Meet our new bilingual fertility specialist, Neil Chappell MD, MSCI
The Fertility Answers team is happy to introduce our newest physician, Neil Chappell MD. A bilingual fertility specialist who speaks both Spanish and English, he will begin seeing patients as a Louisiana fertility specialist at our Baton Rouge location in July 2018.
A Louisiana native who pursued his advanced medical training in Texas and Alabama, Dr. Chappell is eager to return to his home state and begin serving the community he loves.
The journey to become a bilingual fertility specialist
Dr. Chappell got interested in medicine in high school, after attending a forum where he was able to witness an open heart surgery.
“I had always thought I was going to be an engineer, but after being exposed to the science of medicine, I thought, ‘I want to know how that works,’” he recalls. “The more digging I did to learn about it, the more curious I became, so I kept going down that path.”
When he went to college at Louisiana State University, Dr. Chappell was further intrigued by his classes in biology and endocrinology, as well as his developmental anatomy class that covered embryo implantation.
“I was fascinated by how all the systems work together in reproduction, and how it has to be balanced exactly right for it to work,” he says. “I liked the complexity of it, and the idea of helping build families sounded very rewarding.”
After graduation, Dr. Chappell then attended the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He attended a lecture in his second year by a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) specialist, and he knew he had found his calling. Dr. Chappell knew it would be a privilege to advocate for women’s health and play a part in helping families grow.
“The struggle with infertility is increasingly more common, but there are treatments available. I consider it a blessing to be able to walk couples through this journey, helping them achieve their goals. It’s easy to get up and go to work, I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”
To become a fertility specialist, Dr. Chappell next completed a four-year residency program at the Women’s and Infant’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, becoming board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He then completed a three-year REI fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Upon graduation, Dr. Chappell decided to move back to his home state of Louisiana to join Fertility Answers.
“I’m from Monroe, and Louisiana has always had a pull on me,” he says. “Plus, I have a three-month-old daughter, and I want her to know her family. But, it’s also the practice that I’m attracted to. I interviewed all over, but I just like Dr. John Storment and Dr. Susan Conway a lot. They are upstanding people and leaders in the field. They take good care of patients, and practice ethical medicine.”
Dr. Chappell is looking forward to serving people in a community that holds a special place in his heart.
“There is a great feeling going back home to friends and family,” he says. “I like the idea of giving people the opportunity to get really good care in their own backyard.”
Get to know Dr. Chappell
Away from his work as a bilingual fertility specialist, Dr. Chappell loves traveling and being outdoors. He plays guitar and has been in a few bands, including one while he was in medical school that played to raise money for charity. He is married to his college sweetheart, a native of New Orleans.
Our entire Fertility Answers team is delighted to have Dr. Chappell on board, and we know our patients will find his expertise and passion valuable to their family-building journeys.
To make an appointment with Dr. Chappell, Louisiana fertility specialist, contact us.
