Age: 39
Occupation: Physician and Owner, Prime Hair Clinic
After completing his residency from the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine in 2017, Joseph MacDonald was on track for a career as a family doctor. But a chance encounter with pioneering hair transplantation specialist John Gillespie inspired him to change course. “I had never even heard of a hair transplant at the time — they don’t teach this at med school,” MacDonald says. “I was so intrigued with the work, to the point that I was showing up at the clinic, day after day. Dr. Gillespie taught me everything he knew.”
Eighteen months later, MacDonald took ownership of the former Gillespie Clinic, changing the name to Prime Hair Clinic and continuing the work Gillespie had been doing since 1975. The medical and surgical clinic caters to patients suffering from hair loss due to genetic causes, hormonal imbalances, injury or stress. Since 2018, MacDonald has doubled the number of hair transplants and tripled the number of hair-loss consultations at the clinic. Earlier this year, he began construction on a new hair transplant training centre, with a larger clinic space being constructed to answer increasing demand.
MacDonald is a clinical lecturer at his alma mater and a member of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, a certification body that supports the training and industry regulation of practising physicians.
He’s also part of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, which organizes conferences around the globe where leading clinics share knowledge and best practices.
“As one of only a handful of qualified hair surgeons in Canada, I feel it’s my duty to advocate for good, honest, professional standards in what is still a relatively new medical niche,” MacDonald says. “Sadly, the industry does have a dark side, with botched surgeries and snake-oil treatments. So, if part of my professional contribution is championing for integrity within the industry, I’ll be satisfied with that.”
Thank yous
“My best friend and mother of my four children, my wife Amy; my family; my mentor, John Gillespie; my amazing coworkers; and I’d like to thank a loving father in heaven and recognize that all good things come from him.”
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