An inside interview with LocateADoc.com
Describe the most rewarding experience that you have had working with a patient?
I've gone on numerous volunteer surgery trips to other countries-Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, and VietNam. I brought each one of my 3 children with me on separate trips. This was my favorite experience-- showing my children how happiness comes from giving more than you get. I liked seeing my children's eyes open to the plight and condition of children from other countries and watch their humanity develop.
What makes your specialties the right fields of medicine for you?
I enjoy the overlap with art and the constant innovations and improvements in plastic surgery. I especially like making a patient happier with the outcome than they imagined they would be.
When (your age) did you first realize you wanted to become a surgeon? And did you experience anything in particular to motivate you to achieve this prestigious goal?
I think I first realized I wanted to become a surgeon was when I rotated through plastic surgery as a 3rd year medical student. I enjoyed the full age spectrum from doing cleft lips and palates on babies to treating elderly patients with skin cancers and bed sores. I quickly realized that only plastic surgery and obstetrics were fields where patients expected good things to happen at the hospital. An experience that touched my heart and probably was the motivational factor was the amazing transformation of a 3 month old cleft lip patient. The transformation from an appearance that frightened people and would have been a rough life for the child to a face that was every bit as normal as any other child on the play ground told me that me that this was how I wanted so spend my life. I could help people feel better about themselves and for a few people, I could actually change their life experience.
Can you tell us in your own words what you consider a perfect outcome of a surgical procedure?
A perfect outcome would be meeting and exceeding not only the patients expectations, but also my own. I want to be very happy with the patient's results also.
What is your favorite procedure to perform and why?
I enjoy performing breast augmentation well the first time, but I also enjoy correcting previous breast implants that were done poorly by other surgeons. These patients had expected an excellent result and often had not participated fully in the selection of the right implant or technique. I see alot of patients who had rippling because they had saline when they should have had silicone, excessive sagging or poor shape because the surgeon did not create the right pocket and were disappointed with the size of the implant when they had no input.
