The success of your private practice depends on one thing more than almost anything else: the people you hire.

In Episode 4 of The Business of Surgery, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lauren Umstattd shares her approach to hiring, building culture, and creating a team that patients genuinely love. From choosing your first employee to conducting working interviews, investing in staff, and knowing when it's time to let someone go, this episode is an honest look at the leadership side of physician entrepreneurship.

Whether you're opening your first practice or leading an established team, these lessons apply far beyond medicine.

In this episode:

• Who should be your first hire?
• Building a private practice team from scratch
• How to interview and evaluate candidates
• Why working interviews matter
• Hiring for attitude over experience
• Creating a strong workplace culture
• Investing in employee growth and retention
• Giving raises, CME budgets, and meaningful benefits
• Difficult conversations and firing with integrity
• Why micromanagement destroys great employees

The Business of Surgery is a 12-part summer series on FEM, MD, where Dr. Lauren Umstattd shares the lessons she learned building a thriving physician-owned cosmetic surgery practice—from startup through long-term growth.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

See more shows and content at hippocratic-collective.com

What does it actually take to build and operate your own ambulatory surgery center (ASC)?

In Episode 3 of The Business of Surgery, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lauren Umstattd shares the realities of designing, building, and running a physician-owned surgery center—from navigating state regulations and construction delays to sourcing equipment, building the right team, and creating an exceptional patient experience.

Rather than focusing on theory, Lauren walks through the practical lessons she learned while opening her own ASC, including the mistakes, unexpected challenges, and decisions she would make again.

In this episode:

• Should you open your own ambulatory surgery center?
• The advantages of physician-owned ASCs
• Building an operating room from the ground up
• State regulations and accreditation
• Construction challenges and project management
• How to save money on surgical equipment
• When it's worth investing in premium equipment
• Designing a luxury surgical experience
• Hiring your first surgery center team
• The realities of owning and operating an ASC

The Business of Surgery is a 12-part summer series on FEM, MD, where Dr. Lauren Umstattd shares the lessons she learned building a thriving physician-owned cosmetic surgery practice—from startup through long-term growth.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

See more shows and content at hippocratic-collective.com

Thinking about starting your own private medical or surgical practice? Where do you even begin? This is business 101, basics for the modern physician.

In Episode 2 of The Business of Surgery, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lauren Umstattd breaks down the financial and operational foundations of launching a physician-owned practice. From loans and lines of credit to pricing, startup costs, and creating a premium patient experience, this episode is a practical guide to the business skills physicians rarely learn during training.

Whether you're a medical student dreaming about entrepreneurship, a resident considering private practice, or an attending ready to build something of your own, this episode offers an honest look at what it really takes to get started.

In this episode:

• How to finance a private practice
• Loans vs. lines of credit
• Building your first business plan (pro forma)
• Managing startup expenses
• Buying equipment without overspending
• Pricing medical and surgical services
• Creating a luxury patient experience
• Why physicians can succeed as entrepreneurs
• Learning from other surgeons and business owners

The Business of Surgery is a 12-part summer series on FEM, MD, where Dr. Lauren Umstattd shares the lessons she learned building a thriving physician-owned cosmetic surgery practice, from startup to long-term growth.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

See more shows and content at hippocratic-collective.com