I started off in the medical industry as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse with the intent of becoming a surgeon. The realization to become a surgeon started much earlier when I was six years old. The revelation came during a check-up with my pediatrician. I wanted to know why he put this black tube that connected to his ears on my chest during each visit. He explained he was listening to my heart to make sure it was healthy.
I wanted to know why he put this black tube that connected to his ears on my chest during each visit. He explained he was listening to my heart to make sure it was healthy.

I questioned if there were other things to listen to in my chest, and he replied, yes: organs. As a precocious six-year-old, I needed to know more.

Como un niño precoz de seis años, necesitaba saber más. La siguiente pregunta fue «¿cómo se arreglan las cosas internas cuando algo sale mal?» Dijo que «un médico debe cortar el tórax para arreglar el interior». Le pregunté: «¿eres ese doctor?» Él dijo: «no, eso se llama cirujano». Inmediatamente me volví hacia mi madre y le dije: “¡Voy a ser cirujana!”

The follow up question was “how do you fix things inside when something goes wrong?” He stated, “a doctor must cut through the chest to fix the inside.” I asked, “are you that doctor?” He said, “no that’s called a surgeon.” I immediately turned to my mother and said, “I am going to be a surgeon!”

Decades later after finishing nursing school, medical school, two residencies and two fellowships, my early career concentrated in breast reconstruction.

This allowed me to use my skills both in restoring function, but also in achieving the ideal form (the individual’s perceived aesthetic result). As my career advanced, my surgical interests shifted from reconstruction to more aesthetics.

Al principio fue estimulante, pero también frustrante, aprender de primera mano sobre una cultura y una religión extranjeras. Tuve que adaptar rápidamente mis habilidades de comunicación pero conservar mi ética y juicio médicos. Sólo porque un hombre me dijo que tenía que operar a su esposa no significa que tenga que hacerlo, ¿o no? Todavía necesitaba establecer una relación con el paciente, conocer su historial médico e identificar contraindicaciones, si las hubiera, antes de su procedimiento. Una vez completada, finalmente puedo realizar la cirugía.

It wasn’t until 2014, after losing both my parents within a six-month period, my life and surgical focus changed. I accepted a surgical position in the Middle East.

Mis cuatro años allí fueron desafiantes, frustrantes y estimulantes, pero lo más importante es que mi experiencia me permitió convertirme en un verdadero cirujano estético.

I received many email correspondences in the past requesting a female plastic surgeon, each of these being deleted as soon as I completed reading them. However, something changed in 2014 and I finally responded.

I accepted a part-time position in Dubai. This entailed commuting every six weeks from New York City to Dubai and participating in a private aesthetic practice. I would see 50- 100 patients in two days followed by a week of surgery. Muslim women are required to have a female surgeon for non-emergency surgeries. I was the perfect fit.