Mark Sauer
UCSF
Available Lines of Communication
Nurse email
Direct line to nurse
Not available by personal cell phone
Medical SchoolU. of Illinois
ResidencyU. of Illinois
FellowshipUCLA
San Francisco
499 Illinois Street
San Francisco, CA 94158
(415) 353-7475
3 assessments
0
0
Age
24 - 25
Treated
2012 - 2013
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
0
0
Most of the time it took them multiple days to get back to me and the nurses were the only ones to call even when a specific request was placed to speak directly with Dr. Sauer. Other than my first consultation I never spoke or heard from Dr. Sauer until I complained and told them that I was leaving to another RE. I only stayed with them for 3 cycles 1 medicated colmid and two clomid IUIs. After my first clomid IUI cycle I expressed concern to the doctor I saw at morning monitoring about my heightened side effects that I was experiencing. She brushed me off and asked if I wanted to have a baby or not. And there was no follow through or a
After going to other RE's I can honestly say that I have never been to such a terrible doctors office [Columbia]. It felt more like a factory or meat market then a doctors office. I was treated as a number and received a pager that would beep with instructions when it was my turn to pay or see the doctor. It is the same kind of pager that they had at my local fast food restaurant. No one bothered to learn my name and there was very little follow through on the part of the doctors. I saw a different doctor each time I came and they were not familiar with my case. Most of the time it took them multiple days to get back to me and the nurses were the only ones to call even when a specific request was placed to speak directly with Dr. Sauer. Other than my first consultation I never spoke or heard from Dr. Sauer until I complained and told them that I was leaving to another RE. I only stayed
Age
24 - 25
Treated
2012 - 2013
Success with this Doc
No
Race
—
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
0
0
How was your experience with Mark Sauer at Columbia University?
After going to other RE's I can honestly say that I have never been to such a terrible doctors office. It felt more like a factory or meat market then a doctors office. I was treated as a number and received a pager that would beep with instructions when it was my turn to pay or see the doctor. It is the same kind of pager that they had at my local fast food restaurant.
No one bothered to learn my name and there was very little follow through on the part of the doctors. I saw a different doctor each time I came and they were not familiar with my case. Most of the time it took them multiple days to get back to me and the nurses were the only ones to call even when a specific request was placed to speak directly with Dr. Sauer. Other than my first consultation I never spoke or heard from Dr. Sauer until I complained and told them that I was leaving to another RE.
I only stayed with them for 3 cycles 1 medicated colmid and two clomid IUIs. After my first clomid IUI cycle I expressed concern to the doctor I saw at morning monitoring about my heightened side effects that I was experiencing. She brushed me off and asked if I wanted to have a baby or not. And there was no follow through or attempt to switch my medication to other stimulants.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Sauer at Columbia University?
I recommend that each patient is on top of their treatment plan and asks many questions before undergoing treatment to ensure it is the most appropriate plan.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Sauer at Columbia University?
Other than my first office visit I never saw Dr. Sauer. I saw a different doctor at each visit each of whom were cold and made no effort to connect on a human level. When entering the office I would sign in and receive a blue pager identical to the kind I get at my local fast food restaurant. At the fast food restaurant I don't need them to learn my name but at my doctors office I expected them to take enough interest in at least momentary learning my name during the time that they are treating me. It made the whole experience feel like a factory or meet market.
Describe the protocols Mark Sauer used in your cycles at Columbia University and their degree of success.
The treatment plan was 6 clomid IUIs before looking to change the protocol because that they said was standard practice. I was not treated as an individual I was treated as someone who was infertile the same way it appears others were being treated.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Sauer at Columbia University.
The cost was $500 to speak with the Doctor and $5000 for IUI.
What specific things went wrong at Columbia University?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
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10
10
Age
39 - 45
Treated
2005 - 2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
5 IUI, 9 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
10
He [Dr. Sauer] was honest and forthright. I had seen other doctors before and his manner was much softer and gentler. As the leader of the practice, he set the tone. There was no "wall of shame" to look at. There was no cattle herding. There were no awful voicemails left. People talked to you gently and with respect...There were choices to be made and my opinion was solicited...He is VERY smart. He has seen a lot and done a lot. Ask questions and you will be answered.
The billing [at Columbia U] was chronically a mess. The whole situation is sad and frustrating but compared to other clinics, it is cheerful and efficient. The embryologists are good. The doctors are kind....It [monitoring appts] was as pleasant as it possibly could be. You weren't there forever. It was at these monitoring appointments that I discovered that the intrauterine ultrasounds did not have to hurt....[nurses] were busy but they always knew your name and what was happening with you.
Age
39 - 45
Treated
2005 - 2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 4 Docs
Treatment
5 IUI, 9 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Mark Sauer at Columbia University?
He was honest and forthright. I had seen other doctors before and his manner was much softer and gentler. As the leader of the practice, he set the tone. There was no "wall of shame" to look at. There was no cattle herding. There were no awful voicemails left. People talked to you gently and with respect.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Sauer at Columbia University?
He is VERY smart. He has seen a lot and done a lot. Ask questions and you will be answered.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Sauer at Columbia University?
They talked to me. I was a person - not a uterus. There were choices to be made and my opinion was solicited. Words that echo in my ears to this day "We can do a lot with technology but after the transfer, which embryo will become a person is left up to G-d."
Describe the protocols Mark Sauer used in your cycles at Columbia University and their degree of success.
Lupron - Stim - HCG shot - Retrieval. That is all I remember... my children are 10 now so this was 11 or 12 years ago.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia University. (Assigned nurse: I know I had a care coordinator)
They were busy but they always knew your name and what was happening with you.
Describe your experience with Columbia University.
The billing was chronically a mess. The whole situation is sad and frustrating but compared to other clinics, it is cheerful and efficient. The embryologists are good. The doctors are kind. They helped me become a mommy
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia University.
It was as pleasant as it possibly could be. You weren't there forever. It was at these monitoring appointments that I discovered that the intrauterine ultrasounds did not have to hurt.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Sauer at Columbia University.
It was totally covered by insurance
Describe Mark Sauer's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Columbia University.
The normal protocol was to transfer up to 2 day 5 blasts. I had two good looking ones (undifferentiated cells) and one not so good looking one. He knew this was my last cycle and asked about the 3rd one. Since I had been trying for 9 years with no success, I said sure put it in - you couldn't freeze just one so there was no point. I have triplets.
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0
10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Unexplained
0
10
As the head of Columbia, he [Dr. Mark Sauer] was very rushed. Very informative, but not very personal...He's a nice guy, but he seemed too busy to be hands on with patients at the time. I was excited when I learned that I would be working with the director of Columbia, but I later learned that some of the other doctors were much better and much more compassionate.
Columbia has changed their procedures within the time that I've been with them. It has been night and day! So much better! I am typically in and out of morning monitoring within one hour at the longest. Their new billing system is extremely organized and I like how they assign a billing person to each patient for direct communication. They also provide additional services such as a support group which I found helpful as well
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Entrepreneur
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Unexplained
0
10
How was your experience with Mark Sauer at Columbia University?
He's a nice guy, but he seemed too busy to be hands on with patients at the time. I was excited when I learned that I would be working with the director of Columbia, but I later learned that some of the other doctors were much better and much more compassionate.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Sauer at Columbia University?
Check out some of the other doctors available at the clinic
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Sauer at Columbia University?
As the head of Columbia, he was very rushed. Very informative, but not very personal.
Describe your experience with Columbia University.
Columbia has changed their procedures within the time that I've been with them. It has been night and day! So much better! I am typically in and out of morning monitoring within one hour at the longest. Their new billing system is extremely organized and I like how they assign a billing person to each patient for direct communication. They also provide additional services such as a support group which I found helpful as well
Describe Mark Sauer's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Columbia University.
He urged us to transfer two
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.