Dr. Anna Steve: Human Relationships as a Precursor to Professional Success

In a world where quick phone calls are often preferred to in-person meetings and online networking seems to be more important than real-life connections, human relationships have lost their importance. However, there are still some professionals who believe in the power of creating deep bonds not only with our clients but also with the people surrounding us daily.

One of these is Dr. Anna Steve, a Board-Certified plastic surgeon working at the Neinstein Plastic Surgery Clinic in Manhattan. According to her, human relationships have been fundamental to her professional success and are still an essential part of her job. 

The importance of working with the right team 

According to Dr. Steve, nobody can be a self-made success. The key to achieving everything in life is to surround yourself with the right people who can support you in your journey. “I don’t really believe that anyone is self-made. I am where I am today because of the great people I trained with, learned from, and now work alongside.”

Dr. Steve used to be the type of student who would work on a whole group project by herself and put everyone else’s name on it. With time, however, she learned the importance of putting trust in the people working with her and valuing the different skills and perspectives that a diverse group of people can bring to the table. According to her, only by working in a team of people you deeply trust, you will be able to scale up your career. “Surrounding yourself with a team of like-minded people who all bring unique skills to the table is one of the best ways to multiply your success.” 

Dr. Steve also stresses the importance of working in a team of people sharing your values and goals. This is, in fact, the only way to create a community-vibe in your workspace where people can always rely on their colleagues for both professional and personal help. “I grew up with a sense of community, in a place where everyone is ready to lend a helping hand. This is part of what drew me to Neinstein Plastic Surgery.”

How motherhood helped Dr. Steve become a better surgeon

Apart from her team, Dr. Steve also deeply values her relationship with her family. While many professionals tend to put off time with their relatives in search of glory in their fields, Dr. Steve believes that these bonds are fundamental for professional success: “Having a stable and supportive family is crucial because that’s the team that supports you.”

According to her, this is particularly true for women wanting to have children. In fact, female doctors often need to figure out the best period to get pregnant so that the time off work will have the least impact on their careers. This obviously requires huge support from their families. “If you want to succeed, you should have massive support at home,” said Dr. Steve.

She also stresses how being a mother has helped her become more emphatic and connect on a deeper level with her many patients who also have kids.

Prioritizing the relationships with your clients  

Last but not least, Dr. Steve gives immense importance to her relationships with patients. “Surgery is never about persuading; the relationship between the doctor and the patient should be established on trust from beginning to end,” said Dr. Steve. According to her, most of her patients often fall into three main categories: mothers unhappy with their bodies after pregnancy, women thinking about having kids soon, and young girls who are not thinking about kids but simply want to be the best version of themselves. Having gone through all three experiences in her last five years has helped Dr. Steve relate to her patients on a deeper level. “I’ve gone through all those three transitions and life stages within the past five years. That allows me to connect easily with those patients and understand their life circumstances,” said Dr. Steve. 

Not by chance, one of the main reasons why Dr. Steve decided to join Dr. Neinstein Plastic Surgery Clinic was for the care and attention given to every patient and its community-vibe. “The whole team at NPS strives to make a potentially stressful experience like surgery, as enjoyable as possible. We all do our part to help patients navigate this journey every step of the way. In many ways, we have a bit of a small-town- feel, family feel to our chic, New York City based practice,” said Dr. Steve. According to her, it is, in fact, this community-vibe that not only attracts more and more clients every day but also helps her feel fulfilled and passionate about her job. “Following your passion is the key to success. If you love what you do, you never really work a day in your life,” said Dr. Steve.