Have you ever wondered how FORM Face + Body came to be? We spoke to Dr. Ron Somogyi and Dr. Waqqas Jalil to get the story behind their partnership, what they’re changing in the medical aesthetic world, and their vision for the future.
Let’s start from the beginning—how did the two of you meet?
Dr. Jalil: In 2014, during my fourth year of residency training in Manitoba, I serendipitously met Dr. Somogyi who was there on a ‘site visit’ to learn advanced reconstruction techniques. Although the encounter was brief, it turned out to be quite fortuitous—during my recruitment in 2017 to North York General Hospital, Dr. Somogyi was already attending staff at the very same location.
Dr. Somogyi: We spent two years working closely together at NYGH, reviewing complicated cases together and helping each other in surgery. We worked so well together and the benefit to our patients at the hospital was obvious. We quickly realized the amazing potential professional and collegial advantages of joining forces in a partnership that would benefit our reconstructive and cosmetic patients in all the other aspects of our practice.
How did the two of you develop FORM?
Dr. Jalil: To be honest, it was a lot of hard work and research! We spent nearly all of 2019 brainstorming and reviewing our goals. Ultimately, we wanted to design a practice that would deliver the ‘Four Seasons’ model of world class, patient-directed care that we both believed in.
Dr. Somogyi: We studied our individual practices to outline what made each of us unique to Toronto as surgeons and how we could combine our well-aligned strengths. Next was formalizing the philosophy, education, and imagery that would encapsulate our brand as FORM Face + Body.
How do you work together to serve your patients?
Dr. Somogyi: We speak daily and meet regularly to ensure that the practice is always delivering the best possible care for our patients. For individual patients, the benefits of our working together is our constant collaboration in reviewing and refining each individualized plan.
Dr. Jalil: Four eyes are always better than two! As leaders in our field clinically and academically, we can combine our efforts—not only in research publications and teaching but also when it comes to surgical cases that are particularly difficult or complex in nature.
Dr. Somogyi: For these large or more complicated cases, we often work together in the OR, not only to ensure optimal outcomes but also to decrease complications by making the surgery shorter and more efficient.
Dr. Jalil: FORM is unique in that we look at every patient holistically, always considering how we can collaborate as a team and how the various modalities we offer can best serve each patient. We have so many surgical and non-surgical options, as well as team members with varying skill sets. Working together comes naturally to this amazing team and becomes hugely beneficial for patients.
Is there anything you’re aiming to change about the aesthetic industry?
Dr. Somogyi: Yes! Our goal has always been to make aesthetic medicine and surgery easier to understand and more accessible to anyone looking to make a change. Whether it’s a big change or a small one, we want each and every patient to feel educated and comfortable in their decision
Dr. Jalil: In recent years, the aesthetic industry has become more and more saturated, to the point that it can be quite confusing for a patient to navigate all the available options. At FORM we try to make this as simple as possible for our patients. From aesthetic surgery to reconstructive surgery, and from skincare to non-surgical rejuvenation, we try our best to be one of those rare practices that can be considered a “one stop shop”.
We have designed our practice to offer a broad range of both surgical and non-surgical services. Whereas a more limited practice may suggest a suboptimal treatment simply because it’s the only option they can offer, at FORM we are able to look at the patient as a whole and tailor the services to the patient—rather than the patient to the services.
Tell us a bit about the team that supports you.
Dr. Jalil: “For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.” This couldn’t be any more true for the team at FORM. We often say surgery is only half the work… Just as important is all the pre- and post-operative care a patient receives from our incredibly dedicated, caring staff.
Dr. Somogyi: This applies to every interaction—from answering the phone, to discussing goals with our patient care coordinator, to the consultation with the surgeon and post-operative visits with our nurse. Each one of these individuals forms the team that will ensure the best possible success in your journey. All these individuals are indispensable to your care, and if you visit often enough, will become friends for life!
Why should someone choose FORM over another clinic?
Dr. Somogyi: While making the claim of being the best surgeon may be difficult to prove, we can confidently stand behind our claim that we look after our patients in a way that is truly above the highest standard. Each and every patient is a VIP in our eyes. We know that patients feel special in the FORM environment and we know that this level of care has a remarkably positive effect on results.
Dr. Jalil: We go the extra mile in so many ways that patients can see, well before they go anywhere near an operating room. Technology, for example, is rapidly changing and we continue to do everything we can to use technology to help our patients. Of course, this means having the most up to date equipment—but it also means moving to efficient online paperwork, offering virtual consultations, creating an online portal for constant education and communication, and utilizing 3D imaging to help patients visualize their hopes and dreams.
What’s your vision for the future of FORM?
Dr. Jalil: Our vision is to make FORM a symbol of enhanced patient care, not only in plastic surgery but the field of medicine as a whole.
Dr. Somogyi: We’re committed to serving as an example of best practices in patient care, and we envision staying on the cutting edge by translating the latest technological advances into superior patient care while always maintaining that personal connection with each and every patient.
