Marie Menke

Dr. Menke is honest about your expectations, but she’s not willing to go outside the box. I presented to her research of similar patients in my situation and requested injectables in addition to Clomid. Because my hormones were normal, she’s refused to add them.

Be prepared to see her and actually speak to her only a handful of times. I think she’s thorough when she gets the chance, however I feel that she’s overwhelmed with patients and they get lost in the shuffle.

Dr. Menke is very warm yet honest. Although I feel like her patients get lost in the shuffle. I have dealt more with the nurses than with the doctor. At our consult she told us her goal was to get us pregnant ASAP and it’s two years later, no pregnancy.

We started at 50 mg of Clomid which didn’t result in ovulation so we stair-stepped immediately to 100 mg which resulted in a positive ovulation. I took Clomid with timed intercourse for three cycles and then after fighting with the nurses to try to move on to IUI, we did two IUI cycles that failed. I seemed to be the only one who knew my protocol because I constantly got misinformation from the office staff when I’d call on CD-1.

Unfortunately this clinic is an example of having too many hands in the pot. I spoke to someone different every time, and I constantly got conflicting information on my cycle. We were doing unmonitored due to my terrible insurance, and I’d call and they would tell me I needed to come in when I didn’t need to. Trying to get a direct message and response from the doctor was borderline impossible. And forget about going over your test results - you had to make an appointment to come in. This clinic is not near my house by any means and I requested to do monitoring and blood work at a local hospital but they refused. Instead I spent 2 hours before work traveling to the city at 5 AM to do all the testing.

I believe this facility has the most current healthcare trends at their disposal however they don’t always think outside the box with protocols. You feel more like a number in the endless cycle that is infertility. I believe they do the best they can however the failure to communicate appropriately and in a timely manner is uncalled for.

My insurance only covers a $2,000 lifetime max for infertility. I’ve had several bills from blood work and ultrasounds that I still haven’t paid off yet.

From our very first visit she was very down to earth. It was like sitting there talking to a friend. She was very warm and answered all of our questions. We told her to be as blunt and up front as she can and she did exactly that. She throughly explained the testing process for me, she even came in unexpectedly when one of the tests they were doing were not going well with two of the other PA’s. She made sure I was ok and asked if I was ok to get home/back to work. She’s very considerate and very through and she makes sure you understand the process before leaving her office.

Go with an open mind and heart. She can either beat around the bush and be soft but we asked her to be brutally honest and she was- as an RE should be in my opinion.

The entire staff was very kind and considerate of my feelings. Speaking with Dr.Menke was like sitting down talking to a friend. I wasn’t just another number.

I used clomid 100mg from cycle days 3-7. Ovulation kits starting day 9. They had me come in for an ultrasound on day 12 to see how my follicles were. If I had a surge when I tested on day 12 or before I was to come in for bloodwork. Unfortunately I didn’t have a surge the first 2 times so they did Ovidrel on day 12 or 13 and did the IUI 48 hours after that and used progesterone 100mg suppositories until my next period. My 3rd IUI they waited until cycle day 17 ( I surged later in my cycle than most women) but I still had a negative pregnancy test.

Very compassionate and kind. They know you are going through something so hard and are mindful of that.

Strengths would be how through they are and how they explain the journey you will go on. A weakness would be how long it actually takes to get an appointment (months). But it was so worth the wait. They make you feel so comfortable in very uncomfortable situations.

Each cycle was about 1,300. A visit with her was only 40.00 (my copay) And my preliminary testing was not covered by my insurance, which I had to pay my deductible (1,200)

Dr. Marie Menke was caring and compassionate. She was also professional, she offered hope but didn't offer false hope. She always remained professional. Dr. Menke was easy to talk to and have difficult conversations with.

I would advise them to go in with an open mind. Dr. Menke doesn't sugar coat odds, however she does give you hope.

There were times I felt treated like a number and times I felt treated like a human. When being taken back for the IUI, the nurses would ask (all four times I did IUI), "this is your first IUI, right?". Talk about rubbing salt in a wound. The staff for the most part was amazing with the exception of being asked questions that should be avoided when they have access to your medical charts.

I had various blood work and ultrasounds, including a sonohystergram in January 2018. All bloodwork and US's came back normal, providing no answers to why we are not able to conceive on our own. We decided to move forward with IUI/Clomid cycles. After each IUI I also used vaginal progesterone. During my second round of IUI I got severe headaches from the Clomid, the headaches were solid all day for over a month. For the third and fourth cycles I was switched to letrozole. After 4 failed IUI cycles, we re-evaluated and decided to move forward with IVF. After deciding to move forward with IVF we switched Dr's.

The nursing staff asked me each time I went in for an IUI if this was my first IUI. I never understood why they asked that. There was a moment of awkward silence and then a no from me. Questions like that really rub salt in the wound, certainly they could check medical charts before asking questions like at about such a sensitive subject. The nursing staff however was always compassionate and caring.

Strength- small flexibility with scheduling. Weakness- answering services. When calling to schedule and appointment you never get ahold of a human. You get a voicemail for the nurse line. They do call you back in a timely manner. However, you have to leave a detailed message (which isn't easy to call and say "I'm calling because I got my period and this round of IUI didn't work so I need to do this all over again". When they call you back, you have to restate everything you just said on the voicemail in more detail. IUI failures are hard enough to talk about, much less have to leave a voicemail about them.

My insurance covered office appointments and some testing/diagnostics. It did not cover the IUI rounds themselves, which were $485 each.

Although we discussed moving forward with IVF with Dr. Menke, we did not discuss in details the IVF procedure.

Dr. Menke has a very pleasant bedside manner. She was very open with what her expectations were. She listened to our questions and answered appropriately. The only negative thing I can say is she was not very open when I suggested other options. I questioned possibly adding a new medication to the regime multiple times after researching success with other patients in our situation. She quickly shut it down and told us it wouldn't work.

Stand your ground. You need to sometimes be your own advocate.

I feel that Dr. Menke took her time while explaining with my husband and I what her plan was. She answered every question we had in detail and then some.

I have tried Clomid unsuccessfully for many cycles with a previous doctor. Due to that, Dr. Menke decided that we should try 7.5mg of Letrozole to bring on ovulation. After roughly 4 cycles she suggested adding an Ovidrel trigger shot along with the 7.5mg of Letrozole. That cycle, I ovulated on my own without the trigger shot resulting in negative pregnancy test. We have unsuccessfully done two more cycles with 7.5mg of Letrozole alone. Dr. Menke suggests going to IUI next. I asked her to add Metformin to the regime, she refused. She stated that my levels were fine. When explaining the research I had found showing the success with women who have PCOS, she said that my case was different than those women.

The nursing staff was great. Very friendly.

All scheduling is done through a outside central scheduling center. There is not a phone number to get a hold of someone directly in the office unless you call the nurse line but then you must leave a message and wait for a return call. The front desk staff is unapproachable. Very short while speaking with you and rude. Staff in back, nurses and medical assistants, are wonderful.

Charged roughly $500 per ultrasound in a treatment cycle. Cost of Ovidrel through special pharmacy was approximately $100 without insurance.

When I first saw the doctor she was willing to move forward. She was not giving me a run around and was willing to help. I was ready to move forward and she was with me the whole time. She explained the process were going to try with the IUI and what to expect each time. She is very easy to talk to and I don't feel rushed during my appointments. I'm hoping the second IUI will be a success!

If you are ready to move forward so is she! She is willing to help you get to where you want to be!

She takes her time and listens. She is very nice and understands what you are going through.

My treatment was insemination with my husbands semin. To inject the semin with a cathador to help the sperm arrive close to an egg. I was told to take a pregnancy test the first day of my period to make sure I was not pregnant. They would call in Clomid and take for five days. I was told to have intercourse every other day starting day 9 of my cycle. I was told to use the ovulation predictor kits day 11 and when a positve ovulation test appeared I would have an IUI the next day. After my IUI they had me use Prometrium after until 15 days past insemination. Day 15 check pregnancy and report results to the nurse. If negative stop Prometrium and your cycle should start within a few days and start the procedure all over again. She was clear as to what each medication was for and why I need to take it.

The nursing staff were all very caring and supportive. With my IUI my bladder was not full enough and they didn't give up trying with the procedure. They couldn't get the cathador in place and went and did an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay. They gave me water to full up my bladder and then had sucess with the cathador. They were very encouraging and made me feel comformatable about the whole procedure!

They are very quick about getting an appointment and the wait is not long at all. If you don't want to get blood work at the hospital they will send your paperwork to a Quest if it is closer to make it easier on you if the drive is long. The results from the blood work are very quick and they call you the same day. Also when you call to take to a nurse they get back to you very quickly.

My copays to meet with Doctor Menke were $50. It didn't matter if I was there for 5 minutes or an hour. I feel she could have emailed the information one time for a five minute conversation. My blood work I never had a copayment but received bills in the mail. My IUI is covered under insurance but was billed later for I believe $247.00 but it may be all the payments for bloodwork that they didn't know for my insurance.

She was wonderful. She laid out a clear plan and adjusted when necessary. She was very honest with us during each step of the process and gave us the ability to make decisions based on all information available, not just her recommendations.

She's wonderful and even though you might not see her every time, she knows exactly what is going on and is always happy to give you a call and talk about it

She was open and honest with us. It was obvious she cared but didn't want us to be lead down a path that wouldn't work.

Our first cycle together was planned by another doctor, so she followed through with the previously designed protocol. However our second cycle we did an long cycle with Lupron priming followed by 4 vials of menopur, two times a day (8 total) for stimulation. For my donor cycle, we did a uterine scratch the month before.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the nursing staff at this Clinic. They're wonderful nurses who care about their patients and want the best for them.

We've been going to this Clinic for the last 4 years. Everybody there is amazing, there is relatively minimal turn around so there's a lot of continuity of care. The nurses and staff really get to know you and make what can sometimes feel like a terrible situation, actually be a pleasant one

All monitoring appointments were done between when the clinic opened at 6:30 in the morning until 9:30 in the morning. This way doctors could discuss results at noon conference and call the patients with the results and update their plan of care if necessary. I never felt like a cattle call, it never felt rushed. It was great that the appointments were able to be scheduled before working hours so that it did not eat into my work day in any way, shape, or form

All of our procedures were covered by insurance however I did have a $10,000 deductible for medication that was met early on. I think we ended up spending an additional $12,000 on medication between all three cycles out of pocket

All transfers were recommended as one embry. Because I was under 35 and all embryos were excellent quality

Dr. Menke was the first fertility doctor I saw during my fertility journey. I didn't have an expectation or even know what to expect, but having been seen by another doctor, at a different clinic I can reflect on my visits as rushed, not thorough. I also felt like just another number, more money in their pocket. I also felt like there was nothing genuine about my interactions with her on what was the beginning of a very difficult journey.

Get to know your patients, take your time with them, have a general interests in their struggles, and help them understand their diagnosis and what will or can happen next. Also provide your patients with accurate cost information

I rarely saw Dr. Menke and when I did, my appointments always seemed rush and I never got answers on all my questions. Information that I needed for treatment was NEVER communicated, including pricing.

After my first visit and initial blood work, I was put on 50 mg of Clomid for 6 months unmonitored. Keep in my I already ovulate on my own. Then we moved to monitored clomid with IUI. After my first ultrasound, i had too many mature follicules. Therefore the first IUI was canceled and I was proscribed 25 mg of clomid. That dose allowed for an IUI but no pregnancy. I did one more cycle with Dr. Menke of 25 mg of clomid and IUI which resulted in no pregnancy

Rude, disingenuous, too busy to be bothered

Always running late, rude, not clean, just another number

Nope, of fact she gave me the wrong code sheet to check with our insurance for IUI. I never met with a fianial advisor. This is the beginning of many financial issues

Dr. Menke did two laparoscopies on me, multiple medicated cycles, IUIs, and eventually IVF. My first IVF cycle was cancelled before we ever made it to retrieval because I only had 3 mature eggs when expectations were for a lot more. She took the time to call and go over all of the details, talk about next steps and what we would do differently. I had been so upset that I really didn't absorb everything and had a lot more questions the next day - she called me back and went over everything again and answered all of my questions. She helped prepare me for the next cycle and was encouraging that we could get much better results with a different protocol, knowing how my body has reacted to medications in the past and with injectables. The new protocol (estrogen priming) worked much better! We made it to retrieval, transfer, and even have 5 embryos that are frozen! I am cautiously expecting right now and Dr. Menke is following that until I can be released from their office. I really feel she went above and beyond my expectations - she seemed to anticipate my needs (emotionally and otherwise) and tailored her treatment to my specific case. I will be glad when I don't *have* to see her anymore but will miss her and the excellent care she provided me!

Don't be afraid to ask questions or to have her explain things to you! She will, and she'll ensure that you understand.

Dr. Menke was so compassionate and treated me with kindness and understanding. It was obvious that she truly cared about my feelings throughout treatment, as well as my health and getting results. She was always very thorough in explaining things and took the time to answer every question.

My successful IVF cycle used the estrogen priming protocol. She chose that for me as my previous IVF cycle (and previous medicated cycles) never produced more than 3 follicles. Since my antral follicle count suggested I should get many more she suspected that I may have premature ovarian aging. She didn't want to risk over suppression by using birth control pills or lupron, and so estrogen priming it was. That would allow receptors in the follicles to open up and basically "wake up" my sleepy ovaries so that they'd accept the hormones and actually grow. My follicles grew slower (which was a good thing!) and I required more medication at higher doses, but in the end it was very effective and I ended up with good quality embryos. Out of 11 mature, 9 fertilized, we transferred the best looking one on day 3, and 5 made it to day 5 to freeze. We are cautiously expecting our first child now.

In the beginning I had a lot of issues with the nursing staff - scheduling appointments, knowing why I was there, having prescriptions called in, getting specifics of my results. It was very frustrating and if it hadn't been for Dr. Menke I would have switched to a different practice. Things seemed to have improved a lot in the past 4 months though. Everyone there seems in a better mood and they seem to be running a little smoother now.

A weakness is that anytime you call in you get the voicemail. And if you're like me and can't take personal calls while you are working it ends up being unending phone tag with the nurses. If you want very specific questions answered be sure to ask otherwise they'll just tell you things "look okay" without giving you actual results/information. The nurses don't always know why you are there on a given day and there seems to be a lot of miscommunication at times. Be prepared to advocate for yourself. It is so very important for you to understand what you are doing and why, and what each visit is for, and what the expectations are for your cycle. You are your own best advocate! You need to take charge of your own care and be sure that you are being provided the best care possible. The strengths would be having Dr. Menke on their staff as she is wonderful.

I was fortunate that my insurance covered the cost of all diagnostics and IUIs. Medications were not covered, and everything associated with IVF was out of pocket. They provided a list of what everything would cost up front, some things were optional, so we were aware of what we were getting into with IVF.

She's warm and welcoming, but doesn't give a false sense of hope, and that is extremely important to me. Coming into something as complex and emotional as IVF, my husband and I wanted to find a doctor who was caring and compassionate but who also was honest and upfront with the realities of our situation. And Dr. Menke is that person. The ONLY downside is that while she is always available via phone or email, she generally only sees scheduled patients one day a week. But even with that, when I was in a cycle, I heard from her regularly and she was at key ultrasounds.

Don't be discouraged if it takes a bit to get an appointment with her, it's worth the wait.

Dr Menke was open and honest with us. We were patients of Dr. Nayaks before she moved, and I was very nervous switching, as I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Nayak. Because of our issues, we know our chances of conceiving using my eggs are low, and while Dr. Menke doesn't sugar coat things, she is kind and warm and I really believe that she cares about us as people.

My first cycle was designed by my previous doctor, Dr. Menke followed the protocols that she had laid out, I have diminished ovarian reserve, so they maxed me out on Menapur and Gonal F. My second cycle was designed by Dr. Menke. I was maxed out on Menapure and Gonal F in my first cycle and was only able to get 2 eggs. She suggested an experimental priming protocol. This time, she was hoping to increase my egg count (I was told it wouldn't be a miracle, that maybe we could get from 2 to 3 or 4) and slowly bring me up. She thought that maybe one follicle showed it was dominate and that stopped all others from growing. This second cycle was a long cycle, 10 days after I ovulated, I took estrogen for three days and then added cetrotide for another three days, then when I got my period, I began the stim medication on day two (I took menapur twice a day). My eggs did increase, they were able to get three

They're wonderful. I was always greeted with a smile, and when I got my daily calls, they let me ask a million questions. I am so grateful for how caring they are, it really makes a difference.

I would recommend Magee to anyone in the Pittsburgh area. I've had nothing but wonderful experiences.

Insurance covered all of the procedures, however we maxed out on our drug coverage, so most of the medications during the second cycle were out of pocket.

Dr. Menke is very realistic and explains everything very well. She let's you know up front if she thinks it will be hard for you to conceive. She is also calm which kept me calm. The only thing that is hard is that she is very busy so it is sometimes difficult to reach her. I think this is true of all physicians though.

Have you're questions ready ahead of time.

Dr. Menke took time to talk with us over the phone after each cycle of IVF. She's very busy though and sometimes I wish we could have made an appointment to speak to her face to face after each cycle.

I actually wish she explained the protocols a little better to me. I didn't really understand what protocol she was using and her rationale all the time.

The majority of the nursing staff was excellent. They get back to you quickly and explain things well.

I love all the staff at this clinic. I think, like most IVF clinics, they are growing rapidly and could probably use some additional staffing as they seem overall stressed at times. This would allow them more time with each individual patient. Overall, however, I would continue to recommend them.

The first cycle was ~8k including meds. The second cycle (my insurance didn't pay as much) was ~13k. Everyone is different though.

I’ve only met her once, because we usually see a PA in the office. But I loved her when I met her and I feel like she really wants to do everything to help us conceive. The office feels like a team working toward a goal.

It may take a while to be seen initially, but then it moves fast.

The nurses all know my and my husbands name, and everyone we saw knew our whole history.

We are in the middle of an iui cycle with letrozole and progesterone support. We have unexplained infertility so we are trying to give everything the best chance possible.

I love Lacie, our care coordinator. She is always reachable by email, and I feel like she truly knows us. She understands our opinions and desires and we are working together to make that happen.

Positives: Everything is located right in this office, the office staff are friendly and helpful. I feel really cared for. Great communication especially over the email portal. Negatives: Billing can take a long time through the UPMC system.

So far we have paid twice for a copay, my husband’s SA, and some of my initial testing. The medications weren’t a lot, and we are waiting for the bill from the IuI but we are expecting about $400

Dr. Menke didn’t do my IUI’s, so I didn’t see her as often as I would’ve chosen. But the consultations I had with her were helpful. I wish Magee didn’t have the BMI limit it does for IVF, but I don’t believe that’s her call.

Speak up. Ask questions. Be proactive.

I never felt disrespected or disregarded, but it’s a very busy clinic with a lot of patients, so you have to be proactive to get your needs met.

I have PCOS, so we used Femara with ultrasound monitoring of my follicles, and ovidrel trigger shot, IUI, then vaginal progesterone supplementation.

The ultrasound techs varied a lot in how much they would tell you while they performed an ultrasound.

High volume of patients, friendly staff, not quite as much hand-holding and communication as I would like. You have to be the squeaky wheel to get the attention you want. The nursing staff was mostly great. I only saw Dr. Menke for consults and then would go several months of IUI’s without seeing her or changing my protocol.

I had insurance coverage for IUI, but some of the monitoring and meds weren’t covered by my insurance. I probably spent about $250 per IUI cycle. In addition, my first tests and diagnostics cost me about $400.

Dr menke is very straightforward, she gives you the facts but she does it in a respectable and compassionate way. She comes across as a caring doctor. When I have an appointment with her it is in her office and not in an exam room where I have to see a med srudent while waiting for her. She thoroughly looked into my chart and followed up with what she said she was going to. She actually called me 5 minutes after I left her office to update me on insurance coverage

Come prepared with questions

Dr menke is very nice and personable. She is a very caring doctor

I only had treatment with dr menke for one iui. She kindly gave me letrozole instead of clomid because I had such a bad experience with clomid in the past

Over the 3 years I have been going to this office I have not had a good experience with the nurses. With the exception of maybe 2-3 nurses, they were not very compassionate or considerate of me as a patient

The clinic has an Acupuncturist which is a great asset for them.

Specialist copay for office visits and deductible for iui

Dr. Menke is fantastic! She is attentive and compassionate. She is one of the only reasons we've stayed with the clinic. She explains things thoroughly and is also very aware of the expense of fertility treatments and does her best to minimize them.

Beware of the rest of the staff.

Dr. Menke isn't very attentive but the office itself is too large. I've been going there for well over a year and she is the only staff member that knows my name. They don't review my chart so despite being a lesbian I am asked questions like "are you doing timed intercourse" and the like.

Dr. Menke utilized a very specific estrogen protocol to reduce fluid build up in my lining. She was very thorough in making sure we had a successful transfer

They are absolutely awful. We missed an entire cycle due to a nursing error. They frequently provided me with false information. I have access to my chart due to working in the same hospital system and their documentation was also inappropriate.

Very disorganized and too large. Billing is not specific and hard to figure out. They also did not send any kind of notice before sending a bill for our year of storage.

30k

She followed current guidelines with a preference for a more conservative approach.

I appreciated Dr Menke because when one of my tests got canceled she personally performed the procedure herself. She did not blame me for the cancellation and was very accommodating. She also offered to do phone consultations for follow up. This was very helpful because I did not need to drive to the hospital and I was not charged for the phone call.

Ask lots of questions and bring someone with you to listen to the answers

Spoke to me on a professional level that made me feel human. Was kind during procedures.

I did 3 IUIs with 25mg Clomid, 12 day ultrasound and Ovidrel.

The office was not always organized. I had a test cancelled because I didn’t receive the instructions. I also showed up once for an appointment and they asked why I was there.

Stay organized yourself because they may not always be. Ask for written directions for any tests or procedures. Do not hesitate to call with any questions. The ultrasound staff are very kind and friendly

Ultrasounds were around $300. My initial consultation was $400.