. Overall, she was nice and seemed to know her stuff, and did a great job with the egg retrieval, but she did not deviate from standard Western medical procedures at all, and did not seem to take the nuanced approach that I've heard other friends describe their doctors taking. I am back to trying naturally for the time being, but will seek out a different doctor when my partner and I move on to fertility treatments again.
The finance department [at RMA] did not sufficiently explain costs, and moved ahead with treatment before receiving authorization for my treatment. Their communication and steps were so negligent that they ended up agreeing to cover some costs associated with my treatment and provide free sperm and embryo storage....Did treatments as a single mother by choice using donor sperm. Nurses frequently (at least 50%) of the time did not check my chart before coming in to see me and would give me instructions based on an assumption that I was in a heterosexual relationship (after the trigger, here's when you should have intercourse, etc.). This is pretty unacceptable considering that RMA prides itself on supporting same-sex couples and single mothers by choice.
How was your experience with Jaime Knopman at RMA of New York?
Pregnancy did not result from my treatment with Dr. Knapman, which skews my response, but overall I thought she was fine. I wish she had considered factors such as diet, potential immune or lifestyle issues, or suggested supplementary treatment or investigation of the reason that my transfer of a seemingly healthy embryo did not work. Upon completing treatment with her, I have spoken to many other people who mention their doctors suggesting acupuncture, reaching an ideal weight, tracking basal body temperature to determine ideal transfer time, etc. There was very little discussion about any of those things - I was especially concerned with the timing of IUI because I was using frozen donor sperm which does not stay alive as long as fresh sperm, but she seemed to apply a formulaic approach. Overall, she was nice and seemed to know her stuff, and did a great job with the egg retrieval, but she did not deviate from standard Western medical procedures at all, and did not seem to take the nuanced approach that I've heard other friends describe their doctors taking. I am back to trying naturally for the time being, but will seek out a different doctor when my partner and I move on to fertility treatments again.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jaime Knopman at RMA of New York?
See multiple doctors before making your decision, and be sure to press her on questions you have related to your specific case. Ask how she plans to vary her treatment plans based on the particulars of your situation.
Describe the protocols Jaime Knopman used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
Letrozole with HCG trigger shot for all six IUIs, transfer at 24 hours with frozen sperm samples. No pregnancies or positive pregnancy tests resulted. During IVF cycle, used a standard cocktail with a high dose of Menopur, Gonal-F, Pregnyl trigger, and Progesterone shots following the egg retrieval. Retrieved 5 eggs, 4 became 5-day blastocysts. We transferred one, it did not work. Froze the remaining three and have not yet done a frozen cycle.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at RMA of New York.
Did treatments as a single mother by choice using donor sperm. Nurses frequently (at least 50%) of the time did not check my chart before coming in to see me and would give me instructions based on an assumption that I was in a heterosexual relationship (after the trigger, here's when you should have intercourse, etc.). This is pretty unacceptable considering that RMA prides itself on supporting same-sex couples and single mothers by choice.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RMA of New York.
They were fine. Always a wait.
Describe Jaime Knopman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of New York.
She prefers single embryo transfer which was fine with me. She explained her reasoning well and has been published on the matter.
What specific things went wrong at RMA of New York?
Lost paperwork
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RMA of New York.
The finance department did not sufficiently explain costs, and moved ahead with treatment before receiving authorization for my treatment. Their communication and steps were so negligent that they ended up agreeing to cover some costs associated with my treatment and provide free sperm and embryo storage.
