Dr Gary Motykie: 5 Things You Need To Create A Successful Career As A Plastic Surgeon

An Interview With Luke Kervin

Bedside manner: Maya Angelou said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In my practice, we try our best to make every patient feel as important as they are. Plastic surgery can be an intimidating process for many patients, and it’s my job to make them feel comfortable every step of the way.

As part of my series about healthcare leaders, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. Gary Motykie.

Dr. Gary Motykie is a Beverly Hills Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon who is highly skilled in breast surgery, body contouring, rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation as well as numerous other cosmetic surgical procedures. With about 50% of his practice consisting of revising surgeries from elsewhere, Dr. Motykie believes in performing safe, effective plastic surgery that focuses on “doing it right the first time.”

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! What is your “backstory”? What led you to this very interesting career?

I was drawn to plastic surgery because it combined art, science, and medicine. It was the one field that combined all three of my interests, so it felt like a fit. I liked the creative challenges and aspects of the field. The other fields of medicine were very binary and one-sided, whereas plastic surgery opened the door to a more creative mindset where you could not only help improve people’s lives and appearances, but you could also have your own unique style or signature — you could add your own touch to their care. Any doctor could take out an appendix, but could you make it beautiful?

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Some time ago, I was a series regular on E!’s Dr. 90210. It was a great experience because I got the opportunity to do work on patients from all over the world. Instead of having a local or regional focus, I was able to operate on people from all over. I got to observe many different standards of beauty, which really opened my eyes.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It’s not necessarily a ‘mistake,’ but when I first started working in Beverly Hills, I was shocked to learn how much celebrities lie about the work that they’ve had done. It was a good lesson because I quickly realized that most people do not want to admit to plastic surgery. It’s only been within the last several years that people have started to come clean about going under the knife.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now?

My Social Media Director and I are always working on different topics for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. My primary objective is to educate people about the industry. Plastic surgery is largely unregulated and I’ve found patients are paying the ultimate price when they bargain shop for plastic surgery.

I am also developing a new stem cell protocol called Stellar. It’s been really interesting to incorporate stem cells into my surgical and non-surgical work. I’ve observed amazing results first-hand.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Honestly, I’m thankful for all of the people that I’ve met along the way. I can’t name one person in particular — my mentors, my staff, my family, they’ve all helped me get to where I am today. I couldn’t do this without them and they know who they are!

Is there a particular book that made an impact on you? Can you share a story?

The Art of War by Sun Tzu presents a lot of ways to handle challenging life lessons in a strategic and wise manner so that you can increase your ability to have a successful outcome with the least amount of collateral damage to yourself and others.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I have a foundation, called The Healing Curve, which makes surgery a possibility for those that need it, including survivors of illness and trauma. But going beyond the charity component, I think it’s an honor and privilege to be able to assist my patients in achieving confidence. To some of my patients, ultimate confidence is when the outside matches the inside.

I’ve also received positive reactions from the videos we publish on YouTube. Prospective patients are becoming more and more educated, which keeps them in safer hands.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story about how that was relevant to you in your own life?

“Chance favors the prepared mind.” To me, this quote means that one should always work hard, practice self-discipline, and educate themselves so that they can be prepared for whatever challenges and/or opportunities life has to offer. Then, one can better optimize, learn and grow from every unique situation that they will be presented with throughout their life.

Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Successful Career As A Plastic Surgeon’’ and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

- Bedside manner: Maya Angelou said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In my practice, we try our best to make every patient feel as important as they are. Plastic surgery can be an intimidating process for many patients, and it’s my job to make them feel comfortable every step of the way.

- Patience: On consultation days, I sometimes meet one or two dozen prospective patients. I believe it’s crucial to sit down, listen, and take time with each patient. Of course, many patients don’t know exactly what they want, so it’s my job to listen and introduce them to procedures or treatments that might suit their needs/desires. Once the surgery is booked, I meet with the patient at least one more time (usually two times) prior to surgery, this is so we can confirm exactly what they’re hoping to achieve with me.

- Consistency: Consistency is key in most factors of life, but especially in plastic surgery. Patients who have been referred by friends or family are seeking similar experiences to the individual who referred them to the practice — this is true for almost every facet of the practice, from bedside manner to aesthetic results.

- Understanding: Every patient is different and comes in with a unique set of needs. It’s my job to not only understand their needs prior to surgery but also their concerns after surgery.

- Artistic ability: I mentioned this previously, but plastic surgery is one of the only medical specialities that permits the doctor or surgeon to be creative. Patients have become familiar with my aesthetic vision through the surgical results I feature on Instagram, and that’s why they come to me.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a plastic surgeon? Can you explain what you mean?

I started a YouTube channel last year because there are so many misconceptions about plastic surgeons and the work that surrounds us. For starters, good plastic surgery is about being a better version of yourself — it’s not about replicating the Kardashians or any other icon of beauty. Some people believe that surgeons go around critiquing other people’s appearances and hoping that they’ll have surgery, but it’s not that way at all.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I guess the movement would be called, ‘beauty from within.’ Taking care of yourself is always the right answer, but it’s not only relevant to appearances. Being healthy is beautiful. If you look beautiful on the outside, but you’re falling apart on the inside then you’re in trouble. Aesthetic beauty can come with a price but health is priceless. You can look great, but feeling great is even better!

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

Eckhart Tolle has a kind and enlightened soul. He can take highly complex spiritual concepts and make them seem like common sense. This, in turn, makes it easier to utilize complex spiritual concepts to optimize your happiness in any given present moment.

What is the best way our readers can follow you online?

I’m all over social media!

YouTube: Long-form videos (by today’s standards) where I reveal the secrets of everything plastic surgery.

Instagram: A digital portfolio of my work. We regularly upload surgical footage, transformation photos, and patient testimonials.

TikTok: Short-form videos where I discuss procedures, popular botched surgeries, and celebrity transformations.

Thank you so much for these wonderful insights! We wish you continued success.