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Thalia Segal

UCSF

Rated 8.2
Strongly recommend: 69%Neutral: 13%Don't recommend: 18%8.2
69% strongly recommend
16 reviews
Humanity
7.9
7.9
Humanity

Ratings of 1 mean patients felt this doctor treated them as "a number."

Ratings of 10 mean patients felt this doctor treated them as "a human."

Communication
9
9
Communication

Ratings of 1 mean poor communication.

Ratings of 10 mean excellent communication.

Frequency Seen
5.1
5.1
Frequency Seen

Ratings of 1 mean patients only saw this doctor once or twice during treatment.

Ratings of 10 mean patients saw this doctor at every appointment.

Responsiveness
6.6
OK
Responsiveness

Scale is "poor, ok, good, excellent" and measures how responsive a care team was when patients needed to speak to them.

Education

Medical School
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Residency
Northwell Health
Fellowship
University Hospitals

How Doctor Communicates

doctor, nurse available by email
nurse available by directline
nurse available by directline
not available by personal cell phone
not available by personal cell phone
Thalia Segal works at

UCSF
Rated 8.4
Strongly recommend: 66%Neutral: 17%Don't recommend: 16%8.4

At 1 office

San Francisco
499 Illinois Street
San Francisco, CA 94158
(415) 353-7475
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3 patient reviews filtered by:

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Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020 - 2022, Unknown Success
8
8
Age 33 - 35
4 IUI
2 IVF
Uterine Fibroids
Unexplained
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Engineer
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Review of
Dr. Segal was very patient with our concerns, and we never felt rushed through our many questions. She also, once we had the failed transfer, added a stitch + string to make future transfers easier, which was very effective. She tends on the optimistic / "don't worry about it" side of things, but was also very sympathetic when we experienced setbacks. There was a lot of authenticity...
two distinct phases of our treatment with UCSF. For the first half, we ended up just seeing whoever was available, which was quite frustrating since my partner had some anatomical irregularities that served as fresh challenges over and over...had to abort (and re-freeze) an embryo transfer because the (non-Dr. Segal) doctor couldn't get the catheter in, Dr. Segal started coordinating our visits with her working days, and the quality and personal care level went up by quite a bit.
How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
Dr. Segal was very patient with our concerns, and we never felt rushed through our many questions. She also, once we had the failed transfer, added a stitch + string to make future transfers easier, which was very effective. She tends on the optimistic / "don't worry about it" side of things, but was also very sympathetic when we experienced setbacks. There was a lot of authenticity and Dr. Segal is up-to-date on research.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?
Same advice to give anybody with UCSF -- try to coordinate your visits with your primary doctor's shifts.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
There were two distinct phases of our treatment with UCSF. For the first half, we ended up just seeing whoever was available, which was quite frustrating since my partner had some anatomical irregularities that served as fresh challenges over and over. After we had to abort (and re-freeze) an embryo transfer because the (non-Dr. Segal) doctor couldn't get the catheter in, Dr. Segal started coordinating our visits with her working days, and the quality and personal care level went up by quite a bit. At the same time, we also started getting a much better nurse (Laurel Poole) and coordinating team. As mentioned in other reviews, the "default" nursing team is hard to work with -- poor communicators.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF has top-quality doctors and extremely high-variance support from the coordinating team. I felt confident in the answers to my medical questions. UCSF also has a lot of supporting materials and resources if you know how to find them. For examples, when we moved to PIO, we were assigned an "injection coach" nurse who was great.
Describe Thalia Segal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Dr. Segal prefers single embryo transfer, but we did do a multiple embryo transfer after our first egg retrieval, which only yielded two embryos, one of which went through an unnecessary thaw-refreeze cycle.
8
Doctor
Thalia Segal
Humanity
Communication
Frequency Seen
Trustworthiness
Compassion
Explained risks
Adaptability
8
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
Operations
Scheduling
Billing Department
Nursing Staff
Clinic Atmosphere
Educational Resources
Review of
2020 - 2021, Successful
8
8
Age 41 - 42
5 IUI
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Accountant
Neutral
Neutral
Successful
Review of
Dr. Segal was very respectful and genuine...We mostly had video calls and [she] would listen to my concerns and answer my questions. I never felt rushed...During [the two months the clinic was closed during Covid], Dr. Segal prescribed me clomid so we can keep trying on our own. Later my protocol switched to only menopur for 5 days then IUI at the clinic...[she] treated my husband and I as her patients the moment we met her
When you do self pay, you pay the entire cycle upfront but UCSF would only charge you the stage you go through. If the cycle stops at a certain point before egg retrieval, you can have the remainder applied to the next cycle...Everyone at the fertility clinic was very nice but I can tell that they were very busy. There were a few times where we had to sign the same paperwork multiple times because it got lost. Eventually we learned to take a picture of it so that we can quickly send it off in case that couldn’t find it
How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
I had consulted with 3 not-so-nice doctors/clinics before meeting with Dr.Segal at UCSF. The 3 doctors/clinics either talked to me like a sales pitch or brushed me off insinuating that I would lower their success rate. Therefore by that point, aside from seeking for help, I also just wanted someone to be kind to us. Dr. Segal treated my husband and I as her patients the moment we met her. She was so compassionate, explained the process to us clearly, was easy to talk to, and most importantly— I can tell that she wanted to help us achieve our baby goals. She got the ball rolling the day of consultation. Nurses drew blood and listed out the medication I’ll need. Dr. Segal gave us the cliff notes on how to navigate and follow up with their clinic. Essentially, she also told us to be patient but yet follow up with the staff. Additionally, she told us that it was usually the people who stayed persistent who saw success. That really helped set expectations for us — and when things got tough, we reminded each other to stay persistent.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?
Be mindful that everyone at the clinic is very busy. Be patient with the staff but also stay organized. I was constantly on top of scheduling my appointments, making sure I don’t have any payments outstanding with finance dept (it can delay your treatment), and make sure the nurses have sent the medication authorization to your pharmacy. Also, Dr.Segal is busy. When I don’t hear back in 1-2 days (pending the urgency), I’ve had to follow up and ask someone to check if Dr. Segal has seen my request.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
Dr. Segal was very respectful and genuine. It always felt like I talking to a friend. We mostly had video calls and Dr. Segal would listen to my concerns and answer my questions. I never felt rushed.
Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
My protocol was lead in with estrace then gonal-f + menopur injections each night for about 5 days. The clinic shut down for 2 months during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. During this time, Dr. Segal prescribed me clomid so we can keep trying on our own. Later my protocol switched to only menopur for 5 days then IUI at the clinic.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Anne Garcillano and Eugenia Gonzalez)
Everyone at the fertility clinic was very nice but I can tell that they were very busy. There were a few times where we had to sign the same paperwork multiple times because it got lost. Eventually we learned to take a picture of it so that we can quickly send it off in case that couldn’t find it. Other than that, all the nurses were always professional and very pleasant. Anne would take the time out to chat with me when she calls to schedule my next appointment. Going through fertility treatment can get emotionally exhausting. Anne was very sweet in cheering me on and kept me motivated.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Our insurance doesn’t cover IVF so I feel very fortunate to have UCSF offer lower cost treatments. When you do self pay, you pay the entire cycle upfront but UCSF would only charge you the stage you go through. If the cycle stops at a certain point before egg retrieval, you can have the remainder applied to the next cycle. UCSF is also my primary hospital and overall my experience has been very positive.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thalia Segal at UCSF.
Our insurance allowed up to 6 IUI treatments but didn’t cover IVF and medication. Unfortunately I don’t remember the exact cost but I do remember that UCSF IVF were the lowest compared to the other clinics. You pay the entire cycle upfront but UCSF would only charge you the stage you go through. If the cycle stops at a certain point before egg retrieval, you can have the remainder applied to the next cycle. Fertility medication is in addition to the cycle cost. My medication for IVF and stimulated IUI cost around $7-9k each cycle. We did 2 IVF cycles and 5 IUI cycles.
Describe Thalia Segal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
We didn’t have this discussion.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
  • Lost paperwork
  • Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
I had to follow up a few times to get someone to send my medication to my pharmacy. There are a few times when the timing was very tight. Luckily my pharmacy (which my nurse recommended) does same day delivery.
8
Doctor
Thalia Segal
Humanity
Communication
Frequency Seen
Trustworthiness
Compassion
Explained risks
Adaptability
8
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
Operations
Scheduling
Billing Department
Nursing Staff
Clinic Atmosphere
Educational Resources
Review of
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unknown Success
7
6
Age 34
1 IVF
Unexplained
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Doesn't Recommend
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Review of
16 eggs retrieved, 9 mature eggs, 7 fertilized, 6 grew to day 6 for biopsy + PGS, 1 euploid embryo [protocol with Dr. Thalia Segal]...While our diagnosis is unexplained infertility, Dr. Segal seemed to create a plan that made sense and explained anything I had questions about...The only complaints I had was that she wasn't aware of the conversation topic for a couple phone consults that were scheduled. Not sure if this was an issue with her team, but it didn't make for a great experience for those calls.
My understanding is that UCSF has very good technology, research and reputation. Their equipment is state of the art and we were able to be a part of a study that had low risks but saved us about $2500 that we would have spent anyways. That is why we chose UCSF. The issue here seems to be process and perhaps that they have WAY too many patients to manage. For instance, there are multiple forms that you must sign with a witness and no one makes sure that you have all of them at once and gets every single item signed at the same time. They are very disorganized and seemingly quite unaware of the issues. They are supposed to be fixing it and I hope they will so other people don't waste time and money. Make sure to advocate for yourself. Try your best to get an understanding of the bigger process and deadlines if you're on a tight timeline. Self pay medications with them are extremely affordable. I think friends that went to private clinics paid a lot more.
How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
While I didn't see Dr. Segal much, every encounter in person or on the phone was pleasant. She answered every question I had, made sure I knew the benefits and the risks and was empathetic and informative. Overall really professional. The only complaints I had was that she wasn't aware of the conversation topic for a couple phone consults that were scheduled. Not sure if this was an issue with her team, but it didn't make for a great experience for those calls.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?
Be clear about your goals, ask a lot of questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?
In person and on the phone, Dr. Segal (and every other person at UCSF CRH that I've been in contact with) is kind, informative and very helpful. While our diagnosis is unexplained infertility, Dr. Segal seemed to create a plan that made sense and explained anything I had questions about. The process at UCSF, however, is very flawed. It's not clear where you are in the process, who you are supposed to be in touch with, it takes on average 3 calls to get a phone call/email back. Expect for this to take longer than you think it will. I had my first appointment early April and was planning to do my first egg retrieval starting end of May and one day before cycle day 1, they called to tell me that they had to push to the next cycle. Needless to say I was quite unhappy about this as we were trying to get all this done as my insurance plan year is coming to a close. Apparently UCSF is working to fix some serious issues, but be warned - you must be an advocate for yourself and push them along. Maybe other teams are more organized but it really sounds like it's a UCSF thing not a team/Dr. specific issue.
Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Skipped estrace priming, 4 days Menopur 150 IU/ Gonal F 150 IU, 5 days Ganirelix 250 mcg and Menopur 150 IU / Gonal F 75, cotrigger with 4mg Lupron/2500 units HCG. I had 2 lead follicles early in the process so skipping the estrace priming was probably a mistake and will be added to the next egg retrieval cycle. My estrogen level was a bit high so changed to cotrigger Lupron with HCG instead of only HCG. 16 eggs retrieved, 9 mature eggs, 7 fertilized, 6 grew to day 6 for biopsy + PGS, 1 euploid embryo
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Teona)
I spoke to the nurse very rarely. Two issues happened - the nursing team couldn't call in my prescriptions in time for the first scheduled egg retrieval in early June. This was the reason my cycle was pushed out. Second issue, is that no one called with my 2nd blood draw numbers and so I didn't change my dosage. It's unknown whether a dosage change would have been needed but I was instructed after my 3rd blood draw that if I hadn't heard from anyone that day to call (even to ER line after hours) the day of a blood draw to confirm the dosage amounts.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
My understanding is that UCSF has very good technology, research and reputation. Their equipment is state of the art and we were able to be a part of a study that had low risks but saved us about $2500 that we would have spent anyways. That is why we chose UCSF. The issue here seems to be process and perhaps that they have WAY too many patients to manage. For instance, there are multiple forms that you must sign with a witness and no one makes sure that you have all of them at once and gets every single item signed at the same time. They are very disorganized and seemingly quite unaware of the issues. They are supposed to be fixing it and I hope they will so other people don't waste time and money. Make sure to advocate for yourself. Try your best to get an understanding of the bigger process and deadlines if you're on a tight timeline. Self pay medications with them are extremely affordable. I think friends that went to private clinics paid a lot more.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thalia Segal at UCSF.
$15k fertility services charged to BCBS insurance, paid $8k out of pocket. $5k fertility prescriptions charged to BCBS insurance, paid $2500 out of pocket
Describe Thalia Segal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
UCSF always talks about the goal being a singleton pregnancy so I believe they will only implant 1 at a time. I'm also high risk due to autoimmune conditions so implanting 1 has been my expectation from the beginning.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
  • Lost paperwork
  • Failed to call with results
  • Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
  • Lost results
  • Failed to convey critical information
  • Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
7
Doctor
Thalia Segal
Humanity
Communication
Frequency Seen
Trustworthiness
Compassion
Explained risks
Adaptability
6
Clinic
UCSF
San Francisco
Operations
Scheduling
Billing Department
Nursing Staff
Clinic Atmosphere
Educational Resources
Review of

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