Meet Katerina Gallus MD | Plastic Surgeon & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katerina Gallus MD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katerina, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind a successful brand or person is staying true to your vision and values. Being inspired by what creates joy and fulfillment in your career is critical to staying the course. Without the proper motivation it can be impossible to continue the upward trajectory of success. As a physician, I truly love what I do – educating, interacting, and taking care of patients. Without that passion, it would be extremely challenging to create a private practice, run a successful business and continue to provide outstanding surgical care.

What should our readers know about your business?
My practice is a plastic surgery and med spa – Restore SD Plastic Surgery in San Diego. As a female surgeon and Navy veteran I offer a unique perspective with regards to my approach to plastic surgery. I have over a decade of experience in complex reconstructive surgery having worked with our wounded warriors from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. I also have a strong background and love of aesthetic surgery and advancing technology. Plastic surgery is an exciting field of medicine and I enjoy providing the state-of-the-art technology in a meaningful way to my patients. Starting my practice was challenging – I retired from the Navy and initially began with a partner. Fairly early on we parted ways as his expectations of what it would be like to start from scratch did not match the reality of the hard work and hustle involved. Not everyone is cut out to learn every aspect of running a business and the leap of faith that your talent and motivation will prevail. When he left and I was on my own it was a challenge – to understand that I was solely responsible for the success or failure of Restore SD, and I was approaching it from the perspective of the one who wasn’t giving up. What if I was wrong? Having the support of my family and my colleagues across the country helped me forge on. It definitely was worth it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite part of living in San Diego is all the great beaches! My favorite place to take friends is Wind and Sea Beach in La Jolla and swing by Seal Beach to see the seals. There are great options for food along the coast as well – anywhere along the 101 you can find great restaurants with lovely views from casual to fine dining. Some of my favorites include Duke’s, Eddie V’s and Jake’s Del Mar. Pacific Coast Grill is also a great venue for lunch or dinner. If they like to hike, exploring Torrey Pines is a must. A trip downtown to the gas lamp is fun as well – there is Sushi Bang Bang for dinner or Born & Raised (had our office Christmas party there) and lots of shopping. Mission Bay is a great place to try Stand Up Paddleboarding or a pick-up game of beach volleyball.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am forever indebted to the network of women I met through my participation in the Women Plastic Surgeons Forum with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. I joined the steering committee about 10 years ago and have never regretted a minute spent in the company of like-minded women surgeons. From this committee I received mentorship in every aspect of my life – from personal work life balance struggles, owning your own medical practice challenges and how to take on leadership roles in our organization. I still reach out to my colleagues and mentors for advice as well as offer my experiences and advice to others. Having that camaraderie when you are such a minority (20% of plastic surgeons in the US are women) is invaluable. I am also proud of the growth our Forum has achieved over the years – creating educational content that is tailored to our needs as female plastic surgeons as well as encouraging representation and leadership within the larger ASPS organization.

Website: https://restoresdplasticsurgery.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restoresdplasticsurgery/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-gallus-8808a62b/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RestoreSDPS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RestoreSDPlasticSurgery/

Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/home/Bezbe7NkvrJ6GRDntphTvw/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChuFFMd4bauIfHr1wgIRTQA