Interview with Dr. Alexandra Filip
Mrs. doctor, you have outstanding multidisciplinary achievements. When and how did you discover your passion for medicine?
I discovered my passion for medicine since childhood, when I was playing with dolls, but in a completely different way. Instead of dressing and styling them, I operated on them. At the same time, my mother’s grandmother was ill and I always took care of her, dressing her, taking care of her post-operative wounds. I basically lived my childhood playing the role of a doctor, and looking for opportunities to feel like a doctor.
Beauty Concept, your clinic in Cluj, has exploded in the last year as an image and activity. How important is medical marketing? Do you have time to deal with these issues as well?
Marketing and social media are a very important part of our business. Personally, I don’t do marketing, we have a very well-trained team that does that. But I invest a lot of time in social media because I want to have a say in the medical education of my followers and patients. Medical education in the general population is precarious, patients are not informed. A dream of mine is for most patients who come to my office for a consultation to tell me what to do, as proof that they have understood my social media message. It would be a great accomplishment for me to feel that my time spent on social media was not in vain.
There is much discussion that aesthetic medicine is booming. What is the most requested procedure in your office?
In recent years, aesthetic medicine has also gained momentum in Romania. I believe that this has happened and due to the fact that patients have started to be more informed, they have seen that medicine and cosmetic surgery do not have to mean a radical change, that we can look very good and very natural after injectable or surgical procedures. They have begun to gain confidence in the industry, in doctors, in the products we work with and in the results we can achieve. Among the procedures I perform on an outpatient basis, injections of hyaluronic acid and botulinum toxin take first place. In terms of operations under general anesthesia, the most requested operations are on the breasts: breast augmentation with implant or breast lift. But now comes a surprise, I am convinced that many followers will be surprised to find out which is the most requested operation in local anesthesia: it is about labioplasty. And I am very happy about this, my patients have started to get rid of preconceptions and have the necessary openness to get rid of aspects that have made them complex for most of their lives.
Do you have any memories of the operating room or any specific patient who marked you?
I still remember with great fondness about a patient who, when she was recovering from general anesthesia after a breast lift operation, began to cry. I didn’t understand why, we couldn’t calm her down with anything. At last he calmed down and told me that he was crying with happiness, that he could not believe that he had lived with this complex for a whole life, which I managed to get rid of in just a few hours. At that moment I realized that yes, the emotional impact is extremely strong in such cases and the degree of satisfaction is extraordinary both for me, as a surgeon, and for my patients. These are exciting times for the patient and uplifting for the doctor.
What is your opinion about the transfer of Romanian patients to Turkish doctors? What are the pros and cons of such a trend?
My opinion is that in Romania we have very well trained doctors, it is not necessary for patients to go abroad to find quality. From what I have seen, however, most who resort to medical tourism in Turkey are hunting for lower prices than in our country. Unfortunately, what these patients did not understand is the fact that the service of a very well trained and experienced doctor cannot be cheap either in our country or abroad. Thus, most of the patients still come to us, but dissatisfied with the Turkish medical services.
Can you tell us a little bit about your specialties and what you really enjoy doing most in the office?
I am a specialist in plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery and reconstructive microsurgery. I worked at the Cluj County Hospital for several years, in the Emergency Department. It was a difficult time, but I am grateful for everything I learned and for all the experience I gained during that time. For 12 years I have deepened my knowledge of cosmetic surgery in prestigious centers in Austria, Brazil, Germany, USA and I have learned from the most famous plastic surgeons in the world.
Interview with Dr. Alexandra Filip
How it looks an ordinary day in the life of Dr. Alexandra Filip look like?
Every day of my life is a challenge and it is different from the day before. In the first part of the day I usually have major surgeries, some of which take 5-6 hours. Either continue the day in the same way, with operations, or continue the day with consultations and injections. I used to say that I have daily challenges because of the complex surgical cases I have every day. However, I am glad that it is so, in this way I am stimulated to continue studying daily, to be up to date with the most advanced and modern surgical techniques and to ensure the best results for my patients. In addition to the clinic schedule that starts early and ends late, I try to get to the gym 2-3 times a week. My day ends on a relaxing note at home, having dinner with my husband and talking about the events of that day. On the weekends I try to spend as much time as possible with my husband, most of the time even leaving the city.
Where can you be find by those who are interested in becoming your patients?
Everyone who wants to meet us can find me at the Beauty Concept Clinic in Cluj-Napoca or in Bucharest. I also find myself on social media where, if they have questions, I answer them with great pleasure.
What thoughts do you convey to our readers?
For the youngest of them, who want a career in medicine, I just want to encourage them and tell them that this profession involves a lot of passion and responsibility and is worth doing, only if you are willing to do it with all your heart. The road to the top is long and difficult, but only those who do not give up reach the top.
I want every reader to have the dream profession, and more than that, to choose what their heart dictates and to excel, regardless of the field.
