If you’ve been following Synergy Plastic Surgery on Facebook, it comes as no surprise that my wife (and registered nurse), Ashley, and I have been on a few plane rides within the past year. With every trip outside of Austin, I am constantly changed for the better, both as a person and as a plastic surgeon. Here’s an inside look at what we’ve been up to — or in this case, where we’ve been ― in 2015 and so far in 2016.
The Places
In the past year and a half, we’ve traveled to Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, the Maldives, Dubai, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam. That’s a lot of places — and those are just the locations outside of the U.S. Can you tell we love to travel?
Each trip, I continue to learn that each continent, country, and even city has something different to offer and to take away from. For that, we feel lucky to be able to experience different cultures (and to try the food, of course).
Synergy on My Mind …
While it is very difficult to be away from the practice, we always make the most of our travels, incorporating work whenever we can. We’ve been known to visit cosmetic surgery clinics to see what patients are requesting, what is being promoted, and what new treatments and products we should bring back to our patients. Cosmetic trends vary around the world, but some standards of beauty seem to be common among us all, and you never know what might inspire a new treatment or services for us back home.
Some trips, however, are dedicated entirely to work: The annual Aesthetic Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is a perfect example. This year’s event took place in Las Vegas and lasted several days. I attended hours’ worth of sessions dedicated to continued education in cosmetic surgery and advancements in aesthetic medicine. It was an incredible week spent learning about the latest techniques and technologies and collaborating with other experts in the field.
The Impact It’s Had
As I said, the experience of learning from different cultures is, by far, the most valuable part of our travels. Connecting with people from all walks of life serves as a reminder of how lucky we are to live in Austin. It also reiterates the importance of compassion toward others, which is especially important at Synergy. We workhard every day to create a warm and inviting environment for patients to feel comfortable and understood — that’s the key to trust, which is the key to beautiful results.
In that same light, traveling has inspired future goals for both Ashley and myself. Once retired, we hope to combine my surgical experience with our passions for traveling and helping others by participating in medical cleft lip missions. We especially hope to return to India (our recent favorite) to make a difference for the many people there afflicted with this condition.
Until then, there really is no place like home in Austin. The next time you’re in the office, we hope you’ll share some of your favorite memories and places to travel. We’re always looking for recommendations, and if you ask, we might even tell you about “dogging cows” in India.
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