Dr. Widra or Dr. Levy? SG Rockville or DC?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I live in Bethesda so I could either go to the Shady Grove office in DC (Dr. Widra) or the Shady Grove office in Rockville (Dr. Levy). Which one do you recommend? I have heard good things about both doctors but I have heard that Dr. Widra does not have good bedside manners/is not compassionate, I don't know about Dr. Levy's bedside manners. Also, I don't know if maybe the staff/nurses are better in one office rather than the other. I know that Rockville is where they do procedures in the week-end, so maybe it's better to get everything done in the Rockville office. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I'm a fan of Dr. Widra. Yes, maybe he is not the kind of guy you will have drinks with, but he is an excellent doctor and he knows his stuff, also, I woudn't say he is not compasionate, I think in his own way he is. I really like him and thanks to him I'm 14 week pregnant right now.

[Anonymous]

Dr. Widra is very nice. However, I think the staff in the D.C. office sucks overall (a few nice ones, but mostly uncaring idiots). They may not be much more compassionate at the Rockville office, but they seem more competent.

[Anonymous]

I was a Widra patient as well. He's a bit of an odd duck, but very upfront, informative, and rational. I love the desk staff at the DC office-- some very nice ladies. My nurse, not so much...One thing you want to think about is that, while cycling, you will be visiting your clinic often and for DC you'll either have to metro in or search/pay for parking each time. Might be easier for you to go somewhere closer to your home.

[Anonymous]

I know that is not what you ask, but if you find the staff at DC and Rockville unkind and if you can, come to Annandale - they are all soooooo lovely and show empathy to you. I am sure that probably there is someone that is nasty, but I still didn't meet this “person”... my experience there has been great so far

[Anonymous]

I am working with Widra in DC, and I really like him. So does my husband. We find him just compassionate enough for what we need and always very clear, upfront with the facts. His nurse is great too -- warm, caring, and responsive to phone calls.

[Anonymous]

We live in Rosslyn just on the otherside of Key bridge and had a consultation with their DC office. Dr. Osborne there was nice but the nurse was clueless and the front staff was inattentive. There was no one else in the waiting room, yet I waited 40 minutes to be seen. The front office staff seem to be goofing off and not very helpful. I waited another year then switched to their Annandale office. Although it's farther away the office is friendly and more efficient. Since I have to go every other day for monitoring, which most of us have to do for blood work and u/s, be sure it's convenient and that you'll like going there.

[Anonymous]

I am a big Widra fan. I think it would be more accurate to say he isn't warm and fuzzy rather than to say he isn't compassionate. I actually found him extremely compassionate and thoughtful. He is, however, very clinical, for lack of a better word. He'd walk us through the various statistics for each of our options in a way that I found extraordinarily helpful. He was also extremely respectful of our practical, religious and psychological concerns.

I was a big fan of my nurse as well -- Jennifer -- but I am not sure you find out who your nurse will be early enough to determine which office you would like to go to.

I agree with the other posters as well that the logistics may be the best way to decide. the parking situation on K St can be a real time waster if you are on a tight schedule. To get around it, I scheduled all of my appts are early as possible in the morning before commuters got there. I usually got street parking easily, but we are talking 645 or 7am.
ususally

[Anonymous]

Currently working with Dr. Widra and find him great. He knows his stuff and is very thorough in his explanations (including drawings). I am also working with Cerone and SHE IS GREAT! She is extremely responsive and compassionate.

[Anonymous]

I went to Dr Widra initially (who I liked as well) but switched to Dr Levy because of the location which was closer to home for us. I am a huge Dr Levy fan who is my current RE. One of the best....and the staff at Rockville is great as well.

[Anonymous]

I only saw Wildra and Levy for monitoring appointments and between the two I would pick Wildra. I will never forget that Dr. Levy told me during one of my monitoring appointments (when my cycle wasn't going well) that there was nothing else he could do for me b/c my ovaries were basically depleted. I would love for him to meet my three kids as a result of being a patient of Dr. Sagoskin. Don't mean to add more cooks to your kitchen but I love Dr. Sagoskin - he is in SGF Rockville. I was a patient of his for years (for a total of 9 IVF cycles) - he didn't give up on us, was very open to trying new protocols - an all around good guy who didn't treat me like a number or a science experiment. Good luck!

PS - In general between the 2 offices (I cycled at Rockville, Annandale and DC) - Rockville is run the best. You will also get your results quicker b/c you don't have to wait for a courier to bring them to Rockville's lab to be run. I was often sent to Rockville when the u/s tech at the other offices couldn't find my ovaries, etc. (and they immediately found them - thankfully they didn't run away)!

[Anonymous]

Dr. Widra is fine. I'd choose based on which office works better for you. I.e. if you work downtown, then going in to the DC office for morning blood work or mid-day IUIs is easier than shleping out to Rockville. BUt, if you work in Rockville, or even Bethesda, then Rockville might be easier.

[Anonymous]

I would pick Widra!

[Anonymous]

Why do Widra's patients have such opposing views. I'm going to D.C. and I'm going to meet with Osborne becuase I would like a female dr, but I hear I will mustsee all the REs at D.c.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, I wasn't happy with either RE, went out of area to find help.