There is no stopping passion, but maybe there is some ‘stopping’ to how far we can chase after it. For some, we develop a love for not one thing or two things, but many. However, as our age crawls and we enter adulthood, some of our childhood passions seem to fade and we end up focusing on only a few things. Dr. Ross Blagg believes it is possible to combine all the things you love and are passionate about into one incredible life.
He seems to abhor limits and adore creating his own ones. He is an acclaimed plastic surgeon currently based in Austin, Texas, but he is also an artist, adventurist, and philanthropist. One might ask, how does he manage everything? Well, it’s just what Dr. Ross is all about.
Ross was diagnosed with congenital heart disease as an infant, which required open heart surgery. This was followed by several years seeing a cardiologist, which inspired his young self to aspire to a career in medicine.
But with time, his love for the arts came to the fore, and this newly found love eclipsed medicine. He loved the colors and creating art. Then, at the age of thirteen, he came across scuba diving, which ignited his passion for marine life.
Though his love for the arts persisted, other things remained in the backdrop. When he was 14, he visited the hospital with one of his father’s friends, a general surgeon. During one such visit, while discussing the career prospects of a 14-year teenager, the friend suggested Ross consider plastic surgery as a career considering he was drawn to both medicine and art.
Ross had never thought of that before, but when he did and did some research, he was surprised to see the scope of plastic surgery and the wonders it could undertake.
Ross made the decision – plastic surgeon it is. From the age of 14, he dreamed about it. However, Ross didn’t let go of other things he loved. So, in college, he studied marine biology to explore his love for oceans and everything that existed beneath it. During his residency, he created an organization to help people who needed surgery in developing countries for his philanthropic ambitions. All the while, he has continued painting, and any chance he gets, he is off diving with sharks and exploring uncharted areas around the globe.
Given this thrill-seeker’s interests in helping people, travel, and a zest for learning anything new in life, it’s no surprise that Dr. Ross’s most recent project combines all these things! ‘Plastic Surgery Road Trip’, now airing on YouTube follows Dr. Ross and a road-tripping buddy to all parts of the US to find people with compelling stories who have already revamped their own lives and who need plastic surgery to help complete their journeys. Along the way, Dr. Ross and friends discover exciting and often unknown hotspots for road trip travel through the US, while also getting to delve into the lives of those who have struggled and won and now need surgery to complete their story.
It is difficult to decide if it was medicine that led Ross to arts and arts to adventure and adventure to plastic surgery and plastic surgery to philanthropy. Still, one thing is sure – Dr. Ross Blagg knows the art of converging passions.
You can follow the daily adventures of Dr. Ross on Instagram: @dr.rossblagg.
