Since I started Yager Esthetics in 1997, I have seen tremendous changes in the way in which plastic surgery is marketed and consumed. Like with most change, there has been good and bad.
In the past, in order to establish yourself in practice, you either joined a well known plastic surgeon or group as a junior partner, learned from them, and eventually grew your own patient base. Many would seek out emergency room call to fill in the time. The brave few would strike out on their own and try to attract patients via friends and colleagues, or host seminars to educate the public.
The next wave was reality television, as you let a production team film your life in and out of the office, making you a more household personality. Public recognition helped leapfrog the years it took to build your name the old way.
Now, everyone wants to start at the top, and attracting attention is usually done via social media. People in my field have gone so far as to don costumes and do singing acts in the operating room while performing surgery. The reach is farther and more frequent than reality tv, enabling an instant impact. The more extreme, the bigger the audience. Many are not even plastic surgeons, but dermatologists, ENT’s, and OB-Gyn’s.
I started on my own, and built my practice by giving excellent service to each patient, and treating them all with respect. Over time, patient to patient referrals have gotten to the point that I am one of the most well known and respected board certified plastic surgeons in my community.
My advice is to be true to your ethics, put the patients’ needs in front of your own, and be fair to them. Simple and effective, but not instant. Just like in cooking, taking time and love inpreparation tastes better than instant.
