By Jillian Birkle |
Episode 18: Behind the Scenes at Donaldson
Meet The Team Behind Every Call, Check-In & Treatment at Our Practice
Picking up the phone to book a consultation, or sitting down for a blood draw you have been dreading, takes more nerve than most people admit. That hesitation is real. And it deserves more than a hopeful Google search about what the experience is like.
In this episode, our experience manager, an aesthetics PA-C, and a phlebotomist take you inside a typical day at Donaldson, so the answers come from the people who work with patients every day.
This one is for anyone who has ever wondered who is on the other end of the phone, the front desk or the treatment room.
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The Questions We Cover About Life Behind the Scenes At Donaldson:
- What does an experience manager actually do all day at a plastic surgery practice?
- What are first-time patients most nervous about when they call to book?
- Why can’t I get a price for plastic surgery over the phone or in a DM?
- Why doesn’t Donaldson use surgical before-and-after photos in its marketing?
- How do you get through a blood draw when needles make you nervous?
- What does it actually mean to “meet patients at the intersection of wellness and appearance?”
- What are my comfort options for laser skin treatments like HALO & BBL?
- How do social media trends and AI interactions change patients’ expectations?
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Meet This Episode's Experts
Patrick Thongpasouk
Experience Manager
Patrick has been at the practice for almost five years, first on the communications team taking patient calls and now as Experience Manager at the Lewis Center office, so he knows exactly what makes new patients nervous.
Aubrey Wilcox, PA-C
Aesthetics Provider
Aubrey began at Donaldson shadowing the functional medicine team during PA school, then worked on the surgical side (including implant sizing in Dr. Sieffert’s clinic) before moving into aesthetics, so she sees how all three pillars connect.
Veronica Anderson
Phlebotomist & Medical Assistant
Veronica does a lot! But her main mission is to safely draw blood for the functional medicine team and the surgical side. She brings years of family medicine and specialty experience to patients – especially those who are nervous about needles.
Why Can’t I Get A Price For Surgery Over The Phone Or In A DM?
The short answer is that an accurate number depends on your body and your goals, and a surgeon has to see both to give an accurate quote. Aubrey shared that patients often do not know what they need until they are sitting in front of one, such as learning that a more lifted look calls for a breast lift alongside implants.
Patrick adds that calls that start with price are some of his favorites because they are a chance to get to know the person behind the question.
“Anyone can provide a ballpark range based on a little information, but you don’t really know what you need until you have an actual surgeon standing in front of you!”— Aubrey Wilcox, PA-C, Aesthetics Provider
Is It Normal To Feel Nervous or Vulnerable Before a Consultation?
Yes, and the team sees it every day. Patrick says first-time callers often tiptoe around the issue that brought them in, which is why he treats those calls like talking to a friend rather than making a sales pitch.
Veronica says nerves show up in unexpected places, and she talks every patient through it one step at a time.
“I do understand being scared to have your blood drawn — because I am one of those people that I get stuck eight to nine times every time I need it done!”
— Veronica Anderson, Phlebotomist & Medical Assistant
Why Doesn’t Donaldson Use Before And After Photos In Its Marketing?
Because patients are at their most vulnerable in those photos. The team wants them to feel secure in their decision. Aubrey explained that consultation photos stay between the patient and the surgeon, and patients can look at before-and-afters that are tailored to their existing physical features and aesthetic goals.
Patrick noted that the practice has built its reputation through word of mouth, including recommendations in local mom groups.
“We can still have a successful practice without showing before and afters. Word of mouth about our practice is everything. Once someone is here, they can see before & afters that create good expectations.”— Patrick Thongpasouk, Experience Manager
How Do Wellness & Appearance Connect At Donaldson?
Aubrey sees the link every day: a patient who mentions a bad night of sleep in her injectables chair can be offered a discovery call with Dr. Weston and her functional medicine team.
Several team members also described learning things about their own health through functional medicine lab work, which is part of why they recommend it with confidence.
“I think someone’s wellness directly correlates to their outward appearance. It is pretty much impossible to separate the two.”— Aubrey Wilcox, PA-C, Aesthetics Provider
About The “Asking For A Friend” Podcast
From breast augmentation consultations and BOTOX to MOXI comfort options and functional medicine lab work, this episode shows how the three pillars of Donaldson work together behind the scenes. Hosted by Jillian Birkle, Asking For a Friend also digs into menopause, weight loss injections, gut health, gynecomastia surgery, skin health devices and more, alongside experts like Dr. Marguerite Weston, Dr. Jeffrey Donaldson and Dr. Michelle Sieffert.
No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you’re wondering about it, so is someone else.
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