The Making of a Plastic Surgeon

Starting November 11, I will be posting a full chapter of my book every Monday

As a lifetime lover of books and reading, it just seemed natural that I would one day want to try my hand at writing one. If you are an overthinker, like me, many questions immediately arise. Do I have enough writing talent to do this? What do I have to write about that is worthy of someone else spending their precious money and time to read? This question becomes especially important when writing about oneself, e.g. a biography or memoir.

If I had known how much time I would spend on this project- well over fifteen years- and how many re-writes I would do- over a dozen- I might never have embarked on it. The final product is totally different than the manuscript I produced the first time. It has been endlessly reviewed by me and twice by professionals, whose advice I have tried to follow. The end result, however, is still my own. Putting it out there was an exercise in overcoming the writer’s equivalent of stage fright, not knowing how it will be received. Then there is the loss of control. Once it is published, readers will form opinions about it, and me, that I will have no control over.

Completing the book is just the beginning. Publishing houses are reluctant to accept offerings from unknown authors and agents receive so many submissions that getting someone to look at, much less commit to, your book seems futile at times. I pooh-poohed self-publishing when I started, but the book industry changed radically in the years since I penned the first lines such that, for many authors, including yours truly, this is the only practical route and the learning curve is steep.

The original manuscript was quite long and my two editors suggested it could be published as two books, which I ultimately chose to do. I worry that this first one might be a bit short but, so far, no one has complained. It is difficult to encapsulate two very eventful and fraught years into something manageable. How much detail is too much? How much is too little? You, the reader, must ultimately decide.

My book simultaneously describes the training that all plastic surgeons must go through to become legitimate, board-certified plastic surgeons and the uniqueness of the program at Miami under Dr. Millard whose stature in the specialty cannot be overstated.

I launched The Making of a Plastic Surgeon: Two Years in the Crucible Learning the Art and Science, in March 2024. I am proud of it and believe it to be a unique and worthwhile addition to the genre of medical books and memoirs. Of course, I am undeniably biased. I do think readers will be glad of the time they took to read it. It has sold a modest, but gratifying, number of copies and the feedback has been uniformly positive, for which I am very grateful.

Although I would love to have penned a best-seller, I accept that this may just be another F&F (family & friends) work.

Plastic surgery has been my profession and a huge part of my adult life, and I have loved it and am grateful for the privilege that has been mine to practice this wonderful specialty. I would like to share my profession with as many people as possible. I am fortunate that I do not need income from writing to support myself in my retirement and so I can offer this book to everyone at no charge. I certainly would not be upset if reading a few chapters led readers to purchase the book. I cannot deny that I would love to make some money on it to compensate for the thousands spent so far, but even more, I would like it to be available to as many people as possible for their sake and for feedback.

With this in mind, I am going to offer it up in installments on my Substack free to subscribers and anyone else who would like to read it. I will post one chapter each week for the next ten weeks, every Monday, beginning with Monday, November 11. If you read it, I would appreciate feedback on it, whether good or bad and, by all means, please feel free to share with others. I seek your comments.

I will continue to post on other topics in addition to the weekly chapter of my book. There is so much to write and so little time………………….

Richard T. Bosshardt, MD, FACS

The Making of a Plastic Surgeon: Two Years in the Crucible Learning the Art and Science is available on Amazon as an eBook or in paperback.