Dr. Laura Brodzinsky, MD

I suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum for 5 agonizing months. My first time meeting this doctor, she walked in the room, asked me how I was, and when I gave the perfunctory 'I'm fine, thank you' response, she said 'I'll note that the hyperemesis is resolved.' Based on a less than 10 second interaction and what? the fact that I said the word 'fine'? No questions about how many times a day I was still vomiting or if I had gained back any of the 21 pounds I had lost. The visit got much worse from there, but to summarize: she wanted to get out of there as soon as humanly possible, she dismissed my questions and valid concerns after a troubling 20 week scan, and honestly made me feel for the first time that seeing a doctor is a complete waste of time. I asked the office admins to update my appointments so I never had to see her again. I can't believe someone so cold and callous would be in the medical field, let alone an OBGYN.

My visit with this doctor left me feeling disappointed and with more questions than answers. The doctor came unprepared to the appointment and rarely provided me with any concrete answers to my questions. For example when I asked about nutrition during pregnancy I was simply told “have a balanced diet” - no other information as to what this would mean. Another example was when the doctor walked in she asked if I had an ultrasound - obviously not as this was my first time seeing the doctor after scheduling the appointment 6 weeks prior. I don’t feel like the doctor was available to answer questions and felt like she was in a rush. I didn’t real gain much more information about what one should do, expect, and feel during the pregnancy. The appointment left me feeling very upset and stressed. I even provided this feedback directly to Stanford via their survey and was never contacted to review my concerns.

I'm not sure if we caught her on a bad day but her body language spoke volumes - rolled her eyes when we confirmed next steps after learning we had to deliver a preterm baby, gave very terse answers to my questions and held an unpleasant expression to discourage us from asking further questions. I understand time is very limited with these appointments but her poor way of communication and lack of empathy are in direct odds at enabling patients informed decision making capacity for themselves and their future children. Needless to say, I steered clear of her appointment slots for future visits.

I was in my late 20s when I saw this doctor. She told me b/c of my medical history and irregular periods, I would have trouble conceiving kids. I remember leaving that appointment in tears. I clearly still remember it (and unlike one of my good friends, I don't always have a great memory...it shows how traumatic it was for me). I'm happy to say I had no issues with pregnancies or conceiving three kids. I worry about the trauma she brought to others, too.