When asked to reflect on her professional journey, Cary plastic surgeon Cynthia Gregg points to a quotation in a frame on her desktop, from Frederick Buechner, a Presbyterian minister: ‘The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.’

“That quote means so much to me,” she says. “I think of my life’s journey as climbing a ladder, and my faith is what I lean my ladder against. And I am so blessed that the joy that I find in my work—what Rev. Buechner calls ‘deep gladness’—is something that allows me to be of service to others.”

In plastic surgery, Dr. Gregg did indeed find work that she loves. “My mother told me that, as a young child, I announced I was going to be a doctor,” she says. “Probably even then I understood that I liked taking care of people, and medicine was a way to be of service. But when I got into surgery, I realized I had truly found my path. I love science; I love the challenge of problem solving; and I’ve always loved working with my hands—I grew up playing clarinet, crocheting, and embroidering. Plastic surgery is precise, meticulous work and, by blending artistry with surgical precision, it provides the balance I seek in my work.

“What I have come to appreciate,” she adds, “is that this work is much more. Facial plastic surgery—whether restorative or cosmetic—is very personal and intimate. In so many ways, it is about service—about meeting the very real needs of each individual patient.” 

Mission Work

Dr. Gregg is well known and respected for her exceptional skill as a plastic surgeon. But to know her truly is to understand the role of service in her life—service that is deeply rooted in her faith.

No better example of this is the mission work that has been an important part of her personal and professional life since 2009. Twice a year, she travels with Samaritan’s Purse to places where access to skilled cosmetic surgery is limited or nonexistent. She is part of a team that provides reconstructive surgery for children and adults with cleft lips and palates. Most recently, she has worked in South Sudan, but over the years the team has also served patients in Kenya, Bolivia, and Myanmar.

“On these missions,” she explains, “our team performs 60-80 surgeries in a week for patients who would not otherwise have access to the surgery. It’s a simple corrective procedure for a common birth defect. But, if left untreated, that birth defect is life-altering.”

The surgery is demanding, she says, but incredibly rewarding. “The mission work I do is such a gift—a spiritual high—in my life,” says Dr. Gregg. “It is such a clear example of finding that ‘place where deep gladness and deep hunger meet’—where I’m able to use my talents and skills to fulfill one of the world’s needs.”

Lessons Learned

That ‘place,’ however, is not found only in South Sudan. And Dr. Gregg’s lifelong commitment to service is a thread woven into all aspects of her career and is reflected every day in her Cary practice.

“My patients have taught me so much,” says Dr. Gregg. “I’ve learned that this professional journey is one of deep personal connections, one patient, one surgery at a time. Plastic surgery is transformational; there’s nothing ‘superficial’ about it. It’s about making how someone looks on the outside match how they feel inside; it’s about restoring a fundamental balance in someone’s life. And choosing to make that change takes courage.

“I have yet to go on a mission trip,” she says, “and not be blown away by the courage, resilience, and deep faith of my patients and their families. I have met so many mothers who traveled for days on foot—and were then willing to trust their children to a foreign doctor—in the hope of making their child’s life better. That takes a level of courage and trust that is awe-inspiring.

“But that’s no less true of my Cary patients,” she says. “This work is so intimate, so personal. And, whether it’s a mother of a child walking miles to get help or someone willing to acknowledge their own self-worth and to reach for help, it’s about courage. Because it takes courage for my patients to expose their vulnerability, to open up, and to reach for help in making themselves whole.”

Courage and Trust

“My patients inspire me every day with their courage,” says Dr. Gregg. “What’s equally powerful is their trust. They are not only willing to share their vulnerability, they also place their trust in me and my staff. It’s an awesome responsibility. And honoring that trust is the foundation of my practice.

“I truly believe that everywhere you work, every place you live can be your mission field,” she says. “And I thank God every day for this practice and especially for the staff. I really feel that He’s gathered a remarkable group of people here—with so many special and unique skills and talents. I just feel blessed to work with them!

“And we all share a commitment to service—and understand that service is not a commodity. We don’t look at patients as procedures; we look at them as people. And we understand that each patient’s ‘journey’ is different. Our job is to understand that unique journey and to help them meet the need that brought them to us.”