Callum Potts, M.B.B.S., M.R.Med., was already a rising star in the field of fertility medicine when a personal experience shaped his perspective on the practice.
While nearing the completion of his fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Vermont Medical Center, Dr. Potts and his wife, Alice, decided they wanted to start a family, but were having trouble getting pregnant.
“It was really hard to have a negative pregnancy test or just not have a pregnancy every month,” he said. “And so we said, ‘Let’s do whatever we can to have a baby as quickly as we can.’ For us, that was IVF.”
The Potts family’s fertility journey was a successful one — they began IVF treatments at CCRM Fertility of Boston at the beginning of 2021 and had twin boys in December of that year.
Dr. Potts continued his relationship with CCRM shortly thereafter, moving to south Florida to become one of the founding physicians at CCRM Fertility of Miami. He says his experience as a patient is now helping him to provide even more effective and compassionate care.
“As a physician, it’s easy to understand the intellectual side — the medicine makes sense, the physiology makes sense, the logistics of it makes sense because that’s what you’re involved in,” Dr. Potts said. “But it’s important to take a step back and see how what you’re providing is being received by the patient as well. For me, it was really eye-opening to see what the pain points were from the patient’s side.”
One way Dr. Potts empowers patients is by acknowledging that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to fertility treatments, and finding the right path to parenthood takes education and communication. That’s why he encourages individuals and couples who are thinking about starting fertility treatments to educate themselves about what options are available.
“IVF made sense for us, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to make sense for everybody,” Dr. Potts said. “If you’re building a family, how you do that has to feel right for you. We’re here to provide as much education and context as we can so you can make the decisions that are right for you and your family.”
Always improving
Like other medical fields, evolving technology and research are constantly pushing forward fertility treatments. Dr. Potts says these incremental improvements are always driving up success rates and improving ease of access for patients.
For example, expanded telemedicine options mean fewer trips into the clinics, as consultations and administrative tasks can be done from anywhere. And from a scientific perspective, advances in embryology and genetics research are making it easier for fertility doctors to clearly lay out paths for successful pregnancies.
“In as minimally invasive a way as possible, we’re able to provide the highest quality information about the genetic status of your embryo,” Dr. Potts said. “And that goes all the way up to the much more complicated genetic screening for genetic illnesses or traits that people carry, and are trying to not pass down to children.”
Ultimately, all of this means more successful pregnancies, higher birth rates, and more satisfied new parents. “It means I get to have so many more good-news conversations with my patients,” Dr. Potts said.
Never a wrong time
Dr. Potts believes in creating a judgment- and pressure-free environment at CCRM Fertility of Miami. He encourages people to come explore their options — whether they’re ready to start a family right away or think it’s something they may be interested in several years down the road.
“I’ve never met someone who’s frozen eggs or frozen embryos and regretted it,” he said. “It’s often the other way around: ‘I’ve been thinking about doing this for awhile and just never got around to it.’ Then you get a little bit older and it’s a little bit harder, and people wish they would have started this conversation earlier.”