Today we’d like to introduce you to Phillip Dauwe.
Phillip, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
A lifetime of positive experiences rooted in hard work rather than a particular experience is what led me to choose plastic surgery as a career. It was a love that reinforced itself the more I progressed and the closer I got. I always did well in school, especially in math and science and just like anything else, you become better in doings things that you love. Through college, pre-med, and medical school I always had my goals set on a private plastic surgery practice, and I focused on each rung of the ladder that got me here. Medical School was the toughest. It required a lot of focus and delayed gratification.
Residency at UT Southwestern Department of Plastic Surgery was just as difficult as every doctor touts it to be. My alma mater has been ranked the #1 Plastic Surgery program in the world for as long as I can remember. I drank from the fire hydrant of knowledge and kept my expectations high. Kept my head down, trusted my colleagues, and always tried to stay one step ahead. I have some great memories and great friends from that time in my life.
Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship kicked it into high gear for me. I absolutely LOVED my year in Los Angeles with Drs. Grant Stevens, Jay Calvert, Drew Ordon, Ritu Chopra, and Luis Macias. I operated every day and logged over 800 surgeries during that year. This experience allowed me to enter practice feeling like I had already been in practice for ten years. By far the most valuable year of my training.
Starting a private practice was the only option for me. My parents run a small custom home building company in Dallas, so I was always surrounded by the milieu of small business. It felt natural to me, and honestly, starting and running the business has been equally fulfilling to me as the ability to practice plastic surgery. This was an interesting self-discovery I made a few years into practice. I love running a business that bring value to other people, businesses, and patients. It just makes me feel good.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Twenty years ago, I met a surgeon who would become one of my best friends and colleagues named Fred Lester. Fred had been in practice for 15-20 years and had practice surrounded by patients and co-workers that absolutely adored him. Fred and I planned to practice side-by-side, so we could continue the mentor relationship and friendship.
However, one year before this plan came to fruition, Dr. Lester announced that he would be retiring shortly after I started practice. After many discussions, we both adapted to our new plan that I would acquire Dr. Lester’s practice in lieu of practicing next to him. This came with a tremendous amount of responsibility, as Dr. Lester had established such a strong foundation in the Dallas community and was adored by so many patients. And, I was just supposed to step into his shoes and start operating!!?
Well I had the surgery part down. All the countless hours of patient care, studying, and operating gave me the confidence I needed to take on this amazing practice. So, Dr. Lester and I embarked on what has been the most rewarding journey I have had so far.
Please tell us about your practice.
I have developed a practice focused entirely on aesthetics. I don’t say “aesthetic surgery” because that is not all that we do. Over the last decade, there have been countless industry re-defining advances in the non-surgical realm that have changed aesthetic practice. I have embraced these technologies and breakthroughs to complement the surgical division of my practice.
It is this comprehensive approach to aesthetic medicine that makes me the proudest. The fact that as a practice, we can thoughtfully address any aesthetic concern that presents to us. Furthermore, we can make subtle adjustments using multiple modalities such as injectables, surgery, lasers, peels, topical treatments, etc. and that has contributed to some outstanding results that have made us stand apart from other practices.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Dallas a great city to be a doctor. The Texas healthcare industry is strong, unified, and sophisticated. There is quite a demand for cosmetic treatments in Dallas, and while this can be interpreted many ways, I see it as a sign of health and prosperity. I have always appreciated the ability of a culture to embrace its definition of beauty, and there are countless, perhaps infinite ways to define beauty. I’ll describe a phenomenon we observed in the micro-culture of the hospital wards. During rounds, we would visit patients in different stages of surgical recovery. Early recovery was characterized by sleep, pain control, and much less attention to beauty. As patients recovered, there was a gradual sense of return of self, and this was evidenced by the attention the patient placed on his/her sense of beauty. Hair would be combed, lipstick and mascara would be applied, and while these things can seem very superficial, to us it meant that we had successfully returned this patient to a state of wellness.
In a larger sense, the city of Dallas has no qualms in displaying its sense of beauty with tall skyscrapers, shiny cars, and attractive people. So, to someone starting their career in cosmetic surgery anywhere in the world, I would suggest they assess the importance of beauty to that culture. And, I would shamelessly recommend Dallas as an epicenter for cosmetic surgery.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2801 Lemmon Avenue
Suite 300 Dallas, Texas 75204 - Website: www.dauweplasticsurgery.com
- Phone: 214-821-6580
- Email: plasticsurgery@lemmonavenue.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.phillipdauwe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.phillipdauwe/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/phillip-dauwe-md-dallas
- Other: https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/dallas/profile/plastic-surgery/lemmon-avenue-plastic-surgery-and-laser-center-0875-91059991
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