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About Dr. Shala A. Salem
Dr. Shala A. Salem is a fertility specialist at Pacific Reproductive Center and the physician behind the practice’s integrative approach to fertility care. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychobiology and neuroscience from UCLA, received her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine, and completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York. She joined PRC in 2009 — the clinic’s team page describes a “two generations of practitioners” family practice, and she works alongside Medical Director Dr. Rifaat D. Salem.
Her philosophy is stated plainly on the clinic’s website: successful fertility treatment begins with integrating body and mind. “We succeed best when we strive to help keep the whole person in balance. That requires not just good medicine but also a steady focus on nutrition, exercise, and emotional well-being.” In practice this means she partners closely with patients throughout treatment rather than simply writing prescriptions.
After her residency she completed an Integrative Medicine fellowship at the University of Arizona under Dr. Andrew Weil. Integrative medicine evaluates how every dimension of a patient’s lifestyle — stress, diet, sleep — affects health and fertility. Few fertility specialists in Southern California hold that training, and it underpins the acupuncture and whole-person support programs PRC advertises.
Clinical Expertise
- Integrative fertility medicine: Brings nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress management alongside mainstream treatments such as IVF — complementary rather than alternative, aimed at putting the body in the best state for conception and implantation.
- Comprehensive infertility care: Full OB-GYN training allows independent management of the entire pathway, from infertility workup to IVF cycle support.
- Stress and fertility management: Her UCLA neuroscience background plus integrative training give her a professional understanding of how stress hormones affect the reproductive axis — valuable for high-pressure professionals.
- Patient communication and partnership: She describes “being the best listener possible” as a physician’s first job; longer consultations and shared decision-making are part of her style.
Why Choose Dr. Salem
- An integrative medicine fellowship: Few fertility specialists in Southern California carry formal integrative medicine training alongside an OB-GYN residency. Her fellowship under Dr. Andrew Weil turns “getting your body ready” into a structured part of the treatment plan rather than generic lifestyle advice.
- Two-generation family team: With the practice since 2009, she forms a clinical pairing with Dr. Rifaat Salem that spans research-led IVF and whole-person lifestyle care.
- Listening-first consultations: The clinic’s website quotes her directly: a physician’s first job is to be the best listener possible — for patients who are tense after repeated failures, this communication style is itself therapeutic.
- Neuroscience perspective: Her UCLA training lets her explain the physiological chain from stress and sleep to hormones, helping patients understand why lifestyle preparation matters.
Professional Affiliations
- Completed Integrative Medicine Fellowship, University of Arizona (under Dr. Andrew Weil)
Suitable For
- Repeated implantation failure or recurrent pregnancy loss: When transfers have failed despite normal findings, a systematic look at lifestyle and whole-body health — her integrative specialty — can complement immune and embryo investigations.
- High-stress professionals preparing for pregnancy: Women managing demanding jobs and disrupted sleep can benefit from a combined stress-management and fertility-preservation plan before IVF.
- Patients seeking a lifestyle-first or lower-medication route: If ovarian reserve is adequate and you want to start with nutrition and lifestyle optimization before escalating to IVF, she can lead that path.
- Patients who value communication: If you want a doctor who takes time to explain the reasoning at each step and involves you in decisions, her style is a strong fit.