Evelyn Mok-Lin

She is pretty dead-pan and blunt when explaining the process and expectations. This may be a great style for some patients, but I have preferred other doctors in this practice that are more warm and compassionate. I was also disappointed that she didn’t try to fine-tune anything about my cycles. We did exactly the same thing 5 cycles and she didn’t want to change anything. I switched to a different doctor at UCSF for this current cycle and she is much more communicative and has tweaked my medications several times. My new doctor has also called me personally when she’s changing something or to see how I was feeling after my retrieval.

Don’t be shy about emailing the nurses for any questions or needs you have. The nurses are your direct line to the doctor and no question is too small to ask

Dr. Mok-Lin wasn’t very approachable or available for questions or feedback. I was also disappointed that she didn’t really seem to care about the outcome of any of my cycles and didn’t seem very empathetic towards us

I have severely diminished ovarian reserve and have been doing “mini IVF” using an antagonist (Femara or Clomid) and minimal stimulation once the follicles are bigger. She advised us to freeze as many as possible and transfer 3-4 at a time to maximize chances

Shem is extremely warm and compassionate and was always quick to respond to emails and phone calls

The new center is very well organized and physically beautiful with all new state of the art equipment. Despite our poor outcomes and lukewarm experiences with Dr. Mok-Lin, I’m happy we’re getting our treatment here

The first 2 cycles I did were in 2014 and they cost around 17-19k in clouding medications. This time around I’ve been doing mini IVF which is only 5-7k each cycle

At my age she recommended 3-4 embryos at once with the rationale that only 1/5 or 1/12 may be normal

I think she is great at what she does and perhaps my reflection is in general as how UCSF runs their fertility clinic. I feel as a woman going through this you want a bit more contact with your assigned doctor

I feel this advice is based on whatever Dr they go see. Do your research ahead of time to come as prepared as possible and ask about all options eg using growth hormone, uterine scratching etc and don't be afraid to reach out - they don't reach out to you you have to be an advocate and in charge of this process 100%

there were a few times I expected a call (after failed transfer) and nothing came and we had to reach out - once we were told she was busy and also had jury duty and the next time she could talk to us on the phone was about 8-14 days away (as relayed by secretary)

its a big unit hence not seeing your assigned DR or in fact the same Dr at any time

again you would usually get a different doctor or a NP. i was lucky enough this last cycle to get the same NP for almost every ultrasound

the retrieval with ICSI and assisted hatching was just over $12,000 that does not include the drugs

Dr. Mok-Lin is genuine and personable. I've always felt that she's trustworthy and truly wanted to help me achieve my desired outcome. I felt as if she gave me some good advice, based on her knowledge and understanding of my specific situation. She felt like a friend, not just a doctor, in those times. I didn't always have direct access to her and had communicated with her through a nurse. Once I was able to connect with her via email directly, my experience vastly improved. She promptly responded to my questions and concerns.

Don't be afraid to open up to Dr. Mok-Lin about your unique/specific situation to help her recommend, prescribe and schedule the most appropriate IVF protocol for you.

I felt treated like a human. Dr. Mok-Lin is empathetic and seems to really understand what I was hoping to get out of my IVF freeze all cycles and why. I never felt as if I was a number or that she wasn't very familiar with my case.

She is very intelligent and up to date on protocols and medical literature. I felt confident in her decision-making. Care team was disorganized and sometimes slow to respond, did not process requests, and mis communicated about my plan and communication.

Be proactive. Try to contact Dr. Mok-Lin directly if something is confusing.

Different people saw me each time and were not familiar with my situation or complications.

You will see different people most visits. Expect people to not know details of your medical record or recent events. There is a lot of disorganization with administration and billing that add unnecessary stress to the process. Poor communication.