Meet The First Lady Of Plastic Surgery:  Carol Hollan, M.D., F.A.C.S.

About the only thing missing in Dr. Carol Hollan’s office or home are the soulful strains of Aretha singing, “You make me feel like a natural woman.”  That’s precisely what Carol Hollan is and how she makes each of her female patients feel.

She may not be the first lady of soul, but she is the first female plastic surgeon in San Diego to be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons.   Trained also in internal medicine and orthopedics, Dr. Hollan realized as a youngster that she wanted to be a plastic surgeon.  And with her enthusiastic dedication to fulfilling her goals, no one was surprised when she graduated from the University of Florida Medical School and achieved her dream.

Physician:  Know Thyself

Students at UCSD know know Dr. Hollan as an engaging Clinical Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery. Her post-mastectomy patients know her as a caring reconstructionist who understands their emotions as well as their bodies.  All her clients know her as an empowering physician who enables them to tap into their inner strength and outer beauty.  Underprivileged people in Mexico know her as an Interface Program surgeon who helps them regain their health and self-esteem.  Her husband and grown daughter know her as an energetic lover of life.  Her Pilates instructor knows her as a dedicated exerciser who strives to get the most out of her precious workout time.

And Carol Hollan?  She knows medicine, she knows people and she knows herself.

Speaking of her mastectomy patients, Dr. Hollan shows her healing abilities.  “Reconstructing the breast is a process that takes place over a long period. By the time a patient leaves here, they are family.”

Men, too, appreciate Dr. Hollan”s nurturing approach and warm empathy;, making up a substantial portion of her practice.  Everyone is drawn like a magnet to this very human and humanitarian surgeon’s beautifully reassuring smile.

Energy permeates Carol Hollan’s being, and she has a constant sparkly in her eye.  Her fun is her work, and her work is her fun. 

Carol Hollan, M.D., F.A.C.S.,
The First Lady Of Plastic Surgery

 “I’d like to garden,”  she confides, smiling,  “if I were a real person with time.”  For now, hiking (she recently enjoyed a Grand Canyon excursion) and traveling a bit will have to suffice for the big events. She also finds time three thimes a week to devote to her Pilates exercise program, which she pursues with a passion.

Dr. Hollan At Home . . .
How Unique!

After visiting her medical office and getting a glimpse of Dr. Hollan’s special skills (both surgical and people skills), I was thrilled to meet her again on her own turf - - a graceful hilltop home in Escondido.  It was a sanctuary of peace and tranquility, a home that reflects her appreciation for art and balance.

Indeed, much of the inspiring artworks were pieces crafted by those upon whom Dr. Hollan had worked her own art:  her patients.  One large, intense painting was created by an abused woman who required extensive reconstruction.  As therapy, the patient depicted on canvas what becoming well and whole meant to her.

In addition to reconstructing patients physically and emotionally, Dr. Hollan has undergone her own spiritual reconstructions. Through Land Mark Forum, International, she has gained new insights, discovering “how to make things happen and enjoy the freedom to generate yourself.  I’ve learned to tap into the tools to feel this empowerment on a constant basis.”

To overcome the managed care constrictions that she believes “make it almost impossible for a doctor to build a personalized, successful practice,”   she engaged in exercises “in seeing myself outside of the practice,”   realizing she was a physician but she also existed outside of the designation.

“I could be an artist,”  she learned.  “I would like to be a part of what beauty is in all things.  There is a beauty in people and education.”

 Transformations >