Today we’d like to introduce you to Elliot Hirsch.
Elliot, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Westlake Village, Los Angeles and attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland where I graduated with Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa honors, and also received the Kurt P. Richter award for outstanding research in the field of Behavioral Biology.
After my undergraduate studies, I came back to Southern California for medical school at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, where I graduated with the highest distinction and was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society as well as the Order of Arete.
After seven cold years in Chicago, I completed my integrated plastic and reconstructive surgery residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where I received several awards for my research and teaching. Along with my wife and two kids, I returned to the valley to set up my plastic and reconstructive surgery practice, with my wife by my side as my office manager.
I worked hard to establish relationships with other surgeons and physicians in the area and quickly became known for my breast surgery results, including breast reconstruction, breast reduction, breast revision, and breast augmentation.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Saying you want to be a plastic surgeon and becoming one are two different things. It is a long road- you are in training longer than you are in grade school! You spend nights studying in college when your friends are out partying, and summers studying for the boards and helping established doctors with their research to build a strong resume.
After four years of medical school (and years of school debt!) and seven years of residency training, you are finally out, but then you spend two years getting Board Certified. It was a hard road, setting up my private practice while simultaneously studying for the written and oral board exams and logging sufficient variety of cases. It also takes a while to build a strong team, and figure out the roles you need for your office to run smoothly.
My wife and I spent a lot of time figuring out how to grow and develop our team while also increasing our patient referrals.
We’d love to hear more about your practice.
I have a thriving plastic and reconstructive surgery practice in Sherman Oaks, and I have a growing staff of wonderful, hard-working people. We have a medi spa with services provided by a talented medical aesthetician and Physician Assistant. I’ve established myself as one of the most skilled breast surgeons in the community, and have great relationships with my patients.
I trained with the top breast surgeons in the country while at Northwestern, and my strong Academic background sets me apart from others in the area. I pride myself on listening to what my patients truly want, and taking the time to explain what results they can realistically expect. If surgery can’t fix what the patient is concerned about, I am honest about that, and explain their other options. I would rather have a patient thank me for telling them I can’t perform surgery on them than a patient be unhappy with a result.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When I leave a patient exam room with a smile on my face because I helped a patient fix something that was bothering them, whether it be cosmetic or reconstructive, it makes me feel great. I am proud to be able to help so many people feel good about themselves and improve their quality of life.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4955 Van Nuys Boulevard Suite 715
- Website: www.hirschplasticsurgery.com
- Phone: 8188258131
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: hirschplasticsurgery
- Facebook: Elliot M. Hirsch, MD
- Twitter: @drelliothirsch
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/elliot-m-hirsch-md-sherman-oaks?osq=Elliot+M+Hirsch+MD
Image Credit:
Jordan Ring Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
