Dr. Goldschlag is nice when you see him for sure. I will say he did go out of his way one time to call me, when I wanted to speak to him before one of my retrievals. He is very straightforward, so if you're looking for compassion after a setback, you won't get it from him. I'd always come to follow up appointments with him with many questions. He knows his stuff, and always uses science and data to back up his reasons as far as why he would or would not recommend a certain approach. You can tell he is extremely knowledgable. With that said, I wish it was Dr. Goldschlag who called me following a negative pregnancy test result, or a chemical pregnancy result.
[Weill Cornell Medical College] Strengths: top notch embryology lab...They are the best of the best. Weaknesses: very crowded, the doctors take on ton of patients, based on my experience the personalized care is not there. However if you're looking for results, I would say do not shy away from Cornell. They are an extremely well oiled machine with proven success...There is no empathy from the nursing team.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is nice when you see him for sure. I will say he did go out of his way one time to call me, when I wanted to speak to him before one of my retrievals. He is very straightforward, so if you're looking for compassion after a setback, you won't get it from him. I'd always come to follow up appointments with him with many questions. He knows his stuff, and always uses science and data to back up his reasons as far as why he would or would not recommend a certain approach. You can tell he is extremely knowledgable. With that said, I wish it was Dr. Goldschlag who called me following a negative pregnancy test result, or a chemical pregnancy result. There is so much at stake here for us; physically, emotionally, financially. And for me personally, I would have appreciated a phone call from him vs a nurse telling me the news and just leaving me hanging with many questions. Both times following my IVF cycle I had to schedule a follow up with the doctor myself if I wanted to talk to him, and those follow up conversations did not happen for 4 weeks. A chemical from IVF is truly an emotional rollercoaster, and to have to wait 4 weeks to have questions answered seems not right.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is incredibly smart and has good success rates. If you're looking for a warm and fuzzy, more personable experience, it may not be best to go with him. You can tell he treats a ton of patients at once, so you're not going to have the connection you may be looking for. If you're looking for results, from what I've seen he is your guy. Unfortunately however I did not have the results to show for my cycles.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I truly felt like a number. My husband and I chose Cornell due to the high success rates of IVF + the reputation of the embryologist team & lab. Morning monitoring is always packed, and you definitely do not receive the warm & fuzzy feelings from the nurses. Even my nurse who would call me daily (during 2 IVF cycles), was not personable. My results post-transfer were delivered both times from the nurse as well which I did not appreciate.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I had the same nurse for both of my IVF cycles and you would think after my first failed one there would be some compassion. It was impossible to get in touch, I always had to leave messages if I had questions. The calls would come at different times every day. I had to wait until after 5pm on the day of my beta test for one of my IVF cycles which was agonizing & unfair. There is no empathy from the nursing team.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Strengths: top notch embryology lab. Cornell's IVF website is literally ivf.org. They are the best of the best.
Weaknesses: very crowded, the doctors take on ton of patients, based on my experience the personalized care is not there. However if you're looking for results, I would say do not shy away from Cornell. They are an extremely well oiled machine with proven success.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Very crowded, but also efficient.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
~18k all in for IVF cycle (including medication costs and NOT including monitoring such as labs and ultrasound)
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Goldschlag is open to multiple embryo transfer, but will definitely make the decision based on the individual and makes sure you are open to the risks (I.e. multiples).
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He [Dr. Goldschlag] reported that the number and quality of my eggs are very low and may not be that great...During appointments I could hardly hear what he was saying as he ultrasounded me. I would ask questions and get no answer. I would then email him still no answer, I would call his office and still no answers. Turns out he wrote in my chart patient has many questions one day. All of those questions were still unanswered.
Never really got to know anyone in particular [at Weill Cornell] except the front desk when I had to leave after waiting over an hour and a half and had to go to work. There was one lady who made fun of me for going to the clinic as I was told I should by dr G. for my trigger injection...didn’t tell me the protocols of how much estrogen and when. The didn’t tell me when to start the clomid and one time it was too late and I already had a follicle and then he scoffed at me that if I took it I may have more eggs but the probably would all be defective if I took it. I didn’t know it was category x
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He seemed to have a hard time making direct eye contact with me especially when I asked questions or he was explaining things during my ultrasounds. He was very submissive of my questions that started with based on my research (of which I meant scholarly articles since I too am a doctor, I may be a doctor of physical therapy however I understand researching) what do you think about diet, supplements, acupuncture, and my other issues anxiety, low iron, stress, lack of progesterone etc.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Demand eye contact.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
We went after researching many. After meeting him my husband seemed to like him, so we stayed initially. He kinda laughed at us the first day “why are you here? Did you know you are one of my youngest clients. This should be pretty easy.” After my blood work was taken he then called us in. He said that my husbands numbers were “low that day but he may have masturbated to recently to the data so he is probably fine. The reason he sometimes could not ejaculate was most like because,” turns to me, without looking at me, “the stress that is placed on him.”
“(My) numbers aren’t terrible but aren’t great as my AMH IS 0.55. So we are going to treat you like a much older woman well into her 40s.” All without eye contact. I had to pipe up and ask what amh meant again. We were pretty new to all of this. I really wasn’t sure. He reported that the number and quality of my eggs are very low and may not be that great.
I’m still having a hard time forgetting. “Not terrible”.
During appointments I could hardly hear what he was saying as he ultrasounded me. I would ask questions and get no answer. I would then email him still no answer, I would call his office and still no answers. Turns out he wrote in my chart patient has many questions one day. All of those questions were still unanswered. I finally got my husband to ask after realizing DrG rarely made eye contact with me. He finally answered my husband the same questions I had been asking a few cycles ago.
After that I was done with him. I took a break, cleaned up my diet, got some other hormones checked and took supplements. Now we are meeting with a new doctor who already explained the most of that was a waste of time for me.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Natural timing, clomid 50 with iui, estrogen patches with natural, climbs 150 with iui.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Never really got to know anyone in particular except the front desk when I had to leave after waiting over an hour and a half and had to go to work. There was one lady who made fun of me for going to the clinic as I was told I should by dr G. for my trigger injection.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Strengths multiple doctors.
Weakness you may still wait to get seen for hours. You will see other doctors. I had no idea I was supposed to keep a full bladder for the iui. I had been drinking water that entire morning waiting for my husband etc but thought I should use the restroom bc I really had to go and was worried it my hurt if they had to open my cervix and didn’t want to pee on the table so I quickly ran to the bathroom. Hearing that doctor complain about me ruining her morning making her job so much harder was horrible. Making me think that bc my bladder wasn’t full I was another reason my iui failed.
Cold voicemails to tell you that The blood test was negative for your pregnancy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
400/ ultrasound
I think it was $2000 for the iui
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
N/a
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost appointments
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
They forgot to fax the medication prescription and then were mad at me bc I didn’t have it. The didn’t tell me the protocols of how much estrogen and when. The didn’t tell me when to start the clomid and one time it was too late and I already had a follicle and then he scoffed at me that if I took it I may have more eggs but the probably would all be defective if I took it. I didn’t know it was category x
He [Dr. Goldschlag] is thoughtful and patient. Allows me to voice all my questions and concerns. Doesn’t pressure me about tough decisions or pass judgement. He is happy to consult with other doctors on my behalf, and regularly calls me to follow up with questions.... Upon suffering from secondary infertility, Dr. goldschlag oversaw my fertility treatment through: IUI, IVF, PGS testing. HSG, treatment of ectopic pregnancy.
I am a private person, so I Was sometimes annoyed by the very public systems (shouting my full name to call me into an appointment), but the staff [Weill Cornell] is generally very kind. I have struggled with the call-back systems... In the past 2 years, I sometimes had a nurse forget to call in a prescription, or I received conflicting information from a nurse vs. my doctor... She is compassionate and funny (when applicable). Mainly, she’s thoughtful cares about our communication and my questions.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He is thoughtful and patient. Allows me to voice all my questions and concerns. Doesn’t pressure me about tough decisions or pass judgement. He is happy to consult with other doctors on my behalf, and regularly calls me to follow up with questions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Don’t be shy. Ask all the questions you have.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He is kind, patient, and professional. Never pushy. Willing to discuss any questions. Doesn’t involve his ego or alternative agendas. I know he really cares.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Upon suffering from secondary infertility, Dr. goldschlag oversaw my fertility treatment through: IUI, IVF, PGS testing. HSG, treatment of ectopic pregnancy. Fluid aspiration. Uterine biopsy. Fresh embryo transfer, frozen embryo transfer. Reconstructive c-section scar surgery. Hysteroscopy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Tamara)
She is compassionate and funny (when applicable). Mainly, she’s thoughtful cares about our communication and my questions.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
I am a private person, so I
Was sometimes annoyed by the very public systems (shouting my full name to call me into an appointment), but the staff is generally very kind. I have struggled with the call-back systems, but I think that’s par for the course.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
There were often a lot of people there, but I was seen in a logical “first come, first serve” fashion.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
45K through insurance, approx. 150K out of pocket
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
He advised me on the risk of multiples, but allowed me to make the decision on how many embryos to transfer.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
In the past 2 years, I sometimes had a nurse forget to call in a prescription, or I received conflicting information from a nurse vs. my doctor; I was able to catch the misalignment and follow up to have those issues fixed. Dr. Goldschlag made an effort to assign me 1-2 trusted nurses to handle my calls so I felt more secure.
Dr Goldschlag always seemed positive and hopeful, yet is realistic in discussing options and recommendations with me. He is supportive and kind, and I trust his insight. I liked that I could typically see him for monitoring, and if he was in the clinic on the day of IUI he would certainly do the procedure once requested.... At times it is easy to feel like a number when waiting in the Cornell waiting room, but now that they take appointments for monitoring it felt more human- I knew who I’d be seeing, and have a general sense of how long I’d be waiting.
At times it is easy to feel like a number when waiting in the Cornell waiting room, but now that they take appointments for monitoring it felt more human- I knew who I’d be seeing, and have a general sense of how long I’d be waiting....I didn’t always feel like they were the best or most efficient communicators. I often waited until 5-6pm to get instructions; and even waited till that time for results of a pregnancy test. When I called and left messages w questions they typically called back within a few hours.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Goldschlag always seemed positive and hopeful, yet is realistic in discussing options and recommendations with me. He is supportive and kind, and I trust his insight. I liked that I could typically see him for monitoring, and if he was in the clinic on the day of IUI he would certainly do the procedure once requested.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Ask questions! He seems willing to discuss and give info about any questions I have- I just need to be prepared with them :)
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
At times it is easy to feel like a number when waiting in the Cornell waiting room, but now that they take appointments for monitoring it felt more human- I knew who I’d be seeing, and have a general sense of how long I’d be waiting. Additionally, once in the room with Dr Goldshlag I felt understood and well taken care of.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I had a successful (yet complicated pregnancy) IUI cycle using Follistim and Ovidrel I. 2016-17. When I returned for continued treatment we attempted first to use clomid and letrozole to lower the chance of multiples. I didn’t respond to those so now I’m back to using Gonal F. So far, I’ve been responding but unsuccessful.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I didn’t always feel like they were the best or most efficient communicators. I often waited until 5-6pm to get instructions; and even waited till that time for results of a pregnancy test. When I called and left messages w questions they typically called back within a few hours. There were times I was given misinformation and had to push/ask them to clarify w the doctor because the nurse told me something different than he said earlier that same day.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
I had issues with prior authorization for one of the medications I needed/ they totally dropped the ball on it- telling me it would take 2 weeks for an answer; when I already waited 2 weeks and needed the meds already...I needed to follow up multiple times for that to be resolved. Otherwise, I had an overall positive experience w the clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
So far insurance has covered all of my procedures, and I’ve needed to pay a copay for each visit.
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I haven’t yet done IVF but in consultation about it, i was told that it would depend on embryo quality.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I had to be on top of making sure meds were called in. One time I asked if I should order more before the weekend, and I was told I would have enough. I ended up running out, and needed to run around town finding the meds and paying out of pocket since it wasn’t the specialty pharmacy that insurance covered.
I love Dr. Goldschlag, for me, I want to have all the answers and he is always calmly and patiently answered all my questions. ... Dr. Goldschlag is a human above all, he cares about you, compassionate, calm, and tells it as it is. He does not make false promises. Very serious, very meticulous and very specific in a good way. ... The first cycle we did with him the meds were not working, he took me aside and said, let's try again next month and try iui instead, bc the insurance will only cover one cycle.
The clinic is modern and clean, quiet, everyone is very patient with you, caring and understanding of your needs and situation. At cCornell monitoring is super precise you go every other day or every day as needed. ... All of the staff has been super helpful and attentive to my needs, returning all my calls in a timely manner and taking care of everything I needed.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is a human above all, he cares about you, compassionate, calm, and tells it as it is. He does not make false promises. Very serious, very meticulous and very specific in a good way. I love working with him, I always felt he had me and the success of my pregnancy in mind, while always telling me what the options are without forcing his opinion. I felt like I was a part of the process.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Ask everything you want to know, he will answer everything calmly, explain every step and will make sure you have all the answers before you go. He never lets you feel like he is too busy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I love Dr. Goldschlag, for me, I want to have all the answers and he is always calmly and patiently answered all my questions. When my IVF cycle did not go as planned he was more concerned about me and requested we try another cycle (low follicles), when I had to have a surgery in the uterus he did it and was with me along the way recommending we freeze the embryos rather than trying fresh first, and when I had a transfer he called me that same morning to convince me to transfer only one, which I am so happy I did. He really cares about you and the success of the process.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
The first cycle we did with him the meds were not working, he took me aside and said, let's try again next month and try iui instead, bc the insurance will only cover one cycle. The next cycle we upped the hormones and added lupron, also this cycle, he preferred we wait another day to get more eggs ready, he told me his idea and his concerns, it resulted in 11 eggs and 3 day 5-6 embryos. Than mid cycle, one of the other doctors saw something in my uterus, Dr Goldschlag recommended we take it out bc of the strategic location, we did. I got pregnant naturally right after, he took care of me, but I had a miscarriage, we did a transfer right after which resulted in a beautiful boy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Samara)
All of the staff has been super helpful and attentive to my needs, returning all my calls in a timely manner and taking care of everything I needed.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Organized, great hours, great staff. The clinic is modern and clean, quiet, everyone is very patient with you, caring and understanding of your needs and situation. At cCornell monitoring is super precise you go every other day or every day as needed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
We had insurance for some, it was not cheap either way.
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Yes, he called me the day of the transfer and asked we reconsider transferring only one. We did.
During my treatment I never once felt like [Dr. Goldschlag] cared about the outcome...He never took time to explain or interpret anything for me. Just did whatever clinical piece without talking, commenting. Made me feel like a bother for asking questions. Also felt weirdly uncomfortable during all our interactions. Gives the impression he’d rather be anywhere else...
You feel like a cog in a wheel waiting and being ushered from blood work to ultrasound and out again. Barely anyone talks or makes eye contact even...I found the entire experience to be degrading, stressful, impersonal, and sad. Communication was poor at every level...The [Weill Cornel MC] clinic also was extremely difficult to work with when I tried to move my embryos to another clinic
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
We were only able to do one cycle to create embryos for the purpose of fertility preservation before I started chemotherapy. My first visit with this doctor was awkward. He didn’t seem interested in answering any of my questions. He did blood work and a scan and explained zero about what he was doing or what any of it would mean. Especially being completely unfamiliar with the reproductive medicine world, you’d think he would take the time to do so. Also given that I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer you’d think he would present with some empathy or concern, but he never did. My biggest complaint is his guidance of PGS testing. We were not presented with good information by him. That he never advised us to test and we have since had zero children from the 3 embryos created, while also wasting 3 years and over $100+ Dollars on transfers, it’s absolutely infuriating. If he’d cared at all to look at our personal situation and given us actual professional medical advice I would imagine things might have worked out differently. He never bothered to call or reach out to let us know the outcome of our ivf cycle. I had to wait a year until I scheduled a follow up appointment to find out the number and grading of our embryos. Again, if he’d communicated that information to us in real time maybe we would have proceeded differently. Instead I am sitting here aged 39 post chemo with an Amh of near nothing with no hope of having a biological child.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Use another doctor. If you must use this one demand more information tailored to your specific situation. Be insistent about it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
During my treatment I never once felt like this man cared about the outcome. I had fertility preservation (egg retrieval and embryo creation) prior to starting chemo therapy. Everything was so deeply impersonal. There was never a shred of concern or acknowledgment that this was our ONE and only single shot at creating embryos. The situation was dire and he didn’t treat it as such. He never took time to explain or interpret anything for me. Just did whatever clinical piece without talking, commenting. Made me feel like a bother for asking questions. Also felt weirdly uncomfortable during all our interactions. Gives the impression he’d rather be anywhere else.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
No information was relayed to me about strategies or why a certain protocol was chosen. Again, a better doctor would provide this. Goldshlag did not provide this at all.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
This place is an absolute money making mill. So unbelievably impersonal. You feel like a cog in a wheel waiting and being ushered from blood work to ultrasound and out again. Barely anyone talks or makes eye contact even.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
This place is a large money making fertility mill. I found the entire experience to be degrading, stressful, impersonal, and sad. Communication was poor at every level. From my early interactions with the doctor and clinic team, But also afterwards. I also had zero issues conceiving naturally and wound up with 3 poorly graded embryos that failed all the transfer cycles. It seems to me
Almost something had to be amiss with the embryologists. The clinic also was extremely difficult to work with when I tried to move my embryos to another clinic. The receiving clinic agreed they were almost secretive with the full embryology report. These were our embryos, our genetic material, and it was worse than pulling teeth to get information about them. That has never sat right with me and still doesn’t.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Like a well oiled cattle call. They definitely ran a fast tight ship with women in and out, but it felt hugely impersonal
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Insurance did not cover any amount of fertility preservation. I chose this facility because they participated in the live strong program which helped cover the costs of medication and a certain discount on the hospital fees. That said it still cost us over $ 20,000 out of pocket.
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
No information or advice was given to us about whether to do a single or double embryo transfer
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The doctor never called to provide results of our cycle. I had to make numerous requests to get our embryology reports.
Dr. Goldschlag recommended to transfer one embryo if it made it to Day 5 and two embryos if we made it to Day 3 and given my age at the time... is personable when you he sees you in person and is very patient. He is good about answering questions and taking his time with you. I have trusted him with our treatment and he has been compassionate about our set backs...you won’t see Dr. Goldschlag unless you personally ask for him
When we miscarried, the nurse [at Weill Cornell Medical College] mistakenly advised us that our HCG looked great and to continue with the Progesterone shots which was heart wrenching. The follow up tests, the nurse didn’t know about until I had to mention on it. In other words you definitely need to remind them of what was prescribed and advocate for yourself when they are mistaken.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is personable when you he sees you in person and is very patient. He is good about answering questions and taking his time with you. I have trusted him with our treatment and he has been compassionate about our set backs.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Understand that it is a big clinic and that you won’t see Dr. Goldschlag unless you personally ask for him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
It is a large clinic and on days for monitoring you feel like a number. On days when I see Dr. Goldschlag I feel more like a human.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
After we were evaluated and I had done a hysteroscopy to remove a small polyp; Dr. Goldschlag advises we could start with IUI or IVF. We decided to do a medicated IUI which all resulted in negative results.
We then moved forward with our first IVF in April 2018. We were excited when it resulted in a pregnancy but then it resulted in a miscarriage at 8 weeks. Dr. Goldschlag gave me the option of miscarrying naturally and we proceeded with a second IVF cycle in September 2018 that resulted in a negative pregnancy test.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
When we first started with the clinic the main nurse we were dealing with as part of Dr. Goldschlag’s team was not the nicest and easily frustrated. I don’t believe she is currently at the clinic and since that time the nurses have been friendly and willing to answer questions and work with us.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The clinics strengths is that they are organized considering the amount of patients. The weaknesses are that it can feel impersonal at times and if you are feeling sensitive about it which many people do feel about this process; this may not be the best place for you.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The wait time wasn’t exaggerated but it is a different doctor each time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
My co-pay and extraneous costs not covered by insurance.
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Goldschlag recommended to transfer one embryo if it made it to Day 5 and two embryos if we made it to Day 3 and given my age at the time.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
When we miscarried, the nurse mistakenly advised us that our HCG looked great and to continue with the Progesterone shots which was heart wrenching.
The follow up tests, the nurse didn’t know about until I had to mention on it. In other words you definitely need to remind them of what was prescribed and advocate for yourself when they are mistaken.
He [Dr. Goldschlag] always said that he would be willing to do anything I wanted, but he wanted me to listen to his opinion on the matter before making decisions...When we had a cycle fail with no viable embryos, Dr. Goldschlag called me several days in a row, sometimes multiple times a day to update me on the situation and make sure I was ok. We spent over an hour talking about the results and what we were going to proceed with and he did not hang up the phone until he knew I was ok, and we had scheduled an appointment to meet and go over everything, despite it being a holiday weekend.
the cost at the time was approximately $12000 for IVF with ICSI [at Weill Cornell Medical College]... Something else that could be a little discomforting for patients is that because there are so many patients and the clinic is part of the hospital, not everything takes place in the clinic. Somethings take place in the radiology dept and then the lab, egg retrievals, and transfers happen in a surgical center in the hospital (I liked this because it was just IVF procedures happening there so no one else was walking in and out and you knew the nurses and front desk people did this all day every day).
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is very patient, always asks me how I am doing, how I am feeling - he knows after our three year journey how my emotions can get the best of me and he always asks how things are at home. He talks to me in a way that I understand what is going on, but also that shows he respects my intelligence as a health care professional.
Dr. Goldschlag also has a way of lightening the mood without coming off as uncaring or harsh. He jokes with me about my reliance on Dr. Google, and he always is up to date on all the studies and new tests I bring up and what is good about the studies or what was lacking in them and why he does or does not buy into the findings. I like that he is constantly researching and learning and not just doing the same thing over and over. No two of my protocols have ever been the same (until this current cycle bc the last cycle we did I got pregnant with my daughter and we are hoping to recreate that!!), he is always taking my latest hormone levels into account and tweaking everything so I react to the meds the best way possible.
Also, he always gives my husband and I a few minutes after a monitoring appointment in the room to ask questions and talk about what is going on in order to make sure that we are comfortable with everything. It can be very hard to reach anyone in the office, and almost impossible to reach him on the phone, so I like that he gives us that time.
Another thing he has started doing (I am not sure if this is for everyone, but my IVF cycles were not like this), is scheduling monitoring appointments with him specifically, so I am on his schedule and know when I am going to be seeing him so that I do not have to wait as long, and there is a continuity of care, as opposed to seeing which ever MD is on call that day for ultrasounds, and then it taking several days before I see him again and can get my questions answered.
Dr. Goldschlag is also EXCELLENT when the cycle fails. We have had multiple cycles fail - very, very difficulty failures - and the way he handled it, my emotions, my husband's emotions, he was very straight forward and honest with us about our bleak situation and what the next steps were. I appreciated the honesty and when he was not being straightforward with me at one point I called him out on it and from then on he gave it to me like it was. I feel for myself and my husband, it is better for us to know the truth from the outset than for us to be under the assumption that we are going to have this amazing experience.
Overall he was very willing to work with us and ultimately he was able to help us get to our goal and give us our beautiful daughter.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Give him a chance to get to know you before you assume he is too quiet or hands off. Once I got to know him a little better and we were all able to relax around each other, it got much easier.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschalg and I get along very well. He has a very calming presence and helps bring me down off my crazy (sometimes hormone induced) tantrums about why it is not fair that I was not getting pregnant. He was very patient with me, always answered all my questions, talked to me about all the options and why something would be a good/bad/or ok idea for treatment. He always said that he would be willing to do anything I wanted, but he wanted me to listen to his opinion on the matter before making decisions. He knows that I am a healthcare professional and brings it up regularly, in explanation for decisions and for why he is explaining things to me in a scientific way. He talks to me in a way that I feel I understand what we are talking about, but that he respects my intelligence and research on our diagnosis.
When we had a cycle fail with no viable embryos, Dr. Goldschlag called me several days in a row, sometimes multiple times a day to update me on the situation and make sure I was ok. We spent over an hour talking about the results and what we were going to proceed with and he did not hang up the phone until he knew I was ok, and we had scheduled an appointment to meet and go over everything, despite it being a holiday weekend.
I know a lot of people who have cycled with Dr. Goldschlag sometimes are not pleased with their experience because they feel like a number, but I think that is more due to the size of the clinic. Cornell has hundreds of patients cycling through on a regular basis and if you do not stand up for yourself and advocate for your care, you may get lost, but if you are able to do that, you will get excellent care at a top rated clinic.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
As an Orthodox Jew, Cornell has a specific protocol they use to help push off the egg retrieval until a little farther on in the cycle (called the Mikva Protocol), to help shorten the period and keep any spotting at bay.
Started with estrogen patches for a few days, then added a Ganirelix shot for three days, then started Menopure and GonalF, then added the Ganirelix back in, then triggered with HCG. My dosages were incredibly low bc of my VERY high AMH levels. First cycle was extended (I dont think the dosages were high enough and I was injecting them incorrectly so I wasnt getting the full dose).
Second cycle was the same overall, but higher dosages and I had better quality eggs (more mature) than the first cycle. (Cycle failed due to Male factor component)
First IUI with clomid - did not respond well to Clomid, poor follicle and lining
Second IUI with Letrazol - started with 5mg a day for 5 days, three days off, then bumped up to 7.5 mg a day for 5 days. Went in and had 2 beautiful 24mm follicles (one on each ovary) and lining was almost 9mm. Triggered with 10kHCG and IUI the following day.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Jamie, Allison, Cheryl, Tamara)
Jamie - Only had her the first cycle. She called me the first day and the last to let me know it failed but other than that I always talked with Allison. She gave me the wrong info which had to get changed and was thankfully caught before I gave myself the wrong meds. Was weird hearing from her that my cycle failed when I literally had nothing to do with her. She was no longer with Dr. Goldschlag when I came back six months later for my next cycle.
Allison - Was there from my first cycle (she caught Jamie's mess up) all the way until my successful pregnancy. She often seemed overwhelmed, probably because of Dr. Goldschlag's caseload and how many phone calls she had to make. She always returned phone calls, and gave clear instructions. She was also a lot more down to earth than some of the other nurses I came across there, which was nice. She also was SOO happy when she got to call me with my positive pregnancy test after our fourth cycle, we were both crying on the phone together, because she had been with me through it from the beginning.
Cheryl and Tamara - Dr. Goldschlag's nursing team this time is a little more haphazard, but they call me back and they seem to have things together. I dont have a real feel for them yet because I just returned to the clinic in the past month, but so far nothing bad to say.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The clinic is HUGE. If you are not ready for that, either find someplace new, or prepare yourself to advocate. If you are in their face and vocal you will have a better experience because they will know who you are.
That being said this clinic also specializes in taking cases that no one else will touch. They are not as concerned with their success rates and only taking patients who will improve their rates, rather they are willing to give almost anyone a shot and they will adapt their protocols to meet patient's needs.
One thing I like is that they have team meetings and come up with protocols as a team, not individual doctors making decisions on their own. This is comforting because you know that they are checking each others work.
Something else that could be a little discomforting for patients is that because there are so many patients and the clinic is part of the hospital, not everything takes place in the clinic. Somethings take place in the radiology dept and then the lab, egg retrievals, and transfers happen in a surgical center in the hospital (I liked this because it was just IVF procedures happening there so no one else was walking in and out and you knew the nurses and front desk people did this all day every day). Also, the Andrology lab is on a different floor so you have to take the elevator and walk around with the sperm sample in a paper bag from when they give it to you to when you give it back to the nurse and have the IUI done (a little weird for people who know what is in the tube and see you walking around with it).
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
What I do now is schedule an actual appointment, show up then and get seen within 15 minutes of that appointment.
At the same time and what I used to do was show up anywhere from 6:30 to 9 am and sign in and wait in the waiting room to first get called for bloodwork and then ultrasound. The MD you see for the scan can be any of the doctors in the practice. Their system is automated, so there is a computer system that tells the tech who the next patient they are taking for blood or ultrasound is and what room to put them in. This keeps things moving assuming patients are not missing in the bathroom or grabbing coffee outside at the cart on the sidewalk. Sometimes there can be close to 100 patients waiting to be seen though, which can make the wait take several hours.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
My IVF was covered by insurance but the cost at the time was approximately $12000 for IVF with ICSI (we also did Micro-TESE in conjunction which was $15k out of pocket)
My IUI is also under insurance so I am not aware of the costs.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Lost appointments
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The nurse told me to take the wrong dosage of medication but that was caught by another nurse and a secretary scheduled an appointment for 2 weeks later than I needed it and when I showed up I was not in the system - they resolved that quickly, but it was annoying because I got to monitoring late and then had to wait almost an hour to be seen)
I waited a bit to go to a fertility doctor because I did not want to be pressured into ivf. But, that was not my experience at all with Dr. Goldschlag. I wish I had seen him sooner so I can understand what is going on with my body. My only other advice is to ask a lot of questions. He gives a good explanation of your fertility plan, but the steps you need to take such as when to get blood work, when to take the drugs, and etc.. sometimes needs to be clarified.
The coordinator [at Weill Cornell Medical College] was very helpful in informing me what is covered. And, if it is not covered giving me alternatives labs to use for some tests that are not covered... The fertility process is very time sensitive, so I really appreciated the coordinators making sure I get the correct meds at the correct timing. The only weakness, is it can be difficult to get someone on the phone if you have a question. I usually have to leave a voice mail, and then they call me back a few hours later. It would be much easier if they communicate via email, since I can not always get to my phone if it is a busy work day.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is very mild mannered, soft spoken, and always asks how I'm doing. I am 40, and have been trying to conceive for 1 year. He did not jump to ivf, he first made sure my body is in the best condition it can be to to conceive before proceeding with further fertility treatment. Since I have hypothyroid, he had to make sure it is at optimal level. He has also surgical removed a polyp in my uterus, which has been blocking egg implantation. It is something my regular obgyn failed to inform me about. I have now done 1 round of IUI, but has failed. I will continue 2 more rounds of IUI before moving onto to IVF.
He does seem to have a full schedule so appointments can be quick. I sometimes have to rely on his assistant to explain the next steps.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Don't wait! I waited a bit to go to a fertility doctor because I did not want to be pressured into ivf. But, that was not my experience at all with Dr. Goldschlag. I wish I had seen him sooner so I can understand what is going on with my body. My only other advice is to ask a lot of questions. He gives a good explanation of your fertility plan, but the steps you need to take such as when to get blood work, when to take the drugs, and etc.. sometimes needs to be clarified.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag always asks how I'm doing and gives thorough explanations of treatment and option. I always feel like he is doing what is in my best interest. He has never pushed ivf treatment like some other doctors might do because that is where the money is.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
His treatment made sure my body is in the best condition it can be to to conceive before proceeding with further fertility treatment. Since I have hypothyroid, he had to make sure it is at optimal level. He has also surgical removed a polyp in my uterus, which has been blocking egg implantation. I have now done 1 round of IUI, but has failed. I will continue 2 more rounds of IUI before moving onto to IVF.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Ara Cho)
She has been very organized and thorough. She was able to communicate with my insurance so I had a clear understanding of what part of the treatment is covered, and what I should expect to pay for. There was no surprise bills. She has also been helpful in letting me know what is the next step in procedure such as when to get blood work, when to take meds, etc..
The only negative I can say, is it can be difficult to speak with them on the phone. There is some phone tag. It would be much easier if they can communicate via email.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The people are very compassionate and friendly. I feel everyone there is competent at their job. I am always able to get an appointment when I need it. The fertility process is very time sensitive, so I really appreciated the coordinators making sure I get the correct meds at the correct timing. The only weakness, is it can be difficult to get someone on the phone if you have a question. I usually have to leave a voice mail, and then they call me back a few hours later. It would be much easier if they communicate via email, since I can not always get to my phone if it is a busy work day.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The costs you are responsible for really depend on your insurance. I had to cover cost of sperm washing for IUI, which was $375. Other then that it was just co-pays. The coordinator was very helpful in informing me what is covered. And, if it is not covered giving me alternatives labs to use for some tests that are not covered.
Dr. Goldschlag is a very kind doctor. He is very quiet when he talks. That quietness and calmness definitely puts you at ease a bit, but with all of the machines running, it can be difficult to hear him at times. He doesn't explain much or provide you with much information other than, "You'll hear from a nurse later with instructions." If you have questions, he will answer them and give you the time you deserve, but sometimes on the spot it can be overwhelming
The clinic [Weill Cornell ] moves quickly. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. It's good if you need to get to work, but bad if you don't want to feel like a number. Always be prepared with your questions or you will be rushed out the door...There is one nurse who is not very compassionate and extremely rude on the phone. She talks quickly and becomes irritated if you ask questions for clarification.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is a very kind doctor. He is very quiet when he talks. That quietness and calmness definitely puts you at ease a bit, but with all of the machines running, it can be difficult to hear him at times. He doesn't explain much or provide you with much information other than, "You'll hear from a nurse later with instructions." If you have questions, he will answer them and give you the time you deserve, but sometimes on the spot it can be overwhelming and you're not necessarily sure what your questions are. I wish he was more thorough when in the room, so that questions didn't arise when you left because getting in contact with a nurse, or him, is difficult. You always get a machine.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Come prepared with questions to avoid playing phone tag. Also, have patience because you will never get a live person on the phone. You have to leave a message and receive a call back. If answering the phone at your job is difficult, this can feel very stressful.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is a very kind doctor and will answer any questions, but you have to ask the questions or your time with him is limited and not filled with much information. At each appointment he scrolls through your files quickly, before speaking to you. It made me feel like he wasn't very familiar with my case. It would have made me feel more comfortable if he did that before entering the room or at least explained what he was looking at and why to make me feel more at ease.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
My cycle hasn't started yet, but I have been prescribed:
estrogen patches for before my period to suppress my ovaries
Gonal
menopur
HCG
Leuprolide
z pack
Cetrotide
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Loraine )
There is one nurse who is not very compassionate and extremely rude on the phone. She talks quickly and becomes irritated if you ask questions for clarification. She acts as if you should know and understand everything she is spitting at you. My first interaction with her was very unpleasant and I hung up crying. I left a message for a call back, because you never get a live person, and she never called me back, which was extremely stressful with the time sensitive nature. I then had to wait another month, which was fine because she stressed me out so much, I felt completely overwhelmed and needed to take some time to process everything. Every interaction with her has been unpleasant and I have felt dismissed. I explained to her that I needed a specific pharmacy for my insurance to cover the medications and she claimed, "We never had that conversation." My prescription was called in to the specific pharmacy, after being called into a different one, so obviously we had a conversation about it. She was very curt on the phone, which makes a stressful time even more stressful. She was also very rude with me when I asked if my file mentioned to try and call after 3:00pm, because I'm a teacher. She made it clear that that's not always going to be possible. I said I understood that, I just wanted to know if it was in my file because I had asked the doctor's assistant to make a note of it. She is so quick to talk over you and doesn't hear what you're asking. She has taken an already stressful time in a woman's life and made it much more stressful, which is terrible. Just because she deals with this everyday and it is easy for her, she needs to understand that this is overwhelming and patients have questions. It was a very upsetting experience.
That being said, Dr. Goldschlag's assistant, Shanise, is lovely and has gone above and beyond to make sure my questions get answered and that I feel comfortable with the process. I mentioned my interaction with the nurse and how upsetting it was to feel invisible and dismissed and she really stepped up and has helped with the process. She told me that I should always contact her directly and she will get my questions to the right place and get back to me with the necessary information. After our conversation I even got a call from the doctor, which I didn't even ask for. It remains stressful that no one answers the phones and you need to leave a message, but Shanise will get back to you within 2 hours.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The clinic moves quickly. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. It's good if you need to get to work, but bad if you don't want to feel like a number. Always be prepared with your questions or you will be rushed out the door.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Should be around $10,000
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The issues I had was with one nurse not listening. I made it clear that my prescriptions need to be filled at a specific pharmacy for insurances purposes and she continued to call it in to my local pharmacy. She would become rude and short on the phone each time I explained this.
Dr. Goldschlag himself is extremely nice and sympathetic to the challenges one faces during this time. Although he is not particularly mushy or compassionate, he does come across as very very understanding and positive. ..The only negative is that he isn't overly friendly with his patients. Your relationship with him is strictly about your goal, with minimal small talk. He shows his sympathy as best he could and you can tell he is trying but he would not be described as a warm doctor.
It is a very well run place [Weill Cornell], where you truly feel like you are in the right place to accomplish your goals. The atmosphere can be off-putting at times...I have a hard time with them [nursing staff]. I always feel like i am bothering them, and when they call me with results or instructions I'm just another thing on their list to cross off...needed a specific med to be called in and i specifically left a message for a nurse to do so, or to at least call me back and neither of those happened.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He is so positive that it really causes you to become just as positive as well. Its not "if you get pregnant", he says "when you get pregnant". He is very calm and very honest. You can really tell and feel that he wants to hear what is on your mind and how you are coping. He takes the time to explain every thing about the process to you and calls back his patients. No matter how big the matter, he wants you to feel that you can reach out to him no matter what. The only negative is that he isn't overly friendly with his patients. Your relationship with him is strictly about your goal, with minimal small talk. He shows his sympathy as best he could and you can tell he is trying but he would not be described as a warm doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Be prepared for the atmosphere of the office. You feel like a number in a fast paced factory and that s just the way its gonna be.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag himself is extremely nice and sympathetic to the challenges one faces during this time. Although he is not particularly mushy or compassionate, he does come across as very very understanding and positive. My husband and i found his positive energy to be quite infectious. Even when he had to break bad news, i felt that he was holding my hand through it and validating my emotions. However- the overall feel of the Cornell Reproductive office is very much like a factory, causing you to feel like a number. Although the nurses are nice, sometimes they seem like robots and i felt like i was bothering them whenever i had a question. It often feels like you are just a box they are checking off their list. Dr Goldschlag makes you feel more human, but for the rest of it you tend to feel like a number.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I was put on the estrogen patch to help my ovulation window be extended during the diagnostic tests and processes. There hasn't been much other treatment involved as we quickly learned my husband has male infertility and the only option for us would be IVF which isa journey we have not yet embarked on.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I have a hard time with them. I always feel like i am bothering them, and when they call me with results or instructions I'm just another thing on their list to cross off. I wish I was given one person to reach out to from the very beginning (not just for those who are on IVF...anyone going through this needs help not just IVF patients) who would make me feel comfortable and free to ask any questions to.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
It is a very well run place, where you truly feel like you are in the right place to accomplish your goals. The atmosphere can be off-putting at times, and the nurses may not be exactly how you want them to be, but at the end of the day it is a place where I feel my dreams are possible despite our fertility challenges.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
It is very expensive and insurances usually do not cover fertility associated treatments
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I needed a specific med to be called in and i specifically left a message for a nurse to do so, or to at least call me back and neither of those happened. It caused a great amount of stress and anxiety for no reason.
He [Dr. Dan Goldschlag] addressed what we needed to do to get pregnant which is exactly what I wanted to hear. He knew what would be the best course and i trusted him immensely. We chose the path set out for us and i could not be happier. I plan to return to Dr. For our two frozen embryos that made it to blastocyst...He is wonderful and truly tries to help you achieve your goal of pregnancy.
I felt like [monitoring hours at Weill Cornell Medical College were] a well oiled machine, I chose to go early and never really had to wait more that 15-20min at the most...The clinic handles a large amount of people. I think they do a good job of trying to get everyone in ASAP but of course there are delays and hiccups. Overall i am very happy with my experience. I think the biggest thing to take away is making sure you are ready to manage and handle a lot of questions and express any concerns.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He addressed what we needed to do to get pregnant which is exactly what I wanted to hear. He knew what would be the best course and i trusted him immensely. We chose the path set out for us and i could not be happier. I plan to return to Dr. For our two frozen embryos that made it to blastocyst.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
You have to be your own best advocate. Doctors have a lot of patients, i put myself in charge and made sure everything happening i was comfortable with. He is wonderful and truly tries to help you achieve your goal of pregnancy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He understood this was my first Ivf cycle and really tried to explain things as clearly as possible. One day I had a breakdown and he took time to really address my worries and stress.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I have DOR (mild) and my husband and a motility issue. We chose to do IVF given I am 31 and wanted to ensure we could have more children. The dr. Told us our best chances were Ivf with ICSI which is what we we did.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Nice, pleasant. Promptly called. But again have to be your own advocate.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The clinic handles a large amount of people. I think they do a good job of trying to get everyone in ASAP but of course there are delays and hiccups. Overall i am very happy with my experience. I think the biggest thing to take away is making sure you are ready to manage and handle a lot of questions and express any concerns.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I felt like it was a well oiled machine, I chose to go early and never really had to wait more that 15-20min at the most.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I paid out of pocket for medication with my insurance coverage and the Ivf was covered. I did have some additional fees associated that had to be paid.
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
While Dr. Goldschlag is clearly a caring and dedicated doctor and his practice coordinator Shanise is his biggest asset, no single doctor or doctor/patient coordinator duo can make up for the extreme institutional disorganization that plagues Weill Cornell/CRM...I also would have liked more information along the way without a lot of prodding/questioning, he's largely a man of few words. My biggest disappointment/frustration was a lack of communication which I suspect was due to balancing a large practice, both when there was good news (surprise natural pregnancy) followed by the need to request a call when there was bad news (chemical pregnancy), which ultimately was the impetus for me leaving Weill Cornell/CRM.
We experienced a truly avoidable medication debacle that set us back several thousands of dollars. With better support and education from Weill Cornell/CRM (which we received at two other NYC facilities, so we know our expectations weren't unrealistic), this literally never would have happened. It was a truly crushing blow during what was already a highly stressful, expensive process...Weill Cornell/CRM has the power of research and cross-collaboration with other departments over time under their belt. Patients benefit from that, maybe even without knowing it. Their biggest weakness is size, a lack of personalized care, disorganization and certain staffers who bring down the efficacy of the overall operation, either with their own inefficiency or simply a bad attitude.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is a caring, compassionate doctor though I ultimately found him overly optimistic in my particular case. I also would have liked more information along the way without a lot of prodding/questioning, he's largely a man of few words. My biggest disappointment/frustration was a lack of communication which I suspect was due to balancing a large practice, both when there was good news (surprise natural pregnancy) followed by the need to request a call when there was bad news (chemical pregnancy), which ultimately was the impetus for me leaving Weill Cornell/CRM.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Be prepared to advocate for yourself and do a tremendous amount of independent research and legwork when it comes to all things related to your cycle including prior authorization, insurance coverage, billing and medications.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
While Dr. Goldschlag is clearly a caring and dedicated doctor and his practice coordinator Shanise is his biggest asset, no single doctor or doctor/patient coordinator duo can make up for the extreme institutional disorganization that plagues Weill Cornell/CRM. The prior authorization process is basically an exercise in begging to get things done and a lack of education/support from the billing team resulted in a medication debacle that set us back several thousands of dollars.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Goldschlag's biggest asset is his practice coordinator Shanise. She's a true gem. One of his nurses is particularly compassionate and consistently helpful, the others are robots who are condescending and act like they're doing you a favor by returning your call or sharing updates.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Weill Cornell/CRM has the power of research and cross-collaboration with other departments over time under their belt. Patients benefit from that, maybe even without knowing it. Their biggest weakness is size, a lack of personalized care, disorganization and certain staffers who bring down the efficacy of the overall operation, either with their own inefficiency or simply a bad attitude.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
$10,500 IVF base price + cost of medications ($10k, in my case)
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
We experienced a truly avoidable medication debacle that set us back several thousands of dollars. With better support and education from Weill Cornell/CRM (which we received at two other NYC facilities, so we know our expectations weren't unrealistic), this literally never would have happened. It was a truly crushing blow during what was already a highly stressful, expensive process.
I stuck with Dr. Goldschlag through 6 IUIs and 5 IVFs over the course of the past 4 years because I genuinely believe in and trust him. He is kind, compassionate and understanding of the setbacks that go along with this process. When I miscarried in the office, he was there to hold my hand, reassure me and just be a support system...sitting in the room with me for a good hour to personally handle my case and make sure I was OK/had someone who could come to get me.
Cornell's practice as a whole is more like a factory. You sit in a packed waiting room every day with countless other women, see a rotation of nurses and fellows and don;t really build warm relationships with staff. The transfer/retrieval process is even worse - sitting for hours in a small waiting room wearing nothing but a robe, watching other women go in and out of the operating room, etc. It is not a warm and fuzzy place.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I stuck with Dr. Goldschlag through 6 IUIs and 5 IVFs over the course of the past 4 years because I genuinely believe in and trust him. He is kind, compassionate and understanding of the setbacks that go along with this process. When I miscarried in the office, he was there to hold my hand, reassure me and just be a support system...sitting in the room with me for a good hour to personally handle my case and make sure I was OK/had someone who could come to get me.
He is also a bit more cautious, which I personally preferred...slow, steady and ultimately successful. I was blessed to deliver my daughter in 2013 and am now pregnant with #2 - to which I owe Dr. G all the credit in the world.
The one red flag for me was the fact that neither he nor his nursing staff ever identified my weight as an obstacle. My weight, at one point, dropped dangerously low and was never once flagged as an issue/nor was it ever mentioned that I should be seeking help before continuing to cycle.
WARRIOR REVIEW
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Be prepared that you will not see Dr. G at every monitoring appointment. BUT, you can always schedule time with him.
Also, Dr. G takes a more cautious approach to treatment and protocols. If you are looking for an innovator or someone very aggressive, he may not be the right doctor for you.
WARRIOR REVIEW
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Cornell's practice as a whole is more like a factory. You sit in a packed waiting room every day with countless other women, see a rotation of nurses and fellows and don;t really build warm relationships with staff. The transfer/retrieval process is even worse - sitting for hours in a small waiting room wearing nothing but a robe, watching other women go in and out of the operating room, etc. It is not a warm and fuzzy place.
Dr. G himself, on the other hand, is very warm and caring. He called me personally both times I miscarried, had an open door policy, and always remembered small tidbits I had shared. I think he is a wonderful doctor - his personality doesn't jive with the setting.
WARRIOR REVIEW
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
My protocols remained fairly similar each time, as I was responding well to meds.
For all IUIs, I was on either menopur or follistim - > 5th IUI resulted in a successful pregnancy.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I found the nursing staff at Cornell to be hit or miss. Some of the nurses are super on top of things, promptly return phone calls, and are great at building a a semblance of a relationship.
Others have been awful, providing incorrect instructions, taking forever to call back, seeming very overworked and stressed.
The nurses also rotate so frequently that it is hard to build real, caring relationships. And, it is extremely frustrating that you can NEVER reach anyone directly.
WARRIOR REVIEW
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Cornell is like a factory - but they are highly successful. You must be super prepared to be a self advocate and follow up on EVERYTHING - from billing, to questions for nurses, to staying on top of your protocol and meds.
The environment leaves much to be desired, with the awkwardness of the waiting rooms [in clinic and in hospital], lack of anonymity, lack of any type of patent coordinator.
i stuck with the practice only because I loved my doctor.
WARRIOR REVIEW
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
N/A
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I was fortunate to have a good deal of insurance coverage.
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Because of my size and my weight, Dr. G strongly encouraged the transfer of single embryos only. He was concerned about potential risks of a pregnancy with multiples [as was I!]
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Lost paperwork
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
would tell a prospective patient to be very clear with Dr. Goldschlag about your expectations and how soon or quickly you would like to proceed with specific treatments. He is very understanding and will move things along very quickly if that is what you prefer. He was very thorough in explaining all of my options and what the approximate timeline would be for every option. In my case, I was very clear that I wanted to move quickly and he immediately outlined my options based on my goals and expectations.
The Dr's staff and the clinic [Weill Cornell] were not initially clear on insurance process. They fail to tell you that the Dr may accept your insurance but the clinic may not. Fortunately, my insurance covered the Dr consultation and blood work and my husband's insurance covers everything else, including the clinic costs and procedures done through Cornell/NY Presbyterian. Make sure you ask if the Dr and the clinic accept your insurance.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
If you like a very kind and warm doctor, I would not recommend Dr. Goldschlag. He is very polite and will explain everything fully, however, he does not engage in extensive conversation. I really appreciate that he answers every question thoroughly but gets to the point quickly, without small talk.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I would tell a prospective patient to be very clear with Dr. Goldschlag about your expectations and how soon or quickly you would like to proceed with specific treatments. He is very understanding and will move things along very quickly if that is what you prefer. He was very thorough in explaining all of my options and what the approximate timeline would be for every option. In my case, I was very clear that I wanted to move quickly and he immediately outlined my options based on my goals and expectations.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Goldschlag is polite but it can sometimes feel a bit rushed when speaking with him. However, I do not mind, I like a doctor that is knowledgable and gets to the point quickly. However, the clinic and the process for making appointments and getting in touch with the doctor's staff can make you feel like a number. It is impossible to communicate via email or to speak to someone the first time you call, you must always leave a message and they will return your call. Also, the doctor's hours are very inconvenient. I understand that this is a process that is time consuming, however, I wish appointment times were more convenient and the office was more accommodating for working professionals.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
After trying to conceive for 1.5 years, by husband and I decide to see Dr. Goldschlag. After he first consultation and follow-up, Dr. Goldschlag determined that my ovulation was not occurring regularly. He asked me to come in for an ultrasound and determined that I had not yet ovulated. Based on the size of my follicles he gave us an approximate time frame for when ovulation might occur and we should try to conceive naturally. We did just that and we were successful. However, just a few weeks later I miscarried. We now know that we can conceive naturally. However, du to my irregular cycles, my husband and I would like to conceive again asap. Therefore, Dr. Goldschlag recommended that once my next cycle begins, our next step will be to start clomid and IUI.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Shakira)
The nursing team is very diligent about communicating results and next steps.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The clinic feels like a very large, impersonal operation. However, it has a great reputation for results and the staff is polite. I really appreciate that monitoring hours start at 6:30 and although many people will be waiting by 6:40, the whole things runs very smoothly, you're in and out in no time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The Dr's staff and the clinic were not initially clear on insurance process. They fail to tell you that the Dr may accept your insurance but the clinic may not. Fortunately, my insurance covered the Dr consultation and blood work and my husband's insurance covers everything else, including the clinic costs and procedures done through Cornell/NY Presbyterian. Make sure you ask if the Dr and the clinic accept your insurance.
Dr. Goldschlag was very calm and collected during the whole process which is an nice trait to have...He would check in on my emotional state as well as my physical. He always returned phone calls within 24 hours if I asked to speak with him directly and he never made me feel rushed on the phone. He also understood that finances played a part in our decisions and helped us decide to not waste any more money on IUIs since we have no insurance coverage our money was better spent on IVF.
I did not like the fact that I ALWAYS had to leave a voicemail [at Weill Cornell] and then was called back. I never got a live person. This was extremely frustrating for me. I would have preferred some form for email ability since these are personal calls and very difficult to take in a small work office setting....The strength is that they have great labs and great doctors. The negatives is that it is a total factory. If you are looking for a lot of hand holding through the process this is NOT the pace for you. If you have a supper system outside of the doctors and just want the best medical care then Cornell is great. The waiting room can be intimidating since it's often packed for morning mornitiring.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag was very calm and collected during the whole process which is an nice trait to have since at time I was a basket case. He would check in on my emotional state as well as my physical. He always returned phone calls within 24 hours if I asked to speak with him directly and he never made me feel rushed on the phone. He also understood that finances played a part in our decisions and helped us decide to not waste any more money on IUIs since we have no insurance coverage our money was better spent on IVF. When I was having a hard time with the nurses he put me in touch with a head nurse to oversee my case which made me feel like he heard my complaint and really tried to fix the situation. Over great guy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
If you want to see him at daily monitoring then you can try to request him and if he's there he will see you. That helped me see him more often but he does travel through several offices so is not always in the upper east side office.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag made me fee like a human but Cornell as a whole is a factory.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
We started with injectables for IUI's since I was 36 when we started. Goldschlag suggested we not waste any time since my husband and I had been trying on our own for a year. I felt he took the time to really look for any causes -he saw a slightly misshapen uterus and then sent me for an MRI which helped to rule out some factors. We did 3 IUIs with injectables and then moved on to IVF at Goldschlag's recommendation. We did our egg retrieval and have transferred one bastocyst and are currently in the dreaded TWW.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Shanice Jackson and Shakhira)
Shanice the coordinator is somewhat cold in the beginning but I think it's party due to the sheer volume of patients she has to coordinate. I did not like the fact that I ALWAYS had to leave a voicemail and then was called back. I never got a live person. This was extremely frustrating for me. I would have preferred some form for email ability since these are personal calls and very difficult to take in a small work office setting. Half way through I was assigned a new nurse and had a terrible first experience with her. I told goldschlag about not and he addressed it with her and we worked through the problem.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The strength is that they have great labs and great doctors. The negatives is that it is a total factory. If you are looking for a lot of hand holding through the process this is NOT the pace for you. If you have a supper system outside of the doctors and just want the best medical care then Cornell is great. The waiting room can be intimidating since it's often packed for morning mornitiring.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Monitoring was from 6:30-8:30am 7 days a week. The waits could be like 1/2 hour but I did notice that once I switched from IUI to IVF the did move me along faster in the morning. They are efficient and quick it's just very high volume of women.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
They give a handout with th expenses. The initial IVF cycle is $10.5K but that's not including medication or anything in the holdouts. I think it was roughly 15K without medication.
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
While some doctors would have advoses me to transfer more than one he made sure I understood the potential risk of twins. My husband and I really did not want to increase the chances for twins so we decided to go with one embryo.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
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 Weill Cornell Medical College.
Having to play phone tag with a fertility clinic is never fun. There was once that they did not call worhbmy protocol for evening injections and had to call the on call doctor. They called back quickly so it was an easy fix.
I only saw Dr. Goldschlag a few times, but he was always easy to work with when I did get to see him....He had relatively good bedside manner. I just wish I was able to be in contact with him directly more often. He was best at our first consultation, but after that I only saw him a couple more times during monitoring...I am young and healthy, with no known fertility problems so I believe he gave me the lowest dose for injections.
It is a very busy office [Weill Cornell ], and I usually got a nurse or other doctor..You check in for monitoring with a swipe card which is cool. The office is run pretty efficiently but it can be a challenge to accommodate every little thing you need because they are so busy...Strengths: efficiency, cleanliness, reputation, knowledgable, very busy (a lot of experience and knowing you're in good hands) Weaknesses: very busy, not a lot of personalization/you feel more like a number, wait times for nurse advice in person, limited ability to contact the doctor directly
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He had relatively good bedside manner. I just wish I was able to be in contact with him directly more often. He was best at our first consultation, but after that I only saw him a couple more times during monitoring.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Go into it knowing that it's a busy practice and you may have to be very clear about your needs in order to get them fulfilled.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
It is a very busy office, and I usually got a nurse or other doctor. I only saw Dr. Goldschlag a few times, but he was always easy to work with when I did get to see him. You check in for monitoring with a swipe card which is cool. The office is run pretty efficiently but it can be a challenge to accommodate every little thing you need because they are so busy.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I don't recall his rationale. I am young and healthy, with no known fertility problems so I believe he gave me the lowest dose for injections. I had menopur, an HCG trigger shot, ganirelix and follistim. I would get a call almost daily from a nurse (throughout the cycle) to change dosage as needed.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College.
During monitoring appointments it was difficult to ask a nurse specific questions. I would have to wait in a separate room to the side until a nurse was available to answer my questions. Because things can be very time sensitive with treatment, it was still better to wait in person than to wait for a response on the phone.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Strengths: efficiency, cleanliness, reputation, knowledgable, very busy (a lot of experience and knowing you're in good hands)
Weaknesses: very busy, not a lot of personalization/you feel more like a number, wait times for nurse advice in person, limited ability to contact the doctor directly
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
You can go anytime between the monitoring hours. The later you go, the more people are in line ahead of you, and the longer it takes to get out. If I went as early as possible it would be about 30 minutes. But I had to take a train an hour each way so they were very early mornings, and I still got to work late.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I do not recall.
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
He educated us about risks of twins. He preferred singleton for us.
I only saw my doctor [Dr. Goldschlag] 2 times throughout my entire IVF cycle. I had no direct way of getting in touch with him. If I called the clinic it would take him several days to call me back. After my negative pregnancy test he didn't return my call for three days...I was overmedicated so of my 24 eggs none made it to day 5. Dr. Goldschlag was hard to get in touch with so I often felt very in the dark...Mostly poor communication with the doctor.
Cornell has a good reputation, factory-like but well oiled machine....The nurse supervisor was very rude to me. She told me I had no choice of the nurse I was assigned even though I was assured I would not be given this nurse after I decided to pay privately ($15,000) for IVF with them. She was yelling at me right after I found out my fresh transfer was negative...Get there early to avoid long waits...I had a very bad experience with Dr. Goldschlag's primary nurse
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He is smart and Cornell is a good clinic with a good reputation. I personally had a very bad experience. I was overmedicated so of my 24 eggs none made it to day 5. Dr. Goldschlag was hard to get in touch with so I often felt very in the dark.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Know that Cornell is a bit of a factory so you need to be very assertive and proactive to have your needs met. Your main nurse is very important.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I only saw my doctor 2 times throughout my entire IVF cycle. I had no direct way of getting in touch with him. If I called the clinic it would take him several days to call me back. After my negative pregnancy test he didn't return my call for three days. I also specifically asked him to not put me with a certain nurse if I did IVF with him he agreed and then put me with that nurse and then said I had no choice. He should have told me that from the beginning
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
He first did an IUI with me because I didn't ovulate on my own. This resulted in an ectopic pregnancy. He then told me I had a 25% chance of having another ectopic pregnancy so I switched to IVF. After 1 cycle I switched clinics
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Allison)
I had a very bad experience with Dr. Goldschlag's primary nurse. When I had the ectopic pregnancy (my first ever pregnancy), I'd call and ask questions to which she'd respond "use your own judgement." This was very difficult as I was brand new to the fertility process. After my ectopic pregnancy I received methotrexate shots. I called and told her I was still cramping and bleeding a lot. I don't think she ever went back and told the doctor and I needed emergency surgery to remove my fallopian tube.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Cornell has a good reputation, factory-like but well oiled machine. It doesn't bother me if I go to a factory like clinic if my doctor has good communication
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Get there early to avoid long waits
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
$15,000 for IVF- they did not take my insurance
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Lost paperwork
Lost appointments
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Mostly poor communication with the doctor. The nurse supervisor was very rude to me. She told me I had no choice of the nurse I was assigned even though I was assured I would not be given this nurse after I decided to pay privately ($15,000) for IVF with them. She was yelling at me right after I found out my fresh transfer was negative
Dr. Goldshlag is cordial, knowledgeable, and thorough. He explains procedures clearly with plenty of detail. He offers options to patients that might need them. Dr. Goldshlag and his staff are constantly revising their practice to reflect newer technology, chemistry and more scientifically beneficial procedures for his current patients and for future ones.
Dr. Goldshlag is cordial, knowledgeable, and thorough. He explains procedures clearly with plenty of detail....Nurses were cordial, personable, thorough, and called me back promptly if there I had any questions. ...I had trouble with the billing, not on the part of the hospital, but my insurance. Please make sure to ask all the billing and finance questions you need, and take notes during the financial consultation. this is NOT a fault on the part of the clinic, but rather issues that came up with my insurance company. Ask for the names of procedures and CPT codes, etc. The more informed you are, the easier it is to get coverage later.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldshlag is cordial, knowledgeable, and thorough. He explains procedures clearly with plenty of detail. He offers options to patients that might need them. Dr. Goldshlag and his staff are constantly revising their practice to reflect newer technology, chemistry and more scientifically beneficial procedures for his current patients and for future ones.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Ask all the questions you want; Dr. Goldshlag and his staff are happy to help you with any and all concerns that you might have. Have a good PCP who is willing to help you on your IVF journey. Despite direct contact from my nurse team, I had some physicians that made it rather difficult to get medication on Dr. Goldshlag's recommendation. Also, make sure you understand the billing, and that you get a list of CPT codes and procedures in the event that your insurance needs all this information. It is sometimes difficult to argue with insurance without the jargon in hand.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
After my first failed cycle I was upset. Upon the start of my current cycle, I got information as to why things did not work the first time (ectopic pregnancy), the percentages involved in the number of women that experience this, etc. As for my every day care, I had daily calls from the nurses following tests with individualized instructions. When I could not get in contact with the staff,I would leave a message, and my call was always returned.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Suggestions to begin a synthroid regimen helped regulate my TSH levels (important for the embryo). Estrogen patches helped regulate hormones during the menses before the cycle and after the transfer. Daily injections of Ganirelix and Menopur helped the eggs grow and multiply faster. HCG ccntrolled the release. All throughout this process regular sonograms and blood tests ensured that I my hormones and "levels" were at at a level optimal for success.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Susan and Allison)
Nurses were cordial, personable, thorough, and called me back promptly if there I had any questions. There is always a nurse accessible either through the phone or at the office to address any concerns. They called after every visit to report on progress and instructions. However, I would have like more of an explanation of what to expect in terms of potential side effects from treatments and procedures.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
I had trouble with the billing, not on the part of the hospital, but my insurance. Please make sure to ask all the billing and finance questions you need, and take notes during the financial consultation. this is NOT a fault on the part of the clinic, but rather issues that came up with my insurance company. Ask for the names of procedures and CPT codes, etc. The more informed you are, the easier it is to get coverage later.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Monitoring appointments were rather efficient. I have never been in the office for more than 45 minutes, including appointment time, despite the occasional heavy crowd. No matter how high the volume of people is, the staff is always polite; as soon as they call your name, you are greeted with "How are you?" or "Nice to see you again."
Dr. Goldschlag is smart and reasonable, and unlike many (most??) of the other doctors at Cornell, he is extremely patient and compassionate. Not arrogant or rushed at all...He is often running late for consults. This is because he takes the appropriate amount of time with each patient (despite their scheduling protocol). It's worth it. Block out the time in your day.
Jamie, Dr. Goldschlag's nurse, is awesome. Over 3 years I developed quite the rapport with her...[Cornell is a] factory. Things do slip through the cracks—you have to be very on top of it all and advocate for yourself right from the start. Some staff are lovely, others incompetent and/or rude. Some doctors arrogant/have god complex, and you will see them all at some point if you're there for any length of time. One 2014-2015 fellow, dr. Levine, was unbelievably insensitive and clueless. All worth it. Great success rates and generally very very professional. See Dr. Goldschlag.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Goldschlag is smart and reasonable, and unlike many (most??) of the other doctors at Cornell, he is extremely patient and compassionate. Not arrogant or rushed at all.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
See him! He is often running late for consults. This is because he takes the appropriate amount of time with each patient (despite their scheduling protocol). It's worth it. Block out the time in your day.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Very compassionate and sympathetic. Involved us in the decisionmaking much more than other doctors I've encountered.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Natural cycle IUIs, medicated IUIs, IVF, ICSI, batching, PGS, frozen transfer. PGS with frozen transfer was ultimately successful.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Justine. Almost never talked to her. )
Jamie, Dr. Goldschlag's nurse, is awesome. Over 3 years I developed quite the rapport with her. She's so nice and helpful and knowledgable, although can be rushed. That's just the nature of how they run things there. Worth it to deal with.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Factory. Things do slip through the cracks—you have to be very on top of it all and advocate for yourself right from the start. Some staff are lovely, others incompetent and/or rude. Some doctors arrogant/have god complex, and you will see them all at some point if you're there for any length of time. One 2014-2015 fellow, dr. Levine, was unbelievably insensitive and clueless.
All worth it. Great success rates and generally very very professional. See Dr. Goldschlag.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Very rushed. Sometimes long waits.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Almost $100,000, and that was after insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Oy. Years worth of cycles and treatments....it wasn't perfect. Lots of little mistakes here and there, mostly due to the fact that the doctors seeing you don't know your chart or your own doctors approach or thoughts, but want to prognosticate anyway.
Soft spoken and reassuring. Creates a treatment plan that accommodates my needs. Incredibly compassionate. Treatment is not one size fits all, he [Dr. Goldschlag] will tailor your treatment to your personal fertility history. ... IVF day 3 embryo transfer - he wasn't sure the embryos would grow to day 5 2 embryo transfer to increased the chance of success
Very large program [Weill Cornell], takes time to learn to navigate. Let Shanise help you. It is a group practice so you will see more than one physician. They do every thing and have seen everything - great to be cared for by true experts. ...[monitoring] well oiled machine give yourself a hour to get in and out for the visit / sono / blood work ... Tamara was very patient on the phone. Shanise was the best coordinator ever!
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Soft spoken and reassuring.
Creates a treatment plan that accommodates my needs.
Incredibly compassionate.
Treatment is not one size fits all, he will tailor your treatment to your personal fertility history.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
His new patient appointments are booked out, but he is worth the wait. Once you are a patient you can even see him ever the same day you call.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Cornell is a large program but Dr. G was always available. He returned calls the same day and even called just to update me on the progress.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
IVF
day 3 embryo transfer - he wasn't sure the embryos would grow to day 5
2 embryo transfer to increased the chance of success
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Tamara)
Tamara was very patient on the phone.
Shanise was the best coordinator ever!
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Very large program, takes time to learn to navigate. Let Shanise help you.
It is a group practice so you will see more than one physician.
They do every thing and have seen everything - great to be cared for by true experts.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
well oiled machine
give yourself a hour to get in and out for the visit / sono / blood work
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
thankfully insurance covered the care
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
He definitely prefers SET but pays attention the quality and my age
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
My prescription was call into the wrong pharmacy - they rectified it, may have been a confusion with insurance issues.
I always knew Dr Goldschlag was monitoring my progress even if I didn’t always see him at appointments...He listened to my fears and hopes and what was happening to my body and we decided together. There was not a one size fits all rule that was just applied to me...always answers my questions and never makes me feel rushed. He definitely makes you feel like you are in the best hands. I personally feel like he’s an angel here on earth.
[Dr. Goldschlag's] assistant [at Weill Cornell Medical College] doesn’t return phone calls always so you must stay on top of her...It’s a giant [nursing] team and you never know who is calling from day to day with instructions but they are knowledgeable and professional...so people are everywhere (mornings there are crowded). blood is taken in stalls like a farm but it’s all good. You know you are in good hands. I am very happy I chose Cornell.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
The place is very organized to treat so many people and give the highest care possible, so it could feel like you are just a number but I always knew Dr Goldschlag was monitoring my progress even if I didn’t always see him at appointments.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
His assistant doesn’t return phone calls always so you must stay on top of her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Goldschlag always answers my questions and never makes me feel rushed. He definitely makes you feel like you are in the best hands. I personally feel like he’s an angel here on earth.
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I don’t remember. I was on a lot of medicine for a long time bc I am a poor responder. 2 fresh cycles resulted in 3 kids.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
It’s a giant team and you never know who is calling from day to day with instructions but they are knowledgeable and professional.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
One of the best in the country. It’s nyc, so people are everywhere (mornings there are crowded). blood is taken in stalls like a farm but it’s all good. You know you are in good hands. I am very happy I chose Cornell.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
$15,000
Describe Dan Goldschlag's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
He listened to my fears and hopes and what was happening to my body and we decided together. There was not a one size fits all rule that was just applied to me.
He [Dr. Goldschlag] was compassionate and understanding...He was a good and attentive doctor. Listened to my needs and answered all my questions. Most of the time I had an appointment he was there. He communicated all the issues I was having and provided solutions. I think he needed to be a little more aggressive with the injections but that’s my opinion...He is a great doctor but unfortunately it wasn’t successsful with me.
They [Weill Cornell Medical College] were open early hours and the blood work and everything was done quick. I was able to get to work on time. There is some wait time for the dr to do the ultrasound but overall it wasn’t too long. It was a very crowded office. And sometimes it did feel like next next kind of thing. But some of the nurses were great overall. I think maybe offer financing or provide options. Overall not a bad clinic.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He was a good and attentive doctor. Listened to my needs and answered all my questions. Most of the time I had an appointment he was there. He communicated all the issues I was having and provided solutions. I think he needed to be a little more aggressive with the injections but that’s my opinion.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Be patient because nothing happens overnight. Listen to his advice and if needed get a second opinion. He is a great doctor but unfortunately it wasn’t successsful with me.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He was compassionate and understanding.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
There was one nurse which I believe was the nurse that makes the doctor appointment that was super helpful. Any questions I had she answered to the best of her abilities.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
They were open early hours and the blood work and everything was done quick. I was able to get to work on time. There is some wait time for the dr to do the ultrasound but overall it wasn’t too long. It was a very crowded office. And sometimes it did feel like next next kind of thing. But some of the nurses were great overall. I think maybe offer financing or provide options. Overall not a bad clinic.
He [Dr. Goldschlag] is a great doctor and very knowledgeable of the field. He tailor my treatment specifically as I went in there for Fertility preservation prior to my chemo treatment for breast cancer. He was able to see me right away. After the cancer treatment, I was able to get pregnant naturally but miscarried, so he suggested to do IUI with clomid. Worked first round, I am going back there for 2nd soon.... IVF for fertility preservation prior to chemo and IUI with clomid post cancer treatment.
Dr goldschelg was great, but his nursing team [Weill Cornell] seems to be cold and treated me as a number... Very knowledgeable team and high technology but a lot waiting time and really “cold”. They seems to see a lot patients, but the treatments I received worked. I didn’t have a great experience overall at the clinic as i was always rushed in and out... The IVF cycle was $10k, my medicines were free as for cancer patients. IUI was around 5-6k for one cycle
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He is a great doctor and very knowledgeable of the field. He tailor my treatment specifically as I went in there for Fertility preservation prior to my chemo treatment for breast cancer. He was able to see me right away. After the cancer treatment, I was able to get pregnant naturally but miscarried, so he suggested to do IUI with clomid. Worked first round, I am going back there for 2nd soon.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He sometimes can explain the procedure better
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr goldschelg was great, but his nursing team seems to be cold and treated me as a number
Describe the protocols Dan Goldschlag used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
IVF for fertility preservation prior to chemo and IUI with clomid post cancer treatment.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The nursing stuff treated me as a number. They were never available
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Very knowledgeable team and high technology but a lot waiting time and really “cold”. They seems to see a lot patients, but the treatments I received worked. I didn’t have a great experience overall at the clinic as i was always rushed in and out
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The IVF cycle was $10k, my medicines were free as for cancer patients. IUI was around 5-6k for one cycle
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He [Dr. Goldschlag] was great. Really liked his personality and bedside manner. He was very personal and thoughtful. Unfortunately, my only criticism is that he is working within a very specific system [at Cornell Weill Fertility] and can't really experiment as much as we would have needed. In general, I really liked him though.
If you have any issues, or need them [the doctors at Weill Cornell fertility] to think outside the box, this is not the place to go. In general however, if you simply want to try traditional IVF, Cornell is fine and I really liked him as a person...To see your doc, you actually have to make an appointment. This causes all the other docs to not have any clue about your case, which is why I believe they follow the regimented way they do things so strictly.
How was your experience with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He was great. Really liked his personality and bedside manner. He was very personal and thoughtful. Unfortunately, my only criticism is that he is working within a very specific system and can't really experiment as much as we would have needed. In general, I really liked him though.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Ask him questions! He will answer them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dan Goldschlag at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Cornell does things one particular way, and they all adhere to the same formula. While we liked Dr. Goldshlag, it was very rare that we'd actually see him when we went in for bloodwork and monitoring. The way Cornell works, you see whatever doctor is on the floor that day. To see your doc, you actually have to make an appointment. This causes all the other docs to not have any clue about your case, which is why I believe they follow the regimented way they do things so strictly. If you have any issues, or need them to think outside the box, this is not the place to go. In general however, if you simply want to try traditional IVF, Cornell is fine and I really liked him as a person.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
