Pak Chung

We are all looking for one thing when we read these reviews. #1, Results! It is with the highest respect and gratitude I can assure you, Dr. Pak Chung will give you those results. While we all have varying circumstances to work with, Dr. Chung will consider your uniqueness and do the highest caliber of work his job will allow him, with the most kind, non judgmental, and empathetic approach. We are 5 months pregnant as I write this with a healthy baby. Our story: Dr. Chung was recommended to me by a friend that had results 2x both with timed intercourse. She also recommended him to another mutual friend and she too, has a healthy singleton from IVF. My situation was a little different from my friends because we had some genetic problems and we had limited insurance options for treatments. Dr. Chung kept all this in mind and recommended the most streamlined plan. It took about a year and a half as we tried the easier methods first instead of his recommendation, and sadly they failed. When we decided to take his advise, and go all in with IVF, it worked! Here are some details about our experience with Dr. Chung that made him stand out above the other doctors. He was well liked by all the staff. One of my nurses even remarked to me that he was her favorite. I asked why and she said because of the way he speaks to people. He was very nice. I.E. Excellent bedside manor. I noticed on several occasions Dr. Chung had this uncanny ability to anticipate my questions before I even spoke them. When things were going well for me, he treated me with dignity and compassion. His personal secretaries were hired by him and they were the absolute best to deal with! They always called me back or emailed me in the same day if they could. He is incredibly dedicated to his profession. He may seem rushed sometimes but that is because he sees as many patients as he can and tries his best to be there for all of them. I believe he spends extra hours in the lab and hospital. If you would feel more comfortable having him do your transfer, he will do that for you if he can. You just have to ask! :D Speaking of the transfer, don't be afraid. (and the retrieval = no fear) Everyone was so good at their job! I was also able to meet the embryologist before the transfer. Although Jason, the embryologist, had his mask up, looking into his eyes, gave me such hope. I could tell he knew I had a good chance and he believed in the successful outcome.  I can not express my eternal gratitude for the way I was treated and considered under Dr. Chung's care. I will forever be misty eyed in thinking of him. He was success story and angel. Thank you Dr. Chung.

Be honest and straight to the point. Be paitient. He sees many people trying to conceive not just you. He will do the best he can for you, don't worry. The billing dept and desk staff are not a reflection of him being a doctor. As my husband would say, "We stick with Chung!" :D

I don't remember the exact terminology used in my protocols. I am sorry. I do know that despite my reminders about my severe needle phobias, he would not deviate from using progesterone as an injection rather than a suppository at the end of IVF treatments. He did say it was because the injections had better results. I didn't experience any side effects at all through out his treatments. The nurses were very helpful at keeping me on track with what to take when. They also recommended a cheaper pharmacy for me to pick up my meds. I can tell you Dr. Chung is not a fan of herbal remedies but he highly recommends accupuncture, as do I. My favorite accupuncturist is Kanako Oshiumi, located through Tiger Lily Holistic and out of her apt. on W57th St. Receiving accupuncture during my IVF was a huge help in easing my anxiety and balancing my systems to let the IVF medications work better. Kanako also told me she saw me pregnant with a boy, and guess what? She was right.

I never waited too long. The doctors were all great!

under $30,000

Dr. Chung is competent and confident, but very, very conservative. Despite being a DOR patient, I was repeatedly suppressed with hormonal birth control, which led to very poor response. Estrogen priming, a standard protocol for those with DOR, was never even mentioned (I had to switch clinics to even find out it existed). Last we heard from him, he was pushing us toward donor eggs.

Don't go to him if you have DOR.

We did the most standard protocol with the highest doses of all medications (Gonal-F and Menopur), over and over again. Once we did a "low-and-slow" Lupron protocol, with poor results. Triggered with HCG each time. Had between a month to two months of hormonal suppression each time because of high day-3 FSH, which led to very poor response. The one time we got decent results was when we got lucky enough to have a low FSH and therefore a natural start, but Dr. Chung seemed very impatient and pushed us not to wait for these possible natural starts but instead to suppress, suppress, suppress. Because he spent much time talking about how Weill Cornell is "the best," we didn't question his decision-making and spent $50k of our own money on treatment. We ended up with 1 PGS/PGD-normal embryo from 5 IVF attempts (one canceled for poor response), and after we transferred it and the transfer failed, Dr. Chung never called us again. We tried to get in touch with him and he never called us back. At that point, we switched clinics.

Absolutely ruined our schedule. Long waits no matter how early we showed up. Super rude and surly receptionists who acted like we were garbage.

I described this in detail in a different section, but all I can say is, this was perhaps the most horrifying aspect of our care — and I am someone with severe and uncommon fertility problems manifesting on multiple fronts. There is no excuse for how Weill Cornell treats patients in this respect. To add to what I wrote above, we once asked someone over the phone how we make the letters from collections agencies stop, and they said "just disregard them" and then actually laughed at us.

Dr. Chung did not seem to have a clear policy on eSET vs. multiple transfer (at least not when it came to our case).

Dr. Pak Chung takes very straight and narrow approach to IVF , a process that has a lot variability. We did 3 retrievals with him, each time it failed to yield a PGTA normal embryo from a total of 14 highly rated day 5 embryos. Throughout the process, we asked him multiple times to consider doing something different to improve the results but he refused. We are now under the care of CCRM, the doctor there was very surprised by Dr. Chung's approach to stick with the same protocol after seeing the same results in 3 rounds. I think Dr. Chung's approach may work with 75% of the patients but if you have a tough/ unique case and requires the doctor to think out of box, you should not go to Dr. Chung. He sticks with the same general protocol. Being a part of an academic organization, the doctors there are super conservative. They would not go out of their way to help the patient.

If you have a tough case and his protocol didn't work for the first time, I would think very hard about staying with him. Get a second opinion. Be prepared with questions when you meet with him. He can be very intimidating sometimes but you need to be your own advocate.

I am a good responder to stim so he used the same protocol for all three rounds: 225 gonal F/ 150 Menopur then added grlx use 5000 IU HCG trigger

cattle call but efficient.

mine was mostly covered by my insurance. Don't recall the exact cost

I think Cornell does up to 2 for day 5 and 3-4 for day 3 (not 100% sure)

I could not have asked for a better physician than Doctor Chung. His genuine goal was to help me succeed, and I sincerely felt that he cared about the outcome more than your average Doctor would. I spent a span of six years (2013-2019) under his care, freezing and retrieving eggs and transferring embryos, and could not have been happier with the quality of care and treatment he provided me. There were several occasions where he took the time, outside of office hours, to call and explain things to me or console me when I received a negative pregnancy test. He is a true gem and a very kind doctor, in addition to being most knowledgeable about his area of expertise, fertility.

To a prospective patient of Dr. Pak Chung, I would say "don't be afraid to ask many questions". Dr. Chung is the type of doctor who appreciates questions and has the patience and knowledge to answer them well.

I would say that Dr. Chung started me with the basic protocol and modified it, when he saw that it wasn't working. With each round that did not succeed we would trouble-shoot to see how we could do things differently in order to increase our chances for success. Dr. Chung even conferred with my gynecologist several times, in order for me to get the optimal results out of a hysteroscopy, performed by my gynecologist.

The monitoring appointments were mostly organized, except for the very long waiting process (sometimes 1 1/2 hours). The monitoring hours were a little early, but I understand why they needed to be, so that they can have your blood work results back by that afternoon.

I paid, out-of-pocket, $60,000 or more for costs including, egg retrieval and freezing, embryo creation, frozen embryo transfers, doctors visits, special ultrasounds, etc. The breakdown of the costs was very hard to keep track of, so I had to write diligent notes and create charts to stay organized and be financially prepared for the bills to come.

Dr. Chung was always direct in telling me his concerns regarding pregnancy of multiples He gave me all of the statistics, but when push came to shove, he allowed me to put in two, even though he objected to it.

He is direct and thorough with enough compassion to deliver the message. He went into the science behind it all which helped us wrap our brains around everything. This happened during every step of the process and in-particular when tough decisions needed to be made.

Book immediately.

I don't remember everything.

I was high risk due to a bunch of preexisting conditions and age. We had 7-8 embryos. On day 3 when he called early in the morning, he told us the number and that we would wait for a day 5 transfer. He mentioned that we should discuss with each other multiple embryo transfer. On day 5, he said that the embryo that they wanted to use was very healthy and strong and there was a 6% delta from the success rate and he would recombine taking our chance with the single because it was so strong. We were happy with that guidance.

Strengths: Direct, intelligent, not patronizing, showed empathy, competent. He will call you on a weekend or late in the evening to check in on you. I've never had doctors call me outside of business hours before so this was appreciated (meaning did not feel like a 9-5 operation). Weakness: Can be rushed. Appointments never started on time (sometimes had to wait 1.5-2 hrs in waiting room). Did not seem overly involved in my case for some rounds of IVF but granted we had gone through 8 egg retrievals together so near the end, I felt I was in good hands with any doctor at the clinic.

He doesn't have a lot of time and always seems a bit rushed so have all your questions ready in advance. Befriend his nurses and his office staff. They are fantastic and will get you the access you need to Dr Chung or answers to questions they themselves can answer. They run a tight ship. It seems like each of the doctors at Weill Cornell have their own support staff so the calibre of that team makes a big difference in your overall experience.

Really cannot remember at this point. However, I always did natural cycles (ie. no progesterone shots) prior to transfer.

It was a cattle call and sometimes chaotic. I feel like there has to be a way to automate this more. Operational strategy wasn't superb.

Honestly cannot remember but each round of IVF was approx. $20-25K (excl genetic testing, incl ICSI, FET, meds)

He felt that multiple embryos was a good strategy for my first transfer as it increased the odds of success. However, after I failed to conceive, I requested that I not "waste" 2 embryos each time and would prefer to only transfer a single. He was completely open to that and subsequent transfers (2x) were successful.

Dr. Chung provided a good overview of the different levels of med protocols that the Cornell reproductive program utilizes (there are five different levels). He also explained that the 3 key ingredients for success are egg, sperm, and uterus. When my first IVF cycle that led to a transfer failed, he explained that it was a matter of luck. He remained optimistic and encouraged us to keep trying. He said that it's a matter of finding a good egg. From my perspective, my experience at Cornell would have been more optimal had I been able to see Dr. Chung all throughout monitoring, retrievals and transfers. Also, my very first IVF cycle was canceled because the eggs did not respond to the injectibles. I have since consulted with three other REs who stated they would not have recommended that particular protocol for my situation. But I do understand that it is generally a matter of trial and error and that each woman can respond differently to med protocols.

Be your own health advocate and ask detailed questions.

Cycle #1 - Micro-dose Lupron 2x daily 20units = 40 units daily until trigger Result - canceled after 10 days because no response Cycle #2 - Estrogen priming with patch commencing one week after ovulation; Gonal F 300u and Menopur 150u daily; Cetrotide Result - three eggs, 2 retrieved, 1 fertilized, D3 transfer; 8 cell no fragmentation; BFN Cycle #3 - same protocol as cycle #2 Result - 4 eggs, 4 retrieved, 1 immature, 2 fertilized, D3 transfer; 8 and 6 cell; BFN

Yes, it is a cattle call with hundreds of women waiting for blood draws and ultrasound. There were a handful of times I waited an hour to get my blood drawn. Once I waited over an hour and had to leave to get to work. I did not have blood drawn or tested that day and no one seemed to noticed I missed it.

IVF $10,500 ICSI $2,630

Cornell recommended 3-4 eggs for my age group.

In my earlier response, I described Dr Chung as a very compassionate and supportive doctor. He has great bedside manner, and he never rushed me along. He is very caring. He did a couple of the ultrasounds and his technique was gentle. I've had other doctors at Cornell perform the ultrasound and it just felt like they were jabbing me and causing discomfort, without any recognition that it was painful.

Ask all your questions during the consult, he won't rush you. And he won't look at you like you're crazy.

Follistim (300iu) daily and 150 Menopur, HCG trigger shot. Then progesterone shots after retrieval. We transferred 2 Day 3 embryos since they didn't look like they were going to make it to Day 5, so Dr Chung suggested we transfer at Day 3, hoping the embryos would be happier in the uterine environment since they weren't development as quickly as they should. Sadly, the embryos did not implant. The original goal was to do PGS testing on Day 5 embryos, but that didn't work out.

monitoring hours were from 6:30am - 9am. I had flexibility with my schedule so that allowed me to go later. the wait was about 20-30 minutes usually, with busy days up to an hour. i would prefer more flexible hours. the volume of patients here is so high that there are women waiting in line as early as 6am. The nurses call out your name when it's your turn, but the waiting area is so big, sometimes you can't hear them. And sometimes I was afraid to use the restroom in fear that I'd miss them calling my name.

approximate total for one round of IVF cost me about $22,000+. That includes medications which were around $5-6k. I was able to lower the estimated medication costs of $8K but receiving donations from friends that had unused medications. To use the hospital at NY Presbyterian (for retrievals and transfer) cost an additional $1100. The cycle itself cost about $10K, then additional fees for ICSI, embryo culture, egg freezing, and some other items I can't remember.

I was referred to him after going to a private practice. He wasn't as warm as my other Doctor but he was great. He's nice and cracks a few jokes to lighten the mood. Any time I hear of someone having fertility issues I would send them to him in a heartbeat. He's in the baby making business and he's great at it...and he has all the resources at Cornell which put my expeience on a different playing field. My original Doctor told me day 1 - "we'll get you pregnant" which was all I wanted go hear at the time. I loved him but at this stage with Something so personal and upsetting you need more than a nice Doctor and a positive attitude. 5 clomid cycles and iui's later no baby I had to go to the professionals. Ive never regretted my decision to go see Dr. Chung, my only regret is that I never tried an IUI at Cornell because I had exhausted all my benefits for it (and a personally paid one). Watching IUIs discussed with other patients there it was a very different run operation that at my original Doctor.

Don't think twice. Go! You're one goal is to have a baby, they'll/he'll be your best odds. Just know you're going to a baby making factory, that's how you'll feel because that's what it is, and right now, that's what you need.

We used birth control to start my cycle, then 2 different kinds of injectables before the retrieval. Following the retrieval I was on progesterone injections until I was about 7 weeks pregnant.

I was working full time, so I went as early as possible. I was always one of the first 10 there so I was seen very quickly and had no trouble making it into work on time.

Insurance covered everythjng.

Great bedside mannerisms. Explains things in great detail. Seems to be genuinely concerned for our results. Listens to my concerns. Adjusts the protocol appropriately. Performs further testing for further assessment of our issues.

Ask questions, but expect long descriptive answers and his honest opinion.

Egg retrieval gonal f, menopur and cetrotide. Fresh transfer: progesterone. BFN. FET 1. Natural cycle c progestrone suppositories. BFP, but miscarriage at 6 weeks. FET 2 natural cycle w progesterone injections 1cc, baby aspirin and folic acid. BFN.

Sometimes a long wait but sometimes not. Definitely felt like a factory.

It was covered under insurance

All of mine where single embryo transfers. FET were with PGS tested embryos he doesn’t recommend more than 1 w PGS.

This is a great doctor. I was very well informed of every step. He personally called with material results. He also recommended a few great (non IFV related) specialists that I had to see for existing conditions. Everything he predicted happened. I could not have wished for a better doctor.

Please follow his instructions without any deviation.

I had a standard protocol of 300GonalF/150 Menopure for 12 days. No major adverse reactions.

fully covered by my insurance

Recommended one embryo transfer due to my age and higher risk of multiples.

This was a long time ago, but I clearly remember being treated with respect and kindness. All of Dr. Chung's decisions were intelligent, well thought out, and well explained. He's a consummate professional. We had been using another clinic where the superstar doctor was very casual and blase, and the office was un-professional and sloppy. The change to Dr. Chung was, in my opinion, the reason we were successful.

I seem to remember that he was a bit soft spoken and reserved, so you must be very direct and listen closely to what he says. I'd give that advice to anyone for any encounter with a doctor.

I don't remember specifics, but he was much more professional and exacting and scientific than our previous doctor. He's not going to be your best friend, but he was kind and compassionate, and he was excellent at his work and took it very seriously.

Our twin birth was the very best thing that could have happened in our family. It was the ideal outcome. I do worry that our children are part of a specific trend, from a specific time in history, and that may negatively impact them in some way that I cannot yet predict.

Dr Chung was extremely compassionate and had a good bedside manner. However, I only saw him 2x during my entire cycle and had a very difficult time getting a hold of him. Many times I had to wait over an hour for blood work and ultrasound only to be seen by a doctor I have never met. The protocol he recommended was one that I had already done, which hadn't worked previously and didn't work with him. After changing clinics I saw better results elsewhere.

If you have to go through Cornell, Dr Chung is one of the better choices but don't expect to see him often

Estrogen Patch Prime. Clomid + 150 Menopure and 150 Follistim.

About $12k for a full round

He was really thoughtful, considerate and kind. He is a straight shooter and tells it like it is. He is very busy though and often times it could be hard to get in touch with him. He will eventually return calls but I often felt like there was not a ton of time spent analyzing my difficult case.

Cornell is a mad house, be ready to wait and be a number.

Long waits, lots of women, cattle call.

roughly 25K for IVF cycle plus meds

See prior entry about human vs. number.

The experience was hard as it was very impersonal. That said, with such a large volume of patients the focus is almost exclusively on moving people in and out. For this reason, I was usually in and out within 30-45 minutes.

Weill Cornell is a big operation so it is not super personal - I saw many drs other than Dr Chung during the stimulation phase ,and some were really brusque and cold. But I liked how organized the clinic was. It does feel like a factory but the good part of that is you never wait long and they know what they are doing. WHe I did see Dr Chung he was very warm and helpful. His nurses were great communicators.

Know that Weill Cornell IVF is a bit of a factory and you will mostly be seeing nurses, but that he is overseeing everything. Ask as many questions in advance as you can.

I don't remember that well - I was also getting IVIG, steroid, and other treatment separately via Dr Jonathan Scher who had diagnosed me with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and with recurrent miscarriages.

It was crowded but I never waited more than 20 min. Many days I waited only 5.

Dr Chung gave me my miracle baby., after my last docotor told me to use donor eggs. He looked at my file after our first cycle With him was a complete failure and told me he would not give up on me. He is truly what all doctors should be and I am forever grateful for him.

Trust him.. you are in good hands.

It seemed to be a well oiled machine. All the nurses were so wonderful and caring, I am not an easy stick and they all knew me and knew exactly what to do.

Pak Chung is a phenomenal reproductive endocrinologist. He has a warm bedside manner but is also very scientific and thorough in explaining the details of the procedures and results to his patients. When working with him you know you are in the best hands you could possibly be in. He is a wonderful combination of brilliant and relatable.

There is nothing negative to give advice about. I would just say you are making the right choice to go with him!

I couldn't say enough about him. He was wonderful. Caring, kind, intelligent, willing to listen to me, calmed my fears, set reasonable expectations, explored different paths when things didn't work, etc.

Initially he wasn't super warm. Don't dismiss him because of that if he isn't super warm at first. He is wonderful.

Monitoring was sometimes long. If you wanted to be in and out quickly, you arrived before it was open and waited. Then, it could move quickly. Otherwise, you might be there for a long time. There were lots of women.

Dr Chung was very knowledgable. He was very optimistic and approachable. Even after failed cycles, he remained positive which was very reassuring.

He's difficult to understand so listen carefully!

We did a few cycles of clomid followed by two IUI's

IUI's were covered by insurance so we only paid copay

Dr Chung provided mediocre service and was dismissive about my concerns. He has no interest in reviewing my past ivf results. Resulted in poor quality embryos. Very dissaponted since my expectations were set high.

Do your own research and advocate for yourself

Willing to transfer multiple