Surgery Under the Fellowship Training Program

The Facial Plastic & Cosmetic Surgical Center is an approved training center for both the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Post Graduate Surgical Fellows spend a year of training at the Center. These Fellows have completed their formal medical training including residency training in one of the primary surgical disciplines and have elected to spend additional time training to further their interest in Cosmetic Surgery. They are fully licensed in the state of Texas. Currently, approximately thirty-five candidates compete for the position that is open each year at our Center.

As their training progresses, Fellows can take on responsibility as primary surgeon for selected patients who chose to have their surgery done under this program. Financial considerations are offered to patients who wish to have surgery done by the Fellows. The reduced fee for the procedure goes into the West Texas Foundation for Surgical Research and Education. This has become a popular option for some of our patients.

It should be emphasized that unless these arrangements have been made in advance, the Fellow’s role in surgery is as an assistant, and Dr. Tobin is the primary surgeon. The Fellow performs no primary surgery without the specific request of the patient. Furthermore, Fellows are not allowed to perform primary surgery unless they have had sufficient training and experience in that particular procedure.

Dr. Tobin will always make a final determination as to which patients and procedures are suitable for surgery under the Fellowship program, but in general, cases will be limited to those in which it is felt that the Fellow can complete in a reasonable amount of time. This means that combinations of multiple procedures are normally not felt suitable for Fellowship cases.

Consideration for surgery under the Fellowship program

Patients who are interested in considering having their procedure done under the Fellowship program should inform the staff when scheduling their appointment. Depending on the circumstances, they may be seen initially by Dr. Tobin or by the Fellow, but will always have the opportunity to discuss their consultation with Dr. Tobin before scheduling. If the patient, after consulting with the Fellow, feels comfortable with the Fellow taking responsibility for their care, they can precede with scheduling the surgery.

On the other hand, in some cases, after consulting with the Fellow, patients may choose not to have their surgery done by the Fellow, but rather by Dr. Tobin. This is fully recognized by the Fellows who understand that not all patients considering the program end up participating. Patients should not feel uncomfortable if they decide to have Dr. Tobin carry out their surgery.

The Fellow as Primary Surgeon

When patients choose the Fellow for their surgeon, they should understand that the Fellow will be the primary surgeon. While Dr. Tobin is available to assist and advise, he is not, necessarily, in the operating room throughout the entire procedure. The purpose of the program is to give the Fellows progressive experience in independent surgical experience. Remember, Fellowship Training is post residency training. In other words, all of our Fellows have already completed the normal formal training taken by a surgeon in their primary specialty.

Fellows will also be primarily responsible for the care after surgery. In the event that care is required at the end of a Fellow’s tenure, the next year’s Fellow will assume responsibility.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to discuss them with us. The Fellowship Program does offer an opportunity for qualified patients to decrease the cost of surgery, but we do fully understand that most patients who come to our Center are coming to have their surgery done by Dr. Tobin. The program, in no way, is intended to interfere with that relationship.

Table of Contents / Next Chapter

HOME

Facial Plastic & Cosmetic Surgical Center
6300 Regional Plaza
Abilene, Texas 79606
325-695-3630

Toll Free 800-592-4533
Fax 325-695-3633
e-mail: n41gt@newlook.org