Fame & Fortune: Dr. Linda Li
TV plastic surgeon won't cut corners on savings

One of the E! Channel's guilty pleasures is "Dr. 90210," a reality show that trails 10 Beverly Hills plastic surgeons. While some of the doctors on the show seem as image-conscious as their Tinseltown patients, 35-year-old Dr. Linda Li has been very open with the audience, allowing her human frailties to show on camera.

A native of Morgantown, W.Va., Dr. Li completed her undergraduate and medical degrees at Boston University as part of a special six-year program. During her residency at the University of Southern California, she met Dr. Bill Fulcher, an anesthesiologist. They married and became business partners.

Dr. Li completed her plastic surgical fellowship at New York Presbyterian/Cornell University Medical Center. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Li has recently been accepted into the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, ASAPS. Five years ago, she opened her own practice, specializing in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Li and her husband frequent art galleries looking for the next new "discovery." One discovery they made was their own scrub tech, Ed Doran, whom they have commissioned to paint many of the works in their offices.

Bankrate: How did you decide to participate in the show, "Dr. 90210"?

Dr. Li: My husband did the anesthesia for the first season and contacted the producer.

Bankrate: There are so many plastic surgeons in your area; how do you distinguish yourself in a crowded field?

Dr. Li: Ultimately, it's the patients who decide. Some may decide I don't gel with them and that's OK. It's a very personal decision. I don't take out special ads or anything.

Bankrate: Other than with actors and actresses, have you seen any patients who've improved their earning potential after having plastic surgery?

Dr. Li: Not specific instances like that, but I do know that plastic surgery increases self-confidence, so it may help them with their job. It is very well-documented that an increase of self-confidence is helpful at the office.

Bankrate: We've seen an explosion of dental bleaching and LASIK, Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, surgery places open in malls. Do you think that will happen with plastic surgery?

Dr. Li: I don't think that will happen. The idea of going under anesthesia -- you have to be more careful and I think people will always be more careful with surgeries.

Bankrate: There are some extreme examples of plastic surgery out there. Is there a point where you draw the line, or is "the customer always right?"

Dr. Li: There are lines that I do draw. Some may not. It is elective surgery, plastic surgery. No untoward risk. Some procedures I won't do -- the ones I wouldn't do on myself.

Bankrate: Such as?

Dr. Li: Buttock augmentation, I won't do that. Also, arm and thigh lifts. There's extensive scarring involved in those procedures. All surgeries are about scars. But in arm and thigh lifts, the scars are really visible.

Bankrate: You've made investments in art, discovering new talent. How do you know what will prove to be a sound investment?

Dr. Li: I actually have no idea! We buy what we love.

Bankrate: Do you feel that your appreciation for art has helped your ability to do plastic surgery?

Dr. Li: I have a strong artistic background: I took piano for 16 years and ballet for 20 years. All the plastic surgeons I know have a strong sense of aesthetics and beauty. Many of them paint and sculpt.

Bankrate: You work side by side with your husband; some people can work with family, some can't. How do you make your joint venture successful?

Dr. Li: We just love each other. We can spend a whole day working together and spend the whole night together.

Bankrate: You've been very public about wanting a baby and now you're having one. How will that affect your practice?

Dr. Li: I will have to take some time off. I'm fortunate that I have the means to have help; I will have a nanny. But we will incorporate the baby into our schedule. The nanny will bring the baby to the office so that I can be with her between seeing patients. This is really why I like working for myself, so that I can have the independence to do that.

Bankrate: Do you manage your own finances?

Dr. Li: We manage our own money. I have an accountant for taxes, but I do my own bookkeeping to keep everything neat and tidy.

Bankrate: What is a splurge for you?

Dr. Li: A massage!

Bankrate: What other investments do you have?

Dr. Li: Retirement plans, we fund them to the max. We put away as much as we can. There will be a day when we won't or can't work.

Bankrate: Are you planning for an early retirement?

Dr. Li: No, I will practice for as long as I can, safely.