The Treatment of Infertility - The Complete Series

The Treatment of Infertility- a Review Posted on June 21, 2009 by Yael onlineI am very happy to post this review by Yael Saslove. Yael is a known practitioner in Israel for various reasons- she’s one of the pioneers in our community who specialized in Chinese Medicine Gynecology, one of the first teachers of Chinese Medicine Gynecology in Israel, she also taught Chinese herbs and she’s a very busy practitioner. She’s been this busy for years, and manages to juggle it all with family life, smiles, kindness and modesty. I knew that if I will get her seal of approval of Jane Lyttelton’s courses I can be 150% sure that these courses offer real practical information for practitioners, and that it’s all good- really good. I feel proud that one of my more important teachers of Chinese Medicine obliged to write on my humble blog, and that I can give you an expert’s opinion on an online course which is only a few mouse clicks away. I hope this review helps you on your professional path. ************************************ We live in the age of abundance; abundance of knowledge, books, seminars, practitioners. It seems as if the abundance of knowledge and progress is so great that even if we study day and night, we will never keep up with the pace. As a working mother, with limited time and concentration skills, I find myself having a hard time finding professional knowledge of high quality. After in- taking all I can from the knowledge in Israel, attending every workshop, seminar, lecture, congress, foreign lecturer I can put my hands on, I am still hungry for more and chasing teachers or going to symposiums or seminars abroad is not possible for me right now. Then I came across a new and refreshing medium of information: Online courses. Pro-D Seminars is where one can buy online courses and DVD’s of Chinese medicine seminars by a wide range of practitioners such as Jane Lyttleton, Peter Deadman, Mazin Al-Khafaji and more. As a practitioner of Chinese medicine who specializes in gynecology, I am a fan of Jane Lyttelton. Jane is one of the best writers and lecturers in Chinese medical gynecology, especially in the aspect of infertility and combining Chinese and modern medicine. Her online course is a combination of a few seminars on infertility that she gave in the United States to practitioners. It is possible to buy a single course dealing with one subject, such as IVF, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, Male infertility etc. I took the complete series that includes all subjects together. The course is divided into various chapters. Each chapter is a discussion on one certain subject. Each chapter is between half an hour to an hour an half. On the screen are the slides of the lecture and her voice is in the background. Throughout the lecture you can go back and forward, stop, see the length of each slide and see the total length of the chapter. The slides run very smoothly, no stagnation or stasis. Technically, the course runs impressively well. A quiz is given in the end of the course, with the possibility of taking it twice, send it and receive a certificate. Jane speaks very clearly, articulating every word. If there is a word, phrase or information that is more complex or not clear, you may easily go back to listen again, a function that is not so simple in a real live seminar. When tired in the middle of a chapter, you may stop and return later, while the exact spot is saved for you. The verbal part of the course is the main part, not the slides. The course is built so that the main information of the lectures comes from Jane’s speech, the professional material, personal information from her clinic and her life experience. The slides are basic notes backing her, therefore it is not sufficient to read the slides, the main information comes from her. The slides and handouts given at the seminar can be printed out in PDF format. This way the student can follow what is said and write down notes on the slides. The information is fascinating. Jane claims in the beginning of the seminar that she will give everything she has and hopes that at the end she will have no more to add. Another part that I liked is the fact that she believes that if the base of the theory is solid enough, intuition will guide the practical side. This means that if you truly understand the material, you will know how to treat your patient intuitively. Therefore, most of the main part of the course is based on introductions and theory in a very in-depth manner. The practical part – acupuncture points and herbs are the less dominant part of the course. The points given are basic but occasionally she provides further details on a point or herb she uses and gives her personal reflection on the matter. Jane compensated the lack of in-depth discussion of herbs by providing herbal research and through that emphasizes the different actions of herbs, for example, the effect of Yang tonics on ATP, hormones and different bodily functions. The first chapter of treating infertility with Chinese medicine and IVF is a very interesting introduction to specialization. Jane gives a fascinating introspection on what it means to be a gynecology expert, professionally and emotionally. Information, that I find to be very important, and apparently is the same throughout the world. Jane gives a detailed report on western procedures and where we as Chinese medical practitioners can support the process. Throughout the seminar rare photos of ovulation, ovaries, follicles, western procedures etc. are interwoven into the slides. Jane Lyttleton lectures and works mainly in the west, so that the technical information of where and how the couples receive infertility treatments is different than in Israel, not by far, but different. It is my opinion, that as practitioners that work with infertility patients, it is important to know what is happening worldwide. The information provides a good prospective in comparison to what is happening in Israel (information that should be acquired elsewhere). The hormones given to the woman are mostly the same. The main dis-advantage of a course of this format is not being able to see the lecturer. At times Jane points out or demonstrates something that is not visible, but if we are attentive enough it is possible to guess what is going on. Another point is not being able to ask questions, as an average Israeli it is a hard temptation to withstand. But never the less, when practicing patience, I concluded the course with no questions unanswered. Despite the fact that the lectures are built in an orderly fashion and very professional, it is my opinion that there is still an advantage to receiving information straight from the practitioner in a frontal lecture. In conclusion, Jane Lyttleton’s online seminar on infertility is professional, updated and provides the highest level of information on this subject. For the first time I encountered convenience, availability, the possibility of studying within my time limits and having Jane Lyttleton in my living room. Of course I would have preferred to have seen her in person, but since that is not possible right now in my life, Pro-D Seminars provides a wonderful substitute for professional development that I would not have been able to acquire elsewhere.