Today we’d like to introduce you to Dara Havemann, MD.
Dara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I always knew I wanted to go into medicine to help people. I don’t remember ever wanting to do anything else other than to be a doctor. I was accepted into an accelerated medical program out of high school at University of Missouri, Kansas City. I completed both my undergraduate and medical school degrees in six years, and I found my calling in women’s health during my later years of medical school – working with and supporting women throughout their life very much appealed to me. After graduation from medical school, I was accepted to the University of Texas-Medical Branch in Galveston for my residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology. UTMB had an amazing residency program for OB-Gyn and after living my entire life in Missouri I wanted to live near the ocean. There are many moments in my life where I know God put me just where I needed to be, and being in Galveston was one of those moments.
Galveston led me to find my passion of helping women through fertility struggles and is also where I met my husband. During my residency, I was exposed to so many aspects of caring for women – but what most spoke to my soul were the patients that wanted so desperately to become mothers and have a family, and were struggling to do so on their own. Infertility, and those that struggle with its effects, was and in many ways is such a quiet and isolating battle that for so long was not openly talked about. In my work with women experiencing fertility struggles, and helping them get pregnant and build their families, I knew I had found my calling. I stayed at UTMB to complete my fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. During this time, I met my husband and together we decided to start our own family when I was in the midst of my infertility fellowship. I am not sure if this is a moment of life dictating art or art dictating life, but when my husband and I decided to start our own family, we realized that we were having our own battle with infertility – while learning how to care for women with fertility struggles, I discovered that we had a lot in common with my patients. After 18 months of many different fertility treatments my husband and I became pregnant with twins – boy and girl – after an IVF cycle. After the twins were born and I had completed my infertility fellowship, we relocated to McKinney to be closer to family. Our twins are now five years old and will soon be starting kindergarten, and we also recently welcomed our third child – a beautiful little boy – through continued fertility treatments.
Being a reproductive infertility specialist is so dear to my heart – not only am I afforded the opportunity to help women understand fertility problems, but I also have the opportunity to bring awareness and acceptance to infertility and help others to build a family of their own. My own experience as a fertility patient allows me to realize the importance of these treatments, and I am so grateful to have the beautiful family that I have today.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When starting my infertility training I never thought I myself would personally experience infertility. Infertility can be a dark and isolating experience. In life, I had not yet encountered anything where if I didn’t work harder, study more, and dedicate myself to the process, I couldn’t achieve what I set out to do. But infertility is something that we can’t “control or work harder at” to overcome, which makes it such a humbling journey.
My training helped me understand the science of infertility and my own personal experience has helped me better comprehend the emotional side of infertility.
Since joining Dallas IVF, I, like most working moms, have struggled with finding a balance between work and life. Making sure that I leave my work at the office and turn my attention completely to my family has been a goal I am constantly working towards.
My youngest son is now eight months old and taking time for maternity leave was a challenge. Having two uninterrupted months to bond with my newborn and attend to my growing family was important, but at the same time, I did not want to neglect my patients and place undue burden on my business partners. There were days on maternity leave where I was nursing my son while checking patients’ labs and making treatment plans over the phone with my nursing staff. While tucking in my five-year-old son one night he asked me why I couldn’t pick him up from school like all the other moms do. It tugs and tears at your heart as a parent to hear this from your children. We talked together and I asked my son if he knew how much I love him. He responded in typical five-year-old fashion with a “yeah mommy, you love us more than anything!” I then told him how important it was for me to help other people to have families to love the way we love each other and that’s why I work and can’t always pick him up from school. I don’t know if I will ever find the perfect balance – at work I am thinking of my family and at home I am thinking of work — but both mean the world to me.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Since 1997, Dallas IVF has established a legacy of success, helping men and women overcome obstacles to conception. With more than 8,000 children entering the world with the help of our efforts and being recognized annually by Best Doctors in Dallas & Collin Counties and Super Doctors in Texas as a premier fertility center, we are advancing fertility care in North Texas.
Our fertility center is home to four fertility doctors, Brian Barnett, MD. Lowell Ku, MD, Sara Mucowski, MD, and myself. Together, we have decades of experience treating the complex causes of infertility using the latest assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), donor egg services, and LGBT family building.
The team at Dallas IVF wants to make it as easy as possible for patients to receive the best infertility treatment available. We know that infertility can be a long and difficult journey, so we want to provide convenient access to our offices with locations in Frisco, McKinney and Plano. No matter which location our patients visit, they can count on receiving individualized treatment designed specifically to meet their unique goals, finances, timetable and values.
An estimated seven million men and women in the U.S. will experience infertility – roughly one in eight couples. At Dallas IVF, we are exceptionally proud and humbled that we are able to make a difference in people’s lives, allowing them to achieve their dreams of parenthood.
While the journey may be long and difficult, you can count on me and my colleagues to walk with you every step of the way. We provide the highest standard of care and individualized treatment, recognizing that no two family-building journeys are the same.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in rural Clinton, Missouri on a farm. Growing up on a farm shaped my childhood and who I became as an adult. I loved being outside and learned a very strong work ethic while having to help care for our cattle and crops. In High School I dabbled in sports, both cross country and basketball, and continued running throughout medical school and residency. I have completed a few half marathons and one full marathon, but these days I just have time to run after my kids. In my spare time, I enjoy being with my family (typically you will find us playing with Legos these days) or watching movies with my husband. I love to eat food of all kinds and cultures and only wish my cooking skills matched.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5301 W. University Drive (Highway 380)
McKinney, TX 75071 - Website: www.dallasivf.com
- Phone: (469) 219-8210
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallasivf/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DallasIVF/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Z1nB7KLY8IMF1k-dSKeVg
Dallas Frisco IVF, in Frisco, TX.
Image Credit:
Captured Memories Photography by: Christy Mares
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