Profiles in ACS Leadership

Editor’s note: The Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) publishes a series of articles profiling leaders of the College. The series is intended to give readers a look at the person behind the surgical mask and inspire members to consider taking on leadership positions within the organization and the institutions where they practice.

This month we profile Linda G. Phillips, MD, FACS, Vice-Chair, ACS Board of Regents. Dr. Phillips is the Truman G. Blocker Jr., MD, Distinguished Professor and chief, department of surgery, division of plastic surgery, and professor, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston.

Why did you decide to go into surgery, particularly plastic and reconstructive surgery?

I grew up in the Chicago, IL, area and went to the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine for medical school and residency. I knew I wanted to be a physician early in life and was fascinated with the scientific research and the cases that the surgeons there were doing. About 2 weeks into my surgery rotation, I knew I wanted to be a surgeon.

I knew that I wanted to enter a surgical field that demanded a high degree of delicate, fine motor skill. I was drawn to plastic and reconstructive surgery because of all the scientific advances that were being made in the field and by the variety of cases plastic surgeons do—from reconstructive surgery for burns and breast patients to more aesthetic procedures. So, I went on to do additional general surgery training at Northwestern University Medical Center, Chicago, and to complete my plastic surgery training at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.

Who have been some of your mentors along the way, and what did you learn from them?

I have too many to mention, and I don’t want to leave anyone out, but one would have to be Martin Robson, MD, FACS, when I was training at Wayne State. He was very committed to putting the science into plastic surgery. He ran a lab that was making important contributions to wound healing.

Other mentors, many of whom are my peers, include Elof Eriksson, MD, FACS; Renee Hartz, MD, FACS, a cardiac surgeon; Mary McGrath, MD, MPH, FACS, who once held my seat as Vice-Chair of the ACS Board of Regents; and Susan MacKinnon, MD, FACS, who is doing great work in terms of restoring nerve function for patients with upper extremity injuries. They all have done important research in the field and have made important contributions to improving quality of life for plastic and reconstructive surgery patients.

Describe your journey to becoming Vice-Chair of the ACS Board of Regents.

Most of my pathway has focused on surgical education, research, and ethics. Being invited to participate in the Surgical Forum (now the Scientific Forum) at Clinical Congress as a trainee was a great entrée to the ACS. I was inducted into the College as a Fellow in 1988.

I started taking on leadership positions in the College in the 1990s, first serving on the Committee on Medical Student Education (1993−1999) and as a Senior Member of the committee (1999−2003). I also have been active in the Southern Texas Chapter of the ACS since I joined the faculty at UTMB. Getting involved at the chapter level is a good place to start. I met wonderful mentors that way and served on the Southern Texas Credentials Committee (2013−2021).

I was introduced to the Association of Women Surgeons, which meets annually in conjunction with Clinical Congress, by Past-Chair of the ACS Board of Regents Beth Sutton, MD, FACS, and Past-Regent Margaret Dunn, MD, FACS, and served on the ACS Women in Surgery Committee as a member (2001−2007) and a consultant (2007−2011).

I also served on the Advisory Council for Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery (2000−2009), chairing the council from 2004 to 2009. As member of the Advisory Council Chairs, I had the opportunity to interact with Fellows in all of the specialties and to learn about the issues of concern to them.

During my time on the Advisory Council for Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, I also served as the council’s liaison to the Clinical Congress Program Committee (2003−2009). Serving in this role gave me the chance to further collaborate with surgeons of other specialties and from other parts of the country, as well as to learn about all the work that the surgeon volunteers and ACS staff do to offer our annual meeting. I served on the Nominating Committee of the Fellows from 2006 to 2009 and chaired that committee in 2009.

I became a Regent in 2015. Serving as a Regent really is a privilege. The Regents all work very hard to serve the members and to enact policies that will improve surgical care. As a Regent, I have chaired the Central Judiciary Committee (2016−2021) and served on the Ethics Committee (2017−2020) and Bylaws Committee (2016−2017).

How has the College changed since you became a Fellow?

It’s become much more diverse in terms of the members’ gender, race, and surgical specialty. And because our members now are facing so many challenges in terms of reimbursement and workforce shortages, they really want the College and the Regents to be responsive and to advocate for them. They want to see the value for their dues. So, the College has had to invest more resources not only in providing educational opportunities and maintaining standards of care, but also in advocacy and health policy, as well as quality improvement.

How do you achieve work-life balance?

I love spending time with my family. Of course, that’s been a little different because of COVID-19, but my children and grandchildren and I FaceTime quite a bit and keep in touch that way.

I love to travel, especially with my family. We decided at one point that rather than exchange gifts at the holidays we would share an experience, so every Christmas became the family ski trip. I especially enjoy traveling outside the US and visiting places that I have read about and seeing original works of art.

I enjoy cooking and baking and sharing what I make with my family, friends, and colleagues. My specialty is cheesecake. I make it for our division functions.

What advice do you offer to young surgeons and residents who want to achieve leadership positions in the ACS and their institutions?

Start by working with committees. Talk to people who serve on those committees and express your interest in their work and what you might be able to do to help them. If a senior surgeon sees that you are enthusiastic and sincere, they will sponsor you, bring you to meetings, and introduce you to people who can help you get more involved. The College didn’t have the Resident and Associate Society or the Young Fellows Association when I joined, but these organizations provide excellent opportunities to become familiar with the ACS and to address challenges that your peers are facing.

Get involved, but don’t overextend yourself. If you don’t have the time to devote to a project or an assignment or don’t have the right skill set, be honest. It’s better to say no than to not give the work the attention it deserves.

We need to have young surgeons involved in our advocacy efforts, so we can maintain our standards in surgical education and quality of care.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I would describe it as collaborative leadership, whether as committee chair, department chair, or ACS Regent. I will offer a suggestion on what we can do differently and then ask other leaders to provide their input on the change. When we stay true to ourselves and don’t try to compete with other stakeholders, but rather try to reach consensus, we improve our chances of success.

When leading in the operating room (OR) and in the research lab, where we focus on the biology of surgical infections, I try to handle concerns in a professional manner by correcting the situation at hand and waiting to discuss the matter in private. I will ask the resident what surprised them about the situation and why it was a surprise. I’ve tried to mentor as I was mentored.

What do you like best about being a surgeon, particularly a plastic surgeon?

Almost every day, I learn something new and feel challenged in the lab and in the OR. I specialize in wound healing, body contouring after massive weight loss, reconstructive and aesthetic breast surgery, and cosmetic facial and body contouring. Our understanding of these conditions is always changing and helping to improve patient outcomes.

The most satisfying part of being a plastic surgeon is the realization that we have an impact on our patients’ quality of life by alleviating pain and elevating their confidence. And they so appreciate it. I get hugs at every clinic. That’s their gift to me.