Dr Dokras seems very knowledgeable, but she is conservative (self-admitted) in her approach - both with medications/dosages and with risk factors (testing required for any existing health issues prior to IVF treatments and number of embryos transferred).
Wait times [at UPenn Fertility Care] or appointments can vary anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes. The staff have always been very apologetic if the wait time was on the longer side. Front desk staff have always been polite and pleasant....We were lucky to have IVF coverage through our insurance and only had to pay 10% deductible and co-pays. The financial counselors at the clinic were very helpful in confirming our insurance coverage and explaining to us what our remaining cost would be for each procedure before starting that treatment.
How was your experience with Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr Dokras seems very knowledgeable, but she is conservative (self-admitted) in her approach - both with medications/dosages and with risk factors (testing required for any existing health issues prior to IVF treatments and number of embryos transferred).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care?
Ask as many questions as you need and do you own research, but trust your doctor while in the middle of treatment - they do have a plan even if you don't understand all aspects of it!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr Dokras always asked how we felt about our options or next steps that we just discussed and if we were comfortable with them before ending the appointments.
Describe the protocols Anuja Dokras used in your cycles at Penn Fertility Care and their degree of success.
I was on a hyper response IVF protocol due to having PCOS (my understanding of it is that lower doses of injectible meds are used to avoid overstimulating the ovaries). My stimulation phase took several days longer than expected, which meant having to order additional meds, but the eggs produced were very good quality even though the total number was not as high as might be expected with a regular IVF cycle. We ended up with 6 high quality 5 day embryos from that cycle.
Describe your experience with Penn Fertility Care.
Wait times for appointments can vary anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes. The staff have always been very apologetic if the wait time was on the longer side. Front desk staff have always been polite and pleasant.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care.
We were lucky to have IVF coverage through our insurance and only had to pay 10% deductible and co-pays. The financial counselors at the clinic were very helpful in confirming our insurance coverage and explaining to us what our remaining cost would be for each procedure before starting that treatment.
she misdiagnosed my husband's sperm results. She opened his results in front of me and said they were normal. Two months later when I was requesting a copy of all our results, I noticed his results were not normal! These results directly impacted our treatment plan and NO ONE ever called to tell us. It is horrible that she misread the test results as I was sitting in front of her. Finally, UPenn pushes all women directly to IUI. They didn't even offer the suggestion of IUI vs. bedroom. I feel like UPenn is out to make money and they do not put the patient first.
I think that Penn is VERY expensive. When I met with their financial rep, she said that IUIs typically bill out at $5,000. Also, they billed all of my diagnostic testing as 'infertility' so my tests started billing against my insurance lifetime maximum. I felt like they were sucking my few insurance dollars dry. In terms of the clinic, it is clean and typically runs on time. It was rare that I had to wait over 15 minutes.
How was your experience with Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr Dokras obviously never remembered me. She re-introduced herself to me on several visits. I know she sees a lot of people but she could skim my chart for 5 seconds and realize I have been in her office before. Furthermore, she misdiagnosed my husband's sperm results. She opened his results in front of me and said they were normal. Two months later when I was requesting a copy of all our results, I noticed his results were not normal! These results directly impacted our treatment plan and NO ONE ever called to tell us. It is horrible that she misread the test results as I was sitting in front of her. Finally, UPenn pushes all women directly to IUI. They didn't even offer the suggestion of IUI vs. bedroom. I feel like UPenn is out to make money and they do not put the patient first.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care?
Request a hard copy of all your results. Do not trust the verbal diagnosis.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr Dokras spent very little time with me on my first visits. She made zero effort to connect with me as a person and I felt like she was a robot just asking me questions and putting them into her EMR system.
Describe the protocols Anuja Dokras used in your cycles at Penn Fertility Care and their degree of success.
Dr Dokras tried to push me immediately to IUI procedures. She did not even offer Clomid and regular intercourse as an option. It was only after I did research and I asked direct questions that she mentioned it was possible. Also, she did not talk about the plan if the IUI didn't work. I had no idea how long I would be doing Clomid and IUIs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Penn Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Beth)
I liked my RN, Beth, and the other RNs that i spoke with. They were more willing to answer questions and explain things than Dr Dokras. They seemed to be the only ones understanding my care.
Describe your experience with Penn Fertility Care.
I think that Penn is VERY expensive. When I met with their financial rep, she said that IUIs typically bill out at $5,000. Also, they billed all of my diagnostic testing as 'infertility' so my tests started billing against my insurance lifetime maximum. I felt like they were sucking my few insurance dollars dry.
In terms of the clinic, it is clean and typically runs on time. It was rare that I had to wait over 15 minutes.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care.
This clinic is very expensive. They think you will pay any amount for their brand name. IUIs bill out to insurance around $5k and IVF bills out around $22k
What specific things went wrong at Penn Fertility Care?
Failed to call with results
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Penn Fertility Care.
On my second cycle with Clomid, the clinic called to tell me that I didn't ovulate and that I should be increasing my dosage for the next cycle. It was frustrating because I had my menstrual cycle so I did ovulate. They communicated incorrect results and seemed to incorrectly increase my meds as a result.
Also, when I went to get a second opinion and asked for my records, it took over 6 weeks and multiple follow-up calls. They couldn't find my husband's results for weeks. This was a large problem - since they misdiagnosed him as I have mentioned previously. Based on his results, they should have recommended we move to IVF because IUI would never have been successful. Instead, I had 4 months on Clomid that were not necessary.
Despite her busy schedule, she [Dr. Anuja Dokras] always remembers my face and I love the personal approach that I receive...responds very quickly like within in the hour if I have to ask a question via the patient portal...thoroughly understands women who are diagnosed with PCOS and she is an expert in the field...has fit me in her schedule when I needed to schedule emergency appointments at the last minute due to my health issues.
The clinic [Penn Fertility Care] is small in comparison to other fertility clinics. It feels more personal and not like a sales office...not pushy with trying to sell services i.e. IVF packages, etc. I thoroughly enjoy that as you can go at your own comfort level , process what you need and the support is there if needed...The team is very compassionate and caring. They respond quickly to any inquiries that are made on the patient portal.
How was your experience with Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr. Dorkas has very great bedside manners, she takes her time to explain things ,and has a very compassionate approach. You are treated as a human being and not as a number. Despite her busy schedule, she always remembers my face and I love the personal approach that I receive. Dr. Dorkas responds very quickly like within in the hour if I have to ask a question via the patient portal. She thoroughly understands women who are diagnosed with PCOS and she is an expert in the field.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr. Dorkas and her staff are wonderful. If you are someone who has PCOS or suspect you may have PCOS, I would highly recommend her as a physician. Dr. Dorkas has a wonderful personal approach, you will not be disappointed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Anuja Dokras at Penn Fertility Care?
Dr. Dorkas is very compassionate and has a gentle approach for women who dealing with very difficult obstacles in their lives. She takes her time to explain things thoroughly; not only with you as the patient but with your significant other. Dr.Dorkas has fit me in her schedule when I needed to schedule emergency appointments at the last minute due to my health issues. I am truly blessed to be under her care and am hoping for my little miracle to bestowed into my life.
Describe the protocols Anuja Dokras used in your cycles at Penn Fertility Care and their degree of success.
Dr. Dorkas has treated my PCOS with Metformin 500 mg. Additionally, I suffer from irregular menses and endometrial polyps, which she has treated with Medroxyprogrestrone 10 mg. Lastly, Dr. Dorkas has prescribed Letrozole in combination with timed intercourse.
Unfortunately, my husband and I were not successful in getting pregnant. We will be exploring IVF treatment with Dr. Dorkas in the coming months.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Penn Fertility Care.
The nursing staff at Penn Fertility are amazing. The team is very compassionate and caring. They respond quickly to any inquiries that are made on the patient portal.
Describe your experience with Penn Fertility Care.
The clinic is small in comparison to other fertility clinics. It feels more personal and not like a sales office. The clinic is not pushy with trying to sell services i.e. IVF packages, etc. I thoroughly enjoy that as you can go at your own comfort level , process what you need and the support is there if needed.