Dr. Cat Begovic of Dr. 90210 On The Three Things You Need To Succeed As A Plastic Surgeon
…the road to becoming a plastic surgeon is long. So don’t forget along that journey to care for yourself and be kind to yourself. Too often our inner voice only points out what we haven’t done. Our mind has the tendency to notice only negativity in our life. This is even more prominent as a student. It’s easy to catastrophize everything and start grasping and worrying about things that never happen. In that process we lose the touch with the positivity and all the good things that are going on in our life. Have your inner voice be your best cheerleader and celebrate all the victories no matter how small. Also, your body is the temple for your mind and your soul so care for it. Exercise, eat healthy, and get as much sleep as possible.
Dr. 90210 which originally debuted in 2004 has returned to television with an all female cast this time. After a 12 year hiatus, the show is back and better than ever.
The show is breaking the stigma of the world of plastic surgery as a “mans world” by showcasing the talents of four amazing female surgeons. While researching, I learned 92% of all plastic surgery patients are women, yet only 15% of the surgeons are actually women. I couldn’t help but wonder why, and while watching the trailer for the new season one female patient noted “Who knows better what a woman wants than a woman?” I couldn’t agree more.
Recently I sat down with Dr. Cat Begovic, one of the surgeons on the show. To say Dr. Cat is an overachiever is an understatement. While in high school, she took time out to volunteer at her local hospital. It was then she knew life in the OR was her calling. But first, she would achieve a perfect SAT score, earn the recognition of one of the Top 25 students in the US. She was also a Presidential Scholar, and invited to the White House twice to meet the President. She graduated from Harvard, with honors of course. Her studies…Molecular and Cellular Biology. What did she do in her “spare” time? Pageant Queen! From there she attended medical school at UCLA. After getting her medical degree she moved on to their Head and Neck Surgery training program and finally Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery training for 6 more years. Currently, she has her own practice along with a thriving skincare line.
I wanted to know more about the industry, what motivates her and what advice she has for those considering her line of work….
I read only 15% of plastic surgeons are women. Tell me why you think that is, and what made you decide to become a plastic surgeon?
There are multiple reasons. One of them is that women are told that we need to get married and have kids by a certain age, and that choosing certain careers makes that not possible. This is not just social conditioning but let’s be honest, the path to becoming a plastic surgeon is long and for most of the 16 years it took after high school, the education and training was difficult, had long hours, and was non-glamorous. However, I believe that plastic surgery is a calling — it is truly my destiny. The love and passion for what I do allowed me to push through that 8th phone call from the ER in the middle of the night, stand for 8 hours doing a surgery, and gave me strength when I felt tired or discouraged. Plastic surgery combines my love of science, with my meticulous technical skill, and my passion for art and beauty. Finding balance between my career and my family life, while also caring for myself is what I feel most blessed for. Through my social media and the show Dr. 90210 I hope to show women that they can have it all and they can give all things they love the care that they deserve.
When it comes to balance in life between career and family, this is something that we all can have and deserve to have. I remember so many people telling me that if I wanted to have a career, I wouldn’t have time for family or a personal life. What an unfair and sad choice — something no woman should have to make. Yes, balance takes a constant, conscious effort where all things we love can get care and attention. But I believe the key to balance comes from within — I think often times it’s misalignment between our expectations of ourselves and what we are actually able to do that makes us feel unbalanced. If we change the way we speak to ourselves to celebrate what we ARE doing instead of criticizing ourselves for what we aren’t, it will become evident there are no battles. And it will be easier to live life from a place of love and appreciation and find that inner peace. We are enough, just the way we are.
What has been the biggest struggle you’ve faced as a female surgeon? And how have you overcome it?
The biggest struggle I’ve faced as a female surgeon are stereotypes and judgements. I remember looking at my medical school ID thinking — I finally made it — after years of people telling me that “girls who looked like me don’t become doctors.” Little did I know that judgements and assumptions would continue. I can’t tell you how many times in hospital settings even with a white coat and name badge, patients would ask to see “the real doctor”,” or in social settings I have been introduced as doctor, only to have them tell me — “so you work for a doctor?”
I am so thankful for social media and Dr. 90210 which has allowed me to spread the message that anyone can be a doctor — no matter your gender, race, hair color, makeup, no makeup, or how you dress. I hope we can all open our minds to see past appearances and our own prejudices to see the value in others and give them a chance to show who they are. I also want to give hope and encouragement to all those out there who want to pursue something they love — to be able to take that step with joy and passion, without fear of judgement, discouragement because someone told them they would fail, or societal stereotypes holding them back.
What has changed for you since being cast on Dr. 90210?
Being a public figure through my social media following, I’m no stranger to being in front of the camera. However, watching myself on TV only reinforced my belief of how plastic surgery can be truly life-changing. Being able to observe my conversations with my patients has allowed me to see the depth of my relationships with my patients and hearing their personal stories through their plastic surgery transformation has been truly amazing. As a nurturing woman, being able to see someone’s life being improved, that hug and squeeze from my patient telling me thank you, there is something absolutely magical about it.
They call you a pioneer in vaginal cosmetic surgery. There is such a thing?
I specialize in labiaplasty and vaginal rejuvenation. For those of you who aren’t familiar with these terms, labiaplasty is a plastic surgery procedure that reduces and reshapes the labia minora. Over 10 years ago I authored a book chapter on this topic, and since then from doing hundreds of labiaplasties and studying the anatomy and aesthetics of this area, I have developed my very own surgical technique that creates a natural looking, tucked in, symmetric shape, little to no pain and an almost invisible scar. I often combine this with clitoral hood reduction in order to create an even and gentle curve that blends seamlessly.
However what makes me a pioneer in vaginal cosmetic surgery is not just my surgical techniques, but more so that I have helped bring the topic of vaginal cosmetic surgery to the forefront of every day conversation. Through my social media, YouTube videos, and TV shows and media interviews on this topic, I have helped to make talking about vaginal cosmetic surgery not taboo. Through educating the public on why women seek this surgery and creating a better understanding of what women can do to seek solutions for this area of the body, it has helped break the barrier of embarrassment related to this topic. Women who seek labiaplasty complain of discomfort because of rubbing or twisting of the labia, issues with hygiene, avoidance of leggings, swimwear or other tight fitting clothing, or because they feel self conscious during intimacy because of labial asymmetry or excess labial show and volume. It significantly improves the quality of life for women who seek this surgery.
You have your own line of skincare called MD Glam. That’s certainly a saturated market. What compelled you to launch your line?
I personally do not feel that the skincare market is saturated since I truly believe that MD GLAM stands in a category itself. I have always been passionate about skin care, but being a molecular and cellular biologist from Harvard and having been a published researcher in skin care, I could never find a product that I truly loved and could stand behind 100%. I cared less about the marketing fluff on the bottle, and wanted to know about the science and ingredients. There is so much behind skincare science when it comes doesn to the molecular compound of an ingredient, the particle size, pH stability, and many other details. Since I formulated and developed the products myself, I was able to research and put everything I every wanted in a skincare line into my products.
I also listen to women and hear them. And I believe skincare is not just about being effective by creating beautiful, glowing skin and stopping the aging process, it’s also about the experience. So I paid special attention to the texture, made sure they were non-greasy, fast absorbing, and smelled and felt fresh. Like literally you use them and just say Ahhhh. Using MD GLAM is truly one of the best moments of your day. MD GLAM the products are clean, safe, and gentle that I feel comfortable even using them on my own daughter. They are paraben-free, sulfate-free, and of course cruelty-free. MD GLAM is an extension of myself and my way of reaching out and helping women take care of themselves, feel amazing, give themselves the guilt-free self care they deserve. Also, MD GLAM is a strictly e-commerce company and we sell directly to our consumers so all my resources go into R&D and quality of materials instead of third party retailers.
If you had tips for young women interested in becoming a plastic surgeon, what would they be?
My number one tip would be to believe in yourself and never give up. If you are truly passionate about plastic surgery, know that you can do it. Even in moments of darkness, despair, through obstacles or perceived failures. If you keep going, keep trying, keep improving, and keep learning you can reach your goal.
My second tip would be that the road to becoming a plastic surgeon is long. So don’t forget along that journey to care for yourself and be kind to yourself. Too often our inner voice only points out what we haven’t done. Our mind has the tendency to notice only negativity in our life. This is even more prominent as a student. It’s easy to catastrophize everything and start grasping and worrying about things that never happen. In that process we lose the touch with the positivity and all the good things that are going on in our life. Have your inner voice be your best cheerleader and celebrate all the victories no matter how small. Also, your body is the temple for your mind and your soul so care for it. Exercise, eat healthy, and get as much sleep as possible.
And my final tip would be to be yourself and love yourself for who you are. You will constantly get opinions about how to act, how to dress, how to be and then another set of opinions telling you just the opposite. One thing that I noticed early in life, even before my medical career, was that people disapproved of my ways of doing things regardless if I followed my own ideas or social norms so I figured I might as well live the way that I found my life to be the most fulfilling. What I failed to notice early on is that equally as many people were supporting me as well. I say failed because we inherently have the tendency to notice and acknowledge negativity first due to our hard-wired survival instinct. Once I decided to look for positivity in the feedback of those who supported me, I started healing from all the negativity that was thrown at me. Nowadays I barely notice because I’ve chosen to notice what matters in life. Therefore, my advice is to choose to be you, to never go into hiding, and to start focusing on positivity and love from those who support you. Focus on your strengths and celebrate your successes and what you have accomplished. I am cheering for you and sending you love and support.
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