There is a long answer to that question. Here's a somewhat condensed version:
Jennifer and I had been talking about the idea of "Duet Plastic Surgery" for years. We met when we were medical students, interviewing for plastic surgery residency positions. Luck (and frankly, a lot of hard work) brought us together at Stanford, and we developed an amazing friendship through the trials and travails of residency.
Our training created a hard edge that neither one of us liked, and we both were afraid that it would become permanent if we continued our careers in an institutional behemoth of a hospital. We were also dying for some modicum of freedom, which simply was not an option during surgical residency.
But those difficult days also brought us hope - I can't tell you the number of times female patients have sighed in relief when they saw a woman surgeon come through the door. We female plastic surgeons are still a rarity, even though the vast majority of plastic surgery patients are women.
We felt that there was a definite need - many women are curious about plastic surgery but are not comfortable discussing such private and personal matters with the stereotypical older male plastic surgeon. We embodied a different perspective - and aesthetic - as women; there is something to be said for truly understanding a woman's psyche and physical being, inside and out. We also strongly believe in finding flexibility and balance, not just in our work lives - by giving back through medical missions and volunteerism, but also in our personal lives.
And so, flying in the face of the conventional wisdom and advice offered by those very same older male plastic surgeons, Duet Plastic Surgery was born.
