What I Love About Being a Craniofacial Surgeon | YPS Edition

Building a successful private practice takes more than surgical expertise—it requires a clear vision, the right people, and a willingness to think like a business owner.Drs. Andrew McGregor and Utku Dolen are joined by Jerry Chidester, MD, and Brian Pyfer, MD, to explore what it takes to build and scale a modern plastic surgery practice. Drawing from their experience growing a multi-surgeon practice and ambulatory surgery center, they discuss choosing the right practice model, building a strong culture, developing partnership tracks, managing finances, and expanding services without losing sight of the patient experience. The conversation offers young plastic surgeons a candid look at the business decisions that training may not prepare them to make—from understanding their value and generating patients to managing overhead, developing teams, and balancing ambitious professional goals with life outside the practice. Topics Discussed Choosing the right private practice model  Building a shared vision and strong culture  Compensation and partnership structures  Financing and scaling a practice  Building a patient base and personal brand  Adding ancillary services strategically  Creating an exceptional patient experience  Hiring, developing, and retaining a strong team  Balancing practice growth with family life Key TakeawaysBuild around a clear vision. Knowing what you want professionally and personally helps guide decisions about practice structure, partners, and growth. Culture matters as much as performance. Shared values, work ethic, leadership, and contribution are essential when choosing colleagues and future partners. Growth should be intentional. Establish a strong surgical practice before adding services that complement the core patient experience. Patients remain the priority. Financial success and practice growth should follow excellent care, sound ethics, and attention to every stage of the patient journey. Invest in your people. Thoughtful hiring, training, and leadership can create a team that grows alongside the practice. Bonus ResourcesASPS EdNetUnreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-WrightAbout Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

What began as a small gathering of women plastic surgeons has grown into a thriving community shaping leadership, mentorship, education, and representation across the specialty.Dr. Ashley Amalfi is joined by Paige Myers, MD, and Patricia Mars, MD, for a look at the evolution of the ASPS Women Plastic Surgeons (WPS) Forum and the community that has fueled its growth. From early retreats centered on candid conversation and connection to today's robust scientific symposium, they reflect on the people, programs, and leadership structures that have expanded WPS while preserving the sense of belonging at its core. The conversation also looks ahead to the 2027 WPS Symposium, taking place January 29–31, 2027 in New York City. The speakers preview new clinical and practice management programming, interactive case discussions, keynote speakers, and opportunities to connect, while sharing their vision for the next chapter of WPS and its continued work to support women throughout their careers. Topics Discussed The evolution of WPS and its annual symposium  Mentorship, community, and professional connection  Expanding leadership and opportunities within WPS  Engaging residents through research and mentorship  Advancing representation in plastic surgery  The future vision for WPS  Highlights of the 2027 WPS Symposium Key TakeawaysCommunity remains at the heart of WPS. Growth has expanded its reach while preserving the connection and support that define the forum. Mentorship develops future leaders. Early engagement and meaningful opportunities can shape careers and encourage continued involvement. Shared leadership supports growth. Expanding leadership has brought more perspectives, expertise, and opportunities to WPS. Representation still requires intentional effort. Progress among trainees has not eliminated disparities in leadership, compensation, and some subspecialties. The 2027 Symposium builds on the WPS experience. Clinical education, leadership, practice management, and networking come together in New York City. Bonus Resources2027 WPS Symposium — January 29–31, 2027, New York City WPS ForumWPS Resident ScholarshipsInternational Women Plastic Surgeons (IWPS)ASPS EdNetAbout Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Resilience is not about avoiding setbacks—it is about finding your way forward with the support of the people around you.Dr. Anne Peled is joined by Katerina Gallus, MD, and Janelle Sousa, MD, for a candid conversation about navigating unexpected health challenges, career disruptions, family responsibilities, and moments when life no longer follows the plan. Drawing from experiences with serious illness, military deployment, practice upheaval, and recovery, they explore what helped them adapt when circumstances felt beyond their control. Together, they reflect on accepting help, leaning on professional and personal communities, finding perspective through difficult experiences, and becoming more intentional about the lives and careers they want to build. Their stories offer a reminder that resilience does not have to happen alone—and that setbacks can reshape how surgeons care for their patients, colleagues, families, and themselves. Topics Discussed Navigating unexpected health and career challenges  Accepting help during difficult periods  Balancing family and professional responsibilities  Leaning on colleagues and professional communities  Returning to practice after major setbacks  Finding perspective through personal adversity  Building resilience through connection and support Key TakeawaysResilience does not require going it alone. Trusted colleagues, friends, family, and professional communities can provide essential support. Accepting help is part of moving forward. Allowing others to step in can make difficult circumstances more manageable. Setbacks can change your perspective. Personal adversity can deepen empathy and reshape how you approach patients, relationships, and work. You still have choices when circumstances feel uncontrollable. How you respond and what you prioritize can become an important source of agency. There is another side to difficult seasons. Recovery may take time, but today's challenge does not have to define what comes next. Bonus ResourcesWomen Plastic Surgeons SymposiumASPS EdNetAbout Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Joyce McIntyre, MD, discusses why she's involved with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the Young Plastic Surgeons (YPS) Forum.About Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Joyce McIntyre, MD, discusses what she loves about being a craniofacial surgeon.About Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Ashley Amalfi, MD, discusses balancing family life with an academic practice.About Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Confidence & Conflict | Limitless Leaders Edition: S16 Ep86Hosted by: Courtney Collins, MDGuest Speakers: Danielle LeBlanc, MD; Melinda Kimbrel, MD; Mindy Haws, MD; Caroline Glicksman, MDEpisode SummaryWhat does it really mean to be a resilient leader in surgery?In this episode of the Limitless Leaders Podcast Series, a panel of accomplished women surgeons comes together for a candid conversation about confidence, conflict, resilience, and leadership. They reflect on their own paths into surgery, the challenges women continue to face in the profession, and the experiences that have shaped how they lead today. The conversation explores the sometimes-fine line between confidence and arrogance, including the importance of humility, honesty, data, and being willing to acknowledge complications and learn from them. The panelists also discuss the value of having trusted colleagues who will offer perspective, advice, and support during difficult cases and challenging moments. They share candid lessons about navigating surgical complications, including why leaning into a complication rather than avoiding it can strengthen both patient relationships and professional growth.  The discussion also touches on career setbacks, family responsibilities, changing priorities, and recognizing that a successful career doesn't have to follow one timeline. Ultimately, the panel challenges the idea that leadership requires a title. Whether you're mentoring a student, leading an OR team, serving on a committee, supporting a colleague, or helping develop the next generation of surgeons, leadership happens in everyday moments—and its impact is often measured by who you help succeed after you. In this episode, you'll hear about: building resilience through difficult moments, handling complications with honesty and accountability, navigating conflict and expectations, developing confidence without losing humility, balancing career and family priorities, the power of mentorship and peer support, and finding meaningful ways to lead at every stage of your career.The Limitless Leaders Podcast Series celebrates and empowers women leaders in surgery through honest conversations, shared experiences, mentorship, and lessons learned along the way. Allergan AestheticsAdvancing aesthetic medicine. Empowering confidence.The Limitless Leaders Edition The Limitless Leaders podcast series is brought to you by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, The Aesthetic Society and the American Hernia Society with the generous support of Allergan Aesthetics. This podcast series provides you with real-life stories of women in surgery who are tackling gender-related hurdles, large and small. The stories and topics covered will be as diverse as this group of women we represent. Listen as we discuss the demands of our careers as surgeons, our roles as mothers, and the fulfillment we need in our personal lives. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.About Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

 Leading Teams, Big & Small | Limitless Leaders Edition: S5 Ep18Hosted by: Donna Tepper, MDGuest Speakers: Amy Moore, MD; Andrea Pusic, MD; Vedra Augenstein, MD Allergan AestheticsAdvancing aesthetic medicine. Empowering confidence.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.About Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

The hardest part of becoming a plastic surgeon isn’t always the operating room, it’s building a career that still feels like yours once training ends. We sit down with Drs. Ashley Amalfi and Smita Ramanadham  to talk candidly about early career plastic surgery, why both started in academic medicine, and what ultimately pushed them toward private practice. We get specific about the decision points that don’t show up in residency: board case collection, the underrated value of colleague support, and the real-world friction that can come with red tape, weak mentorship, and misaligned RVU compensation. Dr. Amalfi shares how a group practice model can create freedom through shared resources and reliable partners. Dr. Ramanadham breaks down the solo private practice reality, from HR and operations to the discipline of not discounting and instead building a boutique patient experience that matches your brand. We also dig into plastic surgery marketing and branding, including why social media matters for modern aesthetic patients, how to stay authentic and professional, and what a thoughtful consent process looks like. From private equity trends to the idea that it’s okay to change your mind after your first job, the big takeaway is simple: your practice model should fit your priorities, your personality, and your life outside surgery About Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.

Host:Noopur Gangopadhyay, MDGuests:Emily Hu, MDCynthia Diehl, MD, FACSBrought to you by ASPS, The Aesthetic Society, and the American Hernia Society with the generous support of Allergan AestheticsAbout Enhance Your PracticeEnhance Your Practice is the official practice management podcast from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), featuring conversations with leaders in plastic surgery on practice management, leadership, innovation, and professional development. Each episode delivers practical insights to help plastic surgeons build successful practices and thrive throughout their careers.Explore more educational resources from ASPS at plasticsurgery.org.