Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Janak Parikh.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Pasadena, CA. I went to UCLA for my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and then went UCSD for medical school, I went back to UCLA Medical Center for my general surgery training (5 clinical years and 2 research years). During my research years, I got a Masters in Health Services degrees from the UCLA School of Public Health. After completing general surgery residency, I went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for a Multiorgan Abdominal Transplant fellowship where I trained in transplantation of the liver, kidney and pancreas. I then went to Indiana University for a Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) fellowship to specialize in cancer surgery of the liver, bile ducts and panaceas. After completing training, I worked in the suburbs of Detroit as a general, trauma and HPB surgeon for 7 years. I then decided to change career and pursue plastic surgery. Thus, I went to Houston Methodist Hospital to complete a full 3 year plastic surgery residency. I am board certified in both general surgery and plastic surgery.
The reason for my career change is multifactorial. I was drawn to the creativity of plastic surgery, the ability to make functional differences in patients, and the fact that each operation truly has to be customized to each patient. General, trauma and HPB surgery was much more algorithmic and even though the operations were life saving, patients still had comorbidities and didn’t truly appreciate the surgery as do plastic surgery patients who can see a physical difference. In addition, plastic surgery also treats the psyche by giving patients confidence which is really powerful. It was a tough decision to change careers but I’m so glad I did it. I love plastic surgery, both the reconstructive aspect and the cosmetic surgery aspect.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The journey to become a physician is definitely not smooth. Countless nights and weekends studying, numerous exams and sacrificing your 20s and early 30s to pursue surgical training all take a toll on relationships and family.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am currently working at Town and Country Plastic Surgeons but I am my own brand and entity. I specialize in cosmetic surgery of the face, breast and body. I also specialize in awake surgery under local anesthesia. I am one of only a few surgeons in Houston that offers this option and patients love it. I have a lot of surgical experience and have taken care of the sickest patients in the most dire circumstances. Thus, patients are safe with me. What sets me apart is my accessibility and availability to my patients. Every patient I operate on has my personal cell phone number so they can contact me day or night with questions or concerns. I want my patients to feel that they have someone to guide them through the recovery process as the recovery process is hard, both physically and mentally. I also don’t want my patients to try and find answers to questions on their own because there is a lot of misinformation out there. As a brand, I pride myself on provided exceptional service, a concierge experience and excellent results. I use technology and the latest evidence based medicine to provide my patients with the best possible outcomes. I also spend a lot of time prior to surgery to make sure that patient understands what to expect and to make sure that I can meet their expectations of the outcome they are trying to achieve.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I loved sports and science. I thought I would become an orthopedic surgeon. The only reason I didn’t apply to orthopedic surgery was because I thought my USMLE scores were not high enough. It turns out that my year it was harder to match into general surgery than it was into orthopedic surgery so in retrospect I should have gone for it!
Personality wise I was always older than my age and that was difficult when I was younger but as I got older I felt like I fit in more.
I played varsity tennis in high school. I enjoyed playing chess, cards, legos, and board games in addition to sports like basketball and baseball.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jparikhmd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parikhplasticsurgery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parikhplasticsurgery/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jparikhplasticsurgery
