The SCRC Doctor Spotlight Series on our blog is a way for us to properly introduce the fertility experts who spend every day helping people build their families. The experience of fertility and finding the treatment you need is stressful, and anyone who is deep in the search for an infertility doctor knows how challenging it can be to find the perfect fit.
A snippet of a bio and a headshot on a clinic website doesn’t tell you much, and while a personal consultation is the best way to get a real sense of a physician’s style and way of working, you can’t meet every single candidate. To help you narrow down your list, we have created these in-depth profiles of our experts. It’s a way to get a closer look at who they are, how they work, what drives them, and how they have helped patients like you.
Today’s Doctor Spotlight: Dr. Shahin Ghadir, M.D., F.A.G.O.G.
Dr. Ghadir is one of the founding partners of SCRC and a thought leader in the world of fertility medicine. Board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, his expertise in the field is well recognized by the community: he is continuously voted as one of the Top Doctors in the U.S. by Los Angeles Magazine’s national poll and regularly named one of the Super Doctors of Southern California. His popularity with patients, staff, and the wider community has a lot to do with his friendly, approachable manner and his total dedication to the people and causes he cares about.
Born in Los Angeles, Dr. Ghadir has strong ties to the area and received much of his education at our excellent local institutions. He attended UCLA to earn his bachelor’s degree in psychology, where he graduated cum laude. Next, he received his medical degree from the Central University School of medicine, ranking first in his class and graduating summa cum laude. After graduation, he decided to specialize in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He completed his residence at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, and then a three-year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the combined UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center program. Now, he is passing on his extensive knowledge and clinical experience to future doctors, as an assistant clinical professor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.
Dr. Ghadir spends most of his days taking care of his patients: his compassion for every person struggling to conceive is obvious, and he is known for taking the time to really connect with every patient he meets. In spite of his busy schedule of patient appointments, he still finds time to contribute original research to his field, regularly publishing in prominent peer-reviewed journals including Fertility and Sterility, The New England Journal of Medicine, as well as clinical journals, such as Sexuality, Reproduction, & Menopause. His ongoing research interests include polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the treatment of fibroids and fertility preservation, and adhesion therapies and sexual health. Dr. Ghadir is also a contributing author of the infertility section of the new McGraw-Hill reference, CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Giving back to the community is another fundamental part of Dr. Ghadir’s mission. He is on the board of directors for Path2Parenthood, formerly known as the American Fertility Association (AFA), as well as the Neuromuscular Disease Foundation (NDF). As a proud supporter of the Family Equality Council, he has helped hundreds of LGBT couples and individuals to become parents. He believes strongly that fertility treatment should be available to all, arranging special discount programs for military personnel and founding his own charitable organization, Fertility For All, which raises awareness and funds to assist individuals and couples who otherwise would not be able to afford treatment.
{{cta(‘f072ac9a-6969-40a6-9997-a30647122e59′,’justifyleft’)}}
Getting out into the community: press, interviews, and educational events
As with all of our doctors, Dr. Ghadir is passionate about sharing his knowledge of reproductive medicine with the public. We know how important it is to keep fighting the stigma around infertility and treatment, and how much it means to people struggling with infertility to hear that there is help out there. For LGBT individuals and couples (who often face a double helping of prejudice as they try to become parents) we want to make sure they know that they are seen and welcome, and that we can give them options to build the family of their dreams.
For these reasons and more, Dr. Ghadir regularly contributes to print and online articles about fertility issues. He has been featured in the LA Times, The Today Show, Redbook, People magazine, and Marie Claire. He has spoken to L.A. Confidential Magazine about the challenges LGBT couples face in fertility treatment, to Healthyway about becoming a surrogate, and on little-known truths about IVF. He has been interviewed by US News & World Report about finding a medical school with a great OG-GYN program. Dr. Ghadir also makes frequent television appearances to discuss fertility preservation, infertility treatment, and reproductive health, and has been seen on Fox News, ABC News, BBC News and more. You can see many more interviews by Dr. Ghadir and our other experts on our press page here.
Dr. Ghadir is a big advocate of using social media as a tool for education and a platform to amplify the message that many kinds of infertility can be treated. He regularly answers questions about fertility and offers support and encouragement on his Instagram account and has partnered with celebrity influences to get the word out there about the many fertility options available today.
You can also find Dr. Ghadir speaking in person at events locally and around the world, whether he’s talking about lesbian pregnancy with the Gay Women’s Gathering or presenting at events like the Pathway Ultimate Health Conference. He is extremely active in the community and dedicated to making sure everyone is empowered with the information they need about fertility.
What our patients have to say about Dr. Ghadir
Finding a fertility specialist who is the perfect fit for your situation isn’t easy. When you are trying to make a potentially life-changing decision like this, it can really help to hear from people like you. They’ve gone through the same heart-wrenching experiences, they know what it’s like, and their opinion of a doctor gives you real insight into what it might be like to work with them. Dr. Ghadir is extremely popular with our patients, and we have been grateful for their enthusiastic testimonials. It’s hard to choose just a few to share, but here’s some heartfelt comments:
“Dear Dr. Ghadir, while this letter is very long overdue, the sentiments Ryan and I have for all you have done for us remain the same. We cannot thank you enough for helping us get pregnant – not with one, but two babies! When we started this journey, we didn’t know what to expect. We were saddened by our struggles of not being able to create a baby on our own and at times felt desperate that it may not happen. At the same time, we were hopeful that you would be able to provide us the family we longed for.
After meeting with you in our consultation visit, we found the optimism that this would happen for us. The process was definitely a lot more challenging than we expected, but your confidence in and dedication to getting us pregnant helped us make it through. We wouldn’t be anxiously awaiting the arrival of our two boys were it not for you. We are forever grateful for what you have given us. There aren’t words that could truly express the gratitude we have for you.
While we would never wish our experience on any couple, Ryan and I would have no hesitation in recommending you if we knew they were in need of fertility help. One of the most frustrating things for us going through infertility was the sheer fact that people don’t talk about it and we didn’t know why this was happening to us or what our options were. You were right there with us through the entire process and provided all of the guidance and information we needed in making the decisions of how we wanted to proceed with our journey. Infertility is a very personal thing and we felt completely comfortable being in your hands. We know you would treat all patients with the same respect and provide them with the same guidance and support you gave to us.”
We love to hear success stories like this, but we know the road through fertility treatment isn’t always smooth. This moving letter from a patient paints a vivid picture of an engaged and creative doctor who truly cares about his patients and is unerringly committed to helping them, even when things look bleak.
“Dearest Dr. Ghadir, it’s hard to believe it’s happening, but it feels more real every moment. I think back on that day in June ’09 when we walked into your office completely devastated and resigned to coming to terms with the fact we wouldn’t be able to have the family we had dreamed of. Even adoption was not a reality at the time. I don’t think I ever told you this, but on that day we really didn’t want to come into your office. We figured that unless you had a baby in the back, we didn’t see any reason to be there. We were out of money and hope.
Little did we know, in essence, you DID have a “baby in the back” – 13 embryos to be donated. You’ve been confident and strong from the beginning, which has been an enormous source of strength for me though I’ve tried not to call upon it too much. This science in helping couples have children seems more of an art to me. You have to juggle so much at the same time. Thank you for listening to me, taking my emotions seriously, reassuring me and not giving up on me or my body. Even when I had given up, you still saw possibilities.
I think you are brilliantly talented and I feel that you really care, which again helps me to feel strong and positive. No matter what happens I want to tell you how much this opportunity means to Dave and me. It’s a chance, maybe even a long shot, but at least we get to take it. I feel good and my body feels on board…on the same page. When it comes time to do the transfer, there is not one doctor in the world that I’d rather have by my side than you, Dr. Ghadir.”
Dr. Ghadir also helps many young women who have decided to preserve their fertility by freezing their eggs. This patient was surprised by how easy he made the experience:
“I can’t thank Dr. Ghadir and his wonderful staff enough. I went in to freeze my eggs and I thought it would be such a complicated process, but it was so simple. His team was beyond incredible and accommodating. Jennifer and Maria were extremely helpful and compassionate during the entire process. I think any woman over the age of 30 should do this process and work with Dr. Ghadir and team.”
Dr. Ghadir is an indispensable part of the SCRC family, and has helped thousands of patients achieve their lifelong dream of a baby with his trademark wit, compassion, determination and unwavering dedication to excellent care. If you are interested in setting up a consultation with Dr. Ghadir, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team: we’d love to hear from you and see how we can help.
{{cta(‘a65b5d46-984b-424f-8ee8-3107ded8598e’,’justifycenter’)}}
