The PMFA team were delighted to chat to Ahmed Ali-Khan about his career in plastic surgery and his involvement in BAAPS Support.
Can you tell us a little bit about what led you into the field of plastic surgery and what have been the highlights so far?
I wish I could say it was planned but the truth is it was an accident! Plastic surgery happened to be on my surgical rotation as a junior doctor. I knew very little about it from medical school, but quickly realised it offered everything I wanted from a career – we operate almost anywhere on the body, we do soft tissue and bony work, we operate on young and old, we do delicate microsurgery as well as big cases, and the reconstructive and / or oncological work we do is enormously worthwhile. All boxes were ticked!
What has been the best piece of advice that you have received in your career and what advice would you offer to those following in your footsteps?
I’ve received lots of great advice over the years, but I’ll choose a comment one of my bosses said during my microsurgical reconstruction fellowship in Cambridge. I had a couple of months left of the job and was keeping an eye on consultant posts but wasn’t really looking to move on yet.
He told me I was ready, should take the plunge and seek a locum consultant post to keep my CV progressing. The next job advertised that I liked the look of was just a three-month locum consultant post in Durham. That was in 2011 and I haven’t looked back!
He made me realise that careers have momentum and not to get too comfortable in a role to ensure I remained interested and motivated.
To surgeons still in training I recommend they trust themselves, and keep pushing the limits of what they can do surgically and professionally.
What have been the most exciting developments in your field in the last decade?
I’m 100% in the private sector now so will choose a development from that side of the fence. I choose ‘collaboration’.
Locally I have tremendous colleagues in the private sector (most of whom still remain in the NHS as well). We work together privately and assist each other far more than was the case 10 years ago. This has enormous benefits for patients because consultants are less reluctant to discuss tricky cases and creates a ‘pseudo-MDT’ for our services. In addition, colleagues and I often operate together for the bigger cases which means our patients are under anaesthetic for less time.
I am confident this increased collaboration improves outcomes for patients.
You are the current Chair of BAAPS Support; can you tell us about this service and what help it provides to members?
I am proud to be a member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), in my opinion the UK torch bearer for patient safety in aesthetic surgery. It was recognised that BAAPS membership contained a great deal of expertise in developing and running a private practice and how to do so ethically while maintaining the highest professional standards. BAAPS Support was created to develop that service for members whether they still be in training or experienced consultants.
We understand BAAPS Support are holding a one-day event in October; what will this be focusing on and how can people register to attend?
We have been running the Practice Management Day for a few years now and it’s been a great success. Since becoming Chair of BAAPS Support, I have been keen to develop things further by expanding the offering.
For the 2025 meeting we will concentrate on the fundamentals of starting out in private aesthetics. Although we will also be discussing surgery, there will be emphasis on non-surgical this year. This is because now a lot of surgeons (and other non-surgical, healthcare professionals) start their private careers in the non-surgical / medical aesthetics arena.
I am keen we bring our knowledge to this area, as well as the surgical one, given how non-surgical aesthetics remains broadly unregulated. Things are changing – Scotland appears to be leading the way – but not fast enough. By introducing medical knowledge and ethics into training I hope we can set future aesthetic professionals on the right trajectory from the start.
And finally, if you have any spare time, how do you like to relax?
Spending time with my family and walking our dogs allows me to relax. I’m also a big Formula 1 fan, and consider myself very fortunate that my wife doesn’t expect too much of me on race weekends!
Many thanks for your time!
You’re very welcome.
SAVE THE DATE
BAAPS Support - Setting up in Aesthetic Practice 2025
4 October 2025
London, UK
https://baaps.org.uk/about/events/1890/baaps_support_practice_management_day_2025/
