UCSF

76% strongly recommend

23 Reviews

Yanett Anaya

63% strongly recommend

6 Reviews

Heather Huddleston

64% strongly recommend

22 Reviews

Paolo Rinaudo

72% strongly recommend

12 Reviews

Eleni Greenwood Jaswa

100% strongly recommend

2 Reviews

Marcelle Cedars

65% strongly recommend

22 Reviews

Linda Giudice

100% strongly recommend

1 Review

Maren Shapiro

100% strongly recommend

1 Review

Hakan Cakmak

43% strongly recommend

13 Reviews

Evelyn Mok-Lin

32% strongly recommend

20 Reviews

Joie Guner

0% strongly recommend

1 Review

Victor Fujimoto

25% strongly recommend

Show 9 more

This clinic has 1 office
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San Francisco

499 Illinois Street, 6th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94158

2024, 21 Eggs Frozen

Age 32

1 Egg Freezing

European

Income $200K - $499K

Marketer or PR

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Maren Shapiro UCSF

[Dr. Maren Shapiro] took the time to listen to my concerns and made sure I felt comfortable discussing my health journey...combines her extensive medical knowledge with genuine compassion...she explained everything clearly...ability to make me feel like a valued partner in my care

[The UCSF] staff mirrored Dr. Shapiro’s warmth and professionalism, making every visit a pleasant experience...an awesome place to do fertility treatment...beautiful and a surprisingly calming environment. You know everyone working there is the best in their field...really efficient in scheduling...never had to wait in the waiting room to see anyone or get bloodwork

How was your experience with Maren Shapiro at UCSF?

I had a truly wonderful experience with Dr. Shapiro, and I can't recommend her highly enough! From the moment I stepped into her office, I felt welcomed and at ease, thanks to her warm and kind demeanor. She took the time to listen to my concerns and made sure I felt comfortable discussing my health journey. Dr. Shapiro's approach to care is exceptional; she combines her extensive medical knowledge with genuine compassion. During our consultations, she explained everything clearly and took the time to answer all my questions, no matter how small. Her patience and understanding made a potentially stressful experience so much easier to navigate. What impressed me the most was her ability to make me feel like a valued partner in my care. She encouraged me to share my thoughts and preferences, which made me feel empowered throughout the process. Dr. Shapiro's support extended beyond just medical advice; she truly cares about her patients' well-being, which is evident in every interaction. Thanks to Dr. Shapiro's expertise and kind-hearted approach, I felt confident and supported every step of the way. I am incredibly grateful for her dedication and would recommend her to anyone seeking a compassionate and skilled doctor. Thank you, Dr. Shapiro, for making such a positive impact on my health journey!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Maren Shapiro at UCSF?

Make sure to do research on the process and have questions prepped ahead of time to make sure you make the most of your appointments

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Maren Shapiro at UCSF?

I recently had the privilege of working with Dr. Shapiro during my IVF journey, and I cannot express enough how grateful I am for her expertise and compassionate care. From my very first consultation, Dr. Shapiro made me feel comfortable and understood, patiently answering all my questions and addressing my concerns with kindness and professionalism. What truly sets Dr. Shapiro apart is her dedication to personalized care. she took the time to create a tailored treatment plan that suited my unique situation, and her attention to detail was evident throughout the entire process. With each appointment, I felt more informed and empowered, thanks to Dr. Shapiro's thorough explanations and supportive demeanor. Her guidance was really helpful in setting expectations and making me feel empowered in the face of an uncertain and stressful process. The IVF procedures themselves were conducted with the utmost precision, and I always felt I was in the best hands. The clinic's staff mirrored Dr. Shapiro’s warmth and professionalism, making every visit a pleasant experience.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

UCSF was an awesome place to do fertility treatment. The clinic itself is beautiful and a surprisingly calming environment. You know everyone working there is the best in their field. They are really efficient in scheduling and booking and I never had to wait in the waiting room to see anyone or get bloodwork. Would absolutely go again.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Maren Shapiro at UCSF.

I spent $12000 out of pocket for treatment and medications

Doctor

Maren Shapiro

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Maren Shapiro UCSF

2023 - 2024, Successful

Age 35 - 36

2 IUI

Unexplained

European

South Asian

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Paolo Rinaudo UCSF

Dr. Rinaudo was very thorough, meticulous, and had a deep understanding of Asherman's Syndrome...only saw him a few times throughout the ten or so months...add some additional interventions the following cycle (Trental medication; platelet-rich plasma)...second IUI cycle was successful

UCSF is a world-class research organization, and they use cutting-edge technology and research to guide every decision...for most appointments and procedures, you see whichever doctor or nurse is working that day...LOVED the nurses and care coordinators. They're extremely responsive, thorough, and meticulous

How was your experience with Paolo Rinaudo at UCSF?

Dr. Rinaudo was very thorough, meticulous, and had a deep understanding of Asherman's Syndrome, which is rare to find. There are only a handful of clinics across the U.S. that use best practices to treat Asherman's correctly, and UCSF is on the cutting edge. We only saw him a few times throughout the ten or so months I was in treatment for Asherman's and infertility; for procedures and messaging, we typically worked with other members of the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health staff (which we didn't mind). Dr. Rinaudo is very thorough in his explanations, which I appreciated, and he was always warm and kind with us.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Paolo Rinaudo at UCSF?

On the spectrum from "info-dump talking" to "listening to feelings," he's more on the "info-dump talking" end. He'd often just dive into the care plan without asking or checking how I've been since the last meeting. I definitely got all of my questions answered with him, felt very well-informed, and trusted his care protocols, but there wasn't a lot of space to talk about my experience or feelings. This was totally fine with me; I didn't need my doctor to be touchy-feely about feelings, but I know that kind of connection matters to some folks, so I thought I'd mention it.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Paolo Rinaudo at UCSF?

Despite not having that many meetings with Dr. Rinaudo himself, he was always warm, and remembered every detail of my history and care plan. He took the time to answer every question of mine in depth, which I found reassuring.

Describe the protocols Paolo Rinaudo used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

Treatment for Asherman's Syndrome: Saline sonogram to confirm adhesions, then operative hysteroscopy to remove adhesions, followed by balloon catheter placement for five days. I did a month of Estrace supplements, of which the last seven days, I took Provera to induce a withdrawal bleed. We did three cycles after that of unmedicated timed intercourse, which didn't work, followed by two medicated IUI cycles. For each of those, I did Letrozole and Ovidrel trigger shot. The second IUI cycle was successful. Because of Asherman's Syndrome, my lining never got very thick, so we were teed up to add some additional interventions the following cycle (Trental medication; platelet-rich plasma) in case that was the issue. My lining only got to 5.8mm on the day of the second IUI, but it ended up being successful.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Norma and then Kali)

I LOVED the nurses and care coordinators. They're extremely responsive, thorough, and meticulous. Nothing fell through the cracks. For online portal messages and questions, I almost always got a response the same day. Direct contact with Dr. Rinaudo himself was sporadic, but the nursing team and care coordinators were AWESOME. Super competent and responsive.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

UCSF is a world-class research organization, and they use cutting-edge technology and research to guide every decision. I truly felt like I was getting the best medical care available. And for a niche fertility issue like Asherman's Syndrome, that's misunderstood by most obgyns and many REs, I definitely wouldn't have gone anywhere else. There are only a few clinics nation-wide that even know what best practices are for treating Asherman's, and UCSF is among them. The main trade-off with UCSF is that, for most appointments and procedures, you see whichever doctor or nurse is working that day. So if having a lot of continuity in the relationship is important to you, maybe go somewhere else. But I liked that I had no trouble scheduling appointments or getting my questions answered, because there was always someone available. To me, this trade-off was totally worth it. Dr. Rinaudo himself met with us to decide the strategy and protocol, and the rest of the staff worked as a team to carry out the plan. (Dr. Rinaudo did do my operative hysteroscopy for Asherman's himself, though, which I appreciated.)

Describe the costs associated with your care under Paolo Rinaudo at UCSF.

I don't remember the final out-of-pocket amounts, but we're lucky that our health insurance covers 90% of fertility care costs. The total amounts we spent were very low and manageable.

Doctor

Paolo Rinaudo

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Paolo Rinaudo UCSF

2014 - 2023, Unsuccessful

Age 37 - 46

1 IUI

1 Egg Freezing

Unexplained

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

He was dismissive and disengaged, even after multiple complaints... After two unexplained failed PGS embryo transfers, Dr Fujimoto offered no options on how to change or improve course for the transfer of my final embryo. It was up to me to research, suggest and trouble shoot what might be the reason for my failed transfers. Only after I pushed him did he offer to do a hysteroscopy, during which he was 'surprised' to find 'scar tissue'.

It's [UCSF] impersonal and feels like a racket...I have had billing problems with them - sending out collections on something that I had already paid and putting a large payment into the wrong place...Dealing with fertility requires a lot of mental, emotional and physical effort and this clinic doesn't make it easier...The nursing staff is wonderful IRL but when it comes to dealing with them as a collective 'care team' over email, it falls apart.

How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

After two unexplained failed PGS embryo transfers, Dr Fujimoto offered no options on how to change or improve course for the transfer of my final embryo. It was up to me to research, suggest and trouble shoot what might be the reason for my failed transfers. Only after I pushed him did he offer to do a hysteroscopy, during which he was 'surprised' to find 'scar tissue'. After my hysteroscopy, I did not hear from the dr for days. It took my 8 days to get in touch with him, after which time I asked one of his care team about the scar tissue only to be told that in the notes on my hysteroscopy it said nothing about scar tissue but did mention a septate uterus. I was furious that no follow up appointment was to discuss this, much less even tell me about it. When I finally got Dr Fujimoto on the phone he told me that there was no follow up hysteroscopy needed and that the septate uterus was not the reason for my failed transfers (both assertions are debatable at best). When I asked what could be done next to ensure that the final transfer had the best chance of success he basically shrugged in my general direction and then said that it seemed like I 'really wanted to dot my i's and cross my t's'. This was after I had expressed dismay that I hadn't been contacted for 8 weeks before the start of an earlier transfer (I waited that long to see if and when they would actually follow up after a conversation I had with him in which he said his team would follow up) and he said, 'well, that's water under the bridge'. He was dismissive and disengaged, even after multiple complaints.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Change doctors.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Dr Fujimoto remembered the name of my child and some details about me but I felt very much like a number when it came to empathy or treating my case as my individual case.

Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

Even though I have a regular cycle, Dr Fujimoto suggested that I go on bcp so that the clinic would have better control over the transfer protocol. No idea if this was necessary but I agreed. During both ultra sounds pre transfer, my uterine lining was barely within the recommended thickness range but the transfers went ahead anyway. I have since learned that we could have waited a bit and tweaked the protocol in order to increase the lining thickness. I have since learned that it is standard to do a follow up hysteroscopy (after a hysteroscopy in which scar tissue or a procedure was done) in order to make sure that the procedure did what it was suppose to do and that the uterus is healing properly. That was not done or recommended by Dr Fujimoto.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.

The nursing staff is wonderful IRL but when it comes to dealing with them as a collective 'care team' over email, it falls apart. There is no through line, no consistency. When you write an email, the first person to receive it responds. They are not looking at your history before doing so. There is very little connection between patients, nurses or doctors.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

I don't have much to compare it to but I don't think that this clinic is acting like a clinic that prides itself on and relies on its numbers for funding. It's impersonal and feels like a racket. Plus, I have had billing problems with them - sending out collections on something that I had already paid and putting a large payment into the wrong place (apparently there are different 'funds') resulting in them billing me for something I had already paid for. Dealing with fertility requires a lot of mental, emotional and physical effort and this clinic doesn't make it easier.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.

Oh geez. I have spent over 50k with UCSF.

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.

See previous slides

Doctor

Victor Fujimoto

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2022 - 2023, Unsuccessful

Age 38 - 39

Uterine Fibroids

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

IUI With Other Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

1 Egg Freezing With Other Docs

1 Embryo Freezing With Other Docs

Donor Sperm With Other Docs

LGBTQ+

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

dr. Huddleston is amazing. I was so lucky to work with her...listened and took time to work with me and my care...so good at what she does. Skilled in research and in care...she cared for me. Explained options and routs and really supported me...advanced scarring and fibroids...saw her for 3 separate procedures to “fix” my uterus...she is a well Know scar specialist...After all of my procedures and time to heal I was cleared by her to pursue embryo transfer at my original clinic

I should have chosen [UCSF] to begin with...center for reproductive health is awesome. It’s advanced with care and doctors. The facilities are great and I am impressed with everything about them...I never felt overlooked and never had to reexplain to them I’m a lesbian. They always where respectful and welcoming...Very kind staff and good at what they do. I felt comfortable with them. And never had any problems.

How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

dr. Huddleston is amazing. I was so lucky to work with her. She listened and took time to work with me and my care. And she also was so good at what she does. Skilled in research and in care. I want her as my regular obgyn. I didn’t get the rests I was hoping for. But she cared for me. Explained options and routs and really supported me. I would recommend her in a scoundrel to anyone.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

Go see her. She is worth it.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

I felt cared for and heard. Dr. Huddleston took time to speak with me, plan care and really help me understand everything.

Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

I came to Dr. Huddleston to get care and try and fix advanced scarring and fibroids. I saw her for 3 separate procedures to “fix” my uterus. She made sure I was well cared for. And got good restyles with scar tissue removal, fibroid removal and I posted my cavity. She was very very helpful and knowledgeable with all of these surgeries. All where out patient. She made sure I was very in pain and did her very just to fix things. After all of my procedures and time to heal I was cleared by her to pursue embryo transfer at my original clinic. I went to her because she is a well Know scar specialist and I was giving it a good old collage try with her an advanced specialist. I consulted with her a number of times about my possible peen net and in the end my other fertility Dr said they would not proceed with a transfer. And when I spoke to DR. Huddleston for another op ion she agreed and encouraged me to have my wife carry my embryos and to not move the embryos to her clinic she didn’t want anything to happen to them. She is not interested in statists or numbers of pregnancies she can help produce she care about the patient and the family.

How competent was Heather Huddleston at LGBTQ+ care?

She was so knowledgeable and never made a mistake or made me remind her I had a wife. She knew our story and was also checking in with us and our life. So kind and caring.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.

Very kind staff and good at what they do. I felt comfortable with them. And never had any problems.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

I should have chosen them to begin with. I’m not sure why I didn’t. But I like everything h they do. Ucsf center for reproductive health is awesome. It’s advanced with care and doctors. The facilities are great and I am impressed with everything about them.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.

Insurances covered most but I have paid out of local $1000 for all my surgeries

How competent was UCSF at LGBTQ+ care?

I never felt overlooked and never had to reexplain to them I’m a lesbian. They always where respectful and welcoming.

Describe your experience using 3rd party reproduction (donor eggs, donor sperm, or gestational carrier) at UCSF.

I didn’t see them for any of this

Doctor

Heather Huddleston

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

LGBTQ+ Care

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

LGBTQ+ Care

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2020 - 2022, Successful

Age 38 - 40

3 Embryo Freezing

European

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Fujimoto was very focussed on our desired outcome. There was not a lot of hand-holding or compassionate doctoring, but that was not what we were looking for...After our first cycle failed to produce any viable embryos, [he] changed protocols and the new protocol worked well for me...We transferred one PGS normal embryo..

The nursing team was generally very prompt in replying to my messages in the portal. If there were times when I had an urgent question and they weren't responding right away, I was able to reach them by phone...UCSF is a high through put clinic with great procedures and protocols in place and a top notch lab. You don't typically see your doctor for monitoring appointments and procedures...They also don't provide much guidance on lifestyle changes or complimentary therapies like acupuncture, you have to be very proactive about those things

How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Dr. Fujimoto was very focussed on our desired outcome. There was not a lot of hand-holding or compassionate doctoring, but that was not what we were looking for. We were looking for a specific result - viable embryos free of 2 dominant serious genetic conditions, and enough embryos to potentially have more than one child. With a maternal age of 39 that is no small feat. After our first cycle failed to produce any viable embryos, Dr. Fujimoto changed protocols and the new protocol worked well for me. We were able to get our target number of embryos after 2 more cycles, for a total of 3 cycles. Dr. Fujimoto also identified and treated a septum in my uterus. His level of experience treating this condition made very confident in the results of the procedure. He was always very straightforward about the plan, risks and potential outcomes. He was sometimes blunt to a fault - once casually suggesting that we consider an IUI with donor sperm, which was kind of a bomb for my more sensitive husband. I think if someone needed a lot of cheerleading or compassion along the way, they might find Dr. Fujimoto lacking. But if you want a science-based, experienced, results focussed physician he is the real deal. I am very happy with our outcome.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Be specific with your desired outcome and listen to what Dr. Fujimoto tells you about the risks and potential approaches. He will always give you a straightforward answer. He will not communicate directly with you during your treatment cycle, but if you have a question for him ask the nurse to put you in contact with him and he will take the time to call and talk with you. Also, I saw and acupuncturist during my treatment who also served as a coach with regards to lifestyle changes. I found that very helpful because Dr. Fujimoto and UCSF don't provide much advice on that beyond a pdf handout.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Dr. Fujimoto was pretty no-nonsense. Our limited time together was focussed on the treatment plan.

Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

I did one typical short protocol which did not produce good results. Dr. Fujimoto then switched me to a "demi-halt" protocol which does not seem very popular as far as I can tell but it worked much better for me. I used this protocol twice.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Ana Rao)

The nursing team was generally very prompt in replying to my messages in the portal. If there were times when I had an urgent question and they weren't responding right away, I was able to reach them by phone. There was one time when I did not receive the instructions for my trigger shot, but I was able to figure it out. Other than that they provided very clear instructions and always answered my questions quickly, even when I was being a bit anxious and asking a lot of them.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

UCSF is a high through put clinic with great procedures and protocols in place and a top notch lab. You don't typically see your doctor for monitoring appointments and procedures. For monitoring procedures you see one of many NPs or doctors, and for procedure you see the procedure doctor of the week. I thought all of the doctors and nurses at UCSF were top quality and knew exactly what they were doing, but if you want to have a personal connection with your doctor or if you aren't comfortable being examined by a large number of clinicians this might not be the place for you. They also don't provide much guidance on lifestyle changes or complimentary therapies like acupuncture, you have to be very proactive about those things. One thing that I really appreciated about UCSF was the genetic counseling. We had a complicated PGD case and the genetic counselor we worked with, Chelsea Leonard, was absolutely fantastic. One of the big reasons I picked UCSF is because they have genetic counselors on staff.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.

About $15,000 per cycle, not including medications and genetic testing. The FET was $4,500

Describe Victor Fujimoto's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

We transferred one PGS normal embryo. We didn't have much discussion of this, it just seemed like the obvious best choice.

Doctor

Victor Fujimoto

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2018, Unknown Success

Age 41

1 IVF

Poor Egg Quality

European

Income $200K - $499K

Consultant

2nd of 2 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

UCSF is a very busy clinic. It is a teaching hospital and therefore you do not always see the same doctor or nurse and it's rare to have your actual doctor perform your monitoring or retrieval....I was always in and out quickly. But every person there is wonderful. The front desk, the phlebotomists, the nurses - so kind hearted....UCSF is VERY adamant that their goal is a singleton birth. They give you a chart up front that shows age and issue and number they will transfer.

How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Dr. Fujimoto is just the right combination (for me) of passionate and clinical. He took plenty of time to walk through all the options for us - as number of insurance cycles and age and timing were all of the essence. He had a number of suggestions for working around insurance which I thought was really keen of him to even discuss with us. His clinical approach is clear and concise. Every time I asked a question (why didn't I get my period, is my lining supposed to be that thick? what EXACTLY does it mean that you slowed down my medications) he answered it and did not rush, was not condescending and always followed up to ensure I really understood. He does not have what I would call a "delicate" bedside manner, but a warm pat on the leg and a smile and a let's get you a baby attitude when he leaves the room just always made me feel like he was totally on my team. Like a really great little league coach that you never forget. :)

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Don't be discouraged if he talks over you. It might seem rude but it's not. He is just full of information and you can see it bubble over and he just wants to share his knowledge. Just be patient and repeat yourself. I said "hold on" a number of times and he was very receptive to that.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

UCSF is a very busy clinic. It is a teaching hospital and therefore you do not always see the same doctor or nurse and it's rare to have your actual doctor perform your monitoring or retrieval. I got incredibly lucky and because of his on call schedule, Dr. Fujimoto ended up doing 3 of my monitoring appointments as well as my retrieval (therefore the question later on in this review re: the topic of how often I saw my doctor and did they perform the procedures should be taken into consideration - I got lucky).They run their clinic like clockwork. This can be a bit off putting if you were looking for a more personalized approach and can perhaps make you feel more like a "number". It worked for me because it is a highly emotional situation, and this approach made that easier for me to handle. It also is very great for work schedules, I was always in and out quickly. But every person there is wonderful. The front desk, the phlebotomists, the nurses - so kind hearted. Even with the busyness, I always felt like they aren't just treating a "fertility patient" - they taking care of ME and they SEE ME. They all truly show empathy and care with every interaction.

Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

OCP Antagonist Protocol 7/21: Cycle Day 2 - Eskyce (Birth control) 8/06: Cycle Day 17 - last active birth control pill 8/09: Baseline US 8/11: Gonal F 225, Menopur 2 vials (150 units) Continue all meds 8/15: First monitoring appointment. Reduced GF to 150 units 8/16: Start Centrotide before 11am, continue all other meds 8/21: Stopped all meds, HCG 5,000 trigger at 9:30pm 8/23: ER 19 eggs retrieved 14 fertilized 9 to PGS 1 PGS tested embryo waiting for FET October 2018. (My first cycle with a different doctor was less eggs and embryos, 2 fresh transferred that failed, and ultimately resulted in 1 PGS tested embryo frozen. Relatively same results, but who knows why those 2 fresh transfers failed.)

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Danielle, Anna, Someone else who covered)

Danielle is the first person I spoke to when I expressed wanting a new Doctor (who ended up being Dr. Fujimoto). She spent a good 20 mins on the phone with me to understand who I am and what doctor would be a good fit for me. She works in partnership with Anna, who I never met. The two of them seem very overworked but still organized, and there were some vacations and days off that seemed like someone was always covering for someone else. They always apologize for any slowness or confusion (there rarely was any, I didn't even have to call for help with medication once they sent in the order). Don't get me wrong - this was actually never a problem for me. I worried it would be. But I got all the info I needed when I needed it and they were very kind hearted.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

I believe in teaching hospitals and think that is a strength in and of itself. If you are looking for someone to get super creative with how to make things happen for you, I'm not sure this is the right place but both of my protocols have been pretty "textbook" antagonist protocols, so hard for me to judge. It is not a boutique fertility clinic - understand that up front. It isn't a weakness, it just is what it is.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.

I paid $0 because I'm very lucky to have great insurance (at a job I hate, but hey, beggars can't be choosers). Overall: $5k FET ER: $15k Meds - depends on where you get them filled. They offer "self pay" which he said was "better than military rates".

Describe Victor Fujimoto's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

UCSF is VERY adamant that their goal is a singleton birth. They give you a chart up front that shows age and issue and number they will transfer. In my case, I have 2 PGS embryos and he was 100% willing to do both. (My last cycle with different doctor also transferred 2 fresh, which was their standard recommendation and also on the recommendation of the lab.)

Doctor

Victor Fujimoto

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015 - 2017, Successful

Age 30 - 32

1 IVF

Unexplained

Latinx

Income $200K - $499K

Operations

1st of 8 Docs

1 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Huddleston was empathic and made sure I understood the process...was caring and always put my needs first...one IVF cycle and multiple FET cycles with different protocols...was always there to listen, provide guidance, and offer encouragement, even during the most challenging times

UCSF Center for Reproductive Health is truly exceptional in every way...Having multiple MDs involved in my treatment plan made a world of difference...The entire team at UCSF is dedicated, knowledgeable, and compassionate. From the front desk staff to the nurses and doctors, everyone we encountered made us feel supported

How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

We cannot express enough gratitude to Dr. Huddleston for the incredible care and support she provided throughout our fertility journey. After more than 10 years of fertility treatments, we were blessed with our two beautiful daughters, all thanks to Dr. Huddleston and her expertise in IVF. From the very beginning, Dr. Huddleston was nothing short of amazing. Her positivity and kindness made every step of the process more bearable. She always put me first, ensuring that I felt like a human being, not just a patient. Her compassion and understanding were evident in every interaction, making us feel truly cared for. Dr. Huddleston's dedication to her patients is unmatched. She was always there to listen, provide guidance, and offer encouragement, even during the most challenging times. Her knowledge and expertise were crucial in helping us achieve the family we had dreamed of for so long. We are forever grateful to Dr. Huddleston for making our dream of parenthood a reality. She is an exceptional doctor and a wonderful person who will always hold a special place in our hearts.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

Takes notes

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

Dr. Huddleston was empathic and made sure I understood the process. she was caring and always put my needs first

Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

We did one IVF cycle and multiple FET cycles with different protocols

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Brittney)

Absolutely amazing

Describe your experience with UCSF.

Memory updated Here's a review for the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health: The UCSF Center for Reproductive Health is truly exceptional in every way. After many years of trying to conceive, we finally found success here, and we couldn't be more grateful. One of the standout aspects of this clinic is its group practice model. Having multiple MDs involved in my treatment plan made a world of difference. Instead of relying on just one doctor's opinion, I had the benefit of several highly experienced professionals weighing in on my care. This collaborative approach gave me confidence that I was receiving the best possible treatment tailored specifically to my needs. The entire team at UCSF is dedicated, knowledgeable, and compassionate. From the front desk staff to the nurses and doctors, everyone we encountered made us feel supported and cared for throughout our journey. Their expertise in reproductive health is unmatched, and their commitment to helping families achieve their dreams is evident in everything they do. If you are looking for the best fertility clinic, look no further than the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health. They are simply the best at what they do, and we are forever grateful to them for helping us build our family.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at UCSF.

Well oiled machine.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.

Self pay patient

Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

eSET is better as twins is not good for the risks

Doctor

Heather Huddleston

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2015, Unsuccessful

Age 33

2 Fertility Medications

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Unexplained

European

Income $200K - $499K

Teacher

1st of 3 Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Dr. Huddleston is extremely sympathetic and kind. ... But she is quite conservative in her treatment protocols. ... My greatest critique of Dr. Huddleston however, was her insistence that we did not need to test my husbands sperm before Femara cycles with timed intercourse ,because I had had 2 pregnancies (and miscarriages). As it turns out, his sperm motility and count were quite low, but we didn't find this out until much later, wasting a ton of time.

a few tests that were supposed to be ordered were left off of the lab request. And in one case the wrong test was ordered ... Overall the clinic [UCSF] seems to have decent, if conservative, doctors. ... The administration and nursing staff were chaotic. ... I would double check everything you are told, or you may end up wasting a lot of time. I only had medicated cycles with this clinic. When it came time to move on to IVF, I went elsewhere. There are just too many moving parts with IVF to risk administrative errors.

How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

Dr. Huddleston is extremely sympathetic and kind. She is also knowledgeable in the field of recurrent pregnancy loss. But she is quite conservative in her treatment protocols. For example, while other doctors might try metformin, a blood thinner or immune treatment speculatively, Dr. Huddleston strictly follows the research literature. This could be a good or a bad thing depending on your outlook. She was willing to try metformin for my mild case of PCOS, after I delivered her a bunch of my own research. My greatest critique of Dr. Huddleston however, was her insistence that we did not need to test my husbands sperm before Femara cycles with timed intercourse ,because I had had 2 pregnancies (and miscarriages). As it turns out, his sperm motility and count were quite low, but we didn't find this out until much later, wasting a ton of time.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

She is not likely to think very far outside of the box. So do your own research and advocate for yourself.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

Dr. Huddleston is very nice and has a good bedside manner. However, her nursing and administration team was a nightmare. It was difficult to get in touch with anyone. At one point they ordered the wrong tests for blood work, and left out other tests. If I wasn't constantly double checking their work major things would have been missed.

Describe the protocols Heather Huddleston used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

We did 2 cycles of Femara with timed intercourse. The second cycle we also had ultrasound monitoring, at my request. Dr. Huddleston believed that I could get pregnant on my own and that my 2 miscarriages were likely "bad luck." So, we just tried Femara to get a "stronger ovulation" which would hopefully trigger a more robust hormonal response. Neither cycle resulted in a pregnancy.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.

The administration and nursing staff were chaotic. They are juggling a lot of patients, and things often seemed to fall through the cracks. I had to follow up with them constantly to clarify instructions. Once they ordered the wrongs tests, and I had to get blood drawn multiple times. If I hadn't been double checking things they never would have caught this on their own

Describe your experience with UCSF.

Overall the clinic seems to have decent, if conservative, doctors. But the administration needs a lot of improvement. I would double check everything you are told, or you may end up wasting a lot of time. I only had medicated cycles with this clinic. When it came time to move on to IVF, I went elsewhere. There are just too many moving parts with IVF to risk administrative errors.

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

Lost paperwork
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.

I had a large number of tests ordered to try to get to the bottom of my recurrent pregnancy loss. However, a few tests that were supposed to be ordered were left off of the lab request. And in one case the wrong test was ordered (the name sounded similar to the correct test). If I didn't know exactly what tests I was supposed to be getting, I wouldn't have been able to catch all of this and correct it.

Doctor

Heather Huddleston

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2023, Successful

Age 42

European

Income $500K+

Business Executive

Only Doc Seen

Donor Eggs With Other Docs

Surrogacy With Other Docs

LGBTQ+

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Huddleston was polite, engaging, respectful, and listened to both my concerns and those of my partner...was very honest and willing to work with a more compressed timeline due to insurance coverage limits...she is the head of the egg donor program at UCSF, so that positions her incredibly well to help us as a gay male couple

[UCSF] -Best providers you can find on the west coast. -High quality egg donor program -Great psychologists -Once you are admitted to the practice they are very accomodating -Wish the egg donor program were a little more automated...They were so incredibly accommodating

How was your experience with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

She was very honest and willing to work with a more compressed timeline due to insurance coverage limits. Also, she is the head of the egg donor program at UCSF, so that positions her incredibly well to help us as a gay male couple

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

If you have a specific timeline in mind and you are using mostly donor material then I would encourage you to let her and the team know.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Heather Huddleston at UCSF?

Dr. Huddleston was polite, engaging, respectful, and listened to both my concerns and those of my partner.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.

They were so incredibly accommodating. Also, willing to accelerate the process for the easier steps that involve bloodwork and testing.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

-Best providers you can find on the west coast. -High quality egg donor program -Great psychologists -Once you are admitted to the practice they are very accomodating -Wish the egg donor program were a little more automated

Describe the costs associated with your care under Heather Huddleston at UCSF.

Her initial consult was a bit high, but likely commensurate with her expertise. My insurance covered most of it after meeting my out of pocket max.

Describe Heather Huddleston's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

No concerns as we aren't there yet.

Doctor

Heather Huddleston

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

LGBTQ+ Care

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

LGBTQ+ Care

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2023 - 2024, Unknown Success

Age 32 - 33

Endometriosis

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2 IUI With Other Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

I've never met Dr. MokLin in person. We've had several video visits with her but her plan of care feels very generic. We went to her specifically for a doctor who specializes in Endometriosis patients and she seems to know less about the disease than I do. Many red flags with meds that many Endo Experts now avoid for Endo patients. Other factors seemed to be left behind like monitoring TSH & progesterone levels.

I believe, but am not positive, that the clinic [UCSF] is well known for its state of the art technology and some of the best labs. There's a chance you might never meet the RE you're assigned to, and it's difficult to switch. Billing isn't the best, but seems to be better over the last year or so. Overall if you don't mind never meeting your doctor...The nurses are wonderful but they are overworked and their team is understaffed so they seemed a bit overwhelmed.

How was your experience with Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?

She is direct and can answer you questions if you have questions, but doesn't seem to offer any information. If you come in with a plan or suggestions, she will be flexible which I appreciate, but it made me feel like I knew more about the process than she did, often like I was doing her job for her.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?

If you're looking for someone who specializing in endometriosis, she isn't your gal.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?

Describe the protocols Evelyn Mok-Lin used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

1st IVF round: antagonist protocol, 2nd IVF round: antagonist protocol with luteal. First upcoming transfer: modified natural (no estrogen, with PIO & antihistamine protocol which I had to ask for specifically).

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.

I saw someone different every time I had an appointment. The nurses are wonderful but they are overworked and their team is understaffed so they seemed a bit overwhelmed. The nurses who work in the retrieval area are very kind and warm. That part of the process is a very well oiled machine.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

I believe, but am not positive, that the clinic is well known for its state of the art technology and some of the best labs. There's a chance you might never meet the RE you're assigned to, and it's difficult to switch. Billing isn't the best, but seems to be better over the last year or so. Overall if you don't mind never meeting your doctor, I'd give UCSF a 7/10

Describe the costs associated with your care under Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF.

50% self pay discount now - IVF round 17k, meds around 3k, transfer 5k+ depending on protocol

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance

Doctor

Evelyn Mok-Lin

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2021 - 2023, Successful

Age 37 - 39

1 Fertility Medications

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Unexplained

South Asian

Income $200K - $499K

1st of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr Jaswa is very empathetic and personable...We have joint decision making with her...low ovarian reserve...feel like I am talking to my honest and compassionate doctor friend...takes into account my family, my financial circumstances, my personal background...is also realistic without being cold or mean

Strengths [of UCSF]: World-class research, university based so not profit driven (the doctors are salaried so not incentivized by the number of procedures)...a nice array of protocols including doing a 3-day transfer...Eugenia before so she was super excited and helpful when we came back

How was your experience with Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF?

I feel like I am talking to my honest and compassionate doctor friend. She takes into account my family, my financial circumstances, my personal background. For example, I am from a minority group that is grossly under-represented in research. Dr Jaswa is very aware of this and engaged to have culturally appropriate discussions around this. She is also realistic without being cold or mean. Given fertility is such a difficult and emotive health topic, I weirdly leave every meeting with her feeling positive and optimistic.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF?

If you have a hunch, she will listen and look into your concerns and provide you evidence. Be bold and ask her questions.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF?

Dr Jaswa is very empathetic and personable in a system that treats people like numbers. She is aware of my background as a scientist and works with me on the data, rather than reciting what she learnt in medical school. We have joint decision making with her - which I LOVE. She is open to listening to the data from me and making a joint decision. For example, I have a benign fibroid that has caused me no issues. One of the Drs at the clinic Dr Mok-Lin was examining me and insisted I have surgery on this fibroid otherwise I would never get pregnant. I looked at the data and shared it with Dr Jaswa, she agreed that it was aggressive and not warranted. I was able to have a successful first pregnancy, without such severe surgical intervention.

Describe the protocols Eleni Greenwood Jaswa used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

We have had one successful ICSI treatment resulting in our first child. We needed help to add to our family and she has let us try only with meds for 6-8 months before we go onto our ICSI cycle. As the one before is 'tried and true' we will use that. This is one of the first clinics that is proactive in using an Estrace priming cycle. If you have low ovarian reserve, this is a miracle worker. You take estrogen before your period and then do the GonalF/Menupur treatment as normal.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Eugenia)

I worked with Eugenia before so she was super excited and helpful when we came back. I think knowing the clinic helps. The first time was harder and you had to be really proactive as they are busy and sometimes miss things.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

Strengths: World-class research, university based so not profit driven (the doctors are salaried so not incentivized by the number of procedures) so you get really honest evaluations of what is possible, a nice array of protocols including doing a 3-day transfer - which many clinics do not do, but how I got my first child.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF.

The first time we had Progyny but now we are out of cycles. Now our insurance covers 50% or the clinic allows 60% of full cost for self-pay. Per appointment is is a few hundred dollars. The full cost of one ICSI with meds and procedure is prob around $15,000 self pay

Describe Eleni Greenwood Jaswa's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

The first time she only did one egg when I was 36. Now I am 39 she recommends 2 eggs.

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.

The clinic is pretty well run. However, they don't always know where to send medication and I had some issues with this the first time arounds.

Doctor

Eleni Greenwood Jaswa

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2023, Unsuccessful

Age 39

1 IVF

Male Factor

Poor Egg Quality

Latinx

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

It's hard to really describe her [Dr. Evelyn Mok-Lin] as a provider because I saw her twice and spoke with her once on the phone. She's very direct and will answer all your questions. I like that in a provider. What I did not expect to want was more compassion and ideas for treatment. I have done a lot of reading and there's a lot of diagnostic work ups we could be doing to improve the next cycle. I didn't really feel like she thought about my care plan too much. It didn't feel like I was getting patient-centered care in her hands.

The best part of the [UCSF] clinic is that you never feel neglected as a patient. They have a lot of staff and everyone is kind. As long as you don't mind that you rarely see the same people twice, you will be happy here...She's [Dr. Mok-Lin] great if you prefer a doctor who gets straight to the point and uses evidence-based practice. However, when you go to the clinic, you see whoever is working that day. Your primary doctor makes your care plan and whoever is working follows that plan.

How was your experience with Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?

It's hard to really describe her as a provider because I saw her twice and spoke with her once on the phone. She's very direct and will answer all your questions. I like that in a provider. What I did not expect to want was more compassion and ideas for treatment. I have done a lot of reading and there's a lot of diagnostic work ups we could be doing to improve the next cycle. I didn't really feel like she thought about my care plan too much. It didn't feel like I was getting patient-centered care in her hands.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?

She's great if you prefer a doctor who gets straight to the point and uses evidence-based practice. However, when you go to the clinic, you see whoever is working that day. Your primary doctor makes your care plan and whoever is working follows that plan.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF?

I felt respected by everyone at the clinic but my care plan did not seem personalized to me. After my failed cycle, there was no problem solving to figure out what went wrong. There's also a disconnect between me and my doctor because she is never there for my monitoring appointments and she didn't do my actual egg retrieval herself.

Describe the protocols Evelyn Mok-Lin used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

In my situation, we had male factor infertility and unknown fertility status for me other than being 39 years old. Our first cycle we did classic antagonist protocol with estrogen priming. We had terrible fertilization rate with 1 blast sent for biopsy and it was aneuploid. We are changing our strategy and doing a second cycle.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Shem)

Shem has been a pleasure to work with but, just like with my RE, Shem was not the only nurse to take care of me. There was a whole team who worked together to deliver comprehensive care: nurses, medical assistants, financial coordinators/counselors, pre-cyle coordinators, a therapist, phlebotomists, the front desk staff, and the egg retrieval staff. There is always someone there to help you every single day. I think they take Christmas off but that's it.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

The best part of the clinic is that you never feel neglected as a patient. They have a lot of staff and everyone is kind. As long as you don't mind that you rarely see the same people twice, you will be happy here.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at UCSF.

I was able to schedule my monitoring appointments at times that were convenient for me. When I arrived at the appointments, there was never much of a wait.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Evelyn Mok-Lin at UCSF.

The out of pocket prices are displayed on their website. For egg retrieval cycle, it's around $18,000. For FET, it's around $4,000.

Describe Evelyn Mok-Lin's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

Sadly, we didn't have any embryos to transfer. If we had, we were advised to transfer one euploid embryo at a time. If I had opted not to do pgta, for my age she would have still advised one embryo at a time.

Doctor

Evelyn Mok-Lin

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2023, Unknown Success

Age 39

1 Fertility Medications

Latinx

Income $200K - $499K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Dr. Fujimoto was direct and set expectations...practices on a more conservative side, using IVF over IUI with our Progyny benefits, which also slants more conservative to avoid multiples...never felt rushed in our appointments...eSET is preferred...always left time for questions...using the DNA testing options to give the embryos the highest chance of success

I could get an appointment in a reasonable amount of time 1-2 weeks out [at UCSF]...make sure to get insurance authorizations ASAP...were responsive to the EHR system. In office, they were always very kind. I never had to wait too long...thought after I had done labs and my partner did a semen analysis that we would get called and informed about the result, but we weren't.

How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Dr. Fujimoto was direct and set expectations. He provided his opinion from experience and insurance benefits. He practices on a more conservative side, using IVF over IUI with our Progyny benefits, which also slants more conservative to avoid multiples. This is in line with my preference. I never felt rushed in our appointments. He always left time for questions. He did often show slides to explain the medical side, which was very beneficial for me visually. I always felt like I could get an appointment in a reasonable amount of time 1-2 weeks out.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

He is practical, not a warm and fuzzy kind of provider, but straightforward and professional.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

I felt like a human because everything seemed tailored to my plan and needs. However, it wasn't always clear when I needed to reach out or when I needed to hear back from the team. I was proactive, but if I wanted things sooner, I needed to have been more proactive. Taking into account the need for insurance approvals, things could have moved much quicker.

Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

He practices on a more conservative side, using IVF over IUI with our Progyny benefits, which also slants more conservative to avoid multiples. This is in line with my preference. He prefers to go with the evidence based practicies, especially as age becomes an issue, IVF without any IUI trials, and using the DNA testing options to give the embryos the highest chance of success. Dr. Fujimoto was direct and set expectations. He provided his opinion from experience and insurance benefits. I never felt rushed in our appointments. He always left time for questions. He did often show slides to explain the medical side, which was very beneficial for me visually.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.

They were responsive to the EHR system. In office, they were always very kind. I never had to wait too long.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

I always felt like I could get an appointment in a reasonable amount of time 1-2 weeks out. I wish I had known sooner to make sure to get insurance authorizations ASAP, even if I was unsure of which procedure I wanted to do right away, because that delayed starting on things a couple of months. I felt I had to be more proactive about telling them what I wanted to do next, versus them asking me.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.

Most of the cost was covered by my Progyny insurance. I had low costs. I was never told estimate amounts that would be charged or covered, just percentages. The clinic fees were not shared in a document.

Describe Victor Fujimoto's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

eSET is preferred.

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.

I wish I had been told more about my cycle for egg stimulation and retrieval so I could plan my work and travel around that better. I thought after I had done labs and my partner did a semen analysis that we would get called and informed about the result, but we weren't. I thought after the labs, we would get called to set up an appointment to discuss next steps. I thought it was clear that we were planning to more forward to next steps, but it seemed like I had to do all of the planning and scheduling. I was told through my other specialty clinic that my main insurance, which contracts out with Progyny Fertility insurance, had cancelled their contract for the next year. It was already 4th quarter and they do a 2-week clinic closure for lab cleaning. The clinic did not inform me, I learned from my other specialty care. Knowing that information, would make me want to work faster to get as much done before the end of the year when insurance coverage changes. I would have liked to have been informed sooner that Anthem cancelled with UCSF for 2024.

Doctor

Victor Fujimoto

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2022, Successful

Age 36

1 Embryo Freezing

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Investment Banker

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Successful

Review of

Dr. Fujimoto was knowledgeable and direct and I am happy with the outcome of my cycle. I only saw him twice but was able to get in touch with him when I had questions throughout the cycle...took the time to answer all my questions and I did not feel rushed during the appointments...I am really happy with the outcome of my cycle...Short protocol of Menopur + Gonal F.

I think the [UCSF] care team and lab are very good and I am really happy with the outcome of my cycle. However, the back office / billing is the worst I have ever seen. Be prepared to get charged for hidden costs and extras, after prepaying for the full cycle. They sent me 5 different bills because they could not get it right...Despite the great care team and lab, I am not planning to go back to this clinic.

How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Dr. Fujimoto was knowledgeable and direct and I am happy with the outcome of my cycle. I only saw him twice but was able to get in touch with him when I had questions throughout the cycle. I think the care and the lab are very good, but the back office / billing is absolutely awful, resulting in a very frustrating and unpleasant overall patient experience.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

With Dr. Fujimoto you are in good hands, but I would advise going into this with the understanding that there are a lot of hidden costs throughout the process and I would not recommend trusting anything that you get from their billing coordinators. For example, they will tell you you your insurance will cover a part of the cost when in fact it is incorrect and any IVF charges billed to your insurance will be rejected. If I had followed their “estimates” I would have had to pay over $30k out of pocket (instead of the self pay rate of $16k).

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?

Dr. Fujimoto took the time to answer all my questions and I did not feel rushed during the appointments.

Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

Short protocol of Menopur + Gonal F.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.

My interaction with the nurses was limited. I had one zoom session pre-cycle that was helpful.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

I think the care team and lab are very good and I am really happy with the outcome of my cycle. However, the back office / billing is the worst I have ever seen. Be prepared to get charged for hidden costs and extras, after prepaying for the full cycle. They sent me 5 different bills because they could not get it right. They are being very shady about the hidden costs and there is no transparency regarding the extra charges you will be billed for after the cycle is over. I was a self-pay patient and paid the full amount upfront. After the cycle was over, they came after me with bills for additional blood tests, ultrasounds, office visits that I did not request and medications. They do not explain it to you , but what you pay for the cycle is only the beginning. The bill was full of inaccuracies and mistakes and I had to spend hours on the phone with the billing department to walk through them each time. They sent me 5 different bills with a different amount each time, and still could not get it right or explain what they are charging for. They are extremely unresponsive via email and you don’t hear back from them for weeks. They do however threaten to send your bill to collections on a regular basis. It is now 9 months post my cycle and I had given up on trying to get an accurate bill. I paid the outstanding amount, despite it being incorrect, just so that I can close this chapter and move on. Dealing with their incompetent billing team is the most frustrating experience that I don’t ever wish to go through again. Despite the great care team and lab, I am not planning to go back to this clinic.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.

Plenty of hidden charges and no transparency around billing. Their billing coordinators also showed me the estimated costs of the self pay option vs going through the insurance (you need to chose one of these before starting the cycle, and there is no switching). Based on their comparison I could have saved money by going through insurance. Luckily I decided to verify the information myself and found out that my insurance will not cover any IVF costs. I would have had to pay the much higher rates (without the self-pay discount) out of pocket had I listened to them. It would have cost me an additional $15k-$20k. Their billing department is extremely incompetent.

Describe Victor Fujimoto's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

Doctor

Victor Fujimoto

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2022, Successful

Age 39

1 IVF

Unexplained

Latinx

Income $200K - $499K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

She [Dr. Segal] was extremely patient and reassured me when I had numerous questions. I never felt rushed and she gave me her full attention during each visit. She made me feel safe and comfortable during the uncertain times...was prompt in getting back to me, great communicator and reassured us through every step. I appreciate her willingness to listen to all my concerns without judgment...

She [nurse at UCSF] was informative and made sure I had all the information I needed before making any decisions. She reiterated the plan to ensure I understood it and was readily available for any other questions I had...The one weakness I identified is when I did not see Dr Segal I never knew which NP I would get for my visit and not all had good bedside manner and did not communicate well...

How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?

I wholeheartedly recommend Dr Segal because of her genuine and warm bedside manner. I drove 1 hr for every appointment to see her and would absolutely do it again if we do IVF in the future. She was prompt in getting back to me, great communicator and reassured us through every step. I appreciate her willingness to listen to all my concerns without judgment and I am so grateful that she has been guiding me through this. I felt like she truly cared about my well-being throughout the process and celebrated our milestones with us. Without a doubt would encourage others to see her.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?

Be yourself, don’t be afraid to ask questions. She will take the time to answer them no question is too small.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?

She was extremely patient and reassured me when I had numerous questions. I never felt rushed and she gave me her full attention during each visit. She made me feel safe and comfortable during the uncertain times .

Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

Removal of polyps in uterus before initiation of IVF to promote better results. Injectable hormones before egg retrieval. Retrieved 8 eggs, 6 of which were injected (ICSI) and 2 discarded. 4 were good quality and viable to freeze. 1 fresh transfer and 2 eventually frozen.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Anne )

She was informative and made sure I had all the information I needed before making any decisions. She reiterated the plan to ensure I understood it and was readily available for any other questions I had.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

Overall they provided information in several different words which was helpful to remember the numerous appointments. The one weakness I identified is when I did not see Dr Segal I never knew which NP I would get for my visit and not all had good bedside manner and did not communicate well.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Thalia Segal at UCSF.

Approximately $25,000 because insurance did not cover most of it

Describe Thalia Segal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

She recommended eSET considering my age and potential complications.

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.

Poor bedside manner from one particular NP who made me feel bad because I had questions and was nervous and spoke to me in an unprofessional way.

Doctor

Thalia Segal

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2021 - 2022, Unknown Success

Age 42 - 43

1 IUI

7 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Male Factor

Poor Egg Quality

East Asian

Income $200K - $499K

Engineer

2nd of 2 Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

2 Egg Freezing With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Every time we talk to Dr. Noel, we both breathe a sigh of relief. She's incredibly compassionate but also can speak to the reality of the situation. She'll came up with new methods/protocols after our failed 3 cycles in 2021, figuring that it was better to start stims 5 days or so into my cycle and also switching to conventional IVF instead of ICSI for fertilization. She's really adaptable, isn't at all arrogant about her opinions, really a joy to work with...

[at UCSF] There's usually a bunch of patients ahead of you in the waiting rooms and the wait time for your appointment can be up to 45 minutes on some days. It makes it difficult if you have work meetings you have to plan around...$12000 per egg retrieval cycle (self-pay)...had a question about the trigger shot but didn't hear back [from nurse] till the next day. Luckily, we were able to figure it out on our own...

How was your experience with Martha Noel at UCSF?

Dr Noel is the best doctor we've had, and we've talked to a dozen or so doctors/clinics at some of the "top clinics" in the US. She's has the right balance of warm, caring, but also sticking to recommendations that have evidence, and also being willing to suggest/try new methods if the previous cycle didn't work out. She was our biggest cheerleader throughout, and I was so happy that she was able to do one of my egg retrievals. She patted my leg as I was going under anesthesia which gave me a lot of comfort. We ended up with our first 2 fertilized embryos afterwards, unfortunately they didn't grow to Day 5 blasts. However, since then we've had 2 successful cycles with 2 fertilized embryos each and we have 4 embryos on ice finally after a year of egg retrievals. We really thank Dr. Noel for persisting and not giving up on us. She's also very responsive on the Patient Portal despite being swamped with so many patients. She usually responds within a day or two and gives a thorough response to our questions. And she's willing to jump on a video chat if she can't answer all your questions via a message.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Martha Noel at UCSF?

I think it helps to have tracked your previous cycles in the past and be able to speak clearly about what hasn't worked thus far with protocols and fertilization methods. Also, try to book video sessions with her to ask her any detailed questions you might have.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Martha Noel at UCSF?

Describe the protocols Martha Noel used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

We started off with lower doses of stims, but later on decided to wait a few days.4-5 before starting stims after the baseline ultrasound. My follicles sometimes didn't respond well since my own FSH was going up high and adding Gonal-F wasn't doing much at that time. So we kinda let my body do it's thing and then started adding in Gonal F at around 8mm follicle size, and then Menopur 75 IU when they got to 12mm size and then retrieved around 16mm or so. Then we used just conventional IVF for fertilization. My eggs are pretty fragile and didn't do well with ICSI. Results after 7 cycles with UCSF => 4 frozen Day 3 embryos. Going to try for another egg retrieval in the next 2 months and then FET.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Olga)

Olga always seems to be in a rush/frazzled when you talk with her. Luckily, I didn't need too much instruction from her on shots, but I never got a sense that it'd be easy to ask her questions. We in fact had a question about the trigger shot but didn't hear back till the next day. Luckily, we were able to figure it out on our own.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

UCSF is like a fertility mill. There's usually a bunch of patients ahead of you in the waiting rooms and the wait time for your appointment can be up to 45 minutes on some days. It makes it difficult if you have work meetings you have to plan around. At the same time, you get some great doctors like Dr. Noel. Billing can be a bit of a headache. It's difficult to figure out what insurance will cover sometimes and we'll get random statement notifications and trying to read their bill and reconcile it with their statements makes my head explode.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Martha Noel at UCSF.

$12000 per egg retrieval cycle (self-pay).

Describe Martha Noel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

Since we only have Day 3 embryos, we're gong to be transferring multiple embryos (5-6). The chances are low for each embryo at my age (5%) so the risk is pretty low for a twin pregnancy.

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.

This was more in the initial visits, we had a long list of labs that both my husband and I had to get. I think that Thuy forgot to send in orders for some of them and so we had to figure that out and ask her to send the order for him. It was also a big hurdle to get an appointment with Dr. Smith the UCSF reproductive urologist, I think his waiting list last year was 2-3 months or something. Now that we've done so many cycles, things are going much more smoothly. I think the biggest issues were with onboarding us, getting all the labs done in the beginning. Maybe once there was an appointment snafu where they told me about an appointment that wasn't actually scheduled.

Doctor

Martha Noel

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2020 - 2022, 22 Eggs Frozen

Age 34 - 36

2 Egg Freezing

European

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr Jaswa is incredibly warm and compassionate. UCSF is a teaching hospital so I didn't always get to see her...Nonetheless I felt like Dr Jaswa truly cared about how I was feeling, how I was responding to treatment, and how I felt about the outcomes...made herself available to answer questions. I never felt rushed when I spoke with her. I was disappointed in the number of eggs retrieved in my first cycle, so Dr Jaswa reviewed my medications and how I responded and proposed a new protocol for my second cycle, which was more successful...

This clinic [UCSF] is great for care, compassion, and expertise. I was happy with all the doctors and nurses that I interacted with. Likewise with anyone in reception. But the billing department is TERRIBLE...I am constantly getting billed for services I don't owe...don't blindly pay bills received from UCSF CRH. Take a close look and determine if you think you really owe it; push back if you think you don't...

How was your experience with Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF?

Dr Jaswa is compassionate and warm. She is patient and made herself available to answer questions. I never felt rushed when I spoke with her. I was disappointed in the number of eggs retrieved in my first cycle, so Dr Jaswa reviewed my medications and how I responded and proposed a new protocol for my second cycle, which was more successful (yay!).

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF?

You probably won't get to see Dr Jaswa very often (due to the style of the UCSF clinic), but you should absolutely take advantage of the portal and send along all your questions to the care team. They'll get back to you, and if you have concerns that you'd like Dr Jaswa to address specifically, they will forward to her for her response.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF?

Dr Jaswa is incredibly warm and compassionate. UCSF is a teaching hospital so I didn't always get to see her; additionally, because of covid many of our visits were over Zoom. Nonetheless I felt like Dr Jaswa truly cared about how I was feeling, how I was responding to treatment, and how I felt about the outcomes.

Describe the protocols Eleni Greenwood Jaswa used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

1st protocol (age 33): A week following ovulation, I started estrogen patches (replaced patch once every 48 hours) until my period. Once I got my period, I went in for a baseline ultrasound and bloodwork and then began injecting 150mg of Gonal F and 150mg of Menopur nightly. I was responding very quickly -- some of my follicles were growing much more quickly than others -- so by day 4 I started injecting cetrotide in the mornings to slow/prevent ovulation of the biggest follicles. I triggered on day 7 of medications with 5,000mg of Novarel/Pregnyl and 450mg of Gonal F. They retrieved 15 eggs, but 2 were too mature and 3 were immature, so they froze 10. 2nd protocol (age 35): Because my eggs hadn't really grown synchronously last time, resulting in too much dispersion in maturity, Dr. Jaswa suggested trying the lupron-down protocol to start my cycle. The idea was to better suppress my cycle at the start so that the follicles would grow together. This was more or less successful. One week following ovulation, I started injecting 10 units of Lupron nightly. On day 12, I went in for a baseline ultrasound and bloodwork; I had one more night of Lupron injections and on day 13 I began injecting 150mg of Gonal F and 150mg of Menopur nightly. I went in for ultrasounds and blood work every couple days. Again, I was responding very quickly to medication, but this time my follicles at least were growing more in synch. I triggered on day 7 of medications with 10,000mg of Novarel/Pregnyl and 450mg of Gonal F. They retrieved 12 eggs and all were mature and frozen.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.

I worked most closely with Roshi, who was wonderful. Quick to respond to my portal messages and very sweet and compassionate. She answered most of my questions and directed a couple to Dr Jaswa when she wasn't sure.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

This clinic is great for care, compassion, and expertise. I was happy with all the doctors and nurses that I interacted with. Likewise with anyone in reception. But the billing department is TERRIBLE. They seem to be almost completely incompetent. Several examples: (1) the financial navigators don't actually tell you anything about how to help pay for your services. I found out through my nurse during my first cycle that ARC Fertility offers a pre-negotiated egg freezing package with UCSF that lowers the cost of the cycle to $7,100, compared to the $8,500+ I was being quoted by the billing department. Thank goodness she told me, or I'd never have known. I have a friend who also used UCSF and no one told her about ARC - I did. (2) I am constantly getting billed for services I don't owe. When I paid through ARC, ARC submitted a payment to UCSF to cover my cycle. Yet I continue to receive bills from UCSF for $2,000+. Advice for others: don't blindly pay bills received from UCSF CRH. Take a close look and determine if you think you really owe it; push back if you think you don't. (3) Multiple friends have been told that they couldn't charge their insurance for general office visits or consultations, paid out of pocket, and then had their insurance billed.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Eleni Greenwood Jaswa at UCSF.

Egg-freeze cycle: $7,117 (package through ARC Fertility which included monitoring appts, ultrasounds, retrieval, anesthesia, freezing + 5 years of storage) Medications: ~$3,800 (purchased through Alto Pharmacy)

Doctor

Eleni Greenwood Jaswa

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2022, Successful

Age 38

1 Embryo Freezing

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Dr. Segal made me feel much more comfortable about the whole thing. It was like talking to a friend that happened to be an expert in fertility...conversations never felt stuffy, disconnected, or judgmental - she was super supportive, compassionate, and kindly direct...The only bummer is that she wasn't a consistent contact point the entire way through. But this is less about her as a Dr., and more about the way UCSF operates.

when I felt some extreme pain during the process, the nurses and staff [at UCSF] took me seriously and aired on the side of caution - I never felt dismissed, brushed off, or like a nuisance...One thing to note is that their billing department is a real pain to work with...If I hadn't been asking questions up front (i.e - how do I perform the injections?), I wouldn't have known that I could get 1:1 training because nobody told me that was an option.

How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?

I really enjoyed having Dr. Segal as my fertility Dr. While this was a delicate, and somewhat nerve-racking decision and procedure to undergo, Dr. Segal made me feel much more comfortable about the whole thing. It was like talking to a friend that happened to be an expert in fertility. Since we were freezing embryos for fertility preservation, and are not choosing to get pregnant at this time, I can only speak for that portion of treatment - but we got great results and I didn't have any significant setbacks during the priming/ injection period. The only bummer is that she wasn't a consistent contact point the entire way through. But this is less about her as a Dr., and more about the way UCSF operates.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?

Be an advocate for yourself. Since you only meet with Dr. Segal once or twice prior to the actual treatment - you HAVE to put yourself in front of the support staff and message them with any questions. If I hadn't been asking questions up front (i.e - how do I perform the injections?), I wouldn't have known that I could get 1:1 training because nobody told me that was an option.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?

What I really appreciated about Dr. Segal is that it felt like talking to a friend. Our conversations never felt stuffy, disconnected, or judgmental - she was super supportive, compassionate, and kindly direct. I was able to gather the information I needed, but also gained even more confidence with our plan to freeze embryos for fertility preservation than before we met with Dr. Segal. She took the time to get to know me as a person, and I really appreciated that. I also found the support staff to be very helpful along the way. I want to make particular note that when I felt some extreme pain during the process, the nurses and staff took me seriously and aired on the side of caution - I never felt dismissed, brushed off, or like a nuisance. This made a great impact on my experience as a whole, and helped me gain trust throughout the process.

Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

2mg estrace to start, then menopur+ ganal for 4-5 days, then the addition of cetrocide for another 4ish days, then the trigger injections. (I might have this wrong - it was a whirlwind...)

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Kali, Rae, Eugene)

Overall, the nursing staff was great - although some were more approachable than others (I enjoyed working with Kali and Rae for the regular correspondence). I never had a message or call go unreturned, and they were often quick with their responses. Since there wasn't much face time with the Dr., I think it would have been nice to have one main designated nurse, and one backup nurse, to allow for some form of consistency. Throughout the procedure, I never got to see them in the office, and at times would end up speaking with other nursing staff that I was unfamiliar with. That being said, everyone I saw for my in person check-ins (blood draws, ultrasounds) were always incredibly kind and helpful.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

I went with UCSF as they were the best fit for our insurance, and a couple friends had also recommended them. They both had the same forewarnings: you won't have one consistent Dr, and you have to be your own advocate when it comes to billing and the overall logistics. That being said, I would definitely return to UCSF for any future treatments, as I felt that everyone there was very knowledgeable and I trusted turning my body over to them (which I can have a lot of barriers around). One thing to note is that their billing department is a real pain to work with. I kept receiving bills to pay hundreds of dollars, but when I called to question why I was receiving the bill (as it should have been covered by Progyny, they told me I didn't have to actually pay it.) I'm still not 100% confident that we're in the clear in terms of money owed.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Thalia Segal at UCSF.

Unknown at this time

Doctor

Thalia Segal

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2020 - 2021, Successful

Age 36 - 37

1 Fertility Medications

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Unexplained

South Asian

Income $200K - $499K

1st of 5 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

She [Dr. Segal] is very compassionate and really explains things well. She respected that I was a scientist and came armed with data. Also took time to explain the emotional side of things...She can be short when she is busy. But she really means well and if she is short, follow-up with her at a better time and she will respond compassionately...

Very robust evidence based clinic [UCSF]...I felt very safe here. It is a busy university hospital though and feels like a public hospital. If you want a boutique experience, this is not for you...was treated so compassionately by Dr Segal and most of her team. They were understanding, non-judgemental and yet very pragmatic...3 IUIs appr $15000 2 IVFs appr $55000...

How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?

She is very compassionate and really explains things well. She respected that I was a scientist and came armed with data. Also took time to explain the emotional side of things. I mean let's face it, this is an emotional process.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?

She can be short when she is busy. But she really means well and if she is short, follow-up with her at a better time and she will respond compassionately.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?

I was treated so compassionately by Dr Segal and most of her team. They were understanding, non-judgemental and yet very pragmatic.

Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

Estrace priming for low AMH. for IVF. Second one worked when she upped the dose of estrace and we have a gorgeous baby girl from that. She started off with the standard 3 IUIs, which were a complete waste of time in hindsight, but at that stage I was also not ready to go to IVF. If I did it again I would skip the IUIs.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Anna)

Very sweet but not the brightest bulb in the room. She couldn't figure out my period days and almost had me start on a wrong day until I kicked it up to the doctor. Also when I did not conceive with my first IVF, she was robotic in her response ' these are questions for your doctor. Luckily I called the clinic and the nurse on call was so compassionate and helpful about not conceiving the first time, it really helped me at that time.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

Very robust evidence based clinic. The incentive here is not monetary gain - see Vice article on Dr Danielle Lane's clinic to learn more. I felt very safe here. It is a busy university hospital though and feels like a public hospital. If you want a boutique experience, this is not for you. But if you want a child and want the most evidence based way to get there, this is for you.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Thalia Segal at UCSF.

3 IUIs appr $15000 2 IVFs appr $55000 I had progyny so only had to pay my out of pocket which was around $6k

Describe Thalia Segal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

I had a strong preference for eSET and she respected that.

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.

They got the pharmacy wrong. I didn't know what to do but they should have asked me to call my health insurance and figure out what pharmacy. I actually did that and they said optum but the clinic coordinator said optum is a helpline not a pharmacy. That wasn't true. Luckily all these were IUI problems. For IVF, i had the process down.

Doctor

Thalia Segal

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2017 - 2021, Successful

Age 36 - 40

6 IUI

3 IVF

East Asian

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Embryo Freezing With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Noel is really caring and thoughtful. She let us make decisions most of the time, but when it's time for her to guide us as a medical professional, she was convincing with reasoning...Given my age and number of embryos we could transfer, we had to be very careful not loosing any chances. Her approach reflected the situation and she didn't waste any of our resources. I'm sure she would treat differently for different patients. I believe out plan was coordinated by her based on our specific situation....

The nurses [at UCSF] are friendly and they are good at what they are doing. The front desk staffs are kind as well. If you think of a big hospital such as UCSF, you might think that you may not get personal touch. We never felt that way. By having many staffs and nurses, they were really efficient and available. All you need is a designated doctor and his/her team....

How was your experience with Martha Noel at UCSF?

When we were in her office before the treatment, she was very clear explaining the medical situation as well as the treatments we get. After those visits, we had a good explanation of what we are dealing with, so there was no uncertainty. Fertility treatment takes time and nobody can guarantee the outcome. The important aspect is for the doctor to be with us along the way and we feel Dr. Noel did that exactly.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Martha Noel at UCSF?

Dr. Noel is really caring and thoughtful. She let us make decisions most of the time, but when it's time for her to guide us as a medical professional, she was convincing with reasoning. In one of the embryo transfer session, she held my feet and wished the best sincerely. Regardless of the outcome, I was truly touched. And yes I got pregnant in that transfer.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Olga, Thuy)

When you plan for IUI or IVF especially the first time, there are so many medications to deal with, so many schedules to follow up, and so many... everything. For the given task, Olga was really efficient and good at moving the schedule forward. She was there whenever we needed her for medical questions via phone or email. Thuy is really friendly and compassionate. We still remember how we were greeted by her when we had visited the hospital. That warm welcome was such a relief in those stressful environment where you have to deal with IUI and IVF.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

The nurses are friendly and they are good at what they are doing. The front desk staffs are kind as well. If you think of a big hospital such as UCSF, you might think that you may not get personal touch. We never felt that way. By having many staffs and nurses, they were really efficient and available. All you need is a designated doctor and his/her team.

Describe Martha Noel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

Given my age and number of embryos we could transfer, we had to be very careful not loosing any chances. Her approach reflected the situation and she didn't waste any of our resources. I'm sure she would treat differently for different patients. I believe out plan was coordinated by her based on our specific situation.

Doctor

Martha Noel

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 35 - 36

1 Fertility Medications

PCOS

East Asian

Income $200K - $499K

2nd of 2 Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

[Dr. Segal] was helpful in explaining my infertility diagnosis. She was compassionate and helpful with a polyp removal surgery and subsequent biopsy. However, early on it seemed like she had too many patients and did not know about my specific case until the meeting itself...She mostly provided me personal attention, but let my case slip through the cracks causing professional team miscommunications...

UCSF treats you like a number. It's a volume shop that will batch you up, meaning you need to take birth control and go through the gates of generalized infection classes and another class that may not have much to do with your own care...The care team is awful - they will not talk on the phone with you, make you use their electronic portal, which they don't respond until 2-3 days later often not answering at all the questions at hand and super quickly.

How was your experience with Thalia Segal at UCSF?

She was helpful in explaining my infertility diagnosis. She was compassionate and helpful with a polyp removal surgery and subsequent biopsy. However, early on it seemed like she had too many patients and did not know about my specific case until the meeting itself. Because of her error, she greenlighted my injections without coordinating with the anesthesiologist who ultimately was extremely alarmist about my baseline health and she decided to cancel my cycle instead of working with him towards a solution.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thalia Segal at UCSF?

Make sure that any abnormal health history from your labwork is thoroughly reviewed and discussed prior to proceeding with the cost and effort of IVF.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thalia Segal at UCSF?

Her support staff was extremely rude and callous, even making me cry during a procedure confirmation of the legal documents. She mostly provided me personal attention, but let my case slip through the cracks causing professional team miscommunications and poor teamwork with the anesthesiologist which caused my cycle to be canceled after months of working with her and over a week of wasted injections and appointments.

Describe the protocols Thalia Segal used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

Gonal F 125 IU + Menopur 75 IU SQ ; Cetrotide

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Eugenia Gonzalez; Anne Garcillano)

The care team is awful - they will not talk on the phone with you, make you use their electronic portal, which they don't respond until 2-3 days later often not answering at all the questions at hand and super quickly. Eugenia is particularly uncaring and bad, she was so unclear about consents that she claimed that 99% of the patients mess it up with no sense of self-awareness that it because of her poor communication. My previous care coordinator had been fired due to incompetence as well.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

Describe Thalia Segal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

Would only do elective single embryo transfer

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

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
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error

Doctor

Thalia Segal

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2019 - 2020, Successful

Age 33 - 34

Male Factor

European

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Dr. Noel has incredible bed side manner and importantly, it is natural. It's a part of who she is to be kind and compassionate. I received personal phone calls from her whenever there was sensitive information and she is always willing for follow up calls and appointments...Dr.Noel recommended to only transfer one due to my fertility. After a miscarriage the first transfer, my partner and I requested to do multiple embryo transfer and while she did not advise due to the higher likelihood of a twin pregnancy and the challenges of that, she allowed us to pursue this.

UCSF is world class. The clinic looks world class, the spacing of rooms- felt comfortable and compassionate, and you never had to wait for your appt...Olga and nursing staff were so PROMPT. They always provided results, next step info, scheduling etc exactly when they said they were going to. I never had to worry about when I would hear back - they were on top of it

How was your experience with Martha Noel at UCSF?

Dr.Noel was out second fertility doctor we saw. The first one was at another clinic and had zero bed side manner and made us feel terrible. When I called UCSF the first time, I said, can you get me an appointment with your most compassionate doctor, the one with the most bedside manner. The clinic receptionist said, oh thats dr. noel - and she was right. I always felt like I was in kind hands and, that didn't mean she sugar coated the odds or the process - but rather, she soberly gave the information with an air of collaboration and support. the first time we transferred, I miscarried, and she was graceful with my loss. The next time, she transferred two and while she shared the upside and downside of transferring two - suggesting we do not do that due to my younger age and higher likelihood of both embryos taking - she ultimately was a yes to us doing it when we requested it. I did get pregnant with both embryos and lost one at 9 weeks. I now have a healthy, beautiful baby girl!! My gratitude for Dr. Noel is endless

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Martha Noel at UCSF?

Ask front desk for dr.noel is you are looking for a compassionate doctor

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Martha Noel at UCSF?

Dr. Noel has incredible bed side manner and importantly, it is natural. It's a part of who she is to be kind and compassionate. I received personal phone calls from her whenever there was sensitive information and she is always willing for follow up calls and appointments. I felt like she was a friend, who had my best interest at heart. She never made herself the knower and me the patient - all the information was shared and then we collaborated next steps.

Describe the protocols Martha Noel used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

We went through a round of IVF and we were able to harvest 25 eggs via the treatment protocol dr.noel followed. We ultimately got 5, five day embryos and I got pregnant on each transfer. I miscarried after the first transfer and then was pregnant and had a full term, healthy pregnancy after the second.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Olga)

Olga and nursing staff were so PROMPT. They always provided results, next step info, scheduling etc exactly when they said they were going to. I never had to worry about when I would hear back - they were on top of it.

Describe your experience with UCSF.

UCSF is world class. The clinic looks world class, the spacing of rooms- felt comfortable and compassionate, and you never had to wait for your appt. You were in when it was your time. It is super clean and you felt that people enjoyed what they were doing

Describe the costs associated with your care under Martha Noel at UCSF.

20,000

Describe Martha Noel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

I was 34 years old and Dr.Noel recommended to only transfer one due to my fertility. After a miscarriage the first transfer, my partner and I requested to do multiple embryo transfer and while she did not advise due to the higher likelihood of a twin pregnancy and the challenges of that, she allowed us to pursue this.

Doctor

Martha Noel

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2018 - 2020, Successful

Age 37 - 39

4 IUI

4 Egg Freezing

Endometriosis

Unexplained

European

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

He [Dr. Mitch Rosen] was able to comprehensively assess our case & then fine tune our IVF protocol to produce results that we were not able to achieve until then. We went from feeling like we may very well not be able to conceive at all to having many healthy embryos now “in the bank” and will be attempting implantation for pregnancy soon. Dr. Rosen was very conscientious about answering all of our questions and also incorporated our own preferences and input. We are immensely grateful to Dr. Rosen and so very lucky to have been able to work with him. September 2020 UPDATE: Our fertility journey was very long and challenging, but Dr. Rosen guided us through and now we are pregnant!!! He and his clinical nurse manager Liz Gomes were extraordinary. They have been so smart, caring, patient, professional and supportive. We could not have been in better hands.

Be aware that while in-cycle, on weekends you might work with RE Fellows rather than directly with an Attending [at UCSF]...We also saw two Nurse Practitioners, Katrina and Stephanie, several times throughout the course of treatment. Both Katrina and Stephanie were fantastic. All of the nurses, techs and front desk staff at CRH (especially Maria!) have been really warm and kind. We have felt that they are genuinely rooting for us, which made all the difference while going through such an emotionally and physically taxing journey. We also worked with Annie, assistant to Dr. Rosen, at the beginning stages before starting our cycles. Annie was incredible. She was extremely organized, thorough, remarkable with follow through and had a great sense of humor throughout it all!

How was your experience with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?

We ended up going to several different fertility clinics in the Bay Area (we met with six different REs across five centers) as it was difficult to find a good match and our case turned out to be much more challenging than we expected. Without a doubt we can say that Dr. Rosen has been the best for us to work with and is a brilliant physician. While there are many exceptional centers & physicians offering IVF in the Bay Area, it is evident that Dr. Rosen is not only one of the most academically accomplished reproductive endocrinologists nationally but he is also an outstanding clinician. He was able to comprehensively assess our case & then fine tune our IVF protocol to produce results that we were not able to achieve until then. We went from feeling like we may very well not be able to conceive at all to having many healthy embryos now “in the bank” and will be attempting implantation for pregnancy soon. Dr. Rosen was very conscientious about answering all of our questions and also incorporated our own preferences and input. We are immensely grateful to Dr. Rosen and so very lucky to have been able to work with him. September 2020 UPDATE: Our fertility journey was very long and challenging, but Dr. Rosen guided us through and now we are pregnant!!! He and his clinical nurse manager Liz Gomes were extraordinary. They have been so smart, caring, patient, professional and supportive. We could not have been in better hands.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mitch Rosen at UCSF?

Be aware that while in-cycle, on weekends you might work with RE Fellows rather than directly with an Attending.

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Liz Gomes)

Liz Gomes has been our nurse and main clinical point person while working with Dr. Rosen. Liz has been outstanding and is a true gem. It was a gift to work with her. She is caring, extremely knowledgeable, professional, ever patient and super warm. We also saw two Nurse Practitioners, Katrina and Stephanie, several times throughout the course of treatment. Both Katrina and Stephanie were fantastic. All of the nurses, techs and front desk staff at CRH (especially Maria!) have been really warm and kind. We have felt that they are genuinely rooting for us, which made all the difference while going through such an emotionally and physically taxing journey. We also worked with Annie, assistant to Dr. Rosen, at the beginning stages before starting our cycles. Annie was incredible. She was extremely organized, thorough, remarkable with follow through and had a great sense of humor throughout it all!

Describe your experience with UCSF.

UCSF is unique from all of private fertility centers in that it is a public university and therefore intentions and motivations are very different. We started our fertility treatment at a private fertility center in San Francisco thinking there were numerous advantages over UCSF. After several second opinions, we eventually ended up back at UCSF because of Dr. Mitchell Rosen. We were surprised and thankful to find out that UCSF was superior in many ways to the private (MUCH more expensive - we paid out of pocket for all treatment!) fertility clinics.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mitch Rosen at UCSF.

All out of pocket

Doctor

Mitch Rosen

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Review of

2019 - 2020, Successful

Age 39 - 40

3 IVF

3 Embryo Freezing

Unexplained

East Asian

Marketer or PR

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

[Dr. Mitch Rosen's] preference is eSET but given I had two failed ones, on my third transfer, doctor was ok putting in two...took the time to go through any questions my husband and I had. I would say though that you need to be prepared with questions and to advocate for yourself. He will not "handhold" you through the process so I can see where people may feel like a number. Do some of your own research and with that he will provide you with more information that you probably want/need.

She [nurse at UCSF] is on top of it! Extremely knowledgable, caring and accessible! UCSF is so lucky to have her!...Doctor's and UCSF preference is eSET but given I had two failed ones, on my third transfer, doctor was ok putting in two...Monitoring appointments are a well oiled machine. I was usually in and out within 15 minutes (bloodwork and ultrasound). I could always get in a time convenient for me...A full fresh cycle is around $16k, excluding medications. A frozen cycle is around $4k, excluding medications. My second and third retrievals were covered by insurance.

How was your experience with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?

Dr. Rosen is very direct and will tell provide you with pros/cons and options. He first tries to understand what your objectives are to provide better answers for you. If you are looking for someone warm and fuzzy, this may not be the right doctor for you, but if you are looking to achieve an outcome and care a little less about the bedside manner (not that it is bad at all), this is the doctor for you. He would keep us in our place when we tried to ask about a backup plan and would have us focus on Plan A only. Dr. Rosen is the best, if not one of the best at UCSF, and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be his patient. I couldn't recommend him more and hope when we plan for a second child, he will still be there to guide us again through our journey.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mitch Rosen at UCSF?

Be prepared with questions and do some of your own research. Advocate for yourself if something is important to you.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?

Dr. Rosen took the time to go through any questions my husband and I had. I would say though that you need to be prepared with questions and to advocate for yourself. He will not "handhold" you through the process so I can see where people may feel like a number. Do some of your own research and with that he will provide you with more information that you probably want/need.

Describe the protocols Mitch Rosen used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

I did my first egg retrieval cycle with estrace priming and then gonal f/menopur. I was reacting quite well to the medication so my dosage changed quite a bit. Although I yielded a good number of eggs (I think around 26), only 2 made it through PGS testing. Had two single embryo transfers, using medicated cycle (given my periods are irregular). Both failed. Did an hysteroscopy and everything was fine. Did an ERA test and also came back normal. This was followed by a second egg retrieval cycle, primed with birth control so that the eggs would grow closer in size compared to the first cycle. Gonal f lower does and menopur. Went for 14 days vs 10 in first cycle. Worked well. Had 33 eggs of which 8 embryos were PGS normal. We did a third cycle insurance was helping to cover the 2nd and 3rd cycle and did the exact same protocol as second egg retrieval but had completely different results. 21 eggs of which only 2 PGS embryos resulted. I honestly think the difference in results was due to lifestyle (much more stressed during this cycle). So have 10 embryos banked. Given two failed FETs, transferred two embryos (one day 5 and one day 6 embryo) and success (at least for now)!

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Liz Gomes)

Liz Gomes is the best nurse! She is on top of it! Extremely knowledgable, caring and accessible! UCSF is so lucky to have her!

Describe your experience with UCSF.

UCSF is a teaching hospital so you have to know that you will not see the same people during each visit. That being said, they seem to be well coordinated and any questions I had during a visit that wasn't with my primary team, was always answered well. The facility itself is nice and calm. I was living in NYC and went to another fertility clinic for IUI's and that was not calm at all and felt more like a sausage factory. I've heard some issues with billing at UCSF, but personally I haven't had any issues.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at UCSF.

Monitoring appointments are a well oiled machine. I was usually in and out within 15 minutes (bloodwork and ultrasound). I could always get in a time convenient for me.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mitch Rosen at UCSF.

I paid out of pocket my first cycle. A full fresh cycle is around $16k, excluding medications. A frozen cycle is around $4k, excluding medications. My second and third retrievals were covered by insurance.

Describe Mitch Rosen's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

Doctor's and UCSF preference is eSET but given I had two failed ones, on my third transfer, doctor was ok putting in two.

Doctor

Mitch Rosen

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

2018 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 40 - 42

4 IUI

1 IVF

6 Embryo Freezing

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Only Doc Seen

Donor Sperm

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

I'm sure he's [Dr. Mitch Rosen] well educated and knows things in his field. But he seems way to busy for patient care. He is head of the lab at UCSF, and he's helping with some other new clinic out of the country, so patient care is not his priority. If you have a pretty straightforward case, you'll do well on a standard protocol. But I wouldn't expect him to turn over every stone to help you get pregnant

If you think this is a big clinic with a lot of established processes that will take care of your treatment, you're wrong. They [UCSF] do have a lot of processes, but they don't follow them a lot of times, or the process is super clunky. You will need to manage your own care, basically, stay on top of every appointment, every prescription, every test result. it's a lot of work (and you're still paying them a lot of money).

How was your experience with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?

I'm sure he's well educated and knows things in his field. But he seems way to busy for patient care. He is head of the lab at UCSF, and he's helping with some other new clinic out of the country, so patient care is not his priority. If you have a pretty straightforward case, you'll do well on a standard protocol. But I wouldn't expect him to turn over every stone to help you get pregnant

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mitch Rosen at UCSF?

Interactions with Dr Rosen: I was put on a protocol that seems very common for women with diminished ovarian reserves (know of several people that are doing exactly the same). There was little follow-up after each procedure, some none, sometimes a 5 min phone call. Little analysis on what went well and what went poorly in the cycle. After several cycles and after they missed ovulation on one of my cycles, i escalated the situation big time, he got more attentive after that, but it still remains to be seen if that continues. Every time I ask what else could we be doing to improve my chances, his answer is "just keep doing what you're doing", i.e. he's not readily engaging in the conversation and just wants the phone call to be over with quickly. And given the low success rate so far and the cost, "keep doing what you're doing" is not a good advice. His nurse, Liz Gomes, is fantastic

Describe the protocols Mitch Rosen used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.

IUIs with clomid; full IVF with menopur and Gona, ganirelixl and trigger shot; mini-IVFs with gonal only, ganirelix and trigger shot

Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Liz Gomes)

Liz Gomes is great and one of the two reasons I'm still with UCSF (the second reason is cheap meds). However, with the rest of nursing staff, you can have a hit or a miss. It's always a different person who does your appointments, different person who calls with you results and next steps etc. And the clerical/ admin staff at UCSF is absolutely TERRIBLE and incompetent: they mess up a $5K payment, they mess up your medical records, they give you wrong information about COVID protocol, they don't respect your privacy, and few of them are just simply rude/ snappish to patients (they clearly just don't want to be there)

Describe your experience with UCSF.

Very poorly organized. If you think this is a big clinic with a lot of established processes that will take care of your treatment, you're wrong. They do have a lot of processes, but they don't follow them a lot of times, or the process is super clunky. You will need to manage your own care, basically, stay on top of every appointment, every prescription, every test result. it's a lot of work (and you're still paying them a lot of money). The clerical/ admin staff at UCSF is absolutely TERRIBLE and incompetent: they mess up a $5K payment, they mess up your medical records, they give you wrong information about COVID protocol, they don't respect your privacy, they can't account for the sperm vials you had delivered to them, and few of them are just simply rude/ snappish to patients (they clearly just don't want to be there). Add to that a buggy and badly laid out communication portal (even after 2 upgrades in the last 2 years, it's still rubbish), having to go through several switch operators on the phone, and no one ever picking up the phone in the admin side. The list goes on and on

Describe the costs associated with your care under Mitch Rosen at UCSF.

Self-pay cost, no insurance coverage: - 2K for IUI - 6K for mini-stim IVF with cryo preservation/ no transfer - 15K for a full IVF with cryo/ no transfer - 4K for frozen transfer

Describe Mitch Rosen's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.

They seem to be very strongly preferring singleton pregnancies. Every time I mention that twins are ok, he cringes.

What specific things went wrong at UCSF?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Lost or damaged samples

Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.

See above

Doctor

Mitch Rosen

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

UCSF

San Francisco

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of