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Magdalena Depa-Martynow: Dogmas, Dilemmas, and Psychological Safety in IVF

Magdalena Depa-Martynow/LinkedIn

May 1, 2026, 10:52

Magdalena Depa-Martynow: Dogmas, Dilemmas, and Psychological Safety in IVF

Magdalena Depa-Martynow, Director, Global Clinical Science and Education at Nexpring Health, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Dogmas, Dilemmas, and Psychological Safety in IVF

Over the years, I’ve witnessed thousands of embryo transfer procedures across clinics around the world. Different countries. Different cultures. Different clinicians. Different embryologists.
Same procedure yet performed in strikingly different ways.
And every time I asked the simplest question:
‘Why do you do it this way?’ the room went quiet.
Then came the most common, confident answer:
‘Because we’ve always done it like that.’

Dogmas (also discussed at ALPHA Scientists In Reproductive Medicine in Dubrovnik). In IVF, dogmas feel safe. They give us the illusion of certainty in a field where outcomes are never guaranteed.
But the moment a dogma is questioned, a dilemma appears:

Should we load the embryo transfer catheter with air pockets or without?
Should the clinician withdraw the catheter slowly, or does speed not matter?
If the catheter is removed quickly after embryo expulsion, does it impact outcomes?
These are not trivial questions.
They shape consistency, influence results, and ultimately determine success.

But here is the uncomfortable truth:
Dilemmas only surface in teams that feel safe enough to ask them.
A team that is curious, encouraged and ready to take responsability.
A team that challenges the status quo.
A team where an embryologist can say: ‘I’m not sure this is the best way – can we discuss it?’ knowing it won’t be taken offensively

This is where psychological safety becomes non‑negotiable.
The latest Fearless Report 2025 shows that when people believe decisions are driven by status rather than idea quality, psychological safety collapses.

When safety collapses, questioning stops.
And when questioning stops, dogmas rule the lab including those without clinical evidence behind them.
In an IVF environment, that silence is costly.
Low psychological safety means an embryologist may hesitate, for example, to ask a clinician why the catheter is withdrawn so quickly.
Not because they don’t know better but because they don’t feel safe to ask.

Dogmas thrive in silence.
Dilemmas thrive in curiosity.
Curiosity thrives in psychological safety.
If we want to elevate standards in IVF, we must build cultures where ideas outrank hierarchy, and where every embryologist junior or senior feels empowered to ask the question that could improve a procedure, prevent an error, protect an embryo, or spark clinical research that moves the field forward.

and You? How much do you think the culture in your IVF clinic shapes the way dogmas are treated?”

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