When Dr. Jennifer Robinson is in the operating room, not much can scare her anymore.
Working as a plastic surgeon at Royal Jubilee Hospital, dressed in teal scrubs and a multi-coloured cap, Robinson has seen her fair share of surgeries in the seven years she’s been in Victoria. She’s been a part of countless surgeries ranging from hand trauma surgeries, such as replanting fingers and fixing fractures, to post-cancer breast and head and neck reconstructions.
The Victoria resident begins her day like any other mother, waking up, spending time with her husband and children, ages two and three, before heading off to work with her small black suitcase filled with a microsurgeon’s pack, magnifiers and prescription pads in tow.
Once she steps into the hospital, Robinson’s real work begins. She starts with rounds to check on patients, before heading into the OR. Some days are longer than others for Robinson, sometimes she’ll have one long nine-hour surgery and on other days she’ll have four or five surgeries. She often works 12-hour shifts, and finds time to eat and sleep whenever she can in between.
Being a plastic surgeon can be physically and emotionally draining, Robinson admits, but helping her patients far outweighs other aspects of the job.
“I love what I do, it’s simply that,” Robinson said.
