Happy Birthday , Dr !

Dear Dr ,

Many more happy returns of the day ! May you live a very long , happy and healthy life , and let no harm come near you. May all your dreams and ambitions come to fruition. Keep smiling , and have a very beautiful life ahead !

Thanks a lot for making Anisha happen ! She has made our life happier and purposeful. We learn a lot from her , everyday. Not even a day goes by without wondering how dull and colourless our life would have been without Anisha ! Thanks to you and your team for all the technical help and support !

For me , your presence has been a great support. When I was shattered beyond words by the loss of our twins , the thought that you are there gave me enormous strength. I wouldn't have fought this battle gracefully without your blog , my blog and you. Thank you , you are a wonderful doctor , and moreover , a beautiful human being.

Have a great day , Dr ! Stay blessed , always.

Manju

" The Joy of Medicine - finding meaning in medicine" - by Dr. Aniruddha Malpani

Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, MD

This  post  is written by Dr. Malpani and I like it so much ! The words flow direct from his heart and it says so much about who he is - as a doctor, as a human ! I know him for more than a year now, and I have learned so much from him. His writings are a source of great inspiration for me, and I derive the strength and courage to carry on with my IVF struggle from them. He patiently corrects the articles I write (every article), and provides great ideas for the posts too ! This blog wouldn't have been possible without him. I wish every patient gets a Dr like him. I respect and admire him a lot ! Thank you very much Dr !

Even though medicine has traditionally been regarded as a profession which provides tremendous job satisfaction, many doctors are finding themselves increasingly dissatisfied with the practice of medicine. In the past , when doctors met, they used to talk about the interesting patients they helped to treat. These days they usually talk about financial stresses, job pressures, bureaucratic hassles and red tape. Doctors are increasingly toying with the idea of changing careers , while others are burning out in their mid-forties. Where has the joy of practicing medicine gone ?

In order to find joy in medicine, we need to find meaning in our profession. Work is an essential part of being alive and physicians are fortunate to work in a job which can provide so much satisfaction . They are presented with new challenges daily ; they can apply their mental abilities and their physical dexterity to successfully solve many of these problems; they are accorded respect and status; and they have control and autonomy . Unfortunately, many doctors no longer work for the sake of working - they’re working for a car, a new house, or a vacation. It’s no longer the work itself that’s important to them, and this is a shame, because there is such joy in doing work well.

We are privileged to help take care of patients, and we need to respect our role, so we can learn to respect ourselves. If you do what you love and love what you do , you will find a higher purpose in life - and if you are passionate about your work , your life will be full of meaning. Getting paid for this should be seen to be the ultimate bonus !
We are fortunate to be doctors, because we can learn so much from our patients. They bare their heart to us, and make us privy to their innermost confidences, so that daily we get a ringside view of human drama, suffering, courage, life and death – the stuff of which life is made ! Doctors have a chance to plumb the depths of the human soul, as they accompany their patients through their suffering. Our work lends itself to contemplation and introspection – allowing us insights which few other people are privileged to have. Our patients can teach us how to live and how to die – and we need to keep our hearts open to their lessons. While it is true that daily exposure to misery and suffering can drain some doctors, causing compassion fatigue; and leave others hardened and unfeeling, these same experiences can also invigorate and rejuvenate you.

Watching patients die should remind you of your own mortality , so that you remember to learn to live each day well . Seeing very ill patients recover should renew your sense of amazement at the marvels of the human body , so that you appreciate the perfection of your own body every day. Observing friends and loved ones provide comfort and courage to the ill should awaken your own feelings of compassion, so that you remember to touch all your near and dear ones with love every day. To live life to the fullest, we need to recapture our sense of wonder at life daily – and being a doctor allows you the privilege of doing that at close quarters !

It is true that physician morale is declining today, and doctors are hard pressed to find job satisfaction. However, instead of focusing our efforts on trying to identify what is wrong with medicine today, we should identify happy doctors and delve into their secrets. I am sure we all know doctors who still look forward to each day as an opportunity to do good, and to become more skilled physicians. We should try to learn from their successes. Many of these happy physicians may never become the president of the medical association, or grab media headlines , or be written about in House Calls, but they are the true stars of our profession, because they have found meaning in their lives. My personal role model is my father, who is one of the most satisfied people I know. His primary source of happiness is his patients , and they have provided him a major source of personal sustenance. He enjoys talking to them, they enjoy talking to him, and his links with them are deep and personal. Even more importantly, I have learned that professional satisfaction does not come from acquiring money, but instead from gaining “social capital” through community ties. He has numerous extracurricular activities , and is very well connected with his family, friends and neighbors, and these social bonds contribute enormously to his satisfaction.

The first rule for being a happy doctor is very simple – it simply means caring for your patients. Treat all your patients like VIPs – whether they come from Dharavi or from London . Remember that the relationship with our patients is at the heart of our professional role – and a healthy doctor-patient relationship can nurture both patient and doctor ! Medicine is really about service, not science - and the true meaning of medicine is found in the relationships we have with our patients. Savor your patients. When a patient thanks you for your work or says that you've become like a family member, stop and relish that moment. Those moments are the real reward for being a doctor, if you can slow down to let them in. When it comes to getting positive feedback, no profession in the world comes close to medicine ! The joy of medicine is in doing good , which is why patients still confer a special status on us – we need to prove ourselves worthy of it..

Find an area of special interest in your field which you enjoy, and acquire a depth of knowledge in this focused area. Once you've mastered an area, then master its intricacies. Not only is it personally rewarding, it'll be professionally rewarding, as well. Your colleagues will refer problem patients in this area to you ( allowing you to become even more expert in the topic), and you will also acquire a reputation amongst patients as being very good in this area.

If you find your practice has become boring, tedious and monotonous, you need to recharge your batteries. Be willing to do something new, even if it involves a risk – after all, if you continue doing the things which bore you, the situation will get even worse ! You can consider hiring an assistant, to take care of the parts of medicine you find boring, so you can concentrate on what interests you. Other doctors have rediscovered joy not by narrowing their scope but broadening it to encompass a new area of expertise – for example, by exploring alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, homeopathy and chiropractic.

Try to publish and present your clinical experiences. This will force you to read the medical literature and provide intellectual discipline as well , as you have to carefully document your experiences and answer your colleague’s queries. Advances in medicine depend upon clinical acumen, and if we apply scientific rigor to our clinical experience , we can all contribute to improving medical practice. Treasure your rare patients and your difficult cases – they can teach you the most !

Develop humility. Often you will find that the reason you are unhappy in your professional life is that you have let your ego get out of control. Practicing medicine can make us feel that we are indispensable, and self-importance is a serious malady that stands in the way of professional satisfaction.

Learn to develop interests and friends outside medicine. While it is true that medicine can be a demanding mistress, don’t let her take over your life. Good doctors are well-rounded individuals , who have an open mind and are curious about everything. Having outside interests will not only make you a better person , it will also help make you a better doctor, as you apply what you learn from other fields to your medical practice. For example, I enjoy playing tennis, and have found that learning how to serve has helped improve my surgical skills by honing my hand-eye coordination.

Do some charitable work – for example, offer a free clinic once a week. One of the best ways of feeling good about yourself is by doing good for others , with no strings attached. The gratitude of the patients you see free of charge is worth much more than any amount of money . As a doctor you have many opportunities for being altruistic – make the most of them !

Don't make the mistake of equating wealth with happiness - the pursuit of wealth only complicates our search for happiness. . As physicians, we should be grateful that we get the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others every day – a goal most humans aspire to. Be thankful daily that you can help others - expressing gratitude is a powerful tool in the search for contentment and self-worth.


Most of us become doctors in order to help others, and all of us get this opportunity to do so on a daily basis, whether we work in Mayo Clinic, or in the heart of rural India. We should remember how lucky we are to belong to such a privileged profession. Even in ancient India, vaidyas were considered to be very fortunate, because their lives offered them the opportunity of fulfilling all the three aims of a good life – dharma ( religious gain, by relieving the suffering of patients); artha ( material gain, by building up a rich practice); and kama ( personal satisfaction, by curing those whom he loves and respects, and by acquiring fame for his expertise). This is as true today as it has been through the centuries ! Medicine is a wonderful way to make a living – be glad you are a doctor and make the most of your profession – for your sake, and for the sake of your patients !

How I Selected My IVF Doctor !

Can you share your experience about Malpani Infertility Clinic ? This is the most frequent question I answer now-a-days. People who read my blog contact me and ask the same question in different ways. That is what prompted me to write this post. I hope it will be useful for people who are looking for obtaining good quality infertility treatment in India.
Dr. Malpani Review

When I started searching for IVF clinics in India, there were lots of doubts in my mind. I was really, really afraid to take treatment in India. I live in Germany and I have done 5 IVFs and 1FET here but unfortunately nothing worked. Doing IVF in Germany was not stressful. I do not have to travel to a far off place. The IVF centre is just 15 minutes travel distance from my home. I do not have to wait endlessly to get appointments because IVF centres are not that crowded here. I do not have to take off from my work and because of that I do not have to give any explanation to anyone. All is well and good but my IVF cycles didn’t result in a baby.  The financial and emotional strain was becoming high too. I started to realize that the embryo protection laws in Germany will not help me in obtaining success soon. Embryo selection is banned in Germany. The IVF specialists are forced to select embryos for transfer when the embryos are still in the zygote stage and the number of patients they got to treat is also very less. As a result, the IVF specialists here lack experience and most of them are not so long in the field of ART.  I know that the IVF laws in India are not as strict as in Germany. But to be very frank I am afraid of Indian IVF clinics. How good the clinics are in their profession? Do they follow proper guidelines and business ethics? Are they just money minded? Will they treat us with care and respect? Will the doctors be knowledgeable enough? How to contact them? Will they give a prompt reply? There were so many unanswered questions and so much of insecure feeling within me!
Dr. Malpani Review

During that time we went to India. We decided to visit an infertility specialist in my place. We took an appointment and went to meet that doctor. I was still in a German mindset then. I thought I will go, meet the doctor, get the necessary information and come back. But to see that doctor I waited from morning till late afternoon, almost 6 hours! There were so many other women waiting to see the doctor too. Whenever I enquired about the whereabouts of doctor, I was given some explanation like; doctor is in operation theatre she will come soon and so on. The reality of Indian IVF clinics and the way it is managed started to dawn on me. I could see my fellow patient’s agony. Their face showed so many different emotions – they were sad and desperate, worried and afraid! The long waiting time made them restless but they could not do anything to make their situation better – I really felt like a beggar and beggars can’t be choosers! In order to get rid of the loneliness I started to make eye contacts with the people there, smiled at them and started to chat with them. The women waiting there were so warm and compassionate. I could talk with them in my own language. Within minutes they started to share with me their infertility stories in a very innocent way. I will never forget those moments. Some stories brought tears to my eyes. I started to realize how better my situation was when compared to them. At last the doctor came. We met the doctor. She is a kind woman. When I told her we have tried IVF 5 times without success she just said try here once let us see. I could sense the hopelessness in her words. When we are coming out of her room I met the embryologist. I introduced myself and told him my story (5 IVF story!) and his immediate response was ‘why can’t you try donor eggs’? I was really gutted by that response, I forced my lips to smile, and my eyes had tears unable to bear that sudden emotional attack. We left that place with many more new fears in mind.

That was my first Indian IVF clinic experience. My DH told me ‘we are not going to that place anymore’. But I am ready to face anything (long waiting hours, unempathetic people etc) for the sake of my much desired baby. When we came back to Germany I started to look for IVF clinics all over India. I contacted few IVF specialists via e-mail but no one replied except Dr. Malpani! I could not explain my happiness in words. At last some Indian IVF specialist answered my e-mail. But even then I am not convinced. I was wondering, is it the doctor who replied or someone else replied on behalf of him. After this e-mail from him I started to gather information about Malpani Infertility Clinic. I saw their website. It had so much of useful information regarding infertility. I was impressed. But more than that Dr.Malpani’s blog helped me a lot – both emotionally and intellectually! I started to gain faith in their service. Can a doctor who talk about patient education and patient rights, can a doctor who spends so much of his valuable time educating his patients and in preparing patient education materials, can a doctor who understands his patient’s emotional suffering, do any harm? I started to mail him asking about my doubts and concerns. I always got a mail within 24 hours from him. He always gave a very crisp answer (mostly a single line) and it conveyed the message very clearly. I understood that he is very, very intelligent too! We decided to go to him for treatment! Dr. Malpani Review

But I found a complaint about him sometime later in an Indian consumer complaints forum. To tell the truth I was not upset about what I read. By the time I read that post I had been in frequent contact with Dr. Malpani through e-mail. I had satisfactory answers to all my questions. The cost of IVF was clearly mentioned in his website and his writings in his blog are very honest and truthful. He was concerned about the poor medical care patients receive; gets upset with patients who do not care to learn about the details of their treatment; empathizes with infertile women; and his blog posts showed many of his emotions very clearly without any pretension. I asked myself ‘can such a person even think of cheating anyone?’ Can such a doctor cheat his patients?’ Dr. Malpani Review

Even though, I convinced myself to go to Mumbai for taking treatment under Dr. Malpani, I was nervous too before my first visit. What if I see a very different environment in his clinic? What if he is a very different person-not like the digital avatar I knew through his blog and his e-mail? What if my nightmarish first Indian IVF clinic experience repeats again? I was afraid for sure. But I tried my level to be neutral in my mindset. I do not want to look at everything and everyone with suspicion – this will kill my peace of mind. So I went with a clean slate of mind. We waited to meet Dr. Malpani in his compact and cozy clinic. His staff are very kind and compassionate. I felt at home. My mind surprisingly was at ease and peace. Within few minutes we were called in to meet the doctor and my first fear ‘Will I have to wait forever to meet the doctor?’ vanished! Dr. Malpani Review

When I am waiting to see the doctor another interesting incident happened. There were two medical representatives waiting to see Dr. Malpani too. I was just observing and listening to what they are talking. One person asked the other "what kind of person is Dr. Malpani ?" The other medical representative answered, he is a very staright-forward and honest person. I was so happy to hear this; whatelese you want to know about an IVF doctor ? Soon Dr. Malpani called the medical representatives inside his room. I thought, now I have to wait another hour to see the doctor, because usually that is what happens when a medical rep goes into a doctor's room. To my utter surprise the medical rep returned within few seconds - I started to respect my Dr ! Dr. Malpani Review

I saw Dr. Malpani, in person, for the first time. He looked very respectable, he carried himself the way a doctor should ; and the way he took my infertility history showed his intelligence. We spent just 10 minutes with him during the first meeting and my expectation about a person whom I knew only through e-mail and his blog didn’t go wrong. But he is not as expressive as I would have expected him to be after reading his blog. I felt he is a bit reserved! Then we waited for the ultra sound scan . Just 15 minutes of waiting and Dr. Malpani saw us in the waiting room. He was asking the nurses – hasn’t Dr. Anjali come yet ? We met Dr.Anjali Malpani very soon. A very charming, sweet and expressive person she is! Within few minutes I felt I was talking to a friend. She is a very down to earth, friendly person who could provide you with immense emotional support in times of need.

So after this initial meeting half of my fears just vanished. The clinic is comfortable, the staff are very friendly, the doctors are knowledgeable and compassionate, they treated us well ad most importantly no long waiting hours!

I went to the clinic for further ultrasounds. All my doubts were answered patiently by the doctors. I always got to meet the doctors without any mediators in between. For blood tests, to measure hormone levels I just have to give the blood in their clinic and they transport the blood samples themselves to the lab where the hormone levels are measured. This is very comfortable and I was as comfortable physically as I was in Germany! I took all my other blood test results with me. So I am not asked to repeat any tests. I paid the amount which is mentioned in their website and to my surprise we received a proper bill for each and every penny we paid! Most Indian clinics fail to do this.

Dr. Anjali performed the egg collection. After the egg collection was over she came to the room where I was resting, and asked whether I was feeling better. She collected 24 eggs and 20 eggs were mature enough for fertilization. I was so happy because I didn’t get these many mature eggs even if I combined all my previous 5 IVF cycles ! The next day I got the fertilization report from Dr. Sai (embryologist). He said you have 17 embryos and all are looking good. I had a day 3 transfer. They froze 5 more good quality embryos that day. The remaining embryos were allowed to grow further from which I got 2 blastocysts. I saw all my embryos. I got the picture of my embryos which are transferred to my uterus. On the whole, my cycle went very beautifully and that is the best IVF cycle I ever had!

Dr. Malpani did the embryo transfer. He was continuously talking with me I didn’t even feel the stress of the process. He did it with so much ease without causing any major discomfort. When we are preparing to leave the clinic I met Dr. Malpani again. I told him that my mom and DH are compelling me to lie down in a particular position (always with my leg straight!), he told them, ‘please leave her alone, nothing she does will dislodge the embryos’. I was so grateful for the support he provided me.Dr. Malpani Review

My 6th IVF was again not a success. I was obviously broken down. When I mailed Dr. Malpani with the result of my pregnancy test, I received a mail in couple of hours with few words of comfort and those few words can mean a lot, especially when you hear it from the IVF specialist who has treated you. Recently I had another FET at their clinic , but this didn’t result in a pregnancy either. But I sincerely wish that my further attempts will be successful (My recent FET in Malpani Infertility Clinic resulted in a positive pregnancy test !). I know the uncertainty that is inherent in these kinds of treatments. But I am happy that I found a clinic where doctors care to give their best for their patients.

Still I keep wondering what prompted that anonymous person to write such harsh complaints against Dr. Malpani? (might be some of his competitor or an angry patient who failed in IVF attempt !) How could someone even think of spoiling a doctor’s hard earned reputation just by writing an online complaint? Why was Dr. Malpani was never given a chance to produce a rebuttal letter? Why don’t such online consumer complaint forums follow the basic ethics? People who wrote a negative review in that forum attacked Dr. Malpani’s character. They are not talking about a product, they are talking about a human being, a doctor who works hard to educate his patients and arm them with information therapy. A doctor who talks about patient rights and tries to improve the medical care they get. Even if they found his service defective or less than optimal they should have the guts to tell him directly. A good doctor will always be ready to learn and correct himself and I am sure Dr. Malpani is one of them.Dr. Malpani Review

These are the main complaints against him in the forum:

He cheats foreigners by collecting more money from them where Indian patients are charged less.

The waiting time for the ultra sound is high.

This is the worse, perverted complaint – he steals embryos, sells patients eggs and embryos!

He makes the patients come to him again and again by wantonly making sure that they do not get success in their first attempt!

Dr. Malpani has mentioned clearly the cost of IVF treatment in their website. If you are OK with the costs , go to them , otherwise do not. They give you a bill for the money you pay. If they collect less money for treatment from poor patients it is none of our business! They have a waiting time of 30-45 minutes for the ultrasound and it is a very reasonable waiting period. Other patients also want to talk to the doctor and the doctor’s time is taken only by a fellow patient! Dr. Malpani is in the field of IVF for more than 15 years. To accuse him of stealing eggs and embryos is the most perverse complaint anyone could have. When an IVF cycle fails it hurts badly. But it doesn’t mean that you can turn vengeful and write things which could tarnish the image of a reputable doctor. Every IVF doctor wants every IVF cycle to succeed as much as the patient desires! Every successful IVF cycle is the success of their entire IVF team. In short, many of anonymous complaints listed in that online forum are written with a malicious intent to spoil his reputation.
Dr. Malpani Review

I am a biologist. I hold a doctorate degree. I will not be foolish enough to go to a doctor who just works for the money I give. I am not even a person who got success after getting treatment from them. I am just a patient who got good medical care. I can differentiate between good medical care and bad care because my education. My sister is a gynaecologist too!
Dr. Malpani Review

Does Dr. Malpani cheat his patients? Definitely not! If you go to him for treatment:

You will be treated with care and respect

You will be informed clearly about your different treatment options

You can become a patient who is well-educated about your illness

You get the best medical care

You can see the doctors without the intervention of any mediators inbetween

You can get enormous intellectual and emotional support

Your IVF journey becomes less difficult

You can expect a good service for the money you pay
Dr. Malpani Review

I have written this article without any bias. One good side effect of the consumer complaint forum incident is that you will get much more care and pampering from their clinic because no doctor wants unhappy, unsatisfied patients! Personally I will always thank Dr. Malpani and their team for the good quality medical care I receive and all the emotional support I get from them. Thank you very much Dr!

I will be happy to answer your queries or concerns regarding taking treatment from Malpani Infertility Clinic. Please do mail me ! manjupadmasekar@yahoo.com

Happy Birthday Dr!

Today is Dr. Aniruddha Malpani’s birthday. Many more happy returns of the day Dr! May all your dreams and wishes come true! 

Dr.Aniruddha Malpani

I wanted to write a blog post about my doctor and I am happy that I could do it on his special day. When I first decided to go to Dr.Malpani for treatment I am at my wits’end. I had 5 failed IVFs to my credit. My experiences with infertility treatment have made me skeptical. I was emotionally torn apart and I never thought some doctor will be empathetic enough to help me and give me some confidence. I came across information about Malpani Infertility Clinic via internet and contacted Dr.Malpani through e-mail. Dr. Malpani was kind enough to provide e-mail consultations, which he does as a free service. He writes in his website ‘this is a free service I provide as a labour of love (I believe in karma, and feel that by helping you, I am helping myself)'. This attitude and the passion he has for his profession made me to realise that he is very different from many other doctors. As a patient, the ability to contact a wise IVF specialist, who has been in the field of IVF for 20 years and get all my doubts cleared is a blessing. If I mail him I get a reply without fail within the next 24 hours. I got not only intellectual support but also immense emotional support from him. He only introduced me to the serenity prayer. It really helped me many a time to regain my sanity.

I just love his blog. He is a very gifted writer who writes without any pretension. The thoughts come flowing direct from his heart. I like his out-of-the-box thinking and I believe that is what has made him successful in his career. When I feel emotionally down I open some of his blog posts and read it. This changed me as a person. I started to see my infertility struggle in a whole different way. I became a regular reader of his blog and started to write feedbacks. All those writings and his kind appreciations kindled my passion in writing.  When I started to express myself through writing I began to think clearly. This made me more confident. I owe a lot to him and his writings. Thank you very much Dr! Here are a couple of blog posts from him which I like very much : 

http://blog.drmalpani.com/2005/06/joy-of-medicine-finding-meaning-in.html

http://blog.drmalpani.com/2006/08/when-bad-things-happen-to-good-people.html

Dr.Malpani is a firm believer in information therapy. He dedicates his time and effort for preparing patient education materials and he also runs the world's largest consumer health library HELP, which contains over 10000 books, 10000 brochures and 600 videos. If you visit his website you can find so much information in the form of articles, books and comics regarding IVF and other infertility treatments-all for free of cost!  

I feel very comfortable in his clinic. The staffs are very kind and friendly. It is of no wonder because; if the leadership is good everything else will be good. I could also see the respect his staffs have for him. They always have nice things to say about their boss. One of his staff told me proudly ‘our doctor treats everyone equal’ :)

My journey hasn’t come to a happy ending yet. But it has definitely become better. For the first time in my IVF journey I got 24 eggs collected. The fertilization rate was high too and I got the maximum number of embryos. I had 7 embryos to freeze and I saw blastocyst formation from my embryos for the first time. All this wouldn’t have happened without Dr.Aniruddha Malpani, Dr.Anjali Malpani and their wonderful team.

Now, I am undergoing FET cycle and I know the uncertainty of the process. I may end up getting pregnant or may not. But, I am happy that I am undergoing this emotionally draining process under a skilled physician who really cares to give his best for his patients. Dr. Malpani never ever gave me any false promises. Not even once he said ‘Manju, if you take treatment under me you will have your baby’. I sometimes really wish that he could say it to me. But he is honest enough not to say things which are not under his control. I know that he does his best as a doctor. He is honest, compassionate, empathetic and skilled. He also provides immense emotional support for his patient which is very important during this infertility struggle. Even if I do not end up getting my baby in hand, I will always have the happiness that I had my IVF treatment under a physician who treats his patients with care and respect. 

Thank you Dr! Be happy always!