LIMITLESS Leaders Toolkit: Confidence, Resilience & Professional Identity-Academics vs Practice

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This episode of the Limitless Leaders podcast, hosted by Dr. Kelly Bolden, explores careers in plastic surgery, focusing on the choice between academia and private practice. Guests Dr. Shruti Tannen, Dr. Paige Benjamin, and Dr. Michelle Shermak share their career paths and the personal and professional factors that shaped their decisions.<br /><br />A central theme is work-life balance, especially for women surgeons balancing motherhood, call responsibilities, and career growth. Dr. Tannen and Dr. Benjamin describe choosing private practice for greater control over their schedules and family life, while Dr. Shermak reflects on a long and rewarding academic career before moving into private practice due to changing institutional and financial pressures. The discussion highlights how academia can offer rich mentorship, teaching, and complex clinical experience, but can also be demanding and less flexible.<br /><br />The panel also addresses the underrepresentation of women in academic leadership and emphasizes the importance of mentorship, networking, and self-advocacy. The surgeons agree that younger women should seek mentors actively, attend meetings, build relationships, and say yes to opportunities. They note that leadership comes from visibility, participation, and confidence in one’s expertise.<br /><br />The conversation closes with advice on private practice models, financial planning, and defining success. Success is described not just in terms of money or titles, but in joy, fulfillment, patient care, and family well-being. The episode encourages surgeons to remain adaptable, value mentorship, and make choices that align with their personal goals and values.

Keywords

plastic surgery

academic medicine

private practice

work-life balance

women surgeons

mentorship

career paths

leadership

motherhood

financial planning