Mary Abusief
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Available Lines of Communication
Doctor email
Nurse email
Nurse email
Direct line to doctor
Direct line to nurse
Direct line to nurse
Not available by personal cell phone
Medical SchoolS. Illinois U.
ResidencyWash U. St. Louis
FellowshipHarvard
Palo Alto - University
540 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(800) 597-2234
San Jose
2581 Samaritan Drive
San Jose, CA 95124
(800) 597-2234
10 assessments
7
Age
29
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
7
We loved working with Dr. Abusief. The only downside is that since it's a large practice there were appointments where I saw one of her colleagues instead. She did not perform my egg retrievals or transfers because she was not "on-call" that day. She took over as the medical director and seemed stretched a little thin. I would have liked it more if there were less doctors involved and I was able to work with Dr. Abusief more exclusively.... She called me personally to check on me when I was diagnosed with a chemical pregnancy and took time to check in with me when I came in just for labs.
+ Read more
Age
29
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 4 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
7
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
We loved working with Dr. Abusief. The only downside is that since it's a large practice there were appointments where I saw one of her colleagues instead. She did not perform my egg retrievals or transfers because she was not "on-call" that day. She took over as the medical director and seemed stretched a little thin. I would have liked it more if there were less doctors involved and I was able to work with Dr. Abusief more exclusively.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Be prepared for the fact that even if you like her a lot, you may not enjoy her colleagues as much and will often be in their direct care instead of hers. Although she was my primary RE, I was seen by many other doctors during my cycles with her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
She takes a lot of time with her clients and is very warm and personable. She is incredibly intelligent and up to date, but communicates her knowledge in a way that is not intimidating. She called me personally to check on me when I was diagnosed with a chemical pregnancy and took time to check in with me when I came in just for labs.
Describe the protocols Mary Abusief used in your cycles at Palo Alto Medical Foundation and their degree of success.
It was my first IVF cycle and we used a standard long-lupron down regulation protocol. They retrieved 9 eggs, however only 6 were mature. No human growth hormone was used, just the lupron, gonal-f, and menopur. She stated that she started me on a higher dose of gonadotropins due to my low AMH, however I've always had an even higher dose with subsequent cycles with other doctors.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Palo Alto Medical Foundation. (Assigned nurse: Nancy)
Nancy was in touch with me constantly during my cycle and extremely helpful. For my second cycle I was assigned a different nurse. I don't remember much about her.
Describe your experience with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
This clinic's strength is that the doctors meet daily for rounds so everyone is up to date on all of the patients who are in-cycle. The weakness is that there are so many doctors involved that you will likely be seen by multiple different doctors over the course of several days and may receive different information. One doctor I met with had incredibly awful bedside manner and I refused to be seen by him again, which meant that I had to drive to another clinic to see a different doctor. The clinic I primary visited was very private and peaceful, however some of the clinics that I had to drive to for my appointments were located inside of a larger medical facility. I had to sit in a waiting room that was shared with regular OBGYN patients who were pregnant- not great when you are going through fertility treatments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
I bought a package through ARC that covered one retrieval and fresh transfer and one frozen transfer. The package was around $12-13,000 and did not cover ICSI or more than a set number of ultrasounds in a cycle. I paid extra for needing extra monitoring appointments as well as a whole lot of blood work, ultrasounds, and endometrial pipelle procedure for a chemical pregnancy.
Describe Mary Abusief's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
They will only transfer 2 embryos if you use day 3 embryos for my age bracket (Under 30). If you are using day 5 embryos, they will only transfer 1.
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7
Age
39 - 41
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
16 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
7
I felt they [Dr Abusief and team] were professional and the actual surgical experience was amazing. Best procedure I ever had- I was alone, going through a divorce and a scary procedure with no one there for me. but I had a heated bed, kind words etc. It was great.
+ Read more
Age
39 - 41
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
16 Eggs Frozen
Race
—
Income
$500K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
7
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
I felt they were professional and the actual surgical experience was amazing. Best procedure I ever had- I was alone, going through a divorce and a scary procedure with no one there for me. but I had a heated bed, kind words etc. It was great.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
The desk staff and phone systems are a huge labyrinth of confusion. Just persevere and you will get through.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
While they were very respectful kind and gentle, ultimately they refused to help me conceive until my divorce was complete because their lawyers advised them that the law was murky. My divorce is now approaching 2 years in limbo and I'm am just waiting to use my frozen eggs. It would have been much easier to use sperm but now I'm over 40 and clock is ticking away- all because of lawyers and a stupid law that says it's husbands kid even if biology proves it's someone else's sperm. dumb. not a humane choice.
Describe the protocols Mary Abusief used in your cycles at Palo Alto Medical Foundation and their degree of success.
Both were to freeze eggs:
First Cycle which only yielded 4 frozen eggs lupron 10 then Gonal F300 +minopur then HCG trigger
Second Cycle yielded 12 frozen eggs: GonalF300 + minopur+dexameth pill Ganriliex HCG trigger
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Compassionate. the main scheduling nurse was v. organized and clear. Also the PAMF clinic on fertility treatments SC injection was excellent
Describe your experience with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
The clinic is fine. They were less hard to get an appointment for then some others in the area. Since they are now part of PAMF it was sometimes hard to figure who to talk to for what (billing etc).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
I was self pay. The fees are pretty set and standard. The fee for the full egg retrieval process was about 10K plus I had insurance for the drugs part so I'm not sure how much that was.
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9
Age
41
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological, Other, Unexplained
9
Dr. Mary is kind and compassionate. She spent good time reviewing our case and created a clear plan going forward. She has been available for communication thus far and has not run over 20 minutes late for any of our appointments. ... The plan so far is: estrogen priming followed by a lupron downreg protocol. St in meds include: Follistim or Gonal-F and menopur. We will use conventional fertilization.
+ Read more
Age
41
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological, Other, Unexplained
9
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Dr. Mary is kind and compassionate. She spent good time reviewing our case and created a clear plan going forward. She has been available for communication thus far and has not run over 20 minutes late for any of our appointments.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
You may not be able to see Dr. Mary for each treatment. She acknowledged that she does not specialize in autoimmune infertility, but makes appropriate referrals to a clinic nearby that does with whom she works closely.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
All the staff so far have been wonderful, kind and accessible. I've received responses from my RE in a timely manner both email and voicemail.
Describe the protocols Mary Abusief used in your cycles at Palo Alto Medical Foundation and their degree of success.
The plan so far is: estrogen priming followed by a lupron downreg protocol. St in meds include: Follistim or Gonal-F and menopur. We will use conventional fertilization.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Palo Alto Medical Foundation. (Assigned nurse: Justine Law as, RN)
We've only met with her once so far. She was timely, clear, thorough and answered all our questions. We did not feel rushed.
Describe your experience with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
It's far away from us. We chose this clinic as it is in network work our insurance. Because we had to stay in network due to insurance coverage, we researched all the doctors to find the best fit for us. They have clinics all over the SF Bay area, which can be convenient or tricky. We haven't been able to see our RE for all appointments. Staff seems accessible and there has been a good response time for all questions we've asked.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
We're still figuring this out. Estimated to be $15,000 for IVF. Additional for our FET.
Describe Mary Abusief's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
With PGS testing , the recommendation is a single embryo transfer
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9
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Endometriosis, Unexplained
9
[Dr. Abusief] has been amazing. She always stops and listens to all my concerns and thoroughly and thoughtfully answers every question. She responds to e-mail and phone messages quickly. Dr. A has been willing to work with me and factor in what I am comfortable with, rather than just telling me what to do. She is right there on our team with us...was incredibly understanding and supportive of me going at my own pace. I never felt pressured or like a number in any way. A year ago I would have never believed that I would be brave enough to undergo a hysteroscopy and do 4 medicated Luis. Dr. Abusief's support all the way through was really key in helping me overcome my fear.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
—
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Endometriosis, Unexplained
9
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Dr. A told us what the normal protocols were, but was also flexible and patient when I asked about possible deviations. It took a lot of effort for me to go to a fertility doctor, and at first I was very scared. Dr. A was incredibly understanding and supportive of me going at my own pace. I never felt pressured or like a number in any way. A year ago I would have never believed that I would be brave enough to undergo a hysteroscopy and do 4 medicated Luis. Dr. Abusief's support all the way through was really key in helping me overcome my fear.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Be honest and ask a lot of questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Dr. A has been amazing. She always stops and listens to all my concerns and thoroughly and thoughtfully answers every question. She responds to e-mail and phone messages quickly. Dr. A has been willing to work with me and factor in what I am comfortable with, rather than just telling me what to do. She is right there on our team with us.
Describe the protocols Mary Abusief used in your cycles at Palo Alto Medical Foundation and their degree of success.
Letrozole, progesterone, orvidrel
Describe your experience with your nurse at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
I saw the doctors much more than the nursing staff. My interactions with the nursing staff were brief but positive. They were helpful reaching out and making sure everything was scheduled.
Describe your experience with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
There are multiple doctors you may see, which I actually saw as a strength. You can also to try to schedule things so you can see your own doctor as much as possible. They are open every single day, which makes scheduling so much easier.
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10
Age
32
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
PAMF Infertility Group is a collection of REIs, so expect to see her [Dr. Mary Abusief's] colleagues along the way. The good news is that you have many people thinking about your case, the bad news is that you won't see her every time...very kind and compassionate. She even called me the night that my fresh transfer did not work to make sure that we had a plan I felt comfortable with going forward. She goes above and beyond.
+ Read more
Age
32
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Dr. Abusief was very kind and compassionate. She even called me the night that my fresh transfer did not work to make sure that we had a plan I felt comfortable with going forward. She goes above and beyond.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
PAMF Infertility Group is a collection of REIs, so expect to see her colleagues along the way. The good news is that you have many people thinking about your case, the bad news is that you won't see her every time. I didn't mind because I understand that she has a family too and cannot be there every day.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Very compassionate and warm.
Describe the protocols Mary Abusief used in your cycles at Palo Alto Medical Foundation and their degree of success.
Don't remember the details.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
I think this is hit or miss. I had two coordinators. The first was not so good and not communicating well - hard to ask questions when I needed it. The second was much better and more responsive.
Describe your experience with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Expect to see multiple providers - not just your primary REI. My first coordinator was not that good. Second was much better. Sometimes hard to get on the calendar and have to push to move forward. Also I found the billing department confusing.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Covered by insurance, except meds.
Describe Mary Abusief's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
PAMF's primary goal is a single healthy delivery as this is the healthiest for baby and mommy. I did only single embryo transfers.
What specific things went wrong at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
- Lost appointments
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
25
Treated
2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS
10
My husband and I move 2 hours away and still chose to see her while struggling with infertility....I would recommend her over any other doctor in the area.... Dr. Abusief is very thorough away makes sure to lay out all of your options as well as advise of any supplements or medication that you may need. I appreciate that she isn't judgmental and never makes you feel uncomfortable.
+ Read more
Age
25
Treated
2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS
10
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Dr. Abusief has been a part of our fertility journey for about 5 years. From the first moment I met her, she was warm, caring, understanding, and reassuring. My husband and I move 2 hours away and still chose to see her while struggling with infertility. Dr. Abusief is very thorough away makes sure to lay out all of your options as well as advise of any supplements or medication that you may need. I appreciate that she isn't judgmental and never makes you feel uncomfortable. I'm obese, but I'm healthy and have gained weight because of hormone imbalances and she has always made me feel very comfortable and laid out all of my options from the beginning. I would recommend her over any other doctor in the area.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Know that she will always have a plan and your best interest at heart.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Dr. Abusief has always been very compassionate and even after not seeing me for 3 years knew exactly who we were and what we needed to do. She cares about the patients and making them parents and that's what's important.
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7
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
7
The Dr [Abusief] has great bedside manner and seems to care for her patients. She's a good first RE for couples new to fertility clinics as she is very good at sympathizing with you. At times I felt my underlying issues weren't consider in deciding on a protocol and that the team was taking more of a blanket approach to my care.... [Eset Approach] The office has a policy to only transfer one but on occasion they may make an exception but it had to be a team decision.
+ Read more
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
—
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
7
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
The Dr has great bedside manner and seems to care for her patients. She's a good first RE for couples new to fertility clinics as she is very good at sympathizing with you. At times I felt my underlying issues weren't consider in deciding on a protocol and that the team was taking more of a blanket approach to my care.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Get a consultation but also speak with 1-2 other clinics before jumping in as it's hard to jump ship later on.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
The Dr is very warm, thoughtful and engaging.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Good group, kind and follow up as they say they will.
Describe your experience with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Staff are great, and it's easy to get last-minute appointments. You often need to remind staff of existing conditions to make sure a procedure or medication won't interfere. It would be nice to be able to access the IVF coordinators directly but currently you have to go through the phone operators and leave a message.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
$16,000 fresh IVF with ICSI, $5000 for medications
$1500 for IUI (I think)
Describe Mary Abusief's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
The office has a policy to only transfer one but on occasion they may make an exception but it had to be a team decision.
What specific things went wrong at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
- Scheduled the wrong procedure
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0
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
0
[Dr. Abusief] Did nothing for me except take my money. Spend thousands over the months and got no answers or success. Treatment never changed and was never taken further.... They don’t complete a full work up to find the infertility issue causing you to not get pregnant. I spent months going here with no results and lots of money spent. Went to a new clinic tests ran. Diagnosis made. One cycle and boom.
+ Read more
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
0
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Did nothing for me except take my money. Spend thousands over the months and got no answers or success. Treatment never changed and was never taken further. Had to seek another clinic who ran tests that were supposedly already done that gave me answers and ultimately led to the co caption of my daughter.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Find a better doctor
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
No results or direction.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Ok
Describe your experience with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
They don’t complete a full work up to find the infertility issue causing you to not get pregnant. I spent months going here with no results and lots of money spent. Went to a new clinic tests ran. Diagnosis made. One cycle and boom. Pregnant and went full term. Don’t go the this clinic. Got to RSC Soo much better in all aspects.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Expensive
What specific things went wrong at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
- Lost paperwork
- Lost appointments
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Provided conflicting information
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9
Age
34 - 37
Treated
2010 - 2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 7 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
She's great. Felt like a personal, caring environment
+ Read more
Age
34 - 37
Treated
2010 - 2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 7 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
She's great. Felt like a personal, caring environment
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
None
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Genuinely liked the people at the office, felt supported
Describe your experience with your nurse at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
There was still a lot of responsibility I felt that i had to own as a patient
Describe your experience with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Small clinic with major hospital affiliation
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
As expected and covered by insurance
What specific things went wrong at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2012 - 2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
She is incredibly warm, empathetic, sensitive, and listened to our concerns. She answered our questions with patience and care....Excellent physician and excellent bedside manner...You found the right person. Be grateful to be getting excellent care.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2012 - 2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
Excellent physician and excellent bedside manner.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
You found the right person. Be grateful to be getting excellent care.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mary Abusief at Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
She is incredibly warm, empathetic, sensitive, and listened to our concerns. She answered our questions with patience and care.
Describe the protocols Mary Abusief used in your cycles at Palo Alto Medical Foundation and their degree of success.
I don't feel comfortable sharing this here.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Palo Alto Medical Foundation. (Assigned nurse: Shawnda)
Shawnda was awesome. Organized, sensitive, encouraging. Even humorous at times when we invited her humor. Very respectful and hopeful for us.
Describe your experience with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Very well run clinic. Honest practice.
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