Introductions

My name is Liz and I’m a PGY-5 plastic surgery resident at the University of Pennsylvania. I grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and was very serious about playing the violin throughout my childhood. I even started my career thinking that I would pursue a professional music career, starting college at the Manhattan School of Music. Ultimately, I decided there was more I wanted to explore, so I transferred to Columbia University (just a few blocks away) in New York City.

After college, worked in health policy in DC for several years, including at the White House, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Academies. At the National Academies, I served as study director for a major report on measurement in health care. While working at the National Academies, I had the opportunity to interact with many physician leaders, which ultimately inspired me to apply for medical school.

I attended medical school at George Washington University, where after considering specializing in hospital medicine or urology, I ultimately discovered my passion for plastic surgery when I had the opportunity to operate with two inspiring women surgeons, Dr. Lauren Patrick and Dr. Catherine Hannan. At graduation, I was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) honor society.

After medical school, I started residency at one of the top plastic surgery residencies in the country: the University of Pennsylvania. I am currently in my 5th year of training (out of 6 total). During my training, I worked with one of my attendings to develop a microsurgical training course called PennMicro, which is available for free for surgical trainees. I also published several articles on topics including surgical education, artificial intelligence, and womens’ health.

In addition to my clinical responsibilities, I make educational videos about plastic surgery as well as give advice and answer questions for med students on Instagram and TikTok, and have found it to be an incredibly rewarding way to connect and to build my network! I am also involved with social media initiatives for plastic surgery journals and professional organizations.

Outside of work, I enjoy exercising, baking, trying new restaurants, reading fiction, and spending time with friends and family.