We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erica Bartlett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erica below.

Hi Erica, thanks for joining us today. Can you share an anecdote or story from your schooling/training that you feel illustrates what the overall experience was like?

Everybody goes into medicine for their own reasons. For me, I believed my dream was to prevent disease. I wanted to become a primary care doctor. Unbeknownst to me, my journey would lead me into the polar opposite field of Plastic Surgery. Mastery required both technical skill and creativity which was intriguing, because this required not only use of the logical left side of the brain but the artistic right side, as well. During my training, in the medical center, we took care of individuals of all ages and different walks of life. What these 7 arduous years of training taught me is how to form strong relationships with my patients. Obviously becoming a skilled and ethical surgeon is of paramount importance, but the ability to understand and relate to your patients allows for a powerful connection and trust. This is so important for any doctor-patient relationship because, without this, every decision will be questioned. Flash forward to today and this set of attributes make up the foundation for my practice. Each and every patient has a story to tell. I want to understand their story because it is this journey that resulted in them seeking my expertise. It is this interrelation that I established in training, that allows me to be successful at what I do.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Erica Bartlett and I am a board-certified Plastic Surgeon. I was born and raised in Houston, Texas and my practice is Town and Country Plastic Surgeons and Medspa. Situated less than a mile away from my old high school, Stratford, I did not stray far from home. I specialize in cosmetic surgery of the face, breast and body. My clientele consists mainly of women who are trying to restore their confidence after weight loss or pregnancy. I strive to produce natural results that are customized to my patient’s unique goals. My clientele wants to maintain their identity and feel like a better version of themselves. I have a high moral and ethical surgical standard. I always want to make sure my patients are choosing surgery for the right reasons and that their goals are truly obtainable.

I believe the distinguishing quality of my practice is the white glove service we provide our patients from the moment they walk through the door. Plastic Surgery is a journey and I want it to be a memorable one. I personally take pride in the strong relationship I develop with my patients. As a woman, I can understand the unique needs and goals of my female patients because I can relate to many of these myself. I am closely involved in the care of all my patients from the beginning to the very end. I always aim to be available to my patients during their plastic surgery journey. This can be an empty promise in this industry. For me, this is not the case.

Every step of my patient’s journey is carefully planned because every detail matters. A relaxed and private consultation, personalized surgical plan, private operating suite, scar gels, supplies and garments are all provided. This is the experience that I strive to deliver.

For those who are not interested in surgery, we have an attached medical spa. Here, we have a skilled nurse injector with over 10 years of experience, an aesthetician whose broad expertise spans facial and body contouring nonsurgical procedures and a nurse practitioner who runs the Ozempic weight loss and bioidentical hormone program.
Together with the medical spa we share a symbiotic relationship. We work together well because we are a unified team. It makes my job so rewarding to deliver what I believe is, seamless care with a great group of people. I am proud of what we have grown to and the experience that we provide our patients.

Lasty, my partner and I run a charity organization called The Crystal Foundation. Established 30 years ago, this organization provides life changing reconstructive surgeries to children born with congenital anomalies such as cleft lip and palate in Guerrero, Mexico. This foundation is completely funded by generous donations from our patients and local businesses. We returned from our four-day trip early July and we were able to help over 50 children with free surgical care and medications. It is such a gratifying way to give back and I highly encourage anyone reading to check out our website at www.thecrystalfoundation.com.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Hands down the most important pearl for success is to have mentors. These are the people over the years who provide advice and push you, for the good and bad, to succeed. For me, my mentors helped me not only with professional but personal growth. These people have not only guided me to advance my career but also encouraged the growth myself, as an individual, and to find a work life balance. Training is challenging because you have such a narrow focus for such a long time. That tunnel vision is necessary when developing your craft but there is so much more to life. My mentors showed me that you can be a great surgeon and leader, wife, mother, daughter and philanthropist. Life is more than just a medical degree. No one can have it all, but you can get damn close! I love and respect my many mentors who have shared their wisdom and pearls and I strive to pay this gift forward. My advice is to have multiple mentors in your circle. Start early and stay humble. Most people are flattered when someone asks them for advice and want to hear their story. Remember this, when the tables are turned to you.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Reputations are hard to make but easy to break! Your reputation is everything. Since the beginning of my career, I have tried to build a solid reputation for making my patients feel comfortable and always being available to them. Plastic Surgery can be quite intimidating because people are divulging their insecurities and are in a very vulnerable position. I always strive to make my patients feel as comfortable as possible, even in the most uncomfortable situations. I had Plastic Surgery at the young age of 18, and I remember feeling belittled because the surgeon talked over my head. He talked about me not to me. I will never forget that experience, especially when I talk with my own patients. I absolutely don’t regret my decision to have Plastic Surgery, however, I want my patient’s experience to be different than mine was. I want it to be something that they will remember. I also think being available is essential to building a solid reputation. I give all my patients my cell phone number in case they need to be in contact with me. I personally call or text them the evening after surgery to ensure they are doing well. Finding a Plastic Surgeon is hard, I don’t want to make it any harder for my patients to be in touch.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.townandcountryplasticsurgeons.com
• Instagram: @drericabartlett
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drericabartlett/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/erica-bartlett
• Other: www.thecrystalfoundation.com