Becoming a Cosmetic & Plastic surgeon is the natural evolution of my background, interests, aptitudes and enthusiasm. My career goal is to become a well-trained Cosmetic and plastic surgeon, capable of excellence in both clinical patient care and Clinical research that can advance Medical Science. I was born and raised in South Africa, and was inspired from an early age by my parents' careers as an architect and art historian. I was drawn to the health sciences and entered medical school. I soon became interested in a surgical career and was drawn to plastic surgery because of its diversity, intellectual challenges and technical demands. I was also fascinated in the artistry and design elements of the specialty.

I was admitted into a Plastic Surgery residency in South Africa, where I gained a considerable depth of experience in basic plastic surgery techniques at an early stage. During the following few years of residency training I was exposed to reconstructive surgery, head and neck, burn, microsurgery and Cosmetic surgery. I had the opportunity to perform over eight hundred cases as a primary resident surgeon in my first two years, and a total of over five thousand cases over the span of my training.

Although my clinical training in South Africa was adequate, research opportunities were few and political and social instability were great. Although I strove to engage in clinical research in South Africa and studied therapeutic treatments for keloids, a large problem in the South African population, progress, interest, and funding was short. When presenting my work at a national meeting, I met Dr. John Reinisch, division head of plastic surgery at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. After discussing my career and research goals with Dr. Reinisch, he offered me a research fellowship in the Cleft/Craniofacial division at Childrens Hospital. I relocated to Los Angeles in April 2000.

I look forward to the opportunity of serving my community through my cosmetic, plastic, and reconstructive surgery skills and training. My clinical experience and research exposure have given me maturity and insight, which allows me to be a strong Cosmetic & Plastic/reconstructive Surgeon. I offer excellence in Cosmetic, Plastic, & Reconstructive surgery, with an emphasis on all three stages of the surgical experience: Education & counseling, the surgery, and especially the post-operative experience. I still have patients referring friends and family to me years afterwards, and am privileged to have touched many peoples lives, and souls through my work.