Meghan McGovern

Meghan McGovern goes by many names: Mommy, Wife, Doctor. Each of these appellations has with it a host of responsibilities and of course, many joys and rewards as well.

A plastic surgeon with Coastal Empire Plastic Surgery, Meghan focuses on whatever job is at hand - whether that's making breakfast in the morning for her husband and daughters, Madeline, 4, and Zoe, 2, or in the operating room performing breast reconstruction on a cancer survivor. A resident of Savannah, she divides her time between the Savannah, Bluffton and Statesboro offices, working mostly out of her hometown.

Her equally-busy husband of 12 years, Bill Bromberg, is a trauma surgeon with Memorial Hospital in Savannah. They moved to the Lowcountry region in August 2002 from Pennsylvania when Meghan "drew a line in the snow".  The first year following relocation, Meghan had a solo medical practice, but happily joined Coastal Empire Plastic Surgery in August 2003.

When asked how she decided on her chosen field of medicine, Meghan says definitively, "I knew what I wanted to be when I was two and a half years old. I was swimming at my grandmother's pool, and I would jump in and then propel around quickly because I couldn't touch the bottom. On one occasion, I jumped a little too close to the side of the pool, and split my chin open. It was my first trip to the emergency room, and I could see what the plastic surgeon was doing by looking at the reflection in his glasses. He was fixing me, and I thought it was pretty amazing."

It turned out to be an auspicious accident on that summer day, shaping the course of Meghan's future. "Even as a young child, I wanted to be the one to bandage someone's scrape or cut," Meghan explains.
Going to Science Camp in seventh grade further reinforced her career path. "I saw my first autopsy at Science Camp, and I was fascinated. I was always interested in science and in physical health."
In her profession, Meghan explains, "We address a variety of different needs that people have. There is a misconception that plastic surgery is all cosmetic work, but we take care of patients of accidents like I had at age two, or someone with a facial fracture, and a host of other reconstructive needs. And of course, we take care of cosmetic needs as well, so it's extremely satisfying. Someone may have a defect from cancer, and once we repair that, the patient leaves feeling whole. It's a wonderful feeling to do that for someone."
When at home, Meghan spends quality time with her daughters. "They are both early risers, many days up at 5 a.m., so we have a good amount of time together in the morning.and I cherish it.  Then in the evenings or on the weekends we are all about family time. The girls love to perform songs and plays for us, and we are a willing and appreciative audience."

To successfully juggle work and home-life, Meghan has certain strategies that work well. She and her husband try and plan their on-call times so that one of them is with the girls. Meghan's mother now lives in Savannah too, so the family circle is even larger for helping out.

Just like any working mother, some days run more smoothly than others. Justine Howland, surgical technician for Coastal Empire Plastic Surgery laughs and says, "There are days when we see Meghan walk in to the office hand-in-hand with the girls, and we know immediately what happened: she took them to school, and it turned out to be a holiday, so the girls come in to the office until the nanny or Meghan's mom can come pick them up. They love being here, so they don't mind a bit. They are proud of their mom and her career."

Meghan's calm, cool demeanor makes these hectic days seem like a walk in the park..and enjoying every aspect of her life sure doesn't hurt either.

Up Close:
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Moved to the Lowcountry: August 2002
Favorite Movie of All Time: Room with a View though now I usually just watch kids' movies!
Best Way to Relax: "Relax.what's that?!  No, actually, just hanging out with the family"
Most Enjoyable (Pre-Mommy) Pastime: Gardening