Rated 8.2
Strongly recommend: 65%Neutral: 17%Don't recommend: 18%8.2
65% strongly recommend
176 reviews
Operations
8.5
8.5
Operations

Ratings of 1 indicate that a clinic was poorly operated.

Ratings of 10 indicate that a clinic operated very well.

Scheduling
8.6
8.6
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
6.4
6.4
Billing Department

Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory billing department.

Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent billing department.

Nursing Team
8.4
8.4
Nursing Team

Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory nursing team.

Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent nursing team.

LGBTQ+ Care
10
10
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.

Annual Cycles
3,074
National Avg
738
This Clinic
National Avg
00%
20%
40%
60%
<35
35-37
38-40
>40

Available Resources

Genetic counseling
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing
Coordinating at-home nursing
Selling medication
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
Providing backup medication

This clinic has 1 office

San Francisco
499 Illinois Street
San Francisco, CA 94158

176 patient reviews

Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020 - 2022, Successful
NPS
8
NPS
9
Age 38 - 40
3 Embryo Freezing
European
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
IVF With Other Docs
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Fujimoto was very focussed on our desired outcome. There was not a lot of hand-holding or compassionate doctoring, but that was not what we were looking for...After our first cycle failed to produce any viable embryos, [he] changed protocols and the new protocol worked well for me...We transferred one PGS normal embryo..
The nursing team was generally very prompt in replying to my messages in the portal. If there were times when I had an urgent question and they weren't responding right away, I was able to reach them by phone...UCSF is a high through put clinic with great procedures and protocols in place and a top notch lab. You don't typically see your doctor for monitoring appointments and procedures...They also don't provide much guidance on lifestyle changes or complimentary therapies like acupuncture, you have to be very proactive about those things
How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Dr. Fujimoto was very focussed on our desired outcome. There was not a lot of hand-holding or compassionate doctoring, but that was not what we were looking for. We were looking for a specific result - viable embryos free of 2 dominant serious genetic conditions, and enough embryos to potentially have more than one child. With a maternal age of 39 that is no small feat. After our first cycle failed to produce any viable embryos, Dr. Fujimoto changed protocols and the new protocol worked well for me. We were able to get our target number of embryos after 2 more cycles, for a total of 3 cycles. Dr. Fujimoto also identified and treated a septum in my uterus. His level of experience treating this condition made very confident in the results of the procedure. He was always very straightforward about the plan, risks and potential outcomes. He was sometimes blunt to a fault - once casually suggesting that we consider an IUI with donor sperm, which was kind of a bomb for my more sensitive husband. I think if someone needed a lot of cheerleading or compassion along the way, they might find Dr. Fujimoto lacking. But if you want a science-based, experienced, results focussed physician he is the real deal. I am very happy with our outcome.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Be specific with your desired outcome and listen to what Dr. Fujimoto tells you about the risks and potential approaches. He will always give you a straightforward answer. He will not communicate directly with you during your treatment cycle, but if you have a question for him ask the nurse to put you in contact with him and he will take the time to call and talk with you. Also, I saw and acupuncturist during my treatment who also served as a coach with regards to lifestyle changes. I found that very helpful because Dr. Fujimoto and UCSF don't provide much advice on that beyond a pdf handout.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Dr. Fujimoto was pretty no-nonsense. Our limited time together was focussed on the treatment plan.
Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
I did one typical short protocol which did not produce good results. Dr. Fujimoto then switched me to a "demi-halt" protocol which does not seem very popular as far as I can tell but it worked much better for me. I used this protocol twice.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Ana Rao)
The nursing team was generally very prompt in replying to my messages in the portal. If there were times when I had an urgent question and they weren't responding right away, I was able to reach them by phone. There was one time when I did not receive the instructions for my trigger shot, but I was able to figure it out. Other than that they provided very clear instructions and always answered my questions quickly, even when I was being a bit anxious and asking a lot of them.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF is a high through put clinic with great procedures and protocols in place and a top notch lab. You don't typically see your doctor for monitoring appointments and procedures. For monitoring procedures you see one of many NPs or doctors, and for procedure you see the procedure doctor of the week. I thought all of the doctors and nurses at UCSF were top quality and knew exactly what they were doing, but if you want to have a personal connection with your doctor or if you aren't comfortable being examined by a large number of clinicians this might not be the place for you. They also don't provide much guidance on lifestyle changes or complimentary therapies like acupuncture, you have to be very proactive about those things. One thing that I really appreciated about UCSF was the genetic counseling. We had a complicated PGD case and the genetic counselor we worked with, Chelsea Leonard, was absolutely fantastic. One of the big reasons I picked UCSF is because they have genetic counselors on staff.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.
About $15,000 per cycle, not including medications and genetic testing. The FET was $4,500
Describe Victor Fujimoto's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
We transferred one PGS normal embryo. We didn't have much discussion of this, it just seemed like the obvious best choice.
8
Doctor
Victor Fujimoto
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
3 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018, Unknown Success
NPS
7
NPS
8
Age 41
1 IVF
Poor Egg Quality
European
Income $200K - $499K
Consultant
2nd of 2 Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Neutral
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr. Fujimoto is just the right combination (for me) of passionate and clinical. He took plenty of time to walk through all the options for us - as number of insurance cycles and age and timing were all of the essence. He had a number of suggestions for working around insurance which I thought was really keen of him to even discuss with us. His clinical approach is clear and concise. Every time I asked a question (why didn't I get my period...
UCSF is a very busy clinic. It is a teaching hospital and therefore you do not always see the same doctor or nurse and it's rare to have your actual doctor perform your monitoring or retrieval....I was always in and out quickly. But every person there is wonderful. The front desk, the phlebotomists, the nurses - so kind hearted....UCSF is VERY adamant that their goal is a singleton birth. They give you a chart up front that shows age and issue and number they will transfer.
How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Dr. Fujimoto is just the right combination (for me) of passionate and clinical. He took plenty of time to walk through all the options for us - as number of insurance cycles and age and timing were all of the essence. He had a number of suggestions for working around insurance which I thought was really keen of him to even discuss with us. His clinical approach is clear and concise. Every time I asked a question (why didn't I get my period, is my lining supposed to be that thick? what EXACTLY does it mean that you slowed down my medications) he answered it and did not rush, was not condescending and always followed up to ensure I really understood. He does not have what I would call a "delicate" bedside manner, but a warm pat on the leg and a smile and a let's get you a baby attitude when he leaves the room just always made me feel like he was totally on my team. Like a really great little league coach that you never forget. :)
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Don't be discouraged if he talks over you. It might seem rude but it's not. He is just full of information and you can see it bubble over and he just wants to share his knowledge. Just be patient and repeat yourself. I said "hold on" a number of times and he was very receptive to that.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
UCSF is a very busy clinic. It is a teaching hospital and therefore you do not always see the same doctor or nurse and it's rare to have your actual doctor perform your monitoring or retrieval. I got incredibly lucky and because of his on call schedule, Dr. Fujimoto ended up doing 3 of my monitoring appointments as well as my retrieval (therefore the question later on in this review re: the topic of how often I saw my doctor and did they perform the procedures should be taken into consideration - I got lucky).They run their clinic like clockwork. This can be a bit off putting if you were looking for a more personalized approach and can perhaps make you feel more like a "number". It worked for me because it is a highly emotional situation, and this approach made that easier for me to handle. It also is very great for work schedules, I was always in and out quickly. But every person there is wonderful. The front desk, the phlebotomists, the nurses - so kind hearted. Even with the busyness, I always felt like they aren't just treating a "fertility patient" - they taking care of ME and they SEE ME. They all truly show empathy and care with every interaction.
Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
OCP Antagonist Protocol 7/21: Cycle Day 2 - Eskyce (Birth control) 8/06: Cycle Day 17 - last active birth control pill 8/09: Baseline US 8/11: Gonal F 225, Menopur 2 vials (150 units) Continue all meds 8/15: First monitoring appointment. Reduced GF to 150 units 8/16: Start Centrotide before 11am, continue all other meds 8/21: Stopped all meds, HCG 5,000 trigger at 9:30pm 8/23: ER 19 eggs retrieved 14 fertilized 9 to PGS 1 PGS tested embryo waiting for FET October 2018. (My first cycle with a different doctor was less eggs and embryos, 2 fresh transferred that failed, and ultimately resulted in 1 PGS tested embryo frozen. Relatively same results, but who knows why those 2 fresh transfers failed.)
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Danielle, Anna, Someone else who covered)
Danielle is the first person I spoke to when I expressed wanting a new Doctor (who ended up being Dr. Fujimoto). She spent a good 20 mins on the phone with me to understand who I am and what doctor would be a good fit for me. She works in partnership with Anna, who I never met. The two of them seem very overworked but still organized, and there were some vacations and days off that seemed like someone was always covering for someone else. They always apologize for any slowness or confusion (there rarely was any, I didn't even have to call for help with medication once they sent in the order). Don't get me wrong - this was actually never a problem for me. I worried it would be. But I got all the info I needed when I needed it and they were very kind hearted.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
I believe in teaching hospitals and think that is a strength in and of itself. If you are looking for someone to get super creative with how to make things happen for you, I'm not sure this is the right place but both of my protocols have been pretty "textbook" antagonist protocols, so hard for me to judge. It is not a boutique fertility clinic - understand that up front. It isn't a weakness, it just is what it is.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.
I paid $0 because I'm very lucky to have great insurance (at a job I hate, but hey, beggars can't be choosers). Overall: $5k FET ER: $15k Meds - depends on where you get them filled. They offer "self pay" which he said was "better than military rates".
Describe Victor Fujimoto's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
UCSF is VERY adamant that their goal is a singleton birth. They give you a chart up front that shows age and issue and number they will transfer. In my case, I have 2 PGS embryos and he was 100% willing to do both. (My last cycle with different doctor also transferred 2 fresh, which was their standard recommendation and also on the recommendation of the lab.)
7
Doctor
Victor Fujimoto
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
8
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2015, Unsuccessful
NPS
4
NPS
4
Age 33
2 Fertility Medications
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Unexplained
European
Income $200K - $499K
Teacher
1st of 3 Docs
2 IVF With Other Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
Dr. Huddleston is extremely sympathetic and kind. ... But she is quite conservative in her treatment protocols. ... My greatest critique of Dr. Huddleston however, was her insistence that we did not need to test my husbands sperm before Femara cycles with timed intercourse ,because I had had 2 pregnancies (and miscarriages). As it turns out, his sperm motility and count were quite low, but we didn't find this out until much later, wasting a ton of time.
a few tests that were supposed to be ordered were left off of the lab request. And in one case the wrong test was ordered ... Overall the clinic [UCSF] seems to have decent, if conservative, doctors. ... The administration and nursing staff were chaotic. ... I would double check everything you are told, or you may end up wasting a lot of time. I only had medicated cycles with this clinic. When it came time to move on to IVF, I went elsewhere. There are just too many moving parts with IVF to risk administrative errors.
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston is extremely sympathetic and kind. She is also knowledgeable in the field of recurrent pregnancy loss. But she is quite conservative in her treatment protocols. For example, while other doctors might try metformin, a blood thinner or immune treatment speculatively, Dr. Huddleston strictly follows the research literature. This could be a good or a bad thing depending on your outlook. She was willing to try metformin for my mild case of PCOS, after I delivered her a bunch of my own research. My greatest critique of Dr. Huddleston however, was her insistence that we did not need to test my husbands sperm before Femara cycles with timed intercourse ,because I had had 2 pregnancies (and miscarriages). As it turns out, his sperm motility and count were quite low, but we didn't find this out until much later, wasting a ton of time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She is not likely to think very far outside of the box. So do your own research and advocate for yourself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston is very nice and has a good bedside manner. However, her nursing and administration team was a nightmare. It was difficult to get in touch with anyone. At one point they ordered the wrong tests for blood work, and left out other tests. If I wasn't constantly double checking their work major things would have been missed.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We did 2 cycles of Femara with timed intercourse. The second cycle we also had ultrasound monitoring, at my request. Dr. Huddleston believed that I could get pregnant on my own and that my 2 miscarriages were likely "bad luck." So, we just tried Femara to get a "stronger ovulation" which would hopefully trigger a more robust hormonal response. Neither cycle resulted in a pregnancy.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
The administration and nursing staff were chaotic. They are juggling a lot of patients, and things often seemed to fall through the cracks. I had to follow up with them constantly to clarify instructions. Once they ordered the wrongs tests, and I had to get blood drawn multiple times. If I hadn't been double checking things they never would have caught this on their own
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Overall the clinic seems to have decent, if conservative, doctors. But the administration needs a lot of improvement. I would double check everything you are told, or you may end up wasting a lot of time. I only had medicated cycles with this clinic. When it came time to move on to IVF, I went elsewhere. There are just too many moving parts with IVF to risk administrative errors.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Lost paperwork
  • Failed to order appropriate test
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
I had a large number of tests ordered to try to get to the bottom of my recurrent pregnancy loss. However, a few tests that were supposed to be ordered were left off of the lab request. And in one case the wrong test was ordered (the name sounded similar to the correct test). If I didn't know exactly what tests I was supposed to be getting, I wouldn't have been able to catch all of this and correct it.
4
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
2 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
4
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
1 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
2 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Successful
NPS
7
NPS
3
Age 36
1 Embryo Freezing
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income $200K - $499K
Investment Banker
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Doesn't Recommend
Successful
Dr. Fujimoto was knowledgeable and direct and I am happy with the outcome of my cycle. I only saw him twice but was able to get in touch with him when I had questions throughout the cycle...took the time to answer all my questions and I did not feel rushed during the appointments...I am really happy with the outcome of my cycle...Short protocol of Menopur + Gonal F.
I think the [UCSF] care team and lab are very good and I am really happy with the outcome of my cycle. However, the back office / billing is the worst I have ever seen. Be prepared to get charged for hidden costs and extras, after prepaying for the full cycle. They sent me 5 different bills because they could not get it right...Despite the great care team and lab, I am not planning to go back to this clinic.
How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Dr. Fujimoto was knowledgeable and direct and I am happy with the outcome of my cycle. I only saw him twice but was able to get in touch with him when I had questions throughout the cycle. I think the care and the lab are very good, but the back office / billing is absolutely awful, resulting in a very frustrating and unpleasant overall patient experience.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
With Dr. Fujimoto you are in good hands, but I would advise going into this with the understanding that there are a lot of hidden costs throughout the process and I would not recommend trusting anything that you get from their billing coordinators. For example, they will tell you you your insurance will cover a part of the cost when in fact it is incorrect and any IVF charges billed to your insurance will be rejected. If I had followed their “estimates” I would have had to pay over $30k out of pocket (instead of the self pay rate of $16k).
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Dr. Fujimoto took the time to answer all my questions and I did not feel rushed during the appointments.
Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Short protocol of Menopur + Gonal F.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
My interaction with the nurses was limited. I had one zoom session pre-cycle that was helpful.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
I think the care team and lab are very good and I am really happy with the outcome of my cycle. However, the back office / billing is the worst I have ever seen. Be prepared to get charged for hidden costs and extras, after prepaying for the full cycle. They sent me 5 different bills because they could not get it right. They are being very shady about the hidden costs and there is no transparency regarding the extra charges you will be billed for after the cycle is over. I was a self-pay patient and paid the full amount upfront. After the cycle was over, they came after me with bills for additional blood tests, ultrasounds, office visits that I did not request and medications. They do not explain it to you , but what you pay for the cycle is only the beginning. The bill was full of inaccuracies and mistakes and I had to spend hours on the phone with the billing department to walk through them each time. They sent me 5 different bills with a different amount each time, and still could not get it right or explain what they are charging for. They are extremely unresponsive via email and you don’t hear back from them for weeks. They do however threaten to send your bill to collections on a regular basis. It is now 9 months post my cycle and I had given up on trying to get an accurate bill. I paid the outstanding amount, despite it being incorrect, just so that I can close this chapter and move on. Dealing with their incompetent billing team is the most frustrating experience that I don’t ever wish to go through again. Despite the great care team and lab, I am not planning to go back to this clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.
Plenty of hidden charges and no transparency around billing. Their billing coordinators also showed me the estimated costs of the self pay option vs going through the insurance (you need to chose one of these before starting the cycle, and there is no switching). Based on their comparison I could have saved money by going through insurance. Luckily I decided to verify the information myself and found out that my insurance will not cover any IVF costs. I would have had to pay the much higher rates (without the self-pay discount) out of pocket had I listened to them. It would have cost me an additional $15k-$20k. Their billing department is extremely incompetent.
Describe Victor Fujimoto's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
NA
7
Doctor
Victor Fujimoto
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
3
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
3 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
9
Age 39
1 IVF
Unexplained
Latinx
Income $200K - $499K
Nurse or HC Services
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
She [Dr. Segal] was extremely patient and reassured me when I had numerous questions. I never felt rushed and she gave me her full attention during each visit. She made me feel safe and comfortable during the uncertain times...was prompt in getting back to me, great communicator and reassured us through every step. I appreciate her willingness to listen to all my concerns without judgment...
She [nurse at UCSF] was informative and made sure I had all the information I needed before making any decisions. She reiterated the plan to ensure I understood it and was readily available for any other questions I had...The one weakness I identified is when I did not see Dr Segal I never knew which NP I would get for my visit and not all had good bedside manner and did not communicate well...
How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
I wholeheartedly recommend Dr Segal because of her genuine and warm bedside manner. I drove 1 hr for every appointment to see her and would absolutely do it again if we do IVF in the future. She was prompt in getting back to me, great communicator and reassured us through every step. I appreciate her willingness to listen to all my concerns without judgment and I am so grateful that she has been guiding me through this. I felt like she truly cared about my well-being throughout the process and celebrated our milestones with us. Without a doubt would encourage others to see her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?
Be yourself, don’t be afraid to ask questions. She will take the time to answer them no question is too small.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
She was extremely patient and reassured me when I had numerous questions. I never felt rushed and she gave me her full attention during each visit. She made me feel safe and comfortable during the uncertain times .
Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Removal of polyps in uterus before initiation of IVF to promote better results. Injectable hormones before egg retrieval. Retrieved 8 eggs, 6 of which were injected (ICSI) and 2 discarded. 4 were good quality and viable to freeze. 1 fresh transfer and 2 eventually frozen.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Anne )
She was informative and made sure I had all the information I needed before making any decisions. She reiterated the plan to ensure I understood it and was readily available for any other questions I had.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Overall they provided information in several different words which was helpful to remember the numerous appointments. The one weakness I identified is when I did not see Dr Segal I never knew which NP I would get for my visit and not all had good bedside manner and did not communicate well.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thalia Segal at UCSF.
Approximately $25,000 because insurance did not cover most of it
Describe Thalia Segal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
She recommended eSET considering my age and potential complications.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
Poor bedside manner from one particular NP who made me feel bad because I had questions and was nervous and spoke to me in an unprofessional way.
10
Doctor
Thalia Segal
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2021 - 2022, Unknown Success
NPS
10
NPS
9
Age 42 - 43
1 IUI
7 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Male Factor
Poor Egg Quality
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Engineer
2nd of 2 Docs
2 IVF With Other Docs
2 Egg Freezing With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Every time we talk to Dr. Noel, we both breathe a sigh of relief. She's incredibly compassionate but also can speak to the reality of the situation. She'll came up with new methods/protocols after our failed 3 cycles in 2021, figuring that it was better to start stims 5 days or so into my cycle and also switching to conventional IVF instead of ICSI for fertilization. She's really adaptable, isn't at all arrogant about her opinions, really a joy to work with...
[at UCSF] There's usually a bunch of patients ahead of you in the waiting rooms and the wait time for your appointment can be up to 45 minutes on some days. It makes it difficult if you have work meetings you have to plan around...$12000 per egg retrieval cycle (self-pay)...had a question about the trigger shot but didn't hear back [from nurse] till the next day. Luckily, we were able to figure it out on our own...
How was your experience with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr Noel is the best doctor we've had, and we've talked to a dozen or so doctors/clinics at some of the "top clinics" in the US. She's has the right balance of warm, caring, but also sticking to recommendations that have evidence, and also being willing to suggest/try new methods if the previous cycle didn't work out. She was our biggest cheerleader throughout, and I was so happy that she was able to do one of my egg retrievals. She patted my leg as I was going under anesthesia which gave me a lot of comfort. We ended up with our first 2 fertilized embryos afterwards, unfortunately they didn't grow to Day 5 blasts. However, since then we've had 2 successful cycles with 2 fertilized embryos each and we have 4 embryos on ice finally after a year of egg retrievals. We really thank Dr. Noel for persisting and not giving up on us. She's also very responsive on the Patient Portal despite being swamped with so many patients. She usually responds within a day or two and gives a thorough response to our questions. And she's willing to jump on a video chat if she can't answer all your questions via a message.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Martha Noel at UCSF?
I think it helps to have tracked your previous cycles in the past and be able to speak clearly about what hasn't worked thus far with protocols and fertilization methods. Also, try to book video sessions with her to ask her any detailed questions you might have.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Every time we talk to Dr. Noel, we both breathe a sigh of relief. She's incredibly compassionate but also can speak to the reality of the situation. She'll came up with new methods/protocols after our failed 3 cycles in 2021, figuring that it was better to start stims 5 days or so into my cycle and also switching to conventional IVF instead of ICSI for fertilization. She's really adaptable, isn't at all arrogant about her opinions, really a joy to work with.
Describe the protocols Martha Noel used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We started off with lower doses of stims, but later on decided to wait a few days.4-5 before starting stims after the baseline ultrasound. My follicles sometimes didn't respond well since my own FSH was going up high and adding Gonal-F wasn't doing much at that time. So we kinda let my body do it's thing and then started adding in Gonal F at around 8mm follicle size, and then Menopur 75 IU when they got to 12mm size and then retrieved around 16mm or so. Then we used just conventional IVF for fertilization. My eggs are pretty fragile and didn't do well with ICSI. Results after 7 cycles with UCSF => 4 frozen Day 3 embryos. Going to try for another egg retrieval in the next 2 months and then FET.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Olga)
Olga always seems to be in a rush/frazzled when you talk with her. Luckily, I didn't need too much instruction from her on shots, but I never got a sense that it'd be easy to ask her questions. We in fact had a question about the trigger shot but didn't hear back till the next day. Luckily, we were able to figure it out on our own.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF is like a fertility mill. There's usually a bunch of patients ahead of you in the waiting rooms and the wait time for your appointment can be up to 45 minutes on some days. It makes it difficult if you have work meetings you have to plan around. At the same time, you get some great doctors like Dr. Noel. Billing can be a bit of a headache. It's difficult to figure out what insurance will cover sometimes and we'll get random statement notifications and trying to read their bill and reconcile it with their statements makes my head explode.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Martha Noel at UCSF.
$12000 per egg retrieval cycle (self-pay).
Describe Martha Noel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Since we only have Day 3 embryos, we're gong to be transferring multiple embryos (5-6). The chances are low for each embryo at my age (5%) so the risk is pretty low for a twin pregnancy.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Lost appointments
  • Failed to call with results
  • Failed to order appropriate test
  • Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
This was more in the initial visits, we had a long list of labs that both my husband and I had to get. I think that Thuy forgot to send in orders for some of them and so we had to figure that out and ask her to send the order for him. It was also a big hurdle to get an appointment with Dr. Smith the UCSF reproductive urologist, I think his waiting list last year was 2-3 months or something. Now that we've done so many cycles, things are going much more smoothly. I think the biggest issues were with onboarding us, getting all the labs done in the beginning. Maybe once there was an appointment snafu where they told me about an appointment that wasn't actually scheduled.
10
Doctor
Martha Noel
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020 - 2022, 22 Eggs Frozen
NPS
10
NPS
9
Age 34 - 36
2 Egg Freezing
European
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr Jaswa is incredibly warm and compassionate. UCSF is a teaching hospital so I didn't always get to see her...Nonetheless I felt like Dr Jaswa truly cared about how I was feeling, how I was responding to treatment, and how I felt about the outcomes...made herself available to answer questions. I never felt rushed when I spoke with her. I was disappointed in the number of eggs retrieved in my first cycle, so Dr Jaswa reviewed my medications and how I responded and proposed a new protocol for my second cycle, which was more successful...
This clinic [UCSF] is great for care, compassion, and expertise. I was happy with all the doctors and nurses that I interacted with. Likewise with anyone in reception. But the billing department is TERRIBLE...I am constantly getting billed for services I don't owe...don't blindly pay bills received from UCSF CRH. Take a close look and determine if you think you really owe it; push back if you think you don't...
How was your experience with Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF?
Dr Jaswa is compassionate and warm. She is patient and made herself available to answer questions. I never felt rushed when I spoke with her. I was disappointed in the number of eggs retrieved in my first cycle, so Dr Jaswa reviewed my medications and how I responded and proposed a new protocol for my second cycle, which was more successful (yay!).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF?
You probably won't get to see Dr Jaswa very often (due to the style of the UCSF clinic), but you should absolutely take advantage of the portal and send along all your questions to the care team. They'll get back to you, and if you have concerns that you'd like Dr Jaswa to address specifically, they will forward to her for her response.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF?
Dr Jaswa is incredibly warm and compassionate. UCSF is a teaching hospital so I didn't always get to see her; additionally, because of covid many of our visits were over Zoom. Nonetheless I felt like Dr Jaswa truly cared about how I was feeling, how I was responding to treatment, and how I felt about the outcomes.
Describe the protocols Eleni Greenwood Jaswa used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
1st protocol (age 33): A week following ovulation, I started estrogen patches (replaced patch once every 48 hours) until my period. Once I got my period, I went in for a baseline ultrasound and bloodwork and then began injecting 150mg of Gonal F and 150mg of Menopur nightly. I was responding very quickly -- some of my follicles were growing much more quickly than others -- so by day 4 I started injecting cetrotide in the mornings to slow/prevent ovulation of the biggest follicles. I triggered on day 7 of medications with 5,000mg of Novarel/Pregnyl and 450mg of Gonal F. They retrieved 15 eggs, but 2 were too mature and 3 were immature, so they froze 10. 2nd protocol (age 35): Because my eggs hadn't really grown synchronously last time, resulting in too much dispersion in maturity, Dr. Jaswa suggested trying the lupron-down protocol to start my cycle. The idea was to better suppress my cycle at the start so that the follicles would grow together. This was more or less successful. One week following ovulation, I started injecting 10 units of Lupron nightly. On day 12, I went in for a baseline ultrasound and bloodwork; I had one more night of Lupron injections and on day 13 I began injecting 150mg of Gonal F and 150mg of Menopur nightly. I went in for ultrasounds and blood work every couple days. Again, I was responding very quickly to medication, but this time my follicles at least were growing more in synch. I triggered on day 7 of medications with 10,000mg of Novarel/Pregnyl and 450mg of Gonal F. They retrieved 12 eggs and all were mature and frozen.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
I worked most closely with Roshi, who was wonderful. Quick to respond to my portal messages and very sweet and compassionate. She answered most of my questions and directed a couple to Dr Jaswa when she wasn't sure.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
This clinic is great for care, compassion, and expertise. I was happy with all the doctors and nurses that I interacted with. Likewise with anyone in reception. But the billing department is TERRIBLE. They seem to be almost completely incompetent. Several examples: (1) the financial navigators don't actually tell you anything about how to help pay for your services. I found out through my nurse during my first cycle that ARC Fertility offers a pre-negotiated egg freezing package with UCSF that lowers the cost of the cycle to $7,100, compared to the $8,500+ I was being quoted by the billing department. Thank goodness she told me, or I'd never have known. I have a friend who also used UCSF and no one told her about ARC - I did. (2) I am constantly getting billed for services I don't owe. When I paid through ARC, ARC submitted a payment to UCSF to cover my cycle. Yet I continue to receive bills from UCSF for $2,000+. Advice for others: don't blindly pay bills received from UCSF CRH. Take a close look and determine if you think you really owe it; push back if you think you don't. (3) Multiple friends have been told that they couldn't charge their insurance for general office visits or consultations, paid out of pocket, and then had their insurance billed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF.
Egg-freeze cycle: $7,117 (package through ARC Fertility which included monitoring appts, ultrasounds, retrieval, anesthesia, freezing + 5 years of storage) Medications: ~$3,800 (purchased through Alto Pharmacy)
10
Doctor
Eleni Greenwood Jaswa
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
7
Age 38
1 Embryo Freezing
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Neutral
Successful
Dr. Segal made me feel much more comfortable about the whole thing. It was like talking to a friend that happened to be an expert in fertility...conversations never felt stuffy, disconnected, or judgmental - she was super supportive, compassionate, and kindly direct...The only bummer is that she wasn't a consistent contact point the entire way through. But this is less about her as a Dr., and more about the way UCSF operates.
when I felt some extreme pain during the process, the nurses and staff [at UCSF] took me seriously and aired on the side of caution - I never felt dismissed, brushed off, or like a nuisance...One thing to note is that their billing department is a real pain to work with...If I hadn't been asking questions up front (i.e - how do I perform the injections?), I wouldn't have known that I could get 1:1 training because nobody told me that was an option.
How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
I really enjoyed having Dr. Segal as my fertility Dr. While this was a delicate, and somewhat nerve-racking decision and procedure to undergo, Dr. Segal made me feel much more comfortable about the whole thing. It was like talking to a friend that happened to be an expert in fertility. Since we were freezing embryos for fertility preservation, and are not choosing to get pregnant at this time, I can only speak for that portion of treatment - but we got great results and I didn't have any significant setbacks during the priming/ injection period. The only bummer is that she wasn't a consistent contact point the entire way through. But this is less about her as a Dr., and more about the way UCSF operates.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?
Be an advocate for yourself. Since you only meet with Dr. Segal once or twice prior to the actual treatment - you HAVE to put yourself in front of the support staff and message them with any questions. If I hadn't been asking questions up front (i.e - how do I perform the injections?), I wouldn't have known that I could get 1:1 training because nobody told me that was an option.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
What I really appreciated about Dr. Segal is that it felt like talking to a friend. Our conversations never felt stuffy, disconnected, or judgmental - she was super supportive, compassionate, and kindly direct. I was able to gather the information I needed, but also gained even more confidence with our plan to freeze embryos for fertility preservation than before we met with Dr. Segal. She took the time to get to know me as a person, and I really appreciated that. I also found the support staff to be very helpful along the way. I want to make particular note that when I felt some extreme pain during the process, the nurses and staff took me seriously and aired on the side of caution - I never felt dismissed, brushed off, or like a nuisance. This made a great impact on my experience as a whole, and helped me gain trust throughout the process.
Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
2mg estrace to start, then menopur+ ganal for 4-5 days, then the addition of cetrocide for another 4ish days, then the trigger injections. (I might have this wrong - it was a whirlwind...)
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Kali, Rae, Eugene)
Overall, the nursing staff was great - although some were more approachable than others (I enjoyed working with Kali and Rae for the regular correspondence). I never had a message or call go unreturned, and they were often quick with their responses. Since there wasn't much face time with the Dr., I think it would have been nice to have one main designated nurse, and one backup nurse, to allow for some form of consistency. Throughout the procedure, I never got to see them in the office, and at times would end up speaking with other nursing staff that I was unfamiliar with. That being said, everyone I saw for my in person check-ins (blood draws, ultrasounds) were always incredibly kind and helpful.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
I went with UCSF as they were the best fit for our insurance, and a couple friends had also recommended them. They both had the same forewarnings: you won't have one consistent Dr, and you have to be your own advocate when it comes to billing and the overall logistics. That being said, I would definitely return to UCSF for any future treatments, as I felt that everyone there was very knowledgeable and I trusted turning my body over to them (which I can have a lot of barriers around). One thing to note is that their billing department is a real pain to work with. I kept receiving bills to pay hundreds of dollars, but when I called to question why I was receiving the bill (as it should have been covered by Progyny, they told me I didn't have to actually pay it.) I'm still not 100% confident that we're in the clear in terms of money owed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thalia Segal at UCSF.
Unknown at this time
10
Doctor
Thalia Segal
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
7
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020 - 2021, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 36 - 37
1 Fertility Medications
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Unexplained
South Asian
Income $200K - $499K
1st of 5 Docs
3 IUI With Other Docs
2 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
She [Dr. Segal] is very compassionate and really explains things well. She respected that I was a scientist and came armed with data. Also took time to explain the emotional side of things...She can be short when she is busy. But she really means well and if she is short, follow-up with her at a better time and she will respond compassionately...
Very robust evidence based clinic [UCSF]...I felt very safe here. It is a busy university hospital though and feels like a public hospital. If you want a boutique experience, this is not for you...was treated so compassionately by Dr Segal and most of her team. They were understanding, non-judgemental and yet very pragmatic...3 IUIs appr $15000 2 IVFs appr $55000...
How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
She is very compassionate and really explains things well. She respected that I was a scientist and came armed with data. Also took time to explain the emotional side of things. I mean let's face it, this is an emotional process.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?
She can be short when she is busy. But she really means well and if she is short, follow-up with her at a better time and she will respond compassionately.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
I was treated so compassionately by Dr Segal and most of her team. They were understanding, non-judgemental and yet very pragmatic.
Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Estrace priming for low AMH. for IVF. Second one worked when she upped the dose of estrace and we have a gorgeous baby girl from that. She started off with the standard 3 IUIs, which were a complete waste of time in hindsight, but at that stage I was also not ready to go to IVF. If I did it again I would skip the IUIs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Anna)
Very sweet but not the brightest bulb in the room. She couldn't figure out my period days and almost had me start on a wrong day until I kicked it up to the doctor. Also when I did not conceive with my first IVF, she was robotic in her response ' these are questions for your doctor. Luckily I called the clinic and the nurse on call was so compassionate and helpful about not conceiving the first time, it really helped me at that time.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Very robust evidence based clinic. The incentive here is not monetary gain - see Vice article on Dr Danielle Lane's clinic to learn more. I felt very safe here. It is a busy university hospital though and feels like a public hospital. If you want a boutique experience, this is not for you. But if you want a child and want the most evidence based way to get there, this is for you.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thalia Segal at UCSF.
3 IUIs appr $15000 2 IVFs appr $55000 I had progyny so only had to pay my out of pocket which was around $6k
Describe Thalia Segal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
I had a strong preference for eSET and she respected that.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
  • Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
They got the pharmacy wrong. I didn't know what to do but they should have asked me to call my health insurance and figure out what pharmacy. I actually did that and they said optum but the clinic coordinator said optum is a helpline not a pharmacy. That wasn't true. Luckily all these were IUI problems. For IVF, i had the process down.
10
Doctor
Thalia Segal
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
3 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
3 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2017 - 2021, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 36 - 40
6 IUI
3 IVF
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Embryo Freezing With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Noel is really caring and thoughtful. She let us make decisions most of the time, but when it's time for her to guide us as a medical professional, she was convincing with reasoning...Given my age and number of embryos we could transfer, we had to be very careful not loosing any chances. Her approach reflected the situation and she didn't waste any of our resources. I'm sure she would treat differently for different patients. I believe out plan was coordinated by her based on our specific situation....
The nurses [at UCSF] are friendly and they are good at what they are doing. The front desk staffs are kind as well. If you think of a big hospital such as UCSF, you might think that you may not get personal touch. We never felt that way. By having many staffs and nurses, they were really efficient and available. All you need is a designated doctor and his/her team....
How was your experience with Martha Noel at UCSF?
When we were in her office before the treatment, she was very clear explaining the medical situation as well as the treatments we get. After those visits, we had a good explanation of what we are dealing with, so there was no uncertainty. Fertility treatment takes time and nobody can guarantee the outcome. The important aspect is for the doctor to be with us along the way and we feel Dr. Noel did that exactly.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr. Noel is really caring and thoughtful. She let us make decisions most of the time, but when it's time for her to guide us as a medical professional, she was convincing with reasoning. In one of the embryo transfer session, she held my feet and wished the best sincerely. Regardless of the outcome, I was truly touched. And yes I got pregnant in that transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Olga, Thuy)
When you plan for IUI or IVF especially the first time, there are so many medications to deal with, so many schedules to follow up, and so many... everything. For the given task, Olga was really efficient and good at moving the schedule forward. She was there whenever we needed her for medical questions via phone or email. Thuy is really friendly and compassionate. We still remember how we were greeted by her when we had visited the hospital. That warm welcome was such a relief in those stressful environment where you have to deal with IUI and IVF.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
The nurses are friendly and they are good at what they are doing. The front desk staffs are kind as well. If you think of a big hospital such as UCSF, you might think that you may not get personal touch. We never felt that way. By having many staffs and nurses, they were really efficient and available. All you need is a designated doctor and his/her team.
Describe Martha Noel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Given my age and number of embryos we could transfer, we had to be very careful not loosing any chances. Her approach reflected the situation and she didn't waste any of our resources. I'm sure she would treat differently for different patients. I believe out plan was coordinated by her based on our specific situation.
10
Doctor
Martha Noel
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful
NPS
2
NPS
0
Age 35 - 36
1 Fertility Medications
PCOS
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
2nd of 2 Docs
2 IVF With Other Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
[Dr. Segal] was helpful in explaining my infertility diagnosis. She was compassionate and helpful with a polyp removal surgery and subsequent biopsy. However, early on it seemed like she had too many patients and did not know about my specific case until the meeting itself...She mostly provided me personal attention, but let my case slip through the cracks causing professional team miscommunications...
UCSF treats you like a number. It's a volume shop that will batch you up, meaning you need to take birth control and go through the gates of generalized infection classes and another class that may not have much to do with your own care...The care team is awful - they will not talk on the phone with you, make you use their electronic portal, which they don't respond until 2-3 days later often not answering at all the questions at hand and super quickly.
How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
She was helpful in explaining my infertility diagnosis. She was compassionate and helpful with a polyp removal surgery and subsequent biopsy. However, early on it seemed like she had too many patients and did not know about my specific case until the meeting itself. Because of her error, she greenlighted my injections without coordinating with the anesthesiologist who ultimately was extremely alarmist about my baseline health and she decided to cancel my cycle instead of working with him towards a solution.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?
Make sure that any abnormal health history from your labwork is thoroughly reviewed and discussed prior to proceeding with the cost and effort of IVF.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
Her support staff was extremely rude and callous, even making me cry during a procedure confirmation of the legal documents. She mostly provided me personal attention, but let my case slip through the cracks causing professional team miscommunications and poor teamwork with the anesthesiologist which caused my cycle to be canceled after months of working with her and over a week of wasted injections and appointments.
Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Gonal F 125 IU + Menopur 75 IU SQ ; Cetrotide
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Eugenia Gonzalez; Anne Garcillano)
The care team is awful - they will not talk on the phone with you, make you use their electronic portal, which they don't respond until 2-3 days later often not answering at all the questions at hand and super quickly. Eugenia is particularly uncaring and bad, she was so unclear about consents that she claimed that 99% of the patients mess it up with no sense of self-awareness that it because of her poor communication. My previous care coordinator had been fired due to incompetence as well.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF treats you like a number. It's a volume shop that will batch you up, meaning you need to take birth control and go through the gates of generalized infection classes and another class that may not have much to do with your own care.
Describe Thalia Segal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Would only do elective single embryo transfer
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
  • Lost paperwork
  • Failed to call with results
  • Failed to order appropriate test
  • Failed to send your chart to another clinic
  • Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
  • Lost results
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
  • Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
2
Doctor
Thalia Segal
NPS
Humanity
2 of 5
Communication
2 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
2 of 5
Compassion
3 of 5
Explained risks
1 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
0
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
1 of 5
Scheduling
2 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
1 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
1 of 5
Educational Resources
4 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 33 - 34
Male Factor
European
Income $50K - $99K
2nd of 2 Docs
IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Noel has incredible bed side manner and importantly, it is natural. It's a part of who she is to be kind and compassionate. I received personal phone calls from her whenever there was sensitive information and she is always willing for follow up calls and appointments...Dr.Noel recommended to only transfer one due to my fertility. After a miscarriage the first transfer, my partner and I requested to do multiple embryo transfer and while she did not advise due to the higher likelihood of a twin pregnancy and the challenges of that, she allowed us to pursue this.
UCSF is world class. The clinic looks world class, the spacing of rooms- felt comfortable and compassionate, and you never had to wait for your appt...Olga and nursing staff were so PROMPT. They always provided results, next step info, scheduling etc exactly when they said they were going to. I never had to worry about when I would hear back - they were on top of it
How was your experience with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr.Noel was out second fertility doctor we saw. The first one was at another clinic and had zero bed side manner and made us feel terrible. When I called UCSF the first time, I said, can you get me an appointment with your most compassionate doctor, the one with the most bedside manner. The clinic receptionist said, oh thats dr. noel - and she was right. I always felt like I was in kind hands and, that didn't mean she sugar coated the odds or the process - but rather, she soberly gave the information with an air of collaboration and support. the first time we transferred, I miscarried, and she was graceful with my loss. The next time, she transferred two and while she shared the upside and downside of transferring two - suggesting we do not do that due to my younger age and higher likelihood of both embryos taking - she ultimately was a yes to us doing it when we requested it. I did get pregnant with both embryos and lost one at 9 weeks. I now have a healthy, beautiful baby girl!! My gratitude for Dr. Noel is endless
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Martha Noel at UCSF?
Ask front desk for dr.noel is you are looking for a compassionate doctor
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr. Noel has incredible bed side manner and importantly, it is natural. It's a part of who she is to be kind and compassionate. I received personal phone calls from her whenever there was sensitive information and she is always willing for follow up calls and appointments. I felt like she was a friend, who had my best interest at heart. She never made herself the knower and me the patient - all the information was shared and then we collaborated next steps.
Describe the protocols Martha Noel used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We went through a round of IVF and we were able to harvest 25 eggs via the treatment protocol dr.noel followed. We ultimately got 5, five day embryos and I got pregnant on each transfer. I miscarried after the first transfer and then was pregnant and had a full term, healthy pregnancy after the second.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Olga)
Olga and nursing staff were so PROMPT. They always provided results, next step info, scheduling etc exactly when they said they were going to. I never had to worry about when I would hear back - they were on top of it.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF is world class. The clinic looks world class, the spacing of rooms- felt comfortable and compassionate, and you never had to wait for your appt. You were in when it was your time. It is super clean and you felt that people enjoyed what they were doing
Describe the costs associated with your care under Martha Noel at UCSF.
20,000
Describe Martha Noel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
I was 34 years old and Dr.Noel recommended to only transfer one due to my fertility. After a miscarriage the first transfer, my partner and I requested to do multiple embryo transfer and while she did not advise due to the higher likelihood of a twin pregnancy and the challenges of that, she allowed us to pursue this.
10
Doctor
Martha Noel
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018 - 2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 37 - 39
4 IUI
4 Egg Freezing
Endometriosis
Unexplained
European
Only Doc Seen
IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
He [Dr. Mitch Rosen] was able to comprehensively assess our case & then fine tune our IVF protocol to produce results that we were not able to achieve until then. We went from feeling like we may very well not be able to conceive at all to having many healthy embryos now “in the bank” and will be attempting implantation for pregnancy soon. Dr. Rosen was very conscientious about answering all of our questions and also incorporated our own preferences and input. We are immensely grateful to Dr. Rosen and so very lucky to have been able to work with him. September 2020 UPDATE: Our fertility journey was very long and challenging, but Dr. Rosen guided us through and now we are pregnant!!! He and his clinical nurse manager Liz Gomes were extraordinary. They have been so smart, caring, patient, professional and supportive. We could not have been in better hands.
Be aware that while in-cycle, on weekends you might work with RE Fellows rather than directly with an Attending [at UCSF]...We also saw two Nurse Practitioners, Katrina and Stephanie, several times throughout the course of treatment. Both Katrina and Stephanie were fantastic. All of the nurses, techs and front desk staff at CRH (especially Maria!) have been really warm and kind. We have felt that they are genuinely rooting for us, which made all the difference while going through such an emotionally and physically taxing journey. We also worked with Annie, assistant to Dr. Rosen, at the beginning stages before starting our cycles. Annie was incredible. She was extremely organized, thorough, remarkable with follow through and had a great sense of humor throughout it all!
How was your experience with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
We ended up going to several different fertility clinics in the Bay Area (we met with six different REs across five centers) as it was difficult to find a good match and our case turned out to be much more challenging than we expected. Without a doubt we can say that Dr. Rosen has been the best for us to work with and is a brilliant physician. While there are many exceptional centers & physicians offering IVF in the Bay Area, it is evident that Dr. Rosen is not only one of the most academically accomplished reproductive endocrinologists nationally but he is also an outstanding clinician. He was able to comprehensively assess our case & then fine tune our IVF protocol to produce results that we were not able to achieve until then. We went from feeling like we may very well not be able to conceive at all to having many healthy embryos now “in the bank” and will be attempting implantation for pregnancy soon. Dr. Rosen was very conscientious about answering all of our questions and also incorporated our own preferences and input. We are immensely grateful to Dr. Rosen and so very lucky to have been able to work with him. September 2020 UPDATE: Our fertility journey was very long and challenging, but Dr. Rosen guided us through and now we are pregnant!!! He and his clinical nurse manager Liz Gomes were extraordinary. They have been so smart, caring, patient, professional and supportive. We could not have been in better hands.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
Be aware that while in-cycle, on weekends you might work with RE Fellows rather than directly with an Attending.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Liz Gomes)
Liz Gomes has been our nurse and main clinical point person while working with Dr. Rosen. Liz has been outstanding and is a true gem. It was a gift to work with her. She is caring, extremely knowledgeable, professional, ever patient and super warm. We also saw two Nurse Practitioners, Katrina and Stephanie, several times throughout the course of treatment. Both Katrina and Stephanie were fantastic. All of the nurses, techs and front desk staff at CRH (especially Maria!) have been really warm and kind. We have felt that they are genuinely rooting for us, which made all the difference while going through such an emotionally and physically taxing journey. We also worked with Annie, assistant to Dr. Rosen, at the beginning stages before starting our cycles. Annie was incredible. She was extremely organized, thorough, remarkable with follow through and had a great sense of humor throughout it all!
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF is unique from all of private fertility centers in that it is a public university and therefore intentions and motivations are very different. We started our fertility treatment at a private fertility center in San Francisco thinking there were numerous advantages over UCSF. After several second opinions, we eventually ended up back at UCSF because of Dr. Mitchell Rosen. We were surprised and thankful to find out that UCSF was superior in many ways to the private (MUCH more expensive - we paid out of pocket for all treatment!) fertility clinics.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mitch Rosen at UCSF.
All out of pocket
10
Doctor
Mitch Rosen
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
9
Age 39 - 40
3 IVF
3 Embryo Freezing
Unexplained
East Asian
Marketer or PR
2nd of 2 Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
[Dr. Mitch Rosen's] preference is eSET but given I had two failed ones, on my third transfer, doctor was ok putting in two...took the time to go through any questions my husband and I had. I would say though that you need to be prepared with questions and to advocate for yourself. He will not "handhold" you through the process so I can see where people may feel like a number. Do some of your own research and with that he will provide you with more information that you probably want/need.
She [nurse at UCSF] is on top of it! Extremely knowledgable, caring and accessible! UCSF is so lucky to have her!...Doctor's and UCSF preference is eSET but given I had two failed ones, on my third transfer, doctor was ok putting in two...Monitoring appointments are a well oiled machine. I was usually in and out within 15 minutes (bloodwork and ultrasound). I could always get in a time convenient for me...A full fresh cycle is around $16k, excluding medications. A frozen cycle is around $4k, excluding medications. My second and third retrievals were covered by insurance.
How was your experience with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
Dr. Rosen is very direct and will tell provide you with pros/cons and options. He first tries to understand what your objectives are to provide better answers for you. If you are looking for someone warm and fuzzy, this may not be the right doctor for you, but if you are looking to achieve an outcome and care a little less about the bedside manner (not that it is bad at all), this is the doctor for you. He would keep us in our place when we tried to ask about a backup plan and would have us focus on Plan A only. Dr. Rosen is the best, if not one of the best at UCSF, and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be his patient. I couldn't recommend him more and hope when we plan for a second child, he will still be there to guide us again through our journey.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
Be prepared with questions and do some of your own research. Advocate for yourself if something is important to you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
Dr. Rosen took the time to go through any questions my husband and I had. I would say though that you need to be prepared with questions and to advocate for yourself. He will not "handhold" you through the process so I can see where people may feel like a number. Do some of your own research and with that he will provide you with more information that you probably want/need.
Describe the protocols Mitch Rosen used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
I did my first egg retrieval cycle with estrace priming and then gonal f/menopur. I was reacting quite well to the medication so my dosage changed quite a bit. Although I yielded a good number of eggs (I think around 26), only 2 made it through PGS testing. Had two single embryo transfers, using medicated cycle (given my periods are irregular). Both failed. Did an hysteroscopy and everything was fine. Did an ERA test and also came back normal. This was followed by a second egg retrieval cycle, primed with birth control so that the eggs would grow closer in size compared to the first cycle. Gonal f lower does and menopur. Went for 14 days vs 10 in first cycle. Worked well. Had 33 eggs of which 8 embryos were PGS normal. We did a third cycle insurance was helping to cover the 2nd and 3rd cycle and did the exact same protocol as second egg retrieval but had completely different results. 21 eggs of which only 2 PGS embryos resulted. I honestly think the difference in results was due to lifestyle (much more stressed during this cycle). So have 10 embryos banked. Given two failed FETs, transferred two embryos (one day 5 and one day 6 embryo) and success (at least for now)!
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Liz Gomes)
Liz Gomes is the best nurse! She is on top of it! Extremely knowledgable, caring and accessible! UCSF is so lucky to have her!
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF is a teaching hospital so you have to know that you will not see the same people during each visit. That being said, they seem to be well coordinated and any questions I had during a visit that wasn't with my primary team, was always answered well. The facility itself is nice and calm. I was living in NYC and went to another fertility clinic for IUI's and that was not calm at all and felt more like a sausage factory. I've heard some issues with billing at UCSF, but personally I haven't had any issues.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at UCSF.
Monitoring appointments are a well oiled machine. I was usually in and out within 15 minutes (bloodwork and ultrasound). I could always get in a time convenient for me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mitch Rosen at UCSF.
I paid out of pocket my first cycle. A full fresh cycle is around $16k, excluding medications. A frozen cycle is around $4k, excluding medications. My second and third retrievals were covered by insurance.
Describe Mitch Rosen's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Doctor's and UCSF preference is eSET but given I had two failed ones, on my third transfer, doctor was ok putting in two.
10
Doctor
Mitch Rosen
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018 - 2020, Unsuccessful
NPS
2
NPS
3
Age 40 - 42
4 IUI
1 IVF
6 Embryo Freezing
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
European
Only Doc Seen
Donor Sperm
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
I'm sure he's [Dr. Mitch Rosen] well educated and knows things in his field. But he seems way to busy for patient care. He is head of the lab at UCSF, and he's helping with some other new clinic out of the country, so patient care is not his priority. If you have a pretty straightforward case, you'll do well on a standard protocol. But I wouldn't expect him to turn over every stone to help you get pregnant
If you think this is a big clinic with a lot of established processes that will take care of your treatment, you're wrong. They [UCSF] do have a lot of processes, but they don't follow them a lot of times, or the process is super clunky. You will need to manage your own care, basically, stay on top of every appointment, every prescription, every test result. it's a lot of work (and you're still paying them a lot of money).
How was your experience with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
I'm sure he's well educated and knows things in his field. But he seems way to busy for patient care. He is head of the lab at UCSF, and he's helping with some other new clinic out of the country, so patient care is not his priority. If you have a pretty straightforward case, you'll do well on a standard protocol. But I wouldn't expect him to turn over every stone to help you get pregnant
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
Interactions with Dr Rosen: I was put on a protocol that seems very common for women with diminished ovarian reserves (know of several people that are doing exactly the same). There was little follow-up after each procedure, some none, sometimes a 5 min phone call. Little analysis on what went well and what went poorly in the cycle. After several cycles and after they missed ovulation on one of my cycles, i escalated the situation big time, he got more attentive after that, but it still remains to be seen if that continues. Every time I ask what else could we be doing to improve my chances, his answer is "just keep doing what you're doing", i.e. he's not readily engaging in the conversation and just wants the phone call to be over with quickly. And given the low success rate so far and the cost, "keep doing what you're doing" is not a good advice. His nurse, Liz Gomes, is fantastic
Describe the protocols Mitch Rosen used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
IUIs with clomid; full IVF with menopur and Gona, ganirelixl and trigger shot; mini-IVFs with gonal only, ganirelix and trigger shot
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Liz Gomes)
Liz Gomes is great and one of the two reasons I'm still with UCSF (the second reason is cheap meds). However, with the rest of nursing staff, you can have a hit or a miss. It's always a different person who does your appointments, different person who calls with you results and next steps etc. And the clerical/ admin staff at UCSF is absolutely TERRIBLE and incompetent: they mess up a $5K payment, they mess up your medical records, they give you wrong information about COVID protocol, they don't respect your privacy, and few of them are just simply rude/ snappish to patients (they clearly just don't want to be there)
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Very poorly organized. If you think this is a big clinic with a lot of established processes that will take care of your treatment, you're wrong. They do have a lot of processes, but they don't follow them a lot of times, or the process is super clunky. You will need to manage your own care, basically, stay on top of every appointment, every prescription, every test result. it's a lot of work (and you're still paying them a lot of money). The clerical/ admin staff at UCSF is absolutely TERRIBLE and incompetent: they mess up a $5K payment, they mess up your medical records, they give you wrong information about COVID protocol, they don't respect your privacy, they can't account for the sperm vials you had delivered to them, and few of them are just simply rude/ snappish to patients (they clearly just don't want to be there). Add to that a buggy and badly laid out communication portal (even after 2 upgrades in the last 2 years, it's still rubbish), having to go through several switch operators on the phone, and no one ever picking up the phone in the admin side. The list goes on and on
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mitch Rosen at UCSF.
Self-pay cost, no insurance coverage: - 2K for IUI - 6K for mini-stim IVF with cryo preservation/ no transfer - 15K for a full IVF with cryo/ no transfer - 4K for frozen transfer
Describe Mitch Rosen's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
They seem to be very strongly preferring singleton pregnancies. Every time I mention that twins are ok, he cringes.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
  • Lost paperwork
  • Lost appointments
  • Failed to call with results
  • Failed to order appropriate test
  • Failed to send your chart to another clinic
  • Lost results
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
  • Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
See above
2
Doctor
Mitch Rosen
NPS
Humanity
1 of 5
Communication
1 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
3 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
3
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
1 of 5
Scheduling
3 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
3 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2016 - 2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
8
Age 35 - 39
1 IUI
3 IVF
Unexplained
European
Income $500K+
1st of 2 Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Neutral
Successful
[Dr. Martha Noel] She was extremely collaborative with the process—always explaining (as much as I liked) how things work and what our options were. She was very easy to talk to directly and helped to make it so I got to see when I came into the office. I also felt in-the-know and bought-into decisions. Moreover, she was really personable—always checking in with us as humans, and making sure we were doing the right thing for us vs what's "typical."
[UCSF is] Pretty easy to great appointments. Nice facility. Quite accessible in the city. Weaknesses were some of the nurses...[nurses] they got some information wrong when sharing our status with embryos, and they were not good communicators...When other doctors were recommending the typical program, Dr Noel got creative and suggested different mediations and process changes.
How was your experience with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr Noel was a joy to work with. She was compassionate, professional, thoughtful and extremely wise. She made it clear that she was in our corner and would do all that she could to help us succeed and help us manage a stressful situation. She was extremely collaborative with the process—always explaining (as much as I liked) how things work and what our options were. She was very easy to talk to directly and helped to make it so I got to see when I came into the office. I also felt in-the-know and bought-into decisions. Moreover, she was really personable—always checking in with us as humans, and making sure we were doing the right thing for us vs what's "typical." When other doctors were recommending the typical program, Dr Noel got creative and suggested different mediations and process changes. Sure enough, it worked thanks to her great advice and we now have two absolutely beautiful girls!! Lastly, there were times where we had issues with the nursery. Dr Noel took great care with this, too. She took feedback and coached the nurses to make sure we were well taken care of. It was greatly appreciated. I can't recommend Dr Noel highly enough. She was a hero and we greatly appreciate all that she did for us. Frankly, even if it didn't work out, I would still be a fan b/c it was clear just how much she cared and how hard she worked!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Martha Noel at UCSF?
Definitely work wth Dr Noel if you can!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr Noel was a joy to work with. She was compassionate, professional, thoughtful and extremely wise. She made it clear that she was in our corner and would do all that she could to help us and help us manage stressful situations. She was extremely collaborative w2ith the process—always explaining (as much as I liked) how things work and what our options were. I also felt in-the-know and bought into decisions. Moreover, she was really personable—always checking in with us as humans, and making sure we were doing the right thing for us vs what's "typical."
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
We had some issue with the nurses -- they got some information wrong when sharing our status with embryos, and they were not good communicators (they acted like I should know how everything works even though I didn't).
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Dr Noel was the best. Strongly recommend working with her. Pretty easy to great appointments. Nice facility. Quite accessible in the city. Weaknesses were some of the nurses. Would use them again if I needed to.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Lost results
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
already wrote about it
10
Doctor
Martha Noel
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
8
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 31 - 32
1 IVF
Unexplained
European
Income $200K - $499K
Nurse or HC Services
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Not sure
Dr. Huddleston sticks with evidence based practice. If there isn't a lot of research on it, she doesn't recommend it. If you're interested in some super new, cutting edge approach you'll have to bring it to the table yourself. She generally sticks with the tried and true fertility treatments...checked in with me personally by either scheduling an office chat or a simple phone call...She did encourage us to transfer 2 fresh embryos
[UCSF] is a big clinic. Very difficult to get an appointment and their initial onboarding paperwork and insurance stuff was such a nightmare. I almost gave up before I started. However- once you complete your initial consult, you're like family there...there are tons of appointment times and chances for procedures, tests etc...She [the nurse] was great with emailing back promptly and answering my million questions. My only complaint is the fact that I didn't get to meet her in person until after my egg retrieval when I was prepping for FET
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Every meeting along the way has felt like a friendly conversation. She asks what I'm thinking/feeling about the next step. I share my concerns and questions. She offers a breakdown of the options with the pros and cons of each option. My husband and I side chat for a minute while she waits patiently. She always tells us to think it over and email her our decision about anything. I always feel important to her and I feel like she genuinely cares about us and wants us to succeed. She is a big reason I've decided to keep going on this difficult journey.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Dr. Huddleston sticks with evidence based practice. If there isn't a lot of research on it, she doesn't recommend it. If you're interested in some super new, cutting edge approach you'll have to bring it to the table yourself. She generally sticks with the tried and true fertility treatments. Which honestly is reassuring because I never felt like I was one of her experiments or getting unsold on fancy extras. She's an awesome doctor with amazing bedside manner.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Throughout my IVF journey, Dr. Huddleston has checked in with me personally by either scheduling an office chat or a simple phone call. When I hit an emotional road block and sent a crazy emotional email to the clinic saying I didn't want to do another cycle that month, she called me to ask how I was doing and what was going on that changed my mind. I was so touched- I asked her, "did you really just call to check on me?" She said "pretty much!". She's repeatedly encouraged me to do self-care and acknowledged how difficult this journey is.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We did estrogen patches for 7 days leading up to the egg retrieval month. Started injections on cycle day 1 (gonal F 150units, menopur daily). Office ultrasounds were cycle days 1,5,7. On cycle day 7 I began cetrotide in the morning. I then had ultrasounds days 9, 10, 11. Triggered with HCG on day 11. Egg retrieval was on day 13.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Brittany)
She was great with emailing back promptly and answering my million questions. My only complaint is the fact that I didn't get to meet her in person until after my egg retrieval when I was prepping for FET. Lab techs are all very nice and professional. Front desk folks are warm and kind. Everyone is really great at CRH.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
It is a big clinic. Very difficult to get an appointment and their initial onboarding paperwork and insurance stuff was such a nightmare. I almost gave up before I started. However- once you complete your initial consult, you're like family there. Its nice that its a big clinic because there are tons of appointment times and chances for procedures, tests etc. The facility is clean, peaceful, and modern. There is a nice restaurant/ bar within the building which makes for a great pit stop when you're not pregnant! Ha :)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
$12,800 for egg retrieval + ICSI $1,800 for embryo biopsy $2,000 PGS testing (ending up being free because of a study) $350 for injection meds $3,400 for frozen embryo transfer
Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
We were very firm about doing single embryo transfer. (We only had 2 frozen pgs normal embryos total). She was totally fine with this and never pushed us. On our second IVF cycle, we decided we would do a fresh transfer. She did encourage us to transfer 2 fresh embryos. I told her I was still very against transferring 2. She was fine with my decision but did tell me it would take longer for me to get pregnant.
10
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful
NPS
5
NPS
6
Age 34 - 35
4 Fertility Medications
Unexplained
European
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income $500K+
Marketer or PR
1st of 2 Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
Dr Noel was very warm during our initial consultation. She also called me personally when we needed to cancel my first IUI cycle because I "over responded" to the Letrazole...I don't think she was aggressive enough in my first set of treatments given my age and how many children I wanted. When I got a second option, the new Dr (who I prefer) told me she never would have started with fertility meds only without including IUI. I also had to cancel a cycle which I disagreed with (and the new Dr did also)
Communication was slow and difficult [at UCSF]. I had to write multiple portal messages to get an answer. When I had to cancel a cycle because of "over responding" to the medication and was asked to take a Plan B (which was devastating), I had to call/write multiple times to get through with advise on what to do and it was timely...is a big practice, associated with a university. They most certainly have quality doctors and nurses but because it was large didn't feel I got the dedicated, close care compared with the new clinic I am at now. For example, the nurse at my new clinic knows me by name and immediately answers my emails.
How was your experience with Martha Noel at UCSF?
I don't think she was aggressive enough in my first set of treatments given my age and how many children I wanted. When I got a second option, the new Dr (who I prefer) told me she never would have started with fertility meds only without including IUI. I also had to cancel a cycle which I disagreed with (and the new Dr did also)
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr Martha Noel is lovely and great at explaining things but for me she was too conservative/risk averse.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr Noel was very warm during our initial consultation. She also called me personally when we needed to cancel my first IUI cycle because I "over responded" to the Letrazole
Describe the protocols Martha Noel used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Letrazole 2.5mg for 3 months, then increase Letrazole + IUI
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
Communication was slow and difficult. I had to write multiple portal messages to get an answer. When I had to cancel a cycle because of "over responding" to the medication and was asked to take a Plan B (which was devastating), I had to call/write multiple times to get through with advise on what to do and it was timely.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF CRH is a big practice, associated with a university. They most certainly have quality doctors and nurses but because it was large didn't feel I got the dedicated, close care compared with the new clinic I am at now. For example, the nurse at my new clinic knows me by name and immediately answers my emails.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Martha Noel at UCSF.
1st Letrazole + TIC w/ monitoring - $1800! (through Progyny and I hadn't met my deductible so I paid the crazy insurance rate) 2nd and 3rd Letrazole + TIC w/ monitoring - $450 each b/c I paid out of pocket - basically paid for one ultrasound appointment
Describe Martha Noel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
n/a
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
  • Failed to call with results
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
1) I had a progesterone blood test to confirm ovulation and came back as 0 (did not ovulate) when I know I had. I demanded they run it again and it came back 26 (did ovulate) 2) I've had to call/email to get results of tests and/or inquire about my next protocol 3) I've had to call/email multiple times to get Rx's phoned in
5
Doctor
Martha Noel
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
6
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
3 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
2 of 5
Nursing Staff
2 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success
NPS
9
NPS
9
Age 35 - 36
2 IVF
Endometriosis
Unexplained
Latinx
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr. Anaya always followed up with us on all things IVF but also on procedures or events that were unrelated. She has been caring and honest...She has adjusted treatments to make us more successful (I.e. adjusted hormone dosage during 2nd egg retrieval, had me do an endometrial biopsy to see if endometriosis was present to treat during COVID-19 pause). She could have been more thorough with getting to the endometriosis diagnosis in the front end and not after a failed embryo transfer.
I got an endometrial biopsy [at UCSF] (which was incredibly painful) to determine if treatment for endometriosis was an option. A protein associated with endo was present so now I’m taking 2 monthly Lupron shots to slow down the endo and hopefully have a successful transfer in a few months...The staff really is top notch. Everyone from the receptionists, to the nurses to the MDs are great. I always feel very cared for when there. Your primary Dr will most likely not be the one doing the follicle ultrasounds or retrievals/transfers but we were always in excellent hands. We have seen our primary Dr in person once. Our approach as patients has been of trust so we’ve had a very decent experience.
How was your experience with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
Dr. Anaya has been very caring and open with us. She has adjusted treatments to make us more successful (I.e. adjusted hormone dosage during 2nd egg retrieval, had me do an endometrial biopsy to see if endometriosis was present to treat during COVID-19 pause). She could have been more thorough with getting to the endometriosis diagnosis in the front end and not after a failed embryo transfer.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
Be very thorough with your symptoms and do your research before the meeting/call with her as she’s great about debunking info and creating a treatment plan that everyone is comfortable with.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Yanett Anaya at UCSF?
Dr. Anaya always followed up with us on all things IVF but also on procedures or events that were unrelated. She has been caring and honest.
Describe the protocols Yanett Anaya used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
For the 2 egg retrievals, we yielded 43 eggs that became 4 embryos. The first transfer was 21 to 1 embryo which is why we opted for a 2nd round in which she modified one of the hormone doses (increased, forgot which one) and we had 22 to 3 embryos. We’ve only had 1 transfer which was unsuccessful and we don’t really know why so, during this pause, I got an endometrial biopsy (which was incredibly painful) to determine if treatment for endometriosis was an option. A protein associated with endo was present so now I’m taking 2 monthly Lupron shots to slow down the endo and hopefully have a successful transfer in a few months.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: There have been a few: Kat and Cheryl are the ones I remember )
Cheryl is not the most organized (made us bring paperwork in unnecessarily once) but responds very promptly and was very compassionate when she had to call and let me know the embryo transfer had failed.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
The staff really is top notch. Everyone from the receptionists, to the nurses to the MDs are great. I always feel very cared for when there. Your primary Dr will most likely not be the one doing the follicle ultrasounds or retrievals/transfers but we were always in excellent hands. We have seen our primary Dr in person once. Our approach as patients has been of trust so we’ve had a very decent experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Yanett Anaya at UCSF.
My insurance through work has covered most of my treatments. I have paid for some medicines, the genetic testing for my husband and I and the endometrial biopsy out of pocket (under 5k).
Describe Yanett Anaya's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
From what I’ve gathered, at UCSF they prefer to do single embryo transfers since the likelihood of a live birth (our goal) is higher.
9
Doctor
Yanett Anaya
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
9
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
2015 - 2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 37 - 42
4 IUI
1 IVF
Unexplained
European
Latinx
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Fertility Medications With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Due to the anatomy of my uterus and my age, Dr. Mok-Lin will only do a single embryo transfer...There is no option for me to risk having multiples...is a great listener. She has never made me feel she’s in a rush trying to get to the next patient. Additionally, she takes her time to explain the process and her suggestions. My husband is super analytical and always has many more questions for her and she always happily answers every single one. I love my relationship with her.
Maria [nurse at UCSF] is amazing!! I email her with questions all the time. She is very compassionate and friendly and she will spend all the time needed on the phone explaining the next steps and she will also email all the details...Very nice clinic and friendly staff with easy parking. The check in process is easy and they have several people to do it so you hardly ever wait in line. However, certain women at the check in counter take so long reviewing all the details to make sure they have your insurance, your correct address etc etc. I get it if it is the first time there, but for me, especially during treatment you go in multiple times a week and if I get this person to check me in, she’ll go through it all over again even when I say I was there a day ago, it is annoying.
How was your experience with Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?
I have been seeing Dr. Mok-Lin for several reasons since 2015. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have had my boy, period. He is a toddler now and I will be forever grateful to her and her team. Dr. Mok-Lin performed surgery on me to remove a septate uterus. It was a long and complicated process but she finally fixed it all and I became pregnant naturally. Now, due to unexplained infertility I completed 4 IUI’s and I got pregnant twice with a miscarriage and a cervical ectopic pregnancy. With this last one, which I found out during a routine ultrasound, I had to go through the embryo removal procedure that same moment. I was alone and terrified and my husband on a work trip. When Dr. Mok-Lin showed up in the room I was relieved and knew she would take care of me and everything would be fine. And it was! Now, I am in the process of IVF with FET. Dr. Mok-Lin has said she plans to do the transfer and I’m very excited for that. Because of the time she’s spent with me explaining the process I know what to expect but when I have questions, I send her an email and she responds clearly. Dr. Evelyn Mok-Lin is smart and knowledgeable, she listens and tries to please but only if she knows it is the best option for her patient. I have 100% confidence in her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?
That they may not always see her during appointments but she will be behind every decision concerning the patient.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?
Dr. Mok-Lin is a great listener. She has never made me feel she’s in a rush trying to get to the next patient. Additionally, she takes her time to explain the process and her suggestions. My husband is super analytical and always has many more questions for her and she always happily answers every single one. I love my relationship with her.
Describe the protocols Evelyn Mok-Lin used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
On the first round of IUI I took 100mg of clomid. I produced too many eggs so the procedure had to be cancelled. The other 4 rounds, 50mg of clomid and got pregnant twice but miscarried and had an cervical ectopic pregnancy. For egg retrieval, I only did it once using Cetrotide, Gonal F and Lupron. I can’t remember dosage :/
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Maria)
Maria is amazing!! I email her with questions all the time. She is very compassionate and friendly and she will spend all the time needed on the phone explaining the next steps and she will also email all the details. I absolutely love Maria.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Very nice clinic and friendly staff with easy parking. The check in process is easy and they have several people to do it so you hardly ever wait in line. However, certain women at the check in counter take so long reviewing all the details to make sure they have your insurance, your correct address etc etc. I get it if it is the first time there, but for me, especially during treatment you go in multiple times a week and if I get this person to check me in, she’ll go through it all over again even when I say I was there a day ago, it is annoying.
Describe Evelyn Mok-Lin's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Due to the anatomy of my uterus and my age, Dr. Mok-Lin will only do a single embryo transfer and I am okay with that. There is no option for me to risk having multiples.
10
Doctor
Evelyn Mok-Lin
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
2019 - 2020, Unknown Success
NPS
7
NPS
7
Age 47 - 48
Donor Eggs
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income $100K - $199K
2nd of 2 Docs
IVF With Other Docs
1 Embryo Freezing With Other Docs
Donor Sperm
Neutral
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr. Noel has a warm manner during consultations, offers good explanations and recommendations, while treating me like an intelligent partner. I'm not yet sure if she is adapting her treatment recommendations appropriately for me to get results, as I am still in the midst of treatment. Her coordinating staff and nurses, however, were always very rushed, and created additional stress in the process as they often seemed more focused on checking everything off their list than supporting me or providing information to me through the process.
I chose UCSF in large part because their donor egg program offered options that met my criteria - including some open donors (open to varying degrees to future contact with a child), and they seemed to follow relatively strong ethical practices in terms of the donor recruitment and screening. I was also attracted to their relatively strong outcomes data, and their research-based orientation. Their key weakness for me has been the support staff.
How was your experience with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr. Noel seemed to pay close attention to my case, read my history thoroughly before my first visit, reviewed donor history in depth, and took the time to answer my many questions. She seemed to be well-informed about the latest research and thoughtful about how it applied to me. However, we have encountered some unexpected challenges in my case and it's too early to say whether she will be able to adapt her approach to those to get a successful pregnancy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Martha Noel at UCSF?
Ask to be in touch with her by email directly, as her coordinating staff is fairly unhelpful, and then reach out to her sparingly with key medical questions. She is responsive by email, but very briefly, so use that channel only to get information on a clear, specific question.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Martha Noel at UCSF?
Dr. Noel has a warm manner during consultations, offers good explanations and recommendations, while treating me like an intelligent partner. I'm not yet sure if she is adapting her treatment recommendations appropriately for me to get results, as I am still in the midst of treatment. Her coordinating staff and nurses, however, were always very rushed, and created additional stress in the process as they often seemed more focused on checking everything off their list than supporting me or providing information to me through the process.
Describe the protocols Martha Noel used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Standard embryo transfer protocol: birth control pill for timing, Lupron, estradiol patches, and progesterone in oil shots in preparation for the transfer, with Medrol for a few days just before the transfer and Valium day of transfer. I responded well to the standard protocol, other than strong mood reactions to the birth control pill. UCSF's drug program is significantly discounted from other clinics.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Olga)
Olga, the nurse I worked with for two cycles, was extremely rushed every single time I spoke with her, and I grew to dread calls with her as I was always stressed after getting off of them. She shared unnecessary information that created additional stress, like telling me that there was going to be a lot of competition for transfer appointments in a certain timeframe. She also sometimes gave unclear instructions and was defensive about it when I asked for clarification on details (i.e. telling me to use estrogen patches at a certain time of day, and then when I asked a related question, telling me that she never told me that and giving a long explanation for how I couldn't possibly have heard what I heard). This same issue happened on both cycles, and I was careful in taking notes from our calls, so it was extremely frustrating to both have poor information and to then have her argue with me when I asked a non-confrontational question. Unlike a previous experience at another clinic, I never felt actual emotional support from the nursing staff at UCSF. When calling with a negative pregnancy test result, they clearly have been trained to say some of the right things, but it felt like a script. When I didn't want to schedule an embryo transfer for the day before one of my biggest work days of the year, and was feeling pressured by the nurse, she didn't show any understanding of my wanting to take my work commitments into consideration and by the end of the call, I was crying, frustrated, and anxious about the choices I'd made very quickly about scheduling such an important procedure. Thuy, Dr. Noel's coordinator, is a bit scattered and required a lot of follow-up to get my labs straight, as she would request labs she had received again, and fail to notice other missing labs. She also often seemed rushed, but was kind and responsive.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
I chose UCSF in large part because their donor egg program offered options that met my criteria - including some open donors (open to varying degrees to future contact with a child), and they seemed to follow relatively strong ethical practices in terms of the donor recruitment and screening. I was also attracted to their relatively strong outcomes data, and their research-based orientation. Their key weakness for me has been the support staff.
Describe Martha Noel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Strong preference for eSET but would have considered multiple embryo transfer after multiple unsuccessful cycles.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Lost paperwork
  • Lost appointments
  • Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
I had trouble getting all of my initial diagnostic lab results into my records. I had one phone appointment incorrectly cancelled.
7
Doctor
Martha Noel
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
7
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
3 of 5
Scheduling
3 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
1 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2015 - 2019, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 40 - 44
4 IVF
Donor Eggs
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Poor Egg Quality
Uterine Fibroids
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Egg Freezing With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
I would always ask Dr. Mok-Lin a million questions. And she would always answer them with a lot of insight and expertise. Every time she would explain to me how things would go or her feelings on something, she was always spot on. There were never any surprises, and I always felt very prepared mentally for what was to come...Her explanation for why they did multiple with my own eggs and only one with the donor made sense. And both times she was right!
I LOVE SHEM [nurse at UCSF]. She walked me through so many disappointing cycles and always always was so sweet and supportive. I couldn't have done that many cycles without her...At first I felt it was hard to see different doctor each time I would come in. It felt a little like moving through an assembly line. But each doctor was so nice and attentive, that I quickly became use to it. Also, I understand why they do that. With as often as you need to go in, it is nearly impossible to see the same doctor each time.
How was your experience with Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?
Dr. Mok-Lin has been my doctor for years, and I think that in itself says something. She always gave me the detailed facts and her advice when I would ask for her opinion. I am a detailed oriented person, and she would always help me understand the processes as they were happening. I couldn't be happier with her as a doctor and will hopefully return soon to see her again!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?
A close friend of mine did become a patient of hers and I didn't feel I needed to give her any advise.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?
Dr. Mok-Lin was always very aware and sensitive to my situation, but also was very honest with me, which I asked for and very much appreciate. She was always very professional, and very responsive to any questions I had. When there was bad news she made sure to call me herself, which I have always appreciated.
Describe the protocols Evelyn Mok-Lin used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
I would always ask Dr. Mok-Lin a million questions. And she would always answer them with a lot of insight and expertise. Every time she would explain to me how things would go or her feelings on something, she was always spot on. There were never any surprises, and I always felt very prepared mentally for what was to come.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
I LOVE SHEM. She walked me through so many disappointing cycles and always always was so sweet and supportive. I couldn't have done that many cycles without her.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
At first I felt it was hard to see different doctor each time I would come in. It felt a little like moving through an assembly line. But each doctor was so nice and attentive, that I quickly became use to it. Also, I understand why they do that. With as often as you need to go in, it is nearly impossible to see the same doctor each time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF.
I went through so many cycles and different treatments over the course of 4-5 years, I honestly couldn't start to remember
Describe Evelyn Mok-Lin's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Her explanation for why they did multiple with my own eggs and only one with the donor made sense. And both times she was right!
10
Doctor
Evelyn Mok-Lin
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unknown Success
NPS
8
NPS
7
Age 33
1 IUI
Unexplained
Consultant
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Not sure
[Dr. Huddleston] took the time to answer any questions we have. But I’m pretty sure she will not remember me if I were to speak with her today...never felt like she was rushing us out the door...set a plan for us in place that was easy to follow. I don’t think she made us do anything too extreme or unnecessary as she knew we were paying out of pocket...recommended that we keep trying naturally or can do an IUI...
It’s [UCSF] a huge clinic. Without the coordinator, one can get lost quite easily...expensive if you have to pay out of pocket...answer questions promptly thought email...able to book appointments quickly...[staff] made my husband wait while her “computer loads” so he can pay - while he was holding a specimen cup...had doctors tell me that this is a world class facility/doctors...But I’m still not pregnant yet...
How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
She answered any questions we had and stated that she has high hopes for us, but still no success yet. I never felt like she was rushing us out the door. She set a plan for us in place that was easy to follow. I don’t think she made us do anything too extreme or unnecessary as she knew we were paying out of pocket. I think she has good bedside manner and overall a good fertility doctor. I will continue to see her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
My advice would be to prepare any questions ahead of time - write them down.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?
Huddleston took the time to answer any questions we have. But I’m pretty sure she will not remember me if I were to speak with her today.
Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
We first did a consultation. She then recommended my partner to do a sperm analysis and I do multiple labwork and hsg. We then had another consultation with her and she gave us the results. She recommended that we keep trying naturally or can do an IUI. A few months later, we tried our first cycle of IUI but it was negative. Then this covid thing happened and my partner and I decided to hold off for now. Huddleston never pushed any procedures on us and I really appreciate that.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Janlyn)
I really like Huddleston’s staff. They answer questions promptly thought email. They are able to book appointments quickly. I never had any issues with the coordinating team. However, there was one lady who works front desk that both me and my partner do not like. Every time I get her, she has me standing 5-10 mins to check me in. Other front desk staff had me checked in within 1 minute. Another time, she made my husband wait while her “computer loads” so he can pay - while he was holding a specimen cup. Couldn’t we just pay after the drop off? Yes, it may be a policy issue but her slow pace work style didn’t help the situation.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
It’s a huge clinic. Without the coordinator, one can get lost quite easily. It is also very expensive if you have to pay out of pocket as we do. I have had doctors tell me that this is a world class facility/doctors and it’s literally the best place to go for treatment. But I’m still not pregnant yet.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.
$290 for each consultation/clinic visit, $29 for semen analysis, $1200+ for HSG, $1566 for the basic IUI package (ultrasound and insemination), bloodwork was covered by my insurance.
8
Doctor
Heather Huddleston
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
7
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unsuccessful
NPS
8
NPS
10
Age 30
1 IVF
PCOS
Income $50K - $99K
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Unsuccessful
Dr. Cedars will strongly encourage an elective single embryo transfer...is very intelligent and is very busy. More times than not you will be seeing others doctors on her time, all of which who are very friendly and have good bedside manner...the medications she prescribed for my egg retrieval were spot on. I was at risk for Hyper Ovarian Stimulation and she wanted to keep my dosage pretty low, we got a FANTASTIC result, of 31 eggs retrieved, 14 of which turned into 5-6 day blastocysts. When it came to my first transfer, we did a transfer without antagonist. The first transfer did not result in pregnancy, and now we are awaiting an appointment to change our protocol.
We did Two Round Success Plan with ARC Financing [at UCSF]. It was around $40k for that...the meds here are significantly discounted...meaning you maybe pay a few hundred for all the meds here versus 5-6k. The PGS testing we had done on our embryos was somewhere around 2-3k...It can sometimes feel like you get lost in the shuffle, as there's not a lot of support like you might receive from smaller clinics. For example, when we were waiting to see what embryos made it to blastocyst, while some clinics would call you on Day 1, 3, 5, 6... we didn't get a call until Day 7 with the results. So its definitely less personal that way.. but I find the knowledge of the doctors far outweighs the support I may receive during the process. This is however something they could majorly improve on.
How was your experience with Marcelle Cedars at UCSF?
While I didn't see Dr. Cedars very often, the medications she prescribed for my egg retrieval were spot on. I was at risk for Hyper Ovarian Stimulation and she wanted to keep my dosage pretty low, we got a FANTASTIC result, of 31 eggs retrieved, 14 of which turned into 5-6 day blastocysts. When it came to my first transfer, we did a transfer without antagonist. The first transfer did not result in pregnancy, and now we are awaiting an appointment to change our protocol.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Marcelle Cedars at UCSF?
Ask as many questions as you like, she's very knowledgeable and understanding.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Marcelle Cedars at UCSF?
Dr. Cedars is very intelligent and is very busy. More times than not you will be seeing others doctors on her time, all of which who are very friendly and have good bedside manner.
Describe the protocols Marcelle Cedars used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
The treatment strategy for my egg retrieval was very successful. The treatment strategy for my first transfer didn't result in pregnancy, although my lining was really good (14 mm), so will be looking to change the protocol.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Katherine Porras)
The nursing staff at UCSF is very kind and compassionate. I found if I need an immediate response to select their immediate care line, otherwise emailing my care team, they were usually responsive within 24 hours.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
It can sometimes feel like you get lost in the shuffle, as there's not a lot of support like you might receive from smaller clinics. For example, when we were waiting to see what embryos made it to blastocyst, while some clinics would call you on Day 1, 3, 5, 6... we didn't get a call until Day 7 with the results. So its definitely less personal that way.. but I find the knowledge of the doctors far outweighs the support I may receive during the process. This is however something they could majorly improve on.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Marcelle Cedars at UCSF.
We did Two Round Success Plan with ARC Financing. It was around $40k for that... the meds here are significantly discounted... meaning you maybe pay a few hundred for all the meds here versus 5-6k. The PGS testing we had done on our embryos was somewhere around 2-3k.
Describe Marcelle Cedars's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Dr. Cedars will strongly encourage an elective single embryo transfer.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
Regarding the embryos that made it to blastocyst, I didn't feel as supported as I would have maybe preferred. Calling on Day 7 isn't the greatest when its already an anxiety ridden process. Also when I got my embryo transfer there were zero calls or emails of support wondering how I was doing, which I think a clinic should implement as it is a very hard (and seems like long), and emotional waiting period.
8
Doctor
Marcelle Cedars
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
10
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unknown Success
NPS
6
NPS
7
Age 30
1 IUI
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Poor Egg Quality
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Consultant
Only Doc Seen
Doesn't Recommend
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Saw him [Dr. Mitch Rosen] once and all subsequent visits were with nurses and attending physicians...After my first cycle it was clear adjustments needed to be made, but I was told the next cycle would proceed exactly as before. It wasn't until after 2 cycles that a nurse called to get detailed feedback for her rounds with Dr Rosen and my treatment was adjusted for cycle 3...Switched to letrazole because Clomid caused thin uterine lining on cycle 1. Moving ultrasound up to day 9.
$2000 per cycle of IUI billed to my insurance. Breakdown not provided...Be aware that UCSF is a big hospital and doctors do not review results as frequently as they should...Needed to take care into my own hands, or else major mistakes would have been made: cycle 1 - was told no need to use OPKs, ended up using them anyway and found out I was ovulating naturally ahead of schedule, needed to move up insemination date. cycle 2 - unexpected business travel for husband meant we could miss our insemination window. Was told we can make last minute appointment in case timing worked out. Nurse did not realize / failed to tell me additional insurance approval was needed and was not requested for this cycle, ended up missing opportunity to do full IUI.
How was your experience with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
After my first cycle it was clear adjustments needed to be made, but I was told the next cycle would proceed exactly as before. It wasn't until after 2 cycles that a nurse called to get detailed feedback for her rounds with Dr Rosen and my treatment was adjusted for cycle 3.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
Be aware that UCSF is a big hospital and doctors do not review results as frequently as they should.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?
Saw him once and all subsequent visits were with nurses and attending physicians. My treatment was not adjusted until 2 cycles in.
Describe the protocols Mitch Rosen used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
IUI cycle 1: Clomid 50 mg for days 2-7, ultrasound on day 10, trigger shot on day 11, insemination planned for day 13 but moved up to day 12 because I observed LH surge on OPK test on day 11. IUI cycle 2: same as cycle 1. Cancelled ultrasound & insemination because of timing conflict with husband's work travel, still took Clomid + timed intercourse. IUI cycle 3 (in progress): Adjusted treatment based on result from cycle 1. Switched to letrazole because Clomid caused thin uterine lining on cycle 1. Moving ultrasound up to day 9.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Cathy)
Needed to take care into my own hands, or else major mistakes would have been made: cycle 1 - was told no need to use OPKs, ended up using them anyway and found out I was ovulating naturally ahead of schedule, needed to move up insemination date. cycle 2 - unexpected business travel for husband meant we could miss our insemination window. Was told we can make last minute appointment in case timing worked out. Nurse did not realize / failed to tell me additional insurance approval was needed and was not requested for this cycle, ended up missing opportunity to do full IUI.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Seems to be experienced and reputable, but I was prepared to be very involved in my own care going into it based on reviews I read - and I was right to do so because staff and nurses made erros. Is probably cheaper than private clinics but don't know for sure.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mitch Rosen at UCSF.
$2000 per cycle of IUI billed to my insurance. Breakdown not provided
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
  • Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
Communication between billing team and nurse = nonexistant. Nurse was not aware of my insurance pre-approval requirements which resulted in cancelled cycle. Also had trouble sending prescriptions to my insurer's pharmacy and required intervention from my end.
6
Doctor
Mitch Rosen
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
2 of 5
7
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5