Dr Thomas Frederick Mcelrath, MDPHD

In the fall of 2006 when I was 20 weeks pregnant I was diagnosed with incompetent cervix and transferred to Dr. Mceltrah from my physician at Harvard's student health services. I could have not asked for a more engaged, smart, funny and caring doctor (my husband jokingly called him "Dr. McDreamy" because he was frankly so good looking and perfect in every respect). It was obviously a very stressful time for us, and we were given a 50% chance that our baby would survive. Dr. Mcelrath performed an emergency cerclage shortly after my diagnosis. He met with us weekly for the remainder of my pregnancy, hospitalizing me for several days at 32 weeks, and I went on to deliver my daughter at 40 weeks. She is now 6 -- our only child and the light of our lives. My sense is that Dr. Mcelrath is extremely conservative with respect to bed rest and such. He is perhaps more conservative than I would optimally like, and I also was disappointed that the high risk practice at BWH is run so that… your baby is delivered by whoever is on call. I had an awful experience with the doctor who delivered my daughter (someone I had never met before). The staff forced me to have an induction because I was "using my room for too long," and when I offered to go home to labor there so that someone else could use the room they told me that that was not an option for me. They forced me to have the epidural and induction and I ended up injuring myself during the labor because of it. It took me three months to recover, and several weeks to walk up the stairs in my home afterward. However, I had such a positive experience with Dr. Mcelrath, and respect him so much, that I would actually go through the experience again just to have him as a doctor. He brought us insight, intelligence, compassion, clarity, and even humor at one of the lowest points in our lives.

I commute from Rhode Island because at Brigham and Women's I get the care that I deserve, I am not just a number. Caring nurses as well. I would definitely refer anyone there.

I transferred my high risk pregnancy care from a local OB to Dr. McElrath and the difference has been like night and day. He is very meticulous, very, very knowledgeable (probably one of the best doctors out there), caring and very respected by his staff and peers. I feel confident knowing that my care has been in the best of hands!

During an increadability difficult pregnancy he was the go to guy. He offered support and anything we wanted to know was answered. He valued my other scared other daughter, my husbands hesitation and fear and my need to know and high aniexity personalities. Everytime my 9 month old smiles and we think of him and what he and his staff and co workers helped us through.