Dr. Dane Johnson is a urologist by training – urologists treat a variety of medical conditions that include kidney stones, kidney stone pain, infertility, sexual health and erectile dysfunction, as well as complex problems like kidney cancers and prostate cancer. During his general urology training, he found a very strong attachment to the subspecialty of treating infertility and helping couples get pregnant.

Male infertility treatments include vasectomy reversals as well as testicular biopsies and treating varicoceles (enlarged veins in the scrotum that can cause low sperm production and decreased sperm quality). During his fellowship training, he was also exposed to a variety of sexual health concerns including erectile dysfunction, as well as issues with ejaculation. He found all his patients have a similar desire for help for a very private and personal problem.

His career in urology was set in motion during medical school, when he was shadowing a male infertility urologist. Throughout his time in the clinic and with the specialist he was witness to very personal conversations. He was inspired by the level of compassion and understanding demonstrated to couples who were looking to their doctor for clarity and hope during their struggle to get pregnant. He realized the importance of identifying sources of confusion or misunderstanding, and using this to teach patients the reasoning behind treatments.

He saw how taking just a little extra time to fully listen to a patient’s story can set the foundation for a strong patient-physician personal relationship. In fact, these early experiences helped steer him to his fellowship training in male infertility, andrology and sexual health.