Dr. Tim Hulsey could have taken his interest in medicine in a few different directions. He had done research, been in general surgery and did a pediatrics rotation when he was a medical student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. I loved pediatrics, he said. But Hulsey didnt believe it was his destiny to be a medical doctor for children. A plastic surgery residency changed how he wanted to help people. I get to work with all ages and from the tips of the toes to the top of the head, said Hulsey, who has been a plastic surgeon in Bowling Green for 20 years. Im not sure if there is anything as challenging as taking the body apart and putting it back together again. Hulseys career encompasses a large area of medicine. He does reconstructive surgery for cancer patients and helps close wounds that wont heal for diabetics. He also does face lifts, breast reduction surgery, liposuction, breast augmentation and more. It gives me a wide variety of things to do, he said. A Bowling Green native, Hulsey knew at an early age that he wanted to be a doctor and practice in his hometown. It started in sixth grade, he said. I had a teacher who taught a lot of anatomy. Hulsey received a bachelor of science degree from Western Kentucky University before going to medical school at Vanderbilt, where he spent 12 years. When he returned to Bowling Green, he was the first plastic surgeon here, Hulsey said. It was different, he said. Some of the starting up was getting other physicians used to referring things to a plastic surgeon. It was something they werent used to. Moving back to Bowling Green was actually a plus, Hulsey said. Its been a great experience. I knew a lot of physicians when I came back, he said. Some people say its hard to go home, but I havent had that problem. Its rewarding to come back to see people I grew up with. I dont think I would have been happy living anywhere else in the world. Hulsey takes his operating skills on the road occasionally. He works with the Commission for Children With Special Needs and sometimes does plastic surgery on children who need it. He has also been to Guatemala and China to operate on children with cleft palates and other defects. Ive been there 13 times to operate, he said of Guatemala. It helps keep my skills up. I see lots more cleft palates there than here. The incidence here has dropped. Although he does a variety of different surgeries, Hulsey doesnt see operating as his biggest challenge. Ive been operating for 29 years. I feel comfortable doing operations, he said. The challenge is getting patients to change to be healthier. Most doctors have that problem. Its getting my patients to do the things I tell them to do to keep them out of trouble like to not smoke before the operation because theyll have difficulty healing. Hulsey said he couldnt imagine having a different career. It makes a difference in the rest of their lives, he said of his patients surgeries. There arent many people lucky enough to change the world, but I do.