Today was pretty great. I was a bit tired, but that just means I need to get into bed earlier. Tuesdays for Dr.G are in the office during the morning and in surgery during the afternoon. I sat in a few consultations and a nurse pre-op debriefing. I also got to play with the implants!! The silicone ones are the most fun. They are so soft and squishy. Being the nerd I am, I ended up organizing the implants by size. It's amazing how just a small decrease in breast size (about 50cc) can make you look a lot slimmer. You meet a lot of interesting people plastic surgery offices. Dr. G says from her experience, a majority of plastic surgery patients have a history of depression. Some people even have a form of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). This is why Dr.G has to review her patients before they get surgery. She does not want people to be unhappy or unsatisfied with their appearance after the procedure. The one thing she dreads the most (other than dictations and face-lifts) is having to deal with a patient who has a skewed perception of their body and the results of the surgery. Some people will just keep getting work done and never be fully happy. Dr.G said it would be helpful to minor in psychology when I get in college because people expect more of a sympathetic, nuturitng, and overall honest attitude and opinion from female plastic surgeons. They expect you to relate and agree with them, however that is not always the case and sometimes the patient may be a bit stubborn. You have to be very persuasive as a surgeon because people may not always know the best operation for themselves. The rest of the day was spent doing a tummy tuck, which wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. After Dr. G left, I was able to watch a hand surgery being done by a neighboring surgeon. It was so interesting to see how different their methods were. After that I chilled in the break room and got to know a couple of nurses. Everyone is really friendly!! However, I am really gonna dread this face lift tomorrow. Anything on the torso or legs is so impersonal because the person's face is all covered up; but, this time, Dr. G will be slicing up someone's face which is a whole other animal to tackle. Thank God she won't be messing with the eyeballs...for now!
