From Residency to Owning a Surgical Practice (With Kids): The Truth No One Tells You

What does it actually take to build a successful surgical practice—and a life outside of it?In this episode of FEM, MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lindsey Pennington to talk about the realities of modern surgical careers: from patient red flags and pricing decisions to working with your spouse, motherhood, and building a business that’s actually sustainable.They get candid about the “era of yes” early in your career, why learning to say no is critical, and how protecting your time can completely change your practice—and your life.Dr. Pennington also shares:The biggest patient red flags (and why ignoring them backfires)How she built and scaled her private practiceWhat it’s really like working with your husband in the ORThe tradeoffs between revenue, time, and familyWhy she stopped focusing on money—and what happened insteadLeadership, burnout, and the shift from surgeon to CEOThis is a conversation about ambition, boundaries, and building a career on your own terms.Host: Dr. Lauren UmstattdConnect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_mdGuest: Lindsey Pennington, MDConnect with Lindsey: @penningtonfacialplasticshttps://penningtonfacialplastics.com/Produced by: The Hippocratic CollectiveSee more shows and content at hippocratic-collective.com