Ratings of 1 indicate that a clinic was poorly operated.
Ratings of 10 indicate that a clinic operated very well.
Scheduling
8.8
8.8
Scheduling
Ratings of 1 mean it was difficult to schedule appointments with this clinic.
Ratings of 10 mean it was easy to schedule appointments.
Billing Department
7.7
7.7
Billing Department
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory billing department.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent billing department.
Nursing Team
8.6
8.6
Nursing Team
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory nursing team.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent nursing team.
LGBTQ+ Care
6
6
LGBTQ+ Care
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory LGBTQ+ care.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent LGBTQ+ care.
Attention to Detail
7.3
7.3
Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is on a 1 - 10 scale, and is scored based on the rate, and severity, of errors committed by the clinic according to the patients.
For example, a severe error might be failing to inform a patient of critical information, while a small error might be failing to call a patient with results.
CDC Success Rates
This is the most recent data from the CDC. The CDC cautions that it should not be used to compare doctors and clinics. This data represents the outcomes of IVF cycles when using a person's own eggs.
For more information please see our FAQs.
Where you see a “?” on the chart, a clinic has done fewer than 20 cycles in this category and age range, so the CDC says showing percentages from this small data set would be misleading and unreliable.
great experience with Dr. Morales...always honest with me so I felt like I knew what to expect. I liked her directness...never tried to spin bad news and that helped me better understand what was happening and my treatment plan...help me focus on one step at a time so I didn’t get overwhelmed...spent a lot of time explaining things and I really appreciated that...to freeze embryos after my second pregnancy loss...
[Fertility Specialists Medical Group] were really great about getting me in to see the doctor to start - she was booked out for months but they called me as soon as a spot opened which was on the weekend...The nursing staff was very compassionate, helpful and attentive...freeze embryos after my second pregnancy loss...be vocal and learn about all the things that you’re doing to your body and how your body is responding
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
I had a very positive experience. She was always very good about setting expectations and explaining to me what was happening. The IVF process is so overwhelming and complicated but I never felt like I was out of control with Dr. Morales. She was very on top of everything, making adjustments along the way depending on how I was responding.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Ask questions! The best thing you can do is be vocal and learn about all the things that you’re doing to your body and how your body is responding.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
I had a great experience with Dr. Morales. She was always honest with me so I felt like I knew what to expect. I liked her directness, she never tried to spin bad news and that helped me better understand what was happening and my treatment plan. She also would help me focus on one step at a time so I didn’t get overwhelmed. She spent a lot of time explaining things and I really appreciated that.
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
I went to Dr. Morales to freeze embryos after my second pregnancy loss. I started on estrogen before I got my period for about 10 days. Then began injections of Gonal and HCG. Added in the antagonist towards the end. I was in the clinic every other day - my protocol was adjusted based on what was happening with my body. I took a trigger shot and then had my retrieval. The first round I only got 6 eggs, 4 were mature, 4 fertilized, 2 embryos, both tested normal. The second round we added HGH. I got 8 eggs, 7 were mature, 4 fertilized, 2 embryos, 1 tested normal.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The nursing staff was very compassionate, helpful and attentive.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
They were really great about getting me in to see the doctor to start - she was booked out for months but they called me as soon as a spot opened which was on the weekend. I think it’s amazing that Dr. Morales will make extra time to consult with patients - waiting months can be really hard. I had a very good experience with all my scheduling and the clinic was great.
Dr. Morales is unlike any other fertility doctor I have encountered. I felt she really took the time to review my medical history and was the only one to truly educated me on my situation. She never treated me like a number. She was also the only doctor to ask me how I was doing mentally. This was very important to me because she knows how infertility can affect someone and she wants to make sure she provides the best treatment possible including providing options for emotional and mental health.
My experience has been with their [Fert Specs Med Group] Carlsbad location. Upon my first visit I was greeted warmly by Alina at the front desk. She was so friendly and warm. Expect to wait during each appointment. This is nothing new. I experience this at all fertility clinics. All of the nurses, financial coordinators, front desk staff are unbelievably great. They have always treated me kindly and as if they have known me for years. I see they treat every patient this way.
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
My only regret is that I did not find Dr. Morales sooner. She is the only provider to have studied my entire complicated and lengthy medical history. She educates you, is straight to the point and very thorough. She speaks fast, but always makes sure you understand and she is more than willing to go over information until you feel comfortable. She is blunt in her delivery, but she is kind hearted and compassionate. I feel she has genuinely taken an interest in mine and my husband's case and I am confident that we are in great hands. She is the only provider to ask how we were doing mentally and I could not appreciate that more.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She takes her time and is very thorough with her appointments. She provides a lot of information which can be overwhelming especially during the first consultation. Don't be afraid to ask questions if there is something that you don't understand or if you need the information to be repeated.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Morales is unlike any other fertility doctor I have encountered. I felt she really took the time to review my medical history and was the only one to truly educated me on my situation. She never treated me like a number. She was also the only doctor to ask me how I was doing mentally. This was very important to me because she knows how infertility can affect someone and she wants to make sure she provides the best treatment possible including providing options for emotional and mental health.
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
We are still in the early stages. After our first consultation Dr. Morales ordered an ovarian assessment report blood panel which would provide a clearer picture of my fertility and chances of a success. She also conducted two ultrasounds where she checked for cysts/fibroids, measured my lining and counted the number of follicles on each ovary. After her full workup she determined that the best course of action to take would be IVF. We will have our IVF inservice appointment in the near future.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Specialists Medical Group. (Assigned nurse: Jessica)
Jessica my primary nurse is very kind and calming. She takes her time to go over the checklist provided by Dr. Morales. She also does a great job at answering all of your questions. Often you will think of more questions after your meeting with Dr. Morales and Jessica has always helped me with that.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
My experience has been with their Carlsbad location. Upon my first visit I was greeted warmly by Alina at the front desk. She was so friendly and warm. Expect to wait during each appointment. This is nothing new. I experience this at all fertility clinics. All of the nurses, financial coordinators, front desk staff are unbelievably great. They have always treated me kindly and as if they have known me for years. I see they treat every patient this way.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The initial consultation is complimentary. Dr. Morales suggested an ultrasound ($200) and AMH blood test ($75). I also purchased a global package for $475 which included 3 appointments with Dr. Morales, 2 blood draw fees, 1 semen analysis, 2 ultrasounds and a hysterocopy. All items in package must be done within 6 months of the purchase date. In addition, Dr. Morales suggested an Ovarian Assessment Report blood panel which cost $175.
Describe Arlene Morales's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
For me, Dr. Morales recommended single embryo transfers. She said she would prefer to not put me at a higher risk pregnancy.
We are preparing to do a round of IVF, so we do know that Dr. Maas will not do a multiple embryo transfer unless it's under very special circumstances. She has told us we are currently not candidates for one, and she will only do eSET...She is engaging, funny, easy to understand, and always ready to answer our questions. She was clear with her thoughts, and we always know what is next on her schedule for us. She does seem like she has too many patients/responsibilities though, as she is usually running late for any appointment and during any procedure or ultrasound, it is always fast and not a lot of time to discuss results or answer questions
The most positive thing about the [Fertility Specialists Medical Group] nursing staff is that they are always nice, welcoming, and most of them remember you which is remarkable, because we rarely had the same nurse when we went to our appointments...Our upcoming IVF round for egg retrieval has been quoted at $8000 total with an additional $6000 for genetic testing...The Front Desk team is great - they always remember you, speak to you personally when you sign in, and are usually good about pushing your records to the back if you're in a hurry
How was your experience with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Maas strictly as a doctor is amazing. She is engaging, funny, easy to understand, and always ready to answer our questions. She was clear with her thoughts, and we always know what is next on her schedule for us. She does seem like she has too many patients/responsibilities though, as she is usually running late for any appointment and during any procedure or ultrasound, it is always fast and not a lot of time to discuss results or answer questions. When a one on one is scheduled strictly to talk, she always has more than enough time and is patient and kind. For actual hands on appointments, I feel like bedside manner can be more absent as she is always super quick in speech and action and seems crunched for time. She also doesn't seem to understand different thresholds of pain across the spectrum of patients, and I was frustrated in continually trying to explain the same pain during each procedure without positive results. I will say that after sharing my concerns after a third round of failed IUI, she has stepped up immensely in the communication and caring realm, and has reached out via her staff several times to check on me during our waiting out this Covid-19 period.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
To expect to not be 100 percent looked out for as she seems to have too much on her plate. If you go in understanding that you will have to be your biggest advocate and you will have to be hands on in following up and doing your due diligence to keep track in making sure things are done on her end, it will be a great experience.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
The office leaves you feeling like a number, but time spent one on one with Dr. Maas, makes you feel like a human. She is excellent at explaining things so they're easily understood and great at answering questions, and making you feel like you're not a complete failure.
Describe the protocols Kristi Maas used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
We did three rounds of IUI, due to an unexplained fertility diagnosis.
1st round - we just did letrozole medium dose with no results
2nd round - letrozole higher dose with Clomid small dose - resulted in painful ovarian cysts that I went to the ER for, and a positive pregnancy hormone test with no implantation
3rd round - letrozole and clomid higher dose - resulted in significant clomid side effects such as eye sight being affected and very cloudy brain fog along with hyper brain and heart activity - couldn't sleep well, and my body wouldn't be still. I couldn't stop moving. Result was negative test and Dr. Maas said I couldn't take Clomid anymore due to the eye sight being affected.
All three cycles were back to back without a break in between and included the pop shot 24 hours before transfer of sperm.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The most positive thing about the nursing staff is that they are always nice, welcoming, and most of them remember you which is remarkable, because we rarely had the same nurse when we went to our appointments. We were always seen by someone different. They are not great communicators, and I believe this is due to the fact that they don't seem to be assigned to specific doctors or patients. If they were, I think they would be less scattered and better at remembering patients specific information. They do not follow up unless you pin them down with a call back time, or you call back in to force a follow up. Covid-19 may have changed that, as I have received more calls during this last month, than I did in an entire year of IUI and testing with them. I really like most of the nursing staff, but not being able to be assigned to one or two specific ones has its drawbacks.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The Front Desk team is great - they always remember you, speak to you personally when you sign in, and are usually good about pushing your records to the back if you're in a hurry. It's been the same people since I started, so the turn over rate seems low in that department.
The Finance team is confusing and disorganized. They don't pay attention to detail and when you're watching every nickel and dime because fertility treatments are expensive even with insurance, that lack of attention is very frustrating. They had the wrong version of our insurance for months, and even though we told them each time we went in, they still wouldn't correct it which resulted in our paying out of pocket for most of the three rounds of IUI because we were so frustrated at the rates they were trying to charge us based on incorrect information that they wouldn't update. After a 6 month break from three rounds of failed IUI, we decided to move forward to a round of IVF. We decided we would approach everything in the financial department very aggressively. We did our research and went in with the paperwork to back up our requests and also told them that we preferred to only deal with the head of the finance department. After we explained everything to her about our past experience, she agreed to do better on our accounts. We haven't had to fight with them as much during this year, but we also haven't had to write the check for the IVF round. They are horrible at billing...we are still getting bills from them for procedures we had almost a year ago.
Overall, the clinic is average...not super cutting edge, but also not too dated. They're prices are good which is probably why they have an overabundance of clients and always seem to be scattered and in a hurry.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
We have comprehensive fertility insurance, so the costs were basically our deductible, plus expenses that weren't covered. Our upcoming IVF round for egg retrieval has been quoted at $8000 total with an additional $6000 for genetic testing. They have assured us that the highest possible amount is $8000 so they can't go over that and will most likely come in under that...with past experiences, I don't believe that they will come in under $8000.
Describe Kristi Maas's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
We are preparing to do a round of IVF, so we do know that Dr. Maas will not do a multiple embryo transfer unless it's under very special circumstances. She has told us we are currently not candidates for one, and she will only do eSET
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Our insurance is out of state and it is mandatory for us to get our injectables from an online pharmacy. No matter how many times I give them that information so they can send the prescription, they always send it to the pharmacy they prefer...
They called with results at a time I expressly asked them not to, because I wanted my husband to be there to get them at the same time I did...other times they have not called with results and we have had to call to get them.
They have repeatedly misplaced paperwork for our insurance or failed to update the insurance information upon our request. We have provided them with correct information and numbers and emails from the insurance, and they still haven't updated it completely in their system.
The doctor doesn't always communicate the updated protocols and procedures to the nurses right after our appointments, and we will have to call a few days later wondering why we haven't received prescriptions or updates on what to do next.
Dr. Morales is incredibly smart and definitely is thorough in her initial diagnosis and game plan. Where we struggled was mainly due to scheduling and follow up on protocols. I would often leave with many questions unanswered and needing to call the office for clarity. She took really good notes in my chart, so we were always able to do a "play by play" after a failed procedure...she is a great doctor that could use some better scheduling and less patients.
The FSMG is very busy! I was seen at both the Carlsbad and Metro office. The team at the Carlsbad Office knew me at every visit and were VERY warm for my early appointments. Erika (who is not longer there) and Allie were SO warm and personal in their communication. It was only when visiting the Metro Office that I felt like I was being rushed in and rushed out.
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Morales is incredibly smart and definitely is thorough in her initial diagnosis and game plan. Where we struggled was mainly due to scheduling and follow up on protocols. I would often leave with many questions unanswered and needing to call the office for clarity. She took really good notes in my chart, so we were always able to do a "play by play" after a failed procedure. But after 2nd IVF and poor blastulation, she kind of just shrugged, not knowing where to go next. She recommended egg donor, but in terms of protocol- not much else. We loved her sense of humor, even though biting at times, but she is a great doctor that could use some better scheduling and less patients.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Use the Carlsbad office, and make sure you come with a list of questions right away. Bring a notepad, even.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
The FSMG is very busy! I was seen at both the Carlsbad and Metro office. The team at the Carlsbad Office knew me at every visit and were VERY warm for my early appointments. Erika (who is not longer there) and Allie were SO warm and personal in their communication. It was only when visiting the Metro Office that I felt like I was being rushed in and rushed out. I also had some appointment scheduling issues where I would get calls from several people not knowing I had already set up appointments. Felt like they were overwhelmed at times.
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
My initial lab work showed decent ovarian reserve and normal hormone levels. I did have Uterine polyps which were addressed with my OBGYN in early 2019 before treatment began. We did 1 IUI to see if it would be a success, since both my husband and I tested normal for everything. In the IUI procedure, we almost missed my ovulation window - I ovulated on my own, even after they said that was impossible!! After that didn't work, we made the decision to do IVF. We did 75 Ganorelix, 150 Folistim, with Antogonist at the end. Got 7 mature eggs, 1 of which turned into embryo - PG tested very abnormal. **PANDEMIC HIT! Everything on pause**. In Mid May - they called us up letting us know they could resume cycles. Did second round with more aggressive antagonist protocol: Start with Ganorelix, then HGH, 300 Follistim, 150 Manopur. Ovulated on my own again ... then started over. Retrieved 4 eggs. None turned to embryos.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Allie, my first primary nurse and the nurses at the Carlsbad location were INCREDIBLE. SO warm and very empathetic to what I was going through. The main issues were with the front office teams mixing up my appointments and sending me to the wrong location. After the Pandemic, I was re-assigned to a new Nurse Alex who, while very sweet, dropped the ball on a few critical occasions. I felt very passed off at the end.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Strengths: Allie and the Carlsbad Nurses. That office was why we chose this clinic in the first place. Dr. Morales' humor.
Weaknesses: Disorganization, over-scheduling, and follow up with the front office and Metro nursing staff. The Metro front office manager was VERY rude early on in 2019. They took my feedback about that very well and I believe she left? The team that took over was much nicer, but still disorganized.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
IUI - mis scheduled (as I mentioned above)
IVF #1 - they were at the Carlsbad office at the same time every day and very easy stress wise.
IVF #2 - late afternoons with Dr Morales per their pod scheduling.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
$12k starting for IVF. $4000 for drugs, $4000 PGT
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Lost appointments
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Over the three procedures, there were some speed bumps.
1. During our IUI, the front office manager at the Metro clinic got very combative in what day I should schedule my ultrasound appointment after Letrasole. I was very concerned it was a day too late. Not only did she schedule me at the wrong location, but it turns out I was OVULATING on my own! Stressful.
2. First IVF went pretty smooth in terms of communication.
3. Second IVF was post pandemic and pretty chaotic. I had a new nurse, and she forgot to send me my protocol details before starting injections that first Saturday. Luckily I guessed correctly. Not much follow up for this round and every appointment felt so chaotic, which I understood - but maybe schedule less patients?
It didn't seem she [Dr. Arlene Morales] was very invested in us and was more invested in opening up the second clinic...on day of egg retrieval as a shock to us, she was not going to be the one doing the procedure. She handed us off to a different doctor that we had never seen...to all of a sudden know that someone else who doesn't know your background and has never met you to do the retrieval did not sit well for us.
The location [Fertility Specialists Medical Group] was not ideal as traffic became an issue if had an appointment past 3pm. At times parking could be crowded and the clinic itself is not easy to get to...[nurses] were the only thing that we loved about the clinic... Dr. Morales didn't seem to really listen to us and our fears, questions...She knew this was our only shot, but yet the thought of being more aggressive the first time was never discussed
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
It started off well and then it became very frustrating. She's incredibly knowledgeable, but I'm not sure she really asks the right questions for the benefit of the patient.
For example, AMH was low and so it was understood there could be an issue withe the response to injectables. After our failed IVF round (our embryos did not grow past 5 days) at that point she introduced a more aggressive protocol for those who typically have low AMH and suggested a list of supplements as well. She knew this was our only shot, but yet the thought of being more aggressive the first time was never discussed. It seemed to us that she just choose a protocol that is typical for all IVF patients.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Do your research as she may not give you all the information you need. I'm not sure how invested she is in her patients as I've heard other negative reviews about her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
In speaking with Dr. Morales initially, we felt really comfortable. She was direct and knowledgeable. But unfortunately once we started our IVF cycle, things changed. And one thing they did not disclose to us is that they were opening up a second clinic in north county, 30-45 mins away. If we would of known this, we would of gone to a different doctor as we wanted someone who would be fully invested in us and our cycle.
The doctor was later numerous times because she was commuting back and forth from the new clinic. Once we saw her to do ultrasounds and follow-up appointments, it seemed very rushed and she was very rushed to speak to us b/c she was already running late because of her commute. It didn't seem she was very invested in us and was more invested in opening up the second clinic. I will say the nurses were amazing, they were the only thing that we loved about the clinic.
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
Its been a few years so I can't remember specifics. But it did seem like she decided a protocol that is very common for those going through IVF. I understand that you learn from each cycle, but again the lack of listening to patients and investment seems lost.
If I could go back, I would of asked to do a more aggressive protocol.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Our nurse was amazing. The most caring person we interacted at the clinic. She took us step through step w/o being frustrated with all our questions. She understood the emotional aspects of the process and was very comforting when the IVF cycle failed. She was more compassionate than Dr. Morales. She was a rock star!
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Strengths- the nursing staff were amazing to work with; response times for returned phone calls were excellent;
Weakness- Doctor not being invested was a big one for me. She tended to be late for appointments which was frustrating because we worked full-time jobs yet we were there on time but she could not be. We were paid for HER services yet she fell short overall. The location was not ideal as traffic became an issue if had an appointment past 3pm. At times parking could be crowded and the clinic itself is not easy to get to.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The treatment was about $13K + $5K for drugs + add'l fees; all in all I believe we spent close to $20k
Describe Arlene Morales's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
We unfortunately never got to embryo transfers.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Another point was of her being not invested is that on day of egg retrieval as a shock to us, she was not going to be the one doing the procedure. She handed us off to a different doctor that we had never seen. At that point in the cycle you become very emotional and to all of a sudden know that someone else who doesn't know your background and has never met you to do the retrieval did not sit well for us.
She's very knowledgeable, but again I'm not sure she looks into each patient as an individual and a unique case versus just another person needing her service and she writes a protocol that is very general.
After the fact, I did some research and realized that one of the supplements to increase egg quality/ AMH is DHEA. Of course I cross-referenced this with the list they gave us AFTER the failed IVF and couldn't fathom why they wouldn't of mentioned this to us earlier. Why she didn't say how about you take these supplements for a month or two and then we do IVF cycle to better your chances. Again, no investment or forethought to help us. The experience was devastating because we came out of it with nothing, but the hardest part is that Dr. Morales didn't seem to really listen to us and our fears, questions.
She [Dr. Morales] addressed our concerns honestly and while being blunt she still showed compassion to our situation. She was extremely detailed oriented and kindly entertained and answered the page of questions and concerns we had. Throughout the duration of our treatment she spoke to us by name, always made eye contact, asked personal questions that were specific to us and genuinely showed sadness and concern when things didn't look good with our embryos.
Results came back quickly, the entire staff [Fertility Specialists Medical Group] was on the same page with our record and day-to-day details. We found their costs to be honest, up front, and they even gave us tips on where to get the discounted or less expensive meds. ... op notch doesn't even begin to explain the nursing staff. From the front desk to the phlebotomist, to our nurse at each visit and the nurses in the O.R. they were kind, compassionate, attentive and professional.
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr Morales is a straight-to-the-point woman. She does not sugar coat anything, but still has the skill to show compassion. She is detail oriented and as many times as she has met new clients, she still managed to make us feel like we were her only clients. I've heard others say her bedside manner was cold, but I didn't find that to be true at all. My previous doctor treated us like a number and didn't care when our IUIs failed, Dr Morales was honest and kind. We appreciated her bedside manner and found it to be honest.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
The only thing I wished I had asked was what her failure rate was. I wouldn't expect her to offer that up, but I wish I had asked. Prior to our experience I had never met anyone who had a failed IVF experience and as we came close to that end I was shocked. A couple of years later when friends of ours underwent IVF and had zero embryos I was in shock again. I had never heard of that happening, but of course should have known better and asked.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr Morales had reviewed our file before our Consultation and as we discussed our options she was already prepared according to our specific needs and contents of our file. She addressed our concerns honestly and while being blunt she still showed compassion to our situation. She was extremely detailed oriented and kindly entertained and answered the page of questions and concerns we had. Throughout the duration of our treatment she spoke to us by name, always made eye contact, asked personal questions that were specific to us and genuinely showed sadness and concern when things didn't look good with our embryos. After our miracle embryo took she did a happy dance with us in the office to celebrate. She checked in with me during each blood draw and even made a personal call after I was no longer under their care and was transferred to my OBGYN.
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
I began by taking Progesterone + Estrogen/Estrace (2mg) 2x/day prior to and through my cycle. After my cycle ended I took Follistim (300IU) and Micro hCG (10 IU) for one week. After a blood draw at week 1 I took the Antagonist = Ganirelix 1x/day while being monitored.
For Egg Retrieval I took HCG (3333 units) as a subcutaneous injection + Dostinex (.5mg) tablet daily for 7 days.
Day before egg retrieval I had no injections or medications.
Morning Day of egg retrieval I had no injections or medications.
Evening of egg retrieval I began - Progesterone (400mg) vaginal capsule 2x/day which continued through first week of pregnancy. I also started Doxycycline (100mg) 2x/day for only 5 days + Estrace (2mg) tablet 2x/day + Aspirin (81mg) 1x/day + Dostinex (.5mg) 1x/day
After positive pregnancy test I continued the Progesterone for a week.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Top notch doesn't even begin to explain the nursing staff. From the front desk to the phlebotomist, to our nurse at each visit and the nurses in the O.R. they were kind, compassionate, attentive and professional. We were greeted by name by each nurse we interacted with, I had various nurses checking in on my at blood draws, the nurses in the O.R. were EXTREMELY patient when I was emotionally a wreck. The nurse we had at the embryo transfer was a rock for us as we dealt this shocking news. A handful of nurses did a happy dance with us when we got a positive pregnancy test and the nurse who called to tell me about our positive pregnancy test cried with me over the phone. We couldn't have been more impressed with the nursing staff.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The only thing I can think of that wasn't ideal was the wait to get in for a consultation. We waited maybe two months to get an appointment, but once we we decided to move forward we had no issues getting appointments. We both liked that they offered early a.m. appointments as we could go before work. We also appreciated they offered free parking and had a cozy waiting room. But I think we the fact that they were an all encompassing (had their own lab, could do all blood draws on-site, did egg retrievals and embryo transfers under the same room) was incredible. Results came back quickly, the entire staff was on the same page with our record and day-to-day details. We found their costs to be honest, up front, and they even gave us tips on where to get the discounted or less expensive meds. Really no complaints.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Clinic Fee $4500 + Surgery/O.R. (egg retrieval & embryo transfer) $6000 both due at start of agreement. Anesthesiologist for egg retrieval $460 and was paid directly to the anesthesiologist on the day of retrieval. We also chose to do an updated blood/hormone panel for me which cost $700. Our insurance helped with some of the over-the-counter medications ($6 for Aspirin & $6 for Estradiol). Injectables, needles, alcohol pads, progesterone, trigger shots, and other medications cost approximately $7000. Our insurance paid half of the cost for the egg retrieval so we were reimbursed roughly $1500 if I remember correctly.
Had we need Cryopreservation for embryos it would have been $1100 and embryo storage would have been billed $65 monthly or $600 annually.
Describe Arlene Morales's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
My husband and I had decided we only wanted a single embryo transferred and since we had both been diagnosed with Unexplained Infertility Dr. Morales fully supported that decision.
Dr. Shelly has already exceeded our expectations. She is kind and compassionate and listens to what we have to say. She offers suggestions on our plan of care but ultimately lets us choose. She is very knowledgeable and friendly...my husbands sperm count and motility are "perfect" as Dr. Shelly said so the original plan was to start with IUI, but she instead said we could try a couple of rounds of medicated timed intercourse with Letrozole.
We had insurance as well. With Dr. Shelly, we have paid $225 for baseline ultrasound, $100 for follow-up appt, and $30 copay for initial eval appt so far...Everyone [at Fertility Specialists Medical] is always very friendly and courteous. I receive calls back promptly...With regards to the COVID protocols, they are still a little intense. My daughter or my husband is still not allowed in and I have required to be screened outside still and switch to a paper mask
How was your experience with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
We had used Dr. Maas at FSMG for our two prior IVF cycles but she has moved out of state so we began seeing Dr. Shelly. Dr. Maas was so good we didn't think she could be beaten. Dr. Shelly has already exceeded our expectations. She is kind and compassionate and listens to what we have to say. She offers suggestions on our plan of care but ultimately lets us choose. She is very knowledgeable and friendly.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
I have yet to experience any negative interactions with her. She has been doing this for a long time and is very knowledgeable in her field. You wouldn't go wrong using Dr. Shelly as your RE.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She is very informative and takes the time during each appointment to make sure we understand everything she is saying. She gives us options on our treatment plan and not just pushes something on us. She is very friendly, warm, and personable.
Describe the protocols Wendy Shelly used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
Prior to our daughter, we went through two unsuccessful rounds of IVF due to PCOS, thyroid issues, anovulation, and male factor infertility. I ended up getting pregnant naturally after my second round of IVF egg retrieval which all of our embryos didn't survive. Now my husbands sperm count and motility are "perfect" as Dr. Shelly said so the original plan was to start with IUI, but she instead said we could try a couple of rounds of medicated timed intercourse with Letrozole. We will be starting again in May.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Everyone is always very friendly and courteous. I receive calls back promptly.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
With regards to the COVID protocols, they are still a little intense. My daughter or my husband is still not allowed in and I have required to be screened outside still and switch to a paper mask. These protocols aren't in place for any other medical provider I am still seeing. Hard to be inseminated without your husband being able to be there, or to go to multiple appointments a week for 15 minutes and find a babysitter for a infant.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Under our previous doctor within the same clinic we spent about $15,000 for two rounds of IVF out of pocket. We had insurance as well. With Dr. Shelly, we have paid $225 for baseline ultrasound, $100 for follow-up appt, and $30 copay for initial eval appt so far.
Describe Wendy Shelly's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
No comment.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
I personally felt like she [Dr. Arlene Morales] was a bully. I genuinely don’t think she feels that way and views herself as just a very experienced and blunt doctor. I think she has good intentions, but I had anxiety every time I had to meet with her. She would steamroll my questions...Our appointments were always insanely rushed.
They [Fertility Specialists Medical Group] plan your cycle around what’s best for the clinic and not your personal cycle. It doesn’t matter what the ideal day if your cycle would be to start a medication...The clinic was small, but fine. Small parking area, small rooms. Seemed a bit chaotic at times. Nurses always rushing in and out of rooms and trying to talk to the reception desk. Receptionists were nice and always attempted to remember my name.
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
I personally felt like she was a bully. I genuinely don’t think she feels that way and views herself as just a very experienced and blunt doctor. I think she has good intentions, but I had anxiety every time I had to meet with her. She would steamroll my questions. Whenever I tried to present more current research as ask if she’d consider a different t approach since hers wasn’t working, she’d scoff and respond “I’ve been doing this for 30 years.” While I don’t want to diminish that, I think being a bit humble and trying to learn what’s current is what makes a good doctor. Our appointments were always insanely rushed. She would always try to push us to do many expensive “add-ons” even if we didn’t see the need. I felt like she really belittled the intense emotional and financial struggle we were enduring.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Don’t let her rush or talk over you. Trust your gut. If you feel like the cycle isn’t going well, it’s absolutely within your right to request to cancel and start a new one.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
They plan your cycle around what’s best for the clinic and not your personal cycle. It doesn’t matter what the ideal day if your cycle would be to start a medication- they just start you on Saturday to make it less likely that they’ll need to do a weekend retrieval. Multiple times I asked questions like “wouldn’t it be better on a different day” and was told “this is just our protocol”.
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
The first cycle she had us just do birth control pills, but on the day we were supposed to start, I already had one big dominant follicle. Cycle canceled. The next cycle we used ganirelix to stop me from ovulating, but that seemed to suppress my follicle growth completely. She still pushed to continue the cycle. They weren’t growing well so she kept upping my doses of follistim and menopur. Finally we had a bit of growth but it was small and slow. Eventually I had about 14 follicles, but they didn’t seem to be very similar in size or as large as I had read was ideal for retrieval. But she insisted we just continue this cycle and assured me she knew what she was doing and would likely get upwards of 10-14 eggs. I ended up getting 4 eggs from the retrieval. One egg made it to chromosome testing, but was abnormal. She called immediately trying to push for a new cycle, but we had no funds left. She said the money doesn’t matter and we should just do a new cycle and would likely get better results even doing what we had just done. We decided then to move to a different clinic.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Specialists Medical Group. (Assigned nurse: Stephanie)
Stephanie and the blood draw team were amazing. And I felt terrible for them because they seemed completely stressed and overworked. But they were incredibly kind, compassionate, and as thorough as they could be.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The clinic was small, but fine. Small parking area, small rooms. Seemed a bit chaotic at times. Nurses always rushing in and out of rooms and trying to talk to the reception desk. Receptionists were nice and always attempted to remember my name.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
I believe we had to do a package for IVF. I think each retrieval cycle cost about $30,000. That didn’t include medication which cost us about $11,000. There were $200 fees for each cycle even if you never started. The convinced me to get an expensive package that covered testing, but then the doctor said I didn’t need all those tests so they didn’t let me do then but also wouldn’t refund the package.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Sometimes offered explanations of why we would or wouldn’t do something in my cycle very confidently, but then days later would say the opposite and would change my protocol. Things weren’t explained to me to the level that I even understood them. Just told “Nevermind we shouldn’t do that.”
Dr. Morales is kind, efficient, and knowledgeable. She spends so much time with you! When I needed appointments outside of normal hours, she didn't hesitate to schedule me at my convenience. She explains everything clearly and scientifically, and engaged with me when I had questions or wanted to discuss things I'd researched...Dr. Morales strongly prefers eSET.
it's a big enough clinic that there's [Fert Specs Med Group] always a nurse or doctor available and it's easy to make appointments - they give you a comprehensive binder and lots of information - their financial advisor is so so so helpful. Denise is super knowledgeable and worked tirelessly to figure out how to get us the best deal with a few insurance benefits. Weaknesses: I don't ever go in expecting to be seen AT my appointment time...they seem to usually be running behind. For morning blood tests, you can ask to be seen right away if you're in a rush, but you have to advocate for yourself.
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Morales is kind, efficient, and knowledgeable. She spends so much time with you! When I needed appointments outside of normal hours, she didn't hesitate to schedule me at my convenience. She explains everything clearly and scientifically, and engaged with me when I had questions or wanted to discuss things I'd researched. She's amazing!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Choose her if you're looking for someone who's caring but also efficient/to-the-point/practical.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Everyone in this office is incredibly competent, attentive, and caring. I've never once felt rushed. Everyone knows my name and recognizes me. I feel truly cared for!
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
Egg retrieval hormones:
Cetrotide
Gonal-F
Menopur
I cancelled my first cycle due to eggs not maturing well, and the next cycle will have growth hormone added.
Dr. Morales adjusted my dosage and saw me extra as we went through this process; it was my decision to cancel the cycle since we are paying mostly out of pocket.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
So friendly, very good communicators/explainers. Efficient and competent.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Strengths:
- price for what you get (incredible) compared to other SD clinics
- Dr. Morales (amazing)
- it's a big enough clinic that there's always a nurse or doctor available and it's easy to make appointments
- they give you a comprehensive binder and lots of information
- their financial advisor is so so so helpful. Denise is super knowledgeable and worked tirelessly to figure out how to get us the best deal with a few insurance benefits.
Weaknesses: I don't ever go in expecting to be seen AT my appointment time...they seem to usually be running behind. For morning blood tests, you can ask to be seen right away if you're in a rush, but you have to advocate for yourself.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
$250 consultation
$4400 clinic services, doctor, stimulation phase, ultrasounds, bloodwork
$7100 egg retrieval with anaesthesia
$4500 PGT for up to 10 embryos
$1000 ERA
$3300 FET (discounted to $2700 after a failed implantation)
$65/month cryopreservation storage
They make it very clear, and there's no nickel-and-diming.
Medicine was $2000 for about half a cycle of stimulation (I cancelled this cycle). Used La Jolla Discount Pharmacy
Describe Arlene Morales's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Dr. Shelly is very warm and friendly. She has always made it a point to check in on how my husband and I...This made us both feel at-ease and more comfortable with the process...She really takes the time to analyze all facets of your health and explain how these pieces work in tandem...I feel confident in her decision making...she explained her reasoning or choices more and I ended up feeling more confident in her treatment.
The [Fertility Specialists Medical Group] clinic is clean and well-maintained. I haven’t been to any other fertility clinics, so I’m not sure if this is par for the course or not. New patients should know that the parking situation is a bit odd in that you wind around. Just follow the signs...IVF with it’s associated fees is about $20,000 and medications should cost $5,000.
How was your experience with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Shelly’s analysis of our health history and infertility was comprehensive. She really takes the time to analyze all facets of your health and explain how these pieces work in tandem. I asked her questions about procedures I had had 15 years ago, and she was more than willing to discuss (in detail!) how they may or may not impact our choices now. I am very analytical and love to research, and she answered every one of my questions. Dr. Shelly’s recommendations for additional testing and a procedure before beginning treatments made me feel like she really thought through our case and made sure that the treatments she is recommending are the right ones. I feel confident in her decision making.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
I would encourage a prospective patient to ask questions and push back on Dr. Shelly’s suggestions. When I did this, she explained her reasoning or choices more and I ended up feeling more confident in her treatment. I also recommend bringing all of your medical records (everything you can get your hands on) to the first appointment so your time with her is spent most effectively.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Shelly is very warm and friendly. She has always made it a point to check in on how my husband and I are doing as humans - not just as patients. She has shown empathy for our situation, and she’s shared about her own fertility journey with us. This made us both feel at-ease and more comfortable with the process.
Describe the protocols Wendy Shelly used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
We are just beginning our treatment plan, but we’ll be doing IVF with a mock transfer post-COVID.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The clinic is clean and well-maintained. I haven’t been to any other fertility clinics, so I’m not sure if this is par for the course or not. New patients should know that the parking situation is a bit odd in that you wind around. Just follow the signs!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
All in all, IVF with it’s associated fees is about $20,000 and medications should cost $5,000.
Dr.Shelly is very thorough at the initial consultation and very honest about what to expect for your individual case as you go through the process. She answered every question I had and gave me information on other options...She has a strong stance on single embryo transfers. You would have to have rare circumstances for her to attempt multiples she feels it is a unnecessary high risk to transfer multiples.
We are a military family ,so her and the entire [Fertility Specialists Medical Group] staff helped us get all the special forms and legalities handled quickly before a unexpected deployment...It is a stand alone clinic with a lab and all testing done in house...The staff is always friendly and welcoming some of the best front desk agents I have come across and everyone even other nitdrs that are not my assigned nurse remembers your name
How was your experience with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr.Shelly is very thorough at the initial consultation and very honest about what to expect for your individual case as you go through the process. She answered every question I had and gave me information on other options as I was thinking of also just trying to unblock my tubes and was not yet fully prepared mentally for IVF after an ectopic resulted in tube loss, I knew nothing about IVF, until 1 month prior to meeting Dr.Shelly and she really took all of that into account and was honest about the emotional aspects of this process as well, not just the physical and this helped me be better prepared overall when making my decisions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
I would highly recommend you just sit down with her and ask as many questions as you want I guarentee you will leave feeling comfortable with choosing her as your doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
I felt I was treated well by Dr.Shelly and all those I came in contact with in the facility,from nurses and lab staff, everyone is warm and welcoming and they remember your name.
Describe the protocols Wendy Shelly used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
I am still new to this journey and Covid-19 stalled my retrieval, but Dr
Shelly had schedule very low doses of all thr medications for me and only prefers single embryo transfers for those under 40.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Specialists Medical Group. (Assigned nurse: Suzy)
My nurse is well organized, she fors communicate all necessary information although she has a very heavy accent, which was a small barrier for my husband ,sometimes I had to re explain what was said to him on the way home. However I clearly understand her so it may depend on the person. She is very helpful always does what she says she is going to do, like send an email by a certain day or whatever request I have she is on top of it with a smile. We are a military family ,so her and the entire staff helped us get all the special forms and legalities handled quickly before a unexpected deployment due to Covid-19 right in the middle of our cycle. Suzy and the rest of the staff even the front desk agent really helped us navigate the changes in scheduling with ease.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
This clinic is amazing it fits my needs as far as location it is very centrally located in San Diego. It is a stand alone clinic with a lab and all testing done in house, going through fertility treatments is already so taxing I love that from the parking lot to the waiting room everyone I see is going through some form of the same thing.The office is not overly modern in decor or fancy which I like , other places I felt like I was walking into a luxury hotel and iron mans science lab to have my fertility looked after lol. I really like that it is simple not overly decorated it helps bring down the anxiety of being there, like going to a family doctors office where you are comfortable. The staff is always friendly and welcoming some of the best front desk agents I have come across and everyone even other nitdrs that are not my assigned nurse remembers your name, I have had them even notice hair cut changes, I know that is not fertility related, but it goes a long way to how personal and detail orientation everyone is, I highly recommend the clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The cost was 17,5000 with an additional 5000 for genetic testing.
Describe Wendy Shelly's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
She has a strong stance on single embryo transfers. You would have to have rare circumstances for her to attempt multiples she feels it is a unnecessary high risk to transfer multiples.
Dr. Maas explains everything in a way that someone who doesn't have a medical background can understand. She leaves extra time during each appointment to ensure all our questions are answered. We never feel rushed during our appointments with her. She is very kind and compassionate and shows she cares during what is one of the hardest times of our lives.
Everyone at FSMG is very kind and caring. Phone calls are returned quickly and it is pretty easy to make an appointment and not wait for 3 months to get in. Our only complaint so far would be pricing isn't laid out as easily accessible as it should be for those who may have to pay out of pocket. Otherwise, we love our experience (as much as we can) so far with everyone at FSMG.
How was your experience with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Maas is very thorough in her evaluations. We have never felt like she has left anything out. Every outside consult we've had they have said the same thing, that Dr. Maas is one of a kind and makes sure everything that can be ruled out is, in order to give us the highest chance of success with the lowest form of intervention. Dr. Maas explains everything in a way that someone who doesn't have a medical background can understand. She leaves extra time during each appointment to ensure all our questions are answered. We never feel rushed during our appointments with her. She is very kind and compassionate and shows she cares during what is one of the hardest times of our lives.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Maas is very knowledgeable in her field, but as always, it is good to have somewhat of a little bit of understanding of what you're walking into and have done some research on the subject as fertility treatments are very, very, in-depth.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Maas goes above and beyond to ensure that my husband and I thoroughly understand everything she is saying as the fertility treatment world is completely new to us. From our first appointment with Dr. Maas and her team, we have felt welcomed and informed of all that is going on. We are due to start IVF in the next few months and even now during COVID we are constantly in contact with their office for any question that comes up along the way.
Describe the protocols Kristi Maas used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
We are due to start IVF in June. We haven't started yet but Dr. Maas has gone over a rough protocol with us. Up to this point we were trying to be able to do medications or IUI but due to female and male factor infertility we are unable to.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The nursing staff is very kind. They go over all the next steps with us. We often have questions over the phone and they quickly return phone calls and make sure we are helped out.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The clinic has two locations which is helpful for us, one in North County/Carlsbad and one in San Diego. Everyone at FSMG is very kind and caring. Phone calls are returned quickly and it is pretty easy to make an appointment and not wait for 3 months to get in. Our only complaint so far would be pricing isn't laid out as easily accessible as it should be for those who may have to pay out of pocket. Otherwise, we love our experience (as much as we can) so far with everyone at FSMG.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
We have insurance that covers some fertility treatments. So far we have only paid $500-$1000 out of pocket with evaluation costs, labs, meds etc.
Describe Kristi Maas's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Be ready to receive a lot of information to digest later [from Dr. Morales]!...provides a lot of information. She as a booklet ready with all sort of information support to explain things. She is friendly and makes jokes (which may make you feel uncomfortable by times though....). However, we always had to wait at our appointments, and she is too fast and a bit overwhelming, there is no time to digest information when in an appointment...
[Fertility Specialists Medical Group] is a small clinic affiliated to a medical group inside our insurance network. This is the primary reason we started with them. The clinic otherwise is not particularly attractive and looks like a regular hospital department. There is waiting time every time we have an appointment but the personnel is usually friendly...We had one bad experience were a nurse interpreted a genetic test result over the phone and was wrong (said my wife had some disease and may show symptoms in the future, whereas she is a carrier but not affected), where she should not have stated anything expect we had results to review with the doctor....
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She is no short of information on how things work, has documentation to support what she says. Although, at times it feels like she is using always the same speech and may be pointing towards certain treatments that are more beneficial to the clinic. She tries to be friendly, including making jokes (which I don't always find funny, so whether it is positive or negative depends on how you receive it...). At least the relationship is human and not mechanical...
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Be ready to receive a lot of information to digest later!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr Morales provides a lot of information. She as a booklet ready with all sort of information support to explain things. She is friendly and makes jokes (which may make you feel uncomfortable by times though....). However, we always had to wait at our appointments, and she is too fast and a bit overwhelming, there is no time to digest information when in an appointment.
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
Not gone there yet
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Most conversations we had at this point were by email and phone, being in the evaluation stage. Nurses were normal (not particularly compassionate or rude). We had one bad experience were a nurse interpreted a genetic test result over the phone and was wrong (said my wife had some disease and may show symptoms in the future, whereas she is a carrier but not affected), where she should not have stated anything expect we had results to review with the doctor....
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
It is a small clinic affiliated to a medical group inside our insurance network. This is the primary reason we started with them. The clinic otherwise is not particularly attractive and looks like a regular hospital department. There is waiting time every time we have an appointment but the personnel is usually friendly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
IUIs cost about 2500$ with no meds, 3000$ with oral meds, 8000$ with injectable, 4000$ with combo meds
IVF is about 11,500$ up to egg retrieval, 7000$ for egg retrieval, 4500$ for embryo biopsy (optional) and 3500$ per transfer
Those costs include estimated medication
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Lost paperwork
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
We always carry our own set of lab results because several times the doctor didn't have the results we had sent them in their file. One time they also had the results from another person mixed with ours.
We also had a call to inform about genetic tests that was misinforming us about the results. Furthermore, while calling, my wife said she was not in the right environment to receive the information but the nurse still gave it over the phone...
Dr. Morales was and is truly invested in our fertility journey. She is honest and straightforward but in a way that puts you at ease. ... We looked “good on paper” so she felt confident in trying 3 rounds of IUI. She prescribed letrozole instead of clomid based on discussion with me and my medical history review. I felt confident and though it did not work for us, she kept us motivated through the process with honest and realistic but still positive feedback.
The clinic [Fertility Specialists Med Group] is clean, professional, and welcoming. My only issue was follow up on one billing confusion with a third party, I had to follow up a few times to get the information I needed but beyond that they were on top of everything else. The staff greeted everyone upon entering, answered questions and kept appointments flowing.
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Morales was and is truly invested in our fertility journey. She is honest and straightforward but in a way that puts you at ease. Sometimes I did feel that I had to wait awhile for a short procedure but she did all of the procedures and I did feel that she was willing to take her time and answer my questions when needed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She will throw a lot of information at you at once so be prepared with questions ahead of time. But also don’t be afraid to call later to ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Morales and her team were always warm and extremely welcoming. They remembered us from each appointment and it felt like they were truly invested in our journey.
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
We looked “good on paper” so she felt confident in trying 3 rounds of IUI. She prescribed letrozole instead of clomid based on discussion with me and my medical history review. I felt confident and though it did not work for us, she kept us motivated through the process with honest and realistic but still positive feedback.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The nurses are amazing. They are all incredibly sweet, professional, and friendly. I felt completely comfortable with each one I had and knew that they were also invested in our journey.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The clinic is clean, professional, and welcoming. My only issue was follow up on one billing confusion with a third party, I had to follow up a few times to get the information I needed but beyond that they were on top of everything else. The staff greeted everyone upon entering, answered questions and kept appointments flowing.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Our IUI procedures were about $1100 each round
Describe Arlene Morales's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Dr. Maas is good at explaining the procedures and answering all questions I had. She was also willing to let me do additional testing that I was concerned about, even though she didn't necessarily see it as a problem. I saw her at almost every visit ... First IUI I used letrozole and I ovulated the day prior to the IUI, which was a surprise. The second IUI, she switched to injectables in order to have more control of my cycle. That IUI ended in a pregnancy with twins, but I lost the pregnancy at 8 weeks. We tried the same protocol for IUI number 3, which failed, and we are now proceeding to IVF.
The financial team [Fertility Spec Med Grp] is not that clear with what is being charged. I have never received a detailed billing statement, though I intend to ask for one for tax purposes. They also will not give any one their billing rates, as they say it is proprietary information, although I was able to get the same information just from calling the other clinics in the area.
How was your experience with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Maas is good at explaining the procedures and answering all questions I had. She was also willing to let me do additional testing that I was concerned about, even though she didn't necessarily see it as a problem. I saw her at almost every visit (except for 2 ultrasounds performed by another doctor when she was out). I am still undergoing treatment with her (IVF retrieval).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Ask any questions you might have and explain to her your worries. She was good about letting me do additional testing when I was afraid I had issues after my miscarriage, even if she didn't think it was an issue based on her experience. This is important as the patient who is having all of the treatment, and whose concerns are validated and not just brushed aside.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
I always had all of my questions answered and all of the nurses know my name and ask how I was doing. May be because I was there frequently, but it was nice to know I wasn't just a number. Also, I suffered a missed miscarriage after my second IUI, and Dr. Maas called after my D&C to see how I was doing and one of the nurses also gave me hug when I went in to confirm the loss.
Describe the protocols Kristi Maas used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
First IUI I used letrozole and I ovulated the day prior to the IUI, which was a surprise. The second IUI, she switched to injectables in order to have more control of my cycle. That IUI ended in a pregnancy with twins, but I lost the pregnancy at 8 weeks. We tried the same protocol for IUI number 3, which failed, and we are now proceeding to IVF.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
FMSG has a lot of nurses. You would not be assigned one nurse, though I know a lot of them just from being in there so often. They all know my name and ask questions about my life and treatment. It seems like they are really rooting for their patients and want to see success.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The financial team is not that clear with what is being charged. I have never received a detailed billing statement, though I intend to ask for one for tax purposes. They also will not give any one their billing rates, as they say it is proprietary information, although I was able to get the same information just from calling the other clinics in the area. They also do not have an online portal where the patient can see their own results. After every blood draw, a nurse will call at some time that day for instructions on dosing for that night until the next ultrasound. I always got a call when I was expecting one. It would have been nice seeing the results though, since I am a visual person and also having the records for myself.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
My insurance covered half of diagnosis and half if IUI. My cost came out to about $1200 for an IUI with injections. For IVF, the cost is $12,000 for retrieval and fresh transfer, with frozen transfers costing $2750.
Describe Kristi Maas's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
I haven't specifically spoken to her about this, but I know the clinic's position is to transfer one PGS normal for all ages. For non-tested embryos, I believe above age 37 or 38 you have the option to transfer more than one.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The things that went wrong were minor. I had spoken to a nurse about seeing if Dr. Maas could request a pelvic MRI. I was told she was unable to order one. Though when I brought it up with her later, she was able to order it no problem, so seemed to be miscommunication there. It was also difficult when not in a treatment cycle to get a phone call back, although that is probably understandable. So far though, there have not been any major issues that I have found.
When you sit down with Dr. Maas for a consult, she is kind. But for most of the appointments (monitoring, discussing treatment, etc.), she seems rushed and does not ask if you have any questions. Often times I left my appointment wondering what happened or why something was recommended next. I often felt in the dark. I wrote a list of questions to ask at the next appointment and I stopped her before she left to ask her about it all. This made me feel like I was just a patient to collect insurance and copayments from, not to help along in this difficult journey. Also, at most appointments, I was asked by various staff when my LMP was even though I have completely anovulatory PCOS. It seemed like the clinic should have this noted in my chart, and that made me feel like a number rather than a person.
Doctors [at Fertility Specialists Medical Group] are too busy to explain what they are doing and why...Never expect a phone call or email from a nurse - let alone from a doctor here. With an office this big, two locations, and so many staff members, there REALLY needs to be systems in place. The disorganization here is frustrating. For example, sometimes I was seen in both locations and my files were not always in the right location, even though I spoke with the front desk about ensuring my files would be available when I made each appointment. Also, when I finally decided I deserved better patient care, I requested my medical records and some of the records were missing. I had to advocate for myself to get the complete set of records because this office didn't have it all together themselves.
How was your experience with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Maas is kind, intelligent and well-trained. I appreciated that she does seem to care, but she seems to have too many patients. I did NOT feel well cared for by her or this clinic. The rushed time at monitoring appointments and insufficient explanations in the process were defeating.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
If you have any questions, ask before you leave. Also, know that there are other doctors who have more time and better systems in place where you can receive the individualized support you need. Do not settle for a doctor just because you're already there.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
When you sit down with Dr. Maas for a consult, she is kind. But for most of the appointments (monitoring, discussing treatment, etc.), she seems rushed and does not ask if you have any questions. Often times I left my appointment wondering what happened or why something was recommended next. I often felt in the dark. I wrote a list of questions to ask at the next appointment and I stopped her before she left to ask her about it all. This made me feel like I was just a patient to collect insurance and copayments from, not to help along in this difficult journey. Also, at most appointments, I was asked by various staff when my LMP was even though I have completely anovulatory PCOS. It seemed like the clinic should have this noted in my chart, and that made me feel like a number rather than a person.
Describe the protocols Kristi Maas used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
My very first cycle under the care of a fertility specialist was with Dr. Maas. She recommended Letrozole (lowest dose) and timed intercourse. Initially I wasn't responding to the medication, but she recommended that we wait a few days and then check on my response. It appeared that I would be ovulating and she prescribed me Ovidrel injection for ovulation and we did timed intercourse. Two weeks later, I had a negative pregnancy test and I never got a period. Dr. Maas thought for sure that I ovulated (but my second RE thinks I never did).
My second cycle was also with Letrozole at a higher dose. I did not respond initially. I was seen by Dr. Maas's colleague that day and she prescribed me the highest dose of Letrozole. No one ever explained this to me so it honestly felt like the wrong treatment for me. I felt uneasy and uncared for so did not complete the cycle because of skepticism with the office. No pregnancy resulted.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
This office has many different nurses, and I often saw a different nurse each time. I never got to learn their names even though I had been at the clinic for over 6 months. Nurses are friendly, but they are frustratingly difficult to communicate with. They also . When my husband got his semen analysis, I called the office about the results/interpretation and a nurse said she would "spread the word" about the results to be on the lookout for them and then call me back. This response was unprofessional and awkward, and we never did get a call back that day. It was a Friday so we gave them the benefit of the doubt as having a busy day, but we still did not get the results until I called again that Monday or Tuesday. Communication with nurses was one of the most frustrating parts of my time with this clinic. Often you could not get ahold of a nurse so you would be sent to voicemail and the majority of the time you would not get a call back. If you did get to talk to a nurse, it was a different one each time. I felt like I (and my my concerns/questions/voicemails) got lost in the poorly organized system of this office.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Strengths of this clinic include having two locations in San Diego, nice offices, and great availability for appointments. The Carlsbad location is really nice and new. The San Diego office is very large. It is easy to get appointments same day/week. However, these factors don't really matter as much compared to the office's weaknesses. Weaknesses of this clinic include terrible communication, disorganization, poor systems and disjointed staff. Communication is their biggest downfall. Doctors are too busy to explain what they are doing and why. Doctors act like they are trying to see as many patients as humanly possible in a day so they can collect a bigger paycheck (from you and from your insurance). Never expect a phone call or email from a nurse - let alone from a doctor here. With an office this big, two locations, and so many staff members, there REALLY needs to be systems in place. The disorganization here is frustrating. For example, sometimes I was seen in both locations and my files were not always in the right location, even though I spoke with the front desk about ensuring my files would be available when I made each appointment. Also, when I finally decided I deserved better patient care, I requested my medical records and some of the records were missing. I had to advocate for myself to get the complete set of records because this office didn't have it all together themselves.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
With TRICARE Standard, my copayment for monitoring ultrasound and blood work was about $30. Most everything else was covered.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Lost paperwork
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
It is clear this team is not integrated and does not communicate regularly. The receptionist, nurses, financial staff, doctors, etc. are not on the same page. For example, we wanted to start our second cycle right away, but we were told that we had to wait for insurance prior authorization again. This was our first time doing these treatments and we did not know this information. We thought insurance was fine because we were still within the authorization approval window. Someone from the staff should have been aware of this to save us some time, but they didn't. So we requested prior authorization and one staff member said they would put it in that same day we talked. Nearly a week after that, we called our insurance to see if it had been approved and they said they had not received any request! We had to call back multiple times to finally get ahold of someone and they apologized and eventually got it done. YOU as the patient have to be steps ahead and proactive because this clinic will not have it all together for you. This just delayed our time getting pregnant unnecessarily. Also, when we requested medical records, they said they needed a month, so we gave them that time. As that month came, we started calling to ask when we could come pick up the records and they still said they were not ready but did not know when they would be. Tired of the waiting and wasted time, I went in person and told them it had been a month and I needed the records now, especially if I had to pay for them ($25) and had already waited a month. That worked, but it was unnecessarily difficult working with this clinic. This clinic caused me more tears and frustration that were unrelated to the medication/infertility itself. Patients deserve better.
She [Dr. Shelly] took the time to sit down with my husband and I to have real conversations about our chances of conceiving and never made us feel rushed. she is trying her best to give us our dream of 3 children...SHe is very knowledgable and I like that she isnt going to be conservative with my diminished ovarian reserve...she wants to use HGH right away with my first IVF cycle as i have an AMH of 0.27. ..
So far, they [nurses at Fertility Specialists Medical Group] have been very compassionate and good communicators...She likes to do eSET, but she agreed that if we have a successful first pregnancy without complications and a vaginal delivery, she will implant 2 embryos next time for the possibility of twins...I did have one issue with some miscommunication with the financial team...She [Dr. Shelly] took the time to sit down with my husband and I to have real conversations about our chances of conceiving and never made us fe
How was your experience with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
SHe is very knowledgable and I like that she isnt going to be conservative with my diminished ovarian reserve.... she is hitting my treatment hard and like she said, she is "bringing in the back up quarterback on a monday morning for next sundays game". I like that she wants to be aggressive so we can be successful for our first retrieval when we have 3 planned.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She took the time to sit down with my husband and I to have real conversations about our chances of conceiving and never made us feel rushed. she is trying her best to give us our dream of 3 children
Describe the protocols Wendy Shelly used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
she wants to use HGH right away with my first IVF cycle as i have an AMH of 0.27. She hasnt given us the full protocol yet, we get that tomorrow.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
So far, they have been very compassionate and good communicators. i will learn more as i go through my cycles.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
I did have one issue with some miscommunication with the financial team. Dr SHelly initially suggested zygote banking since i have to have 3 egg retrievals and was trying to save me some money, but when financial came in to go over the plan ,the never told me that I cannot zygote bank if I use my insurance (which doesnt cover very much at all anyways) and no one told me the plan was not to zygote bank, so this caused some confusion and another appt with dr shelly to clarify.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
my individual egg retrievals with my contracted insurance is $5910. ICSI each cycle is $2750 i believe. Cryopreservation is $1000. PGS $4500 first time, then about $3250 each cycle after for the biopsy and shipping for PGS testing. FET around $3500. All together for 3 cycles of IVF and 1 FET will be about 35,000 not including meds.
Describe Wendy Shelly's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
She likes to do eSET, but she agreed that if we have a successful first pregnancy without complications and a vaginal delivery, she will implant 2 embryos next time for the possibility of twins. My husband has dreams about our children and often sees me pregnant with a transclusent belly where he sees 2 babies. She listened to this (even though it sounds insane) and agreed to attempt to give us our dream of 3 kids
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
i previously wrote about my confusion with zygote banking vs embryo blast ...that was my only issue
She [Dr. Shelly] is kind, smart, candid and clear when she is explaining procedures, answering questions, etc. I feel like she is genuinely invested in our desire to have a child and smart enough to help give of the best chance of success. ... My partner was diagnosed with poor morphology. ... Despite her being very busy she always took the time to answer our questions and she is very good at reading people.
The office [Fertility Specialists Medical Group] is bare bones, not fancy or chic. That didn't bother me but some people might expect a fancy place when they are spending so much money. The staff was friendly and always very helpful. Although, sometimes I felt that they didn't remember me from visit to visit even though I was there a lot. ... There are a lot of different nurses, it feels like a large staff for 3 doctors but they are always busy. By the end I feel like most of the nurses knew us and we knew them.
How was your experience with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Picking a doctor who you are going to be seeing a lot, spending a lot of money with and are entrusting your dream of having a baby is VERY nerve racking. However, from our first visit through to now we have felt very comfortable and confident with Dr. Shelly. She is kind, smart, candid and clear when she is explaining procedures, answering questions, etc. I feel like she is genuinely invested in our desire to have a child and smart enough to help give of the best chance of success. After our positive BETA from our FET Dr. Shelly called after the nurse to Congratulate us, that personal touch along with the kindness and care she showed along the way was very meaningful to us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Ask a lot of questions so you also feel confident in her ability.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Shelly works a lot. I remember feeling like I was at the clinic a lot and she was also always there, (with the exception of 1 appointment) and I was in the middle of my cycle during the holiday season. Despite her being very busy she always took the time to answer our questions and she is very good at reading people. She would take the time we needed on days that we were feeling particularly fragile.
Describe the protocols Wendy Shelly used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
My partner was diagnosed with poor morphology. Sperm morphology can be a wild card, we opted to try 1 IUI because of the cost and non-invasive nature of it. I was on Femara and 3 follicles develop, sperm sample was good but IUI failed. We opted to go straight to IVF after the 1 failed IUI, for our sake while Dr. Shelly would have recommended up to 3 IUI. I was on Folistim and micro hCG for my egg retrieval. many follicles developed and we got 18 eggs at retrieval. Out of the 18 only 12 were mature, 11 fertilized and 7 made it to Day 5. We opted for PGS testing because of my advanced maternal age and our unexplained infertility diagnosis. We had only 2 normal embryos, 5 abnormal. We completed a "mock cycle" for ERA, which was included with PGS testing. I was receptive at day 5 of progesterone. So we moved forward with FET the following month. We feel very fortune to get a positive beta our first time. We will remain on Estrace and progesterone (shots in the booty) through pregnancy week 10. I don't have a history of miscarriage but don't mind the additional meds. as a precaution.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
There are a lot of different nurses, it feels like a large staff for 3 doctors but they are always busy. By the end I feel like most of the nurses knew us and we knew them.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The office is bare bones, not fancy or chic. That didn't bother me but some people might expect a fancy place when they are spending so much money.
The staff was friendly and always very helpful. Although, sometimes I felt that they didn't remember me from visit to visit even though I was there a lot.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Our Insurance covered 50% of diagnostic and we paid cash, out-of-pocket rate for all treatment.
Describe Wendy Shelly's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Dr. Shelly let us know she preferred eSET but was willing to do 2 embryos, my partner is a twin and we were both okay with twins. However, due to only 2 PGS normal embryos we transferred only 1 embryo. Hoping to have a second child in a few years, using our other frozen embryo.
Dr. Maas took the time to explain everything to us in as much detail as we asked for. She spent several hours of consultation with us during our treatments. She gave hugs when needed. She called me personally to let me know when cycles didn't work.... Dr. Maas is incredibly smart and an excellent communicator. She helped us feel empowered throughout the process while helping us keep realistic expectations. She uses evidence based practice every step of the way.
[Fertility Specialists Medical Group- San Diego] Strengths: multiple locations for monitoring and consults, several doctors, organized. Weaknesses: procedures only at the office farther away from me, and you have to pay for parking which just adds insult to injury after paying thousands of dollars for treatment.... My first IUI cycle was with clomid with an ovidrel trigger. Second was letrozole+gonal-f with ovidrel trigger. Third was gonal-f+cetrotide (antagonist protocol) with ovidrel trigger. My only ivf cycle was gonal-f+menopur and was planning on using micro hcg and cetrotide but it was cancelled due to poor response.
How was your experience with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Maas is incredibly smart and an excellent communicator. She helped us feel empowered throughout the process while helping us keep realistic expectations. She uses evidence based practice every step of the way.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
You are in excellent hands with her. Please note that she works between two offices so you may have to drive farther to see her on some days if you dont want to see a different doctor in the practice.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Maas took the time to explain everything to us in as much detail as we asked for. She spent several hours of consultation with us during our treatments. She gave hugs when needed. She called me personally to let me know when cycles didn't work.
Describe the protocols Kristi Maas used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
My first IUI cycle was with clomid with an ovidrel trigger. Second was letrozole+gonal-f with ovidrel trigger. Third was gonal-f+cetrotide (antagonist protocol) with ovidrel trigger. My only ivf cycle was gonal-f+menopur and was planning on using micro hcg and cetrotide but it was cancelled due to poor response.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Specialists Medical Group. (Assigned nurse: Erica)
All of the staff was fantastic!! They were warm, welcoming, and compassionate.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Strengths: multiple locations for monitoring and consults, several doctors, organized.
Weaknesses: procedures only at the office farther away from me, and you have to pay for parking which just adds insult to injury after paying thousands of dollars for treatment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Insurance covered IUI procedures but not meds. IVF would have costed around $10 thousand. We put down a $6k deposit but got it back after our cycle was cancelled.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Lost paperwork
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Some of my records were stolen in transit from one office to another when a vehicle was burglarized
I am lucky to have Dr. Maas has my fertility doctor. She has made this process a lot easier because this whole process is very emotional, physically demanding, and financially straining. Dr. Maas listened carefully to my wants and needs.... I was able to see her during almost every appointment which was great.... I saw Dr.Maas after 7 failed iui’s. I was 39 when starting the IVF process, so my age was the main factor. I did not have endometriosis, PCOS, and both my tubes were clear. All of my numbers were good as I was going through all the iui’s
The clinics [Fertility Specialists Medical Group] are clean and organized. Almost every person I came into contact with was very nice. My clinic has two offices which is a positive and a negative. The clinic closest to my house was great for some appointments and early morning blood tests before I had to go to work. One weakness is that the clinic closer to my house is not staffed all the time. So I had to drive almost an hour to the other office many times. They also do not have late appointments. Their last appointment is at 2:30pm. This was very challenging for my work schedule.
How was your experience with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
I am lucky to have Dr. Maas has my fertility doctor. She has made this process a lot easier because this whole process is very emotional, physically demanding, and financially straining. Dr. Maas listened carefully to my wants and needs. She asked about my prior fertility treatments and made a new plan for me. I was able to see her during almost every appointment which was great.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Trust the process. The doctors and nurses are rooting for you and want to see you get pregnant.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She had a open and honest conversation with me. She explained all the necessary items pertaining to IVF. She was gentle but also blunt when needed.
Describe the protocols Kristi Maas used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
I saw Dr.Maas after 7 failed iui’s. I was 39 when starting the IVF process, so my age was the main factor. I did not have endometriosis, PCOS, and both my tubes were clear. All of my numbers were good as I was going through all the iui’s, but I did have a fibroid but it was in a good area (if there is such a place). I thought I didn’t have anything that could prevent me from getting pregnant, so my previous doctor was shocked at all my negative iui’s and told me I had unexplained infertility. After that I went to Dr. Maas because I knew IVF was the next step for me. For my medications leading up to my egg retrieval, I was on 150 Menopur a night and 300 mg of Gonal-f. I did these shots for 11 nights. I also did Centroid for 5 or 6 days. My egg retrieval was fairly easy. Overall, only the cost of the IVF cycle was hard. Medications weren’t that bad, some bruising on my stomach and I didn’t really have any reactions to them. I planned on doing a frozen embryo and genetic testing because I needed to get my thyroid down first. (Didn’t have a thyroid problem when starting the iui’s but my thyroid number increased sometime during those iui’s.)
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Every nurse that I came into contact with was great! They really cared about me and wanted me to get pregnant.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The clinics are clean and organized. Almost every person I came into contact with was very nice. My clinic has two offices which is a positive and a negative. The clinic closest to my house was great for some appointments and early morning blood tests before I had to go to work. One weakness is that the clinic closer to my house is not staffed all the time. So I had to drive almost an hour to the other office many times. They also do not have late appointments. Their last appointment is at 2:30pm. This was very challenging for my work schedule.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kristi Maas at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The large amount for IVF was $11,200. Anesthesia was $500. Genetic testing was $4,500. Medication was $3000 -3500 (but I had some from prior treatments so it would have been another $1,000 embryo transfer is $3,500
Describe Kristi Maas's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
I had 6 embryos make it to Day 5 and ready for genetic testing and to freeze. Unfortunately I only had 1 embryo come back as inconclusive, so we tested that embryo again and it came back normal! So for my embryo transfer I only had one little fighter go in.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
My file got put away when it was supposed to go down to the other clinic for genetic testing. My prescription did not get called into the pharmacy.
Dr. Shelly is very warm and talked to us in terms that we would understand from beginning to end. We never felt rushed or like we HAD to do something. Every decision was for us to make.... Dr. Shelly is with you every step of the way. She gave us our consult, was available at any time of the day to take our questions and gave us a detailed roadmap as to what to expect during each cycle.... The treatment recommended was injections (max amount) for our IVF cycle. While they produced great numbers of eggs to retrieve, ultimately, none of the fertilized embryos made it to transfer.
Just remember, there is the clinical side and the financial side. Both personnel were great to talk to and work with at FSMG. They are all willing to work with you, based on your financial situation AND medical situation. All of the staff was friendly and really felt like they were there to help me and my husband.... The nurses were awesome! I could call at any time. I got the flu during my first IVF cycle and thought I had a fever due to the medications. They assured me everything was going to be fine and provided me guidance as to what fever medication I could take.
How was your experience with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Shelly is with you every step of the way. She gave us our consult, was available at any time of the day to take our questions and gave us a detailed roadmap as to what to expect during each cycle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Ask as many questions as you can! She is there to tell you everything you need to know, whether it's repetitive or you feel dumb asking - she makes it easy to understand what can and might happen.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Shelly is very warm and talked to us in terms that we would understand from beginning to end. We never felt rushed or like we HAD to do something. Every decision was for us to make.
Describe the protocols Wendy Shelly used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
The treatment recommended was injections (max amount) for our IVF cycle. While they produced great numbers of eggs to retrieve, ultimately, none of the fertilized embryos made it to transfer.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The nurses were awesome! I could call at any time. I got the flu during my first IVF cycle and thought I had a fever due to the medications. They assured me everything was going to be fine and provided me guidance as to what fever medication I could take.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Just remember, there is the clinical side and the financial side. Both personnel were great to talk to and work with at FSMG. They are all willing to work with you, based on your financial situation AND medical situation. All of the staff was friendly and really felt like they were there to help me and my husband.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
This was the best and easiest part of visiting the clinic. I showed up, and within 10 mins I was greeted and taken back for bloodwork/ultrasounds. Never waited a long time, was always personally greeted. Each nurse knew what was going on with my appointment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
$17,000 roughly for everything. $11,000 for the medical procedures, $6,000 for meds & anesthesiology.
Describe Wendy Shelly's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
She [Dr. Shelly] was very warm and inviting. Our first meetings with her were very brief, but we definitely felt like she knew what we were going through. I would Of liked her to spend more time with us, but we also came very prepared for our meetings...She was on vacation during the biggest part of my cycle, but before and after she was gone was amazing. She was very reassuring but also letting us know the risks involved. Before and after my egg retrieval I would of liked her to be more talkative. I was very nervous and would of liked that information. Also, I would Of liked to know she was going on vacation, but I loved the doctor I was with during that time.
The costs [at Fertility Specialists Medical Group] were very manageable. They were upfront with the costs. The one great thing is they did not require me to get all the meds prescribed at once. They helped us save money by telling us how much we needed and how many days...Don’t expect a flashy clinic. It’s straight forward and really perfects their craft of making babies. If you are wanting the bells and whistles you will be disappointed, but if you want excellent care this is the place.
How was your experience with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She was on vacation during the biggest part of my cycle, but before and after she was gone was amazing. She was very reassuring but also letting us know the risks involved.
Before and after my egg retrieval I would of liked her to be more talkative. I was very nervous and would of liked that information.
Also, I would Of liked to know she was going on vacation, but I loved the doctor I was with during that time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She is very efficient and quick. She was very honest and gave us the real answers.
If I have to do IVF again i wouldn’t go to anyone else.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She was very warm and inviting. Our first meetings with her were very brief, but we definitely felt like she knew what we were going through.
I would Of liked her to spend more time with us, but we also came very prepared for our meetings so everything was bried
Describe the protocols Wendy Shelly used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
Dr. Shelly used the best approach for my system. She knew I could potentially get OHSS and so they monitored me to make sure my levels were at a good spot and that I was healthy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Specialists Medical Group. (Assigned nurse: Suzy)
Their staff is amazing. During our IVF cycle we spilled some of the trigger shot medication. I called the nurse and they reassured me. I cried all night anyways. The next morning when I went to get my bloodwork done I explained to the nurses what happened. About 5 of them heard me and came in to give me hugs and reassured me. It made me feel 100% better.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
Don’t expect a flashy clinic. It’s straight forward and really perfects their craft of making babies.
If you are wanting the bells and whistles you will be disappointed, but if you want excellent care this is the place.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The costs were very manageable. They were upfront with the costs. The one great thing is they did not require me to get all the meds prescribed at once. They helped us save money by telling us how much we needed and how many days.
Describe Wendy Shelly's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
She advised me to do a eSET based on my age and IVF cycle.
She [Dr. Morales] explains things and seems to know what she is talking about and backs up the information with recent research. She speaks very fast and uses medical terms that I don't always understand so a lot of the time I leave feeling confused or overwhelmed. I don't feel she takes patients situations case by case and treats everyone the same as she has her own agenda in mind...very smart and experienced.
Every time I go [to Fertility Specialists Medical Group] it seems I have a different nurse. For my first cycle I had a care coordinator that I mainly spoke to via phone or email and did not see her often st the office. This cycle I have a new care coordinator and she is new to the office, and seems inexperienced. My last appointment I saw someone different. It makes it difficult when it seems there are so many people involved and no one really knows you or your situation other than what is written in the chart.
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Morales is very smart and experienced. She explains things and seems to know what she is talking about and backs up the information with recent research. She speaks very fast and uses medical terms that I don't always understand so a lot of the time I leave feeling confused or overwhelmed. I don't feel she takes patients situations case by case and treats everyone the same as she has her own agenda in mind .
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Be prepared with your own questions to ask and do research before hand to know what to ask for.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
She and her office are very busy. When I meet with her it is always very rushed. She has very little bedside manner.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Specialists Medical Group. (Assigned nurse: I was but rarely saw her. Now I have someone new, Kelly )
Every time I go it seems I have a different nurse. For my first cycle I had a care coordinator that I mainly spoke to via phone or email and did not see her often st the office. This cycle I have a new care coordinator and she is new to the office, and seems inexperienced. My last appointment I saw someone different. It makes it difficult when it seems there are so many people involved and no one really knows you or your situation other than what is written in the chart. The clinic I was at before I had one care coordinator and mostly one nurse that I dealt with for all of my care.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
For the most part everyone is nice and friendly . I have never had any problems getting appointments and for most appointments I am seen right at my appointment time. There is a lot of staff which is good, but at the same time makes it confusing as to who is your main point of contact for questions or concerns. With so many people being involved in your care, it can feel at times like you are just a number and no one really knows you or your case.
Describe Arlene Morales's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
I did a single embryo ivf transfer with a donor embryo. I think her reasoning behind doing one is because I only had two. The first one failed and I am about to two the second transfer. Hoping for better results.
Dr Shelly was great, we felt confident from the first consult and from her assurances. She was understanding and was very thorough in her plan for my wife and I. As our cycle progressed we saw less and less of her and for the last two weeks we only saw her at retrieval and transfer. Although we did not get the desired result, we still feel she did a great job...Dr Shelly concluded that my wife was well and healthy and that because we are male factor that we would not need many medications or high dosages.
The clinic [Fertility Specialists Medical Group] has two branches. Carlsbad and San Diego. If you wish to see dr Shelly or dr Morales be aware that the switch back and forth between the two clinics and also that carlasbad isn’t fully staffed nor is it open all the days. Note that the surgery center is in San Diego so it’s best to schedule everything with San Diego even if the drives is far...Jessika was our nurse for the first part of the cycle. She was great and organized. Very patient and helpful. She started us with the medications and followed us with the ultrasounds and blood draws. On retrieval day we were handed off to Carol, she was outstanding, she remained our nurse until transfer was completed.
How was your experience with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr Shelly was great, we felt confident from the first consult and from her assurances. She was understanding and was very thorough in her plan for my wife and I. As our cycle progressed we saw less and less of her and for the last two weeks we only saw her at retrieval and transfer. Although we did not get the desired result, we still feel she did a great job.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Ask as many questions as you possibly can. Even if she has to repeat herself. Ask that she be blunt. Also, ask to see her even if it’s just to say hello, it will make you feel just a little more confident and reassured.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr Shelly was very professional and personable, showed compassion and that she cared.
Describe the protocols Wendy Shelly used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
We got a baseline ultrasound 5 days prior to injection cycle. Dr Shelly said that the lining in my wife’s uterus was looking good so we started estrace oral pills for 10 days prior to the injection cycle. Injection cycle was 11 days of micro hCG 30 UI and follistim 425 ui. Dr Shelly concluded that my wife was well and healthy and that because we are male factor that we would not need many medications or high dosages. Next was cetrotide antagonist after day 7 till day 11. The ultrasound at day 11 showed that the eggs were ready for retrieval. All shots in the belly with insulin needles (1/2 inch) small gauge. Next was trigger shot of pregnyl. 36 hours after exactly was our retrieval. We were told to expect 10 eggs, measurements looked great. Retrieval produced 5 eggs total.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Specialists Medical Group. (Assigned nurse: Jessica)
Jessika was our nurse for the first part of the cycle. She was great and organized. Very patient and helpful. She started us with the medications and followed us with the ultrasounds and blood draws. On retrieval day we were handed off to Carol, she was outstanding, she remained our nurse until transfer was completed.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The clinic has two branches. Carlsbad and San Diego. If you wish to see dr Shelly or dr Morales be aware that the switch back and forth between the two clinics and also that carlasbad isn’t fully staffed nor is it open all the days. Note that the surgery center is in San Diego so it’s best to schedule everything with San Diego even if the drives is far.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Shelly at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
4500.00 USD for clinic fees and 6000.00 USD for the surgery center
550.00 USD for anesthesiologist.
1100.00 USD for cryopreservation
600.00 USD for storage.
Pharmacy costs
2500.00 USD
Describe Wendy Shelly's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
We had first been told by Dr Shelly that two embryos would increase our chances and that my wife’s good health would not be an issue for high risk pregnancy. However when transfer day came the embryologist was the one to tell us that the Dr had advised against it. We were told that the embryos were not of good quality and they’d hoped that another extra day would increase the chances of growth. Only one embryo was of “good enough” quality to transfer. In addition, a fresh transfer, would be a higher risk for the embryo to not attach to the uterine lining. There was a chance we would lose two embryos in one try.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Lost appointments
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
The new branch in Carlsbad is fairly new and not well staffed. Hopefully with the coming of new patients the demand will be such that this branch will become as well run as their San Diego branch.
We could tell that Dr. Morales was very busy, and she seemed distracted when we met with her. She spoke very quickly and didn't really give us a chance to speak at all. She seemed to have a rehearsed speech that she gives all new patients. We did not feel good after leaving her office. She also told us to just keep trying on our own and it would happen. We did that for a year after meeting with her.
Anytime I called they [Fertility Specialists Med Group] said they lost my file and would have to call back when they found it. They also told me I'm a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis, and it turned out they were looking at the wrong chart, and I'm NOT a carrier. They also failed to provide us with their binder for IVF procedures, then told us to make sure we understood everything inside it and sign the paperwork that goes with it. When we said we never got the binder, they said we could just sign the papers next time we come in without actually reading through it.
How was your experience with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Dr. Morales does not have good bedside manner. She was rushed and rude. She didn't seem to care about our treatment or individual needs. We felt like cattle being herded through the baby making machine.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Pick a different doctor and clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arlene Morales at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
We could tell that Dr. Morales was very busy, and she seemed distracted when we met with her. She spoke very quickly and didn't really give us a chance to speak at all. She seemed to have a rehearsed speech that she gives all new patients. We did not feel good after leaving her office. She also told us to just keep trying on our own and it would happen. We did that for a year after meeting with her. It didn't matter to her that we had already done that for a year. After almost 5 years of trying every fertility option out there we still have not conceived, so clearly she was wrong about that.
Describe the protocols Arlene Morales used in your cycles at Fertility Specialists Medical Group and their degree of success.
We left this doctor before beginning treatment because our experience with her and her staff was so bad.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
They were terrible! They were so disorganized. Anytime I called they said they lost my file and would have to call back when they found it. They also told me I'm a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis, and it turned out they were looking at the wrong chart, and I'm NOT a carrier. They also failed to provide us with their binder for IVF procedures, then told us to make sure we understood everything inside it and sign the paperwork that goes with it. When we said we never got the binder, they said we could just sign the papers next time we come in without actually reading through it. This was the last straw for us, and we left the clinic after this.
Describe your experience with Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
I was very unhappy with this clinic. We only went there because our insurance referred us there. The clinic seemed to have way more patients than they could effectively manage. Lots of things seemed to fall through the cracks. I would never tell anyone I care about to go to this clinic.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group?
Lost paperwork
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Specialists Medical Group.
I hated this clinic. They are so disorganized. They constantly lost my file and shared the personal information of others with me by mistake. They didn't take my fertility issues seriously, and I lost a year and a half because of them saying my issues would resolve themselves. They did not. The doctor did not seem to care about my fertility success, she just went through the motions without considering my personal needs.
