From Fellowship to Private Practice: Dr. Matthew Urban on Building a Career from the Ground Up

In this episode of The White Coat Entrepreneur, I have my former fellow, Dr. Matthew Urban, for a candid conversation about training, mentorship, and what it really takes to launch a private facial plastic surgery practice straight out of fellowship.Dr. Urban shares how his interest in facial plastic surgery developed during residency through rhinoplasty and facial aesthetic cases. While he initially considered an academic career, his path shifted as he explored the business side of medicine and pursued training in healthcare administration and finance. During the fellowship, he began planning for private practice—building a pro forma, studying market demand, and evaluating feasibility in his target geography. That preparation ultimately helped him secure financing despite early rejections and uncertainty.A central theme of the conversation is risk, independence, and leadership. As I often share with fellows and young surgeons, success in building a practice doesn’t happen by chance; you have to have a roadmap and a path to guide your decisions early on. That principle is reflected throughout Matt’s journey as he made decisions during training and mapped out his goals.We also discuss early practice-building, referral development, physician outreach, call coverage, and earning trust one interaction at a time. Over time, those relationships became the foundation of his growth, along with a key shift in mindset around team-building and viewing staff as an investment rather than an expense.Now, early in his career, Dr. Urban reflects that while the path has been challenging, he would choose it again for the autonomy, control, and fulfillment it provides.For more information on Dr. Urban, click herehttps://urbanfacialplastics.com/matthew-urban-md/