Terry Dubrow – Becoming the World’s Most Famous Plastic Surgeon | E175

World-renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow (star of Botched) sits down with Randall Kaplan for a raw, inspiring conversation on rising from poverty in Los Angeles to medical excellence at UCLA and Yale, the mentors who changed his life, and what it really takes to build a top practice in Newport Beach. We cover career pivots, boldness vs. fear, medical training, research & publishing, and wild rock-n-roll stories with his brother Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot—plus practical, step-by-step success frameworks you can use today. If you’re chasing excellence in medicine, entrepreneurship, or any high-stakes field, this episode is your blueprint.

What You’ll Learn 
• Humble beginnings & grit: Growing up with a single mom in LA, learning self-reliance, and the mindset that formed his drive to “figure it out and get it together.” 
• Choosing a path (and changing it): Why dentistry felt empty, how volunteering in the UCLA ER “lit” him up, and the decision to take pre-med coursework at Yale while earning a master’s. 
• Mentorship that transforms careers: The life-altering lecture by Dr. Mal Lesavoy, how Terry chased him down the hallway, joined his lab, and authored 23 surgical papers—learning that publishing is currency in academic medicine. 
• The power of boldness: Specific, repeatable tactics for approaching mentors (be authentic, add value, do the homework) and why “clever and bold” beats “smart” alone. 
• Quiet Riot, Ozzy, & loyalty: Unfiltered stories about Kevin DuBrow, Randy Rhoads, Ozzy Osbourne, sold-out Forum concerts—plus hard lessons on loyalty and the realities of entertainment. 
• From residency to practice: The old-school general surgery track, complex reconstructive flap cases, and the leap from LA to Newport Beach practice (and what unexpectedly made it work). 

Guest Bio — Dr. Terry Dubrow
Dr. Terry Dubrow is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, star of the hit TV show Botched, and a nationally recognized expert in complex reconstruction and cosmetic surgery. He trained at UCLA and completed advanced academic work at Yale, where he honed a research mindset that led to dozens of publications early in his career. Today, he practices in Newport Beach, CA, while educating millions on surgical safety, outcomes, and ethics


Want to Work One-on-One with Me?
I coach a small group of high achievers on how to elevate their careers, grow their businesses, and reach their full potential both professionally and personally.

If you're ready to change your life and achieve your goals, apply here: https://www.randallkaplan.com/coaching
 
Listen to my Extreme Preparation TEDx Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIvlFpoLfgs
 
Listen to this episode on the go!
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23q0XIC...
 
For more information about this episode, visit https://www.randallkaplan.com/
 
Follow Randall!
Instagram: @randallkaplan 
LinkedIn:  @randallkaplan 
TikTok:  @randall_kaplan 
Twitter / X: https://x.com/RandallKaplan
Website: https://www.randallkaplan.com/
1-on-1 Coaching: https://www.randallkaplan.com/coaching

Coaching and Staying Connected:

1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn