Rachel McConnell

When we first met Dr Mc Connell I was immediately at ease with her and felt in good hands because of her vast knowledge about her area of expertise. She answered all our questions and made sure to get every preliminary test done so that we could have all the information we needed to move forward. As we progressed through 3 IUIs she suggested the option to move towards IVF but I didn’t feel pressured by her at all. She gave us all the information we needed to make the big decision and was willing to work with anything we wanted to do. After two IVF cycles, I inquired about donor eggs as well and she gave me all the information about that process, even though we weren’t ready to take that step yet. Another thing I really appreciate about Dr McConnell is that she always goes out of her way to be the one to do my morning monitoring if she is in the office. It’s a big office and for monitoring I don’t always see her, but I appreciate that she looks out for me and is there when she can be. We have developed a nice relationship and we are able to joke and connect as people not just as doctor and patient. I trust her expertise completely and I feel very lucky that I found her on my first try with a doctor. I will say that I don’t particularly need a doctor who is gushingly warm so Dr McConnell is great for me. She is sensitive when needed but tends to be very matter-of-fact which I appreciate, but I mention here because some people really might want a more warm bedside manner.

I would advise any prospective patient of Dr McConnell to ask any questions they have because she is more than willing to answer and fertility treatments can be daunting and there is so much to learn.

The first three cycles I did a basic IUI protocol with Clomid and a trigger shot. Dr McConnell has diagnosed me with low ovarian reserve, a blocked Fallopian tube and some male factor infertility in my partner but she wanted to start with a least invasive procedure and work up. I appreciated this because it also eased me into the treatments and shots as the IVF cycles we did later were much more involved. When we did our first IVF I was on Gonal-F, Menopur and later Cetrotide to prevent premature ovulation al followed with a Gonadotropin trigger shot. We did subcutaneous injections for everything - except the trigger shot. This first retrieval yielded 3 eggs but none made it to blastocyst stage. The second retrieval cycle we did a similar protocol but she upped the Gonal-F dosage to 450 from 300 units. That time we got one embryo and did a transfer supported by Oral Estrogen and Progesterone shots. The transfer was unsuccessful. We went back in for a consultation and decided to adjust some things for the third round including doing all shots intramuscularly - which Dr McConnell said could possibly increase absorption rates. In addition to the Gonal-F and Menopur, the third time she added Lupron shots. This time we retrieved 5 eggs and 3 made it to blastocyst but after PGS testing unfortunately none were genetically normal so there weren’t any to transfer. If we had done a transfer however, Dr McConnell had gotten me going on a mock transfer cycle to test my uterine lining with an ERA procedure to give us more information about the quality of the lining so that we could adjust the dosage of Progesterone or estrogen as needed to get the lining ideal for implantation.

This is all very relative to the patient’s insurance but for me I usually had a $25 copay for the morning monitoring. The IUI costs were largely covered by my insurance per NYS law. I had a few balances I had to pay but it wasn’t much. I also had three rounds of IVF covered through my husband’s insurance, so there were costs associated with that, but again not all out of pocket. The PGS testing was a separate $3000 to a company each time and we had some other costs associated with freezing some of my husband’s sperm due to his travel in zika areas.

Dr. McConnell had a strong preference for transferring only a single embryo with my situation. I think it makes the most sense because I have only gotten one viable embryo after three transfers. She also doesn’t think that there is enough evidence that multiple embryo transfer increases chances. For me it wasn’t a big deal because I didn’t get many embryos anyway, but I can see this being an issue for others.

She is very warm and smart. You gain a sense of co fidence and reassurance when speaking with her. I appreciated that she took her time to explain concepts and reviewed our concerns with us one by one.

Bring your questions with you that you could sister ahead of time and while there. She is readily available when in front of you and welcomes your questions. After she leaves the room you work with staff so it can be some phone tag getting back to her. So ask away when you have face to face time!

I am still in process but given our later age dual miscarriages and the fact that we are able to get pregnant IVF with genetic testing. (PGS) was recommended. Hatching service will be done as well. We also did the genetic testing prior to starting IVF cycle We learned that my husband has one gene for a disorder that could be passed to embryo however because I did not carry this we are not at risk. She was frank about the fact that he did not require testing if we wanted to save money but that it might delay our schedule 3-6 weeks. With this knowledge we were able to move ahead. She was frank that she did not know the cost of this test if paying or of pocket. We ended up with a whopping bill bit we should have followed up with the financial folks PRIOR to leaving office to learn details and if we wanted to proceed. We will freeze embryos that are not implanted for future use. She was nonjudgmental about our decisions on what to do with embryo we do or do not use which is key since it’s a very sensitive matter.

Still ongoing. I dont have that much insurance coverage. So I believe it will be about $24,000. I had considered a more affordable center but the wait times were significant and the level of o ersight was diminished

We appreciated the fact that she reviewed the research about the services provided and allowed us to understand the science behind the number of embryos to be transferred at my age and risk factors

She is knowledgeable and compassionate. I highly recommend her. I mainly see her in the Westchester office, but I have been to the new Manhattan location as well and it's amazing!! I had an appointment with Dr. Forman once when Dr. McConnell was out of the office and he seemed great as well. The process of scheduling appointments is seamless, and I adore all of the nurses, secretaries, and phlebotomists I have interacted with.

Be proactive. Ask any questions you have.

My insurance covered everything, but the patient financial coordinator is wonderful and helps with every step of the financial aspect of treatment. She responds to emails immediately.

CWRC is a large clinic and serves tons of patients at their Manhattan location. Dr McConnell works part of the week there, and spends the other days running the Scarsdale location.If it is at all possible for you to get to the Scarsdale location, I highly recommend it. I went out of my way to come to this location because the one in Manhattan is such a zoo. You will still have to go to the Manhattan location for procedures like IUI, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer. For those procedures you never know which Dr you’re going to get. But all of my morning monitoring was done by Dr. McConnell. She was always upbeat and personable and I never felt rushed, like I did woh other Drs in the practice.

Come with a list of questions.

I did 2 IVF cycles with Dr McConnell. Both times I used injectables (Gonal F and Cetrotide) to prepare for the egg retrieval. For the first cycle I did a fresh embryo transfer using 2 5-day blastocysts. When this cycle was unsuccessful, Dr McConnell had a follow up appointment with my partner and I to recommend PGS testing for the next cycle. We had 4 embryos tested and 2 were deemed chromosomally normal. I transferred one which resulted in my current pregnancy, and the other is still frozen for a future transfer.

Monitoring is done between 7 and 9, and at the Manhattan location there was often a wait. The Scarsdale location had Mich less wait time.

I spent about 20k total out of pocket, because my 4 IUI treatments were not covered at all under insurance. My IVF treatments were mostly covered. However, I needed to have a certain number of failed IUIs before the insurance deemed IVF necessary.

I had a horrible experience with Dr. McConnell. She regularly failed to explain procedures or recommendations and lied to me. Dr. McConnell said that one couldn't stop birth control pills mid-pack--apparently, it was easier to lie than share her reason for wanting me to continue the medication. She also made an error during an exam and said my uterus was retroverted; it's not and she had done ultrasounds on me previously. Most significantly, I went through with a surgery that Dr. McConnell recommended for me, and unfortunately she failed to mention that it could have a significant negative impact on my ovarian reserve. She also did not help get me an appointment with a surgeon.

Go elsewhere if possible. Otherwise, advocate heavily for yourself: push for answers, follow up repeatedly, and make sure you stay on top of every detail of your care.

unsuccessful medicated FETs with the same standard protocol each time (estrace, antagonist, progesterone suppositories, low dose medrol before transfer)

They tried to have us pay out of pocket rather than use our insurance benefits. Luckily, insurance covered treatment. However, they routinely tried to bill me for covered procedures or at higher prices than I was told in advance. Sorting it out was almost impossible.

We went into the process knowing that we wanted eSET, so there wasn't much if any discussion about it with Dr. McConnell.

Communication skills are poor. Next steps were spoken about in broad strokes. She dictated the next steps without asking for my input and paid little attention when we provided input/shared concerns. It always took a very long time for her to get back to us (by phone) - we resorted to carrying the phones with us into bathrooms etc. so as not to miss her calls. There are far better and faster ways to communicate today e.g. email

Do not expect any compassion or customized treatment. This is not a doctor I would recommend unless you know (and who does?) you only need to go through this once to be successful and you have no need for customized treatment/protocol.

Results of my STIM cycles were very poor - I had very few follicles to work with. I requested adjustments to my treatment protocol to improve my chances e.g. estrogen priming but was told a flat no because I don't ovulate regularly and wouldn't fit into one of their standard protocols (I actually went on to have success with priming at another clinic). On another occasion, I was stimmed with a dominant follicle which ultimately resulted in a cancelled cycle. In summary, I was encouraged to keep repeating the same standard protocol even though the monitoring sessions revealed low follicle count and in some cases a clear dominant follicle.

Monitoring started at 7 am. I had to get there by 630AM to be the first few patients in line. I have literally run to the front door of the building to rush to be the first few in line. Consequence of not being the first 1 to 3 is waiting untill 745 am to be seen by the doctor. After seeing the doctor for monitoring, it could take another 20 mins to meet with the nurse. That means spending 1.5 hours for a 3 minute monitoring appointment is my best case scenario.

Dr. McConnell seemed like a warm person and she was positive about the treatment she was prescribing for me. However, she was not proactive. After having 2 failed IUIs with no drugs, I had to call the clinic myself and ask whether I could start taking clomid. I never heard back from her after my failed IUIs or after my request to start taking clomid. The nurse called me back and said OK. How is that acceptable behavior for a doctor? After 3 IUIs failed, I simply never called the clinic again and Dr. McConnell never reached out to me. I can't adequately review her personally as a doctor as I only saw her once during my consultation.

Don't expect to have easy access to this doctor or even her nurses.

My husband had low morphology (1%). That was our only known issue. Dr. McConnell did not believe morphology would impact our success and she strongly suggested we try natural IUI (no drugs at all). We did 2 failed natural IUI cycles before I grew frustrated and called the nurse asking to be allowed to do an IUI w/ clomid cycle. The nurse said OK. I never heard back from Dr. McConnell so I don't even know what her rationale was for saying OK.

My insurance company paid for IUIs and visits associated with it as part of my coverage. I needed pre-authorization before each IUI.

I had a horrible experience with Dr. McConnell. She regularly failed to explain procedures or recommendations and lied to me. Dr. McConnell said that one couldn't stop birth control pills mid-pack--apparently, it was easier to lie than share her reason for wanting me to continue the medication. She also made an error during an exam and said my uterus was retroverted; it's not and she had done ultrasounds on me previously. Most significantly, I went through with a surgery that Dr. McConnell recommended for me, and unfortunately she failed to mention that it could have a significant negative impact on my ovarian reserve. She also did not help get me an appointment with a surgeon.

Go elsewhere if possible. Otherwise, advocate heavily for yourself: push for answers, follow up repeatedly, and make sure you stay on top of every detail of your care.

failed medicated FETs with the same standard protocol each cycle (estrace, antagonist, progesterone suppositories, low dose medrol before transfer)

They tried to have us pay out of pocket rather than use our insurance benefits. Luckily, insurance covered treatment. However, they routinely tried to bill me for covered procedures or at higher prices than I was told in advance. Sorting it out was almost impossible.

We went into the process knowing that we only wanted eSET, so there wasn't really a conversation.

I really only saw her twice I think. The first visit was the initial intake. As previously mentioned, she seemed to briefly scan my paperwork and misinterpreted a letter. I had to keep correcting her. She was nice and all but she also didn't really care to diagnose me properly since "whatever it is, we'll be treating it the same way".

Assert yourself. If it seems like she's missing info don't be afraid to speak up. She won't get annoyed.

I was lucky. I only had to go through one cycle of IUI. She said I had unexplained infertility and there was no particular reason I wasn't getting pregnant. She said because of that it would just be best to stimulate more egg production with clomid. I started clomid on cycle day 3, I went in for daily ultrasounds to check on the egg development. I had 2 good ones developing. At mid cycle I was told to check an ovulation stick daily and once I saw the surge to come in the next morning for my IUI. If it didn't happen by Thursday, I was to use an injection to stimulate ovulation. Luckily, the surge hit Wednesday night and I did not need to inject. (I really hated that because they don't work on weekends, I would have had to buy an expensive drug and inject it). I went in with my husband for my IUI, after they told me to lay down for 5 minutes. I had read that laying down for 15 minutes produced better results... so I stuck around for 15 anyway.

I had a 1k deductible for my insurance. I already met that for 2014 before I even showed up at the center. Everything was covered in full by my insurance. My actual IUI cycle in 2015 cost around $450- I only know since it was January and it the first thing to hit my deductible. The sperm was handled separately and I think it was around $100.

I was not happy overall with Dr. McConell or Columbia U. There were several steps we had to go through in order to do IVF, and we were not told about all of the steps up front and so it took longer to begin IVF treatment which was stressful. There was a long wait in order to enroll in the IVF class. It turned out my estrogen priming would begin around the time of the start date of my IVF class and when I asked Dr. McConnell for instructions she refused to give them to me and suggested that I wait another month to start. While Dr. McConnell was sometimes in a good mood I also found her to be moody and sometimes curt to me when I asked questions at consultation appointments.

estrogen priming & aggressive protocol (450 gonal f with 150 menopur) - it did work for me in that i was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve and i had 6 mature eggs. however, it did not result in a pregnancy.

there was usually a long wait; the wait was shorter in the westchester office

She is a nice woman and a smart doctor. I appreciated that her first reaction was not to send us right into IVF. If she had said "I think you need IVF" we would have listened to her, but she felt we should try IUI first and it was the right course of treatment for us. After my miscarriages, she made sure I got all of the appropriate testing to make sure everything was okay. That being said, she's not the warmest person in the world, so if you need a doctor who will hug you, she's not it. She does listen. She does answer questions. I never felt talked down to.

The same advice I would give to anyone who needs infertility treatment: educate yourself and advocate for yourself. Dr. McConnell is smart, I did a lot of research and I never asked her a question where I wasn't satisfied with her answer. She is nice and I did feel like she cared about getting me pregnant, but she's not a super enthusiastic or warm person, so if you need someone like that, I would try a different doctor. In the end, we trusted her guidance on our treatment, and I'm glad we did.

I had four cycles of IUI. She originally recommended that we only do 3 before IVF. I took 100mg of Clomid for days 2-6, with regular monitoring and then insemination after either a positive OPK or ovidrel shot. The first cycle was a biochemical pregnancy. Second cycle was negative. Third cycle resulted in a pregnancy that was ultimately not viable (no fetal heartbeat), followed by a D&C (performed by a different doctor). Fourth cycle resulted in my son. We met with her after the miscarriage and she recommended that we continue with IUI because they were clearly working in getting me pregnant, we just needed a viable pregnancy. She also ordered recurrent pregnancy loss blood tests at that time, all came back normal.

My insurance covered all of my testing and IUIs and D&C, minus co-pays. That's one of the benefits of CWRC - they took a lot of insurance.

As a patient I really appreciated Dr. McConnell and her approach to my care, she repeatedly took the time to explain and always followed up with the outcome was not as anticipated. Her ability to humanize with her patients is something I really appreciated.

Be your own advocate, and educate yourself. She is incredible and will listen to you. The Scarsdale Office staff amazing , but it’s clear there is lack of communication with the Manhattan office, that can be frustrating.

Multiple medicated IUI, first with different doses of clomid and ovidril, then an adjustment to letrozolye after side affects. Treatment for uterine polyps and a DNC.

The costs were significant and the billing cycles were often delayed.

The doctor seemed fine, but I didn't see her much during the fertility testing phase. She wasn't really that involved in my care, but I thought she was clear and confident in my conversations with her.

You have to hound the clinic to get any information or responses to questions. Ask all questions when you're there.

She was mainly doing fertility testing. I changed doctors before the IUI cycle.

It was very vague and I had to hound them to understand the costs. In the end, everything was covered.

Dr. McConnell has a great vibe. Calm and collected, she always took her time with us and answered all questions without rushing us. She has a great sense of humor as well. I was very happy with my treatment as we got our son from our first ivf. However, we ran into sole trouble for the second round, and in hindsight I wished that we had some things a little differently. I felt that she was willing to listen to me but just wanted to do the same dose over and over again.

Maybe push her to give you more options then what’s originally presented.

Antagonist ivf protocol with 5 day blast FET with PGS testing.

There were a lot of people every time. They were not flexible with my work schedule and I could only come at specified hours in the morning. This was not convenient for my job as a teacher and I had to take off a lot of time.

It was covered by insurance except for icsi and PGS testing. And co-pays for monitoring.

I was 43 when my son was born so clearly on the high end as far as age. Re McConnell didn't give me false hope but she made judgements based on the specifics she saw with my treatment rather than simply based on my age. I was able to get a good number of eggs which increased my chances of a pregnancy. She was not frustrated by the fact that I got a second and third opinion and she was open to my suggestions. For example, she did a 5 day transfer with my first IVF and I didn't get pregnant. She was open to trying a 3 day transfer with my second IVF (resulting in may son.)

The same advice I'd give anyone undergoing fertility treatments. Be informed. Ask as many questions as you can.

Thankfully treatment was covered by my insurance which was why I was at this clinic

We transferred all embryos that looked good--more than typical--because of my age. We transferred five 3-day which resulted in my son.

She is straight to the point and give you the facts. There is no doubt that she knows her job and is excellent at it. I would have just to show some compassion. This is a very hard process and jus wanted to feel more at ease.

Dr. McConnell is knowledgeable so do not be afraid to ask as many questions as you need.

Many important invasive testing.

Do not recall.

No

Dr. McConnell treated us with the professional care we sought after having failed pregnancies at two different clinics over the course of five years. We knew we were in good hands from the beginning. After going through our history and conducting workups, she told us matter-of-factly that she could help us achieve our goal. And she did.

Trust her.

Dr. McConnell followed our desires regarding transfers. Both times we transferred two embryos. The first ones did not take. The second time, a frozen transfer, produced a pregnancy that gave us our son.

The doctor was nice but didn't get much contact with her. I had the chance to meet her for the initial but that was all the only other time I saw her was passing in the hall and of course she didn't recognize me .

Perhaps things would be different at a different facility but if you don't mind not having much direct contact with your doctor, go for it. If you do, go somewhere else. My friend had a great experience here but it was not a good fit for me.

4 IUI's the last 2 included Clomid

They completely dropped the ball in this area and miscommunicated and overcharged me. I still have not been able to effectively communicate with them to correct this. They were rude and gave me the run around.

I had 6 fresh rounds and after the 1st round didn't stick (1 5day embryo at transfer) We decided to batch as many embryos as possible. Every round was very similar 4-8 eggs retreived with one embryo making it to a 5 day blast. One time no eggs made it. so we had 4 embryos that all all came back with genetic problems through PGS. I felt that nothing was changed in my IVF cycles and they just tried the same thing over and over. I wish they made an effort to change my meds or something.

Ask as many questions as possible

She is smart and will be honest with you as well as kind. She is up to date with the current research in her field. I feel safe in her hands.She knew what tests to run and was then able to help me get pregnant twice. Although they ended in miscarriages, she knows the next steps to take to ensure my next pregnancy is healthy.

Don't be afraid to voice your specific fears, concerns, and needs

all covered by my insurance

Dr Rachel McConnell is very caring. She makes you feel comfortable that she is choosing the right course of treatment for you. She is very gentle, All procedures she did were painless. She goes above and beyond.

You have to have patience with the staff.

If you go to the city office you would wait at least 40 mins. Scarsdale office wait was so much better.

Dr. McConnell spoke clearly and was upfront with the process and what we were to expect. She monitored my treatment plan closely and did a successful embryo transfer. The Columbia staff was amazing in her absence.

Have a clear understanding of which office you will be able to commit to visiting. Dr. McConnell works in Westchester and NYC. Pick a location that is convenient for you because you'll be visiting the office often.

My insurance covered most of it. However, out of pocket, I spent approx. $2,000