Extreme Makeover Teams Coming to Your City

In the wake of the popularity of ABC's reality show Extreme Makeover, contests in which participants can win makeovers including cosmetic surgery procedures are popping up across the nation.  Often sponsored by radio and television stations or non-profit organizations, these contests offer candidates the opportunity to win cosmetic procedures from practicing plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists, and ophthalmologists.

In the Augusta, GA version, contestants can win a makeover package up to $10,000, but the contest is limited to women, 21 or older, residing in the Augusta area.  Across the state, preparations are being made for the second "Atlanta Makeover with a Mission."  The winner of this contest, who, once chosen, will be scheduled to begin the makeover process on February 15, 2005, will receive a complete makeover package valued up to $150,000.  For this contest there is no gender restriction, and all proceeds from various dinners, parties, and the final coming out presentation will be donated to local charities.

Spanning the Country

Of course these contests are not limited to the state of Georgia.  One of the first such local makeover contests was started in Birmingham, AL, and others have sprung up in Chattanooga, Houston, and Southgate, MI, among others.  Not looking for a makeover quite as extreme as the one offered in Atlanta, how about the "Mom & Pop Makeover Contest" in Joliet, IL.  In this contest, children ages 7 to 14 submit essays vying for a makeover for mom and dad that includes a new wardrobe and dermabrasion skin treatments.

Individual practices have gotten in on the act as well.  In Irving, TX, 21st Century Dental offers the chance to win a smile makeover to the first patient with 20 referrals to the practice.  Others with less referrals can receive gift certificates and credits toward dental work.

A Doctor's View

Extreme Makeover is not the only T.V. show that focuses on the world of cosmetic surgery, so why aren't any of the others being mimicked in local contests, or given attention on physicians' web pages?  Perhaps the answer can be gleamed from a recent survey conducted by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.  According to the survey, which drew from the responses of 4,000 doctors and dentists and was made public August 16, 2004, Extreme Makeover received a 51% positive rating and only 19% negative.  The next highest rated show was The Swan, with only 19% viewing the show as having a positive impact.  Most other shows, such as Nip/Tuck and I Want a Famous Face were given overwhelmingly negative ratings; 54% and 49% negative, and 5% and 6% positive respectively.

Dr. John J. Connolly, survey director and CEO of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., remembered similar surveys assessing physician responses to the T.V. drama ER, and thought a valuation of doctors' feelings toward cosmetic surgery on reality T.V. would be of interest to the medical community.  Dr. Connolly's biggest surprise with the findings was that the responses were as positive as they were.  A lot of physicians, he said, felt that the shows, Extreme Makeover especially, stimulated public interest and helped to educate more people.  On the flip side, however, doctors were concerned that not everything was presented accurately and realistically, and a lot of the results were exaggerated, but the heightened attention would at least give doctors the opportunity to educate during a consultation.  "These shows have made the public much more aware of cosmetic and aesthetic procedures," said Dr. Ramtin Kassir of St. Joseph's Hospital in Wayne, NJ.  "Our job as physicians is to dispel some myths and establish realistic goals for patients."

The other discrepancy doctors noted between reality T.V. and reality in practice was that the majority of patients do not come in for the multitude of procedures that contestants on these shows undergo.  For the most part, patients are looking for a single procedure, or want to remedy a particular problem like sagging skin or a misshapen nose.

An Organizational Standpoint

Though Dr. Connolly says there is no breakdown of data, comparing the responses of physicians to that of dentists, he does note that the majority of doctors surveyed were plastic surgeons and dermatologists.  However, based on the published reaction of medical organizations in various fields, it does not seem that the numbers would vary drastically.   

Then president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), James Wells, offered his endorsement of Extreme Makeover before its original airing.  He has since condemned the other reality shows for creating unrealistic expectations.  Similarly, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry has embraced the attention brought on by Extreme Makeover, listing all of its members who have participated in the T.V. and local versions of the show.  The AACD also emphasizes the fact that all participating dentists so far have been accredited members.   

Professional surveys, reaction from medical organizations, media attention, dozens of smaller, local offshoots; there's no question that the prime time ABC show has spawned a cultural phenomenon that has greatly impacted the medical profession.  The opportunity for a drastic increase in patients is present.  Doctors realize that not everyone that comes in will make a good patient; their expectations might be too unrealistic, or they may be mentally unprepared for such an alteration.  No kind of media attention, television show, local contest, or survey can ever replace a medical consultation.