Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Walker.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in South Louisiana and met my wife in high school there. We both went to a local college near our hometown and moved to New Orleans together when I was accepted into LSU New Orleans Medical School. I studied hard and was lucky enough to finish in the top of my class but also found time to enjoy New Orleans, follow the Saints and enjoy Mardi Gras, and keep up with hobbies like playing music and hunting/fishing. I knew early on I wanted to be a Surgeon but was attracted to Plastic Surgery by the end of medical school due to its depth (you can treat patients of all ages and operate from head to toe) and interaction with reconstruction patients. Specifically, taking care of breast reconstruction, patients really attracted me. To take someone who has been through so much and help them feel whole again is extremely rewarding and humbling.
I matched into Wake Forest Plastic Surgery for Residency training in Plastic Surgery in North Carolina, which would be where my wife Nikki and I would start our family. The residency was an incredible learning experience and a great period of self-growth, working 100+ hour weeks while starting a family, and after six years, I got my license to practice Plastic Surgery last May. I had been visiting Frisco, Tx, for over a decade after my in-laws moved there for work, and when it came time to choose where to begin my career in Plastic Surgery, I had fallen in love with the area. Nikki, who is trained as a CPA and graduated in accounting, helped me over the last year of residency organize and prepare and we opened a single physician Plastic Surgery office in Frisco in July 2020. In the midst of the pandemic, we worked tirelessly to give patients a VIP experience as well as market and get our names out, and we have really been embraced by the DFW area and could not appreciate the hospitality more!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Overall I have been very lucky. I was raised by a family with great values and had a strong support system. I have gone straight through my undergraduate, medical school, and residency training without struggle. However, starting a business out of residency is not always easy. Of all the thousands of days of training we get, we have almost no training in business. This was attained with a mix of advice from people who have been successful and a ton of independent research. Add the normal stress of starting a business and then make it during a pandemic, and it was pretty clear early on that it would take a lot of late days to get the business off on the right foot.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I enjoy all aspects of Plastic Surgery, both reconstructive and cosmetic. My main focus has been rhinoplasty as well as breast and body contouring. Professionally, I am proud of my progress and results in these areas and am starting to see many patients not just in the DFW area but from all over the country. Personally, I am proud to have maintained a great relationship with my wife and children despite the time requirements of my profession. I think my ability to connect with patients sets me apart. There are a lot of good surgeons out there, but being able to really listen to people is what will consistently deliver good results and keep people coming back.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think taking calculated risks is the only way to set yourself apart and achieve your goals. Starting a practice in a new market was definitely a risk. Not knowing where your next paycheck will come from can be quite nerve-racking, but investing in yourself generally pays off.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@nickwalkermd.com
- Website: www.nickwalkermd.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/drnickwalker
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/drnickwalker/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTdW-74tvTfozB2NBrCFAuw
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@drnickwalker?
Image Credits
Leah Hardy Breshell West
