08/09/2026
Why did I become a maxillofacial surgeon? 🤔
The short answer is… I sort of fell into it 😅
I grew up in Malta and originally trained as a dentist. For a while, I thought dentistry would be my path.
Then I decided I wanted to become an orthodontist, so I moved to Scotland to begin orthodontic training as a Senior House Officer
As part of that journey, I had to complete a placement in maxillofacial surgery - and that changed everything 🙏
I loved the breadth of the specialty. I loved being in a general hospital, working alongside different teams, seeing complex patients and dealing with such a wide range of problems.
So I went back to medical school and trained as a doctor too.
Even then, I explored plenty of other paths. At different points I thought about psychiatry, intensive care and plastic surgery. But when I entered plastic surgery training (as a Core Surgical Trainee) I realised the part I was most drawn to was always the head and neck.
That brought me back to maxillofacial surgery, where I eventually completed my specialist training, followed by fellowships in skin cancer and aesthetic surgery.
So it was definitely a roundabout route - but looking back, every part of it added something 👏
➡️ Dentistry gave me a detailed understanding of the mouth and facial structures.
➡️ Medicine broadened my view of patients as a whole.
➡️ Plastic surgery sharpened my interest in reconstruction and aesthetics.
And maxillofacial surgery brought all of those things together 👏👏👏
