We were lucky to catch up with Raja Mohan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Raja, thanks for joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
I began my journey in plastic surgery about 13 years ago at Johns Hopkins Hospital where I did my training in plastic surgery. Throughout my experiences there, I really enjoyed working with plastic surgeons who had more of an entrepreneurial spirit and started their own practices. They all had similar stories where they started small and expanded and grew to much larger practices as time went on. I began my practice in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex approximately five years ago, and we have been steadily growing despite the ups and downs related to the pandemic.
Since I started from scratch, I feel like my biggest challenge was learning how to run a business which involves wearing many hats. In surgical training, the focus is purely on learning and performing surgery and knowing how to take care of patients. There is limited exposure on how to manage and run a medical practice. In addition to being a surgeon, I have continued to be a student and have to learn new things every day to run the business successfully. We started in a small space a few years ago and now will be moving to new a space in Dallas where we are setting up an office based surgery center. Dallas and the surrounding area is growing rapidly and there is an increasing demand for cosmetic surgeries. Being in a bigger space will help to capture more patients and provide more med-spa services.
Any plastic surgeon who wants to start a practice should plan to invest in training related to business, marketing and leadership before venturing out on their own. Although the demand for aesthetic treatments is increasing, there is always a need to increase one’s knowledge, skill and education.
Raja, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a board-certified plastic surgeon with a focus on aesthetic surgery, I have over ten years of experience and knowledge in cosmetic and non-surgical aesthetic procedures. This includes breast surgery (breast augmentation, implant removal, breast lift, breast reduction); abdominoplasty and liposuction; facial procedures (rhinoplasty, facelift, eyelid lift). I also have experience with injectables, ablative/non-ablative laser treatments and body contouring treatments.
I graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where I majored in mathematics. MIT is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the United States. I became interested in plastic surgery in the final year of undergraduate studies and performed a prestigious research fellowship at the National Institute of Health (NIH).
I then attended the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and received a merit scholarship. At the University of Miami, I graduated in the top 5% of my class and was inducted into the national honor society Alpha Omega Alpha. I then successfully matched into the highly coveted integrated plastic surgery residency at the combined Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland plastic surgery program.
The Johns Hopkins/University of Maryland plastic surgery programs is one of the top ranked plastic surgery programs which features extensive training in all aspects of plastic surgery. During residency training, I completed a research fellowship under the tutelage of Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez who is one of the premier plastic surgeons in the world. He is credited with performing one of the most extensive face transplants in the world and I was a member of his team.
After the completion of residency, I completed a one year aesthetic surgery fellowship at Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute. This is a fellowship approved by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).
My philosophy is that each patient is unique and I customize a plan for each one. I treat each patient with the utmost care and concern to achieve the best possible outcome. Many of my patients and colleagues recognize that I am a great listener with excellent bedside manner. I believe patient care always comes first and aim to provide concierge care for each patient.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
If I could go back, I would still become a plastic surgeon. It was truly my calling and it was an extremely rewarding career. I get to help people every day and restore their confidence. This may sound cliche, but I love what I do and it does not feel like work.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Becoming a surgeon and also running a business is a very difficult endeavor. It takes years of training and focus. There are a lot of ups and downs on the path to success. I believe the key is having grit and resilience to be able to succeed. It is having an attitude that no matter what one will not give up and always try to be better every day. It can take years to see the fruits of one’s labor, so it is important to enjoy the process what one is doing day to day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rajamohanmd.com
- Instagram: @rajamohanmd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rajamohanmd/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raja-mohan-31206510b/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rajamohanm.d.5531
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dr-raja-mohan-irving-2
Image Credits
Photos taken by Monika Normand https://monikanormandphoto.com/