What we truly love about Dr Carole is that her motivation is simple… to enable her patients to feel happy in their own skin.

Every patient has a different wish to help them look and feel their best. For Dr Azzam, the key is understanding their needs and guiding them on the path to self-confidence. A passionate fitness enthusiast and believer in the power of good nutrition, Dr Azzam takes a holistic approach to her work.

When one patient came to her after losing 30kg through months of sheer hard work, but still with excess skin that couldn’t be helped with diet and exercise, Dr Azzam was able to put the finishing touches on her weight loss journey and give her the shape she had always wanted.

The body lift procedure was able to improve the shape and tone of the underlying tissue and excess fat and skin were removed leaving the patient with a long-lasting result that reflected her new health and fitness regime. Dr Azzam also specialises in a unique breast reduction technique which minimises scarring. This procedure was refined and popularized at the renowned University Brugmann Hospital in Brussels, Belgium where she worked as a fellow after her residency.

What led you to train as a surgeon (who or what inspired you)?
I’ve been inspired by my great uncle who used to be a transplant surgeon in Boston. When I was a medical student, my first training was surgical training and the first time I entered an operating theater, I knew immediately that it was exactly where I wanted to be. I felt naturally comfortable in the atmosphere of the operating room; I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. Then, being a woman, and having a sensitivity for beauty and harmony, I chose the field of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.

How did you finance your studies? Did you have family support, work part-time etc?
Family support. My dad used to support me not only financially but also by giving me strong mental support. I owe him my success.

What was your family’s attitude to money? Were they spenders or savers?
I would say both! Mostly savers but they could also spend money to enjoy life, especially my dad! It was quite well balanced in that way.

Has your profession allowed you the financial independence you hoped?
Yes indeed, and this financial independence has always been paramount for me. I believe it is incredibly important to be able to support yourself and feel secure.

Has your attitude to spending and saving changed as your career has progressed?
Yes absolutely! When I look back to when I started to earn my own money, I used to spend everything I earned. It was a way I felt I could enjoy my free time and indulge myself during my residency when those free moments were rare! Then I started to save and invest my money wisely.

In my opinion, it’s good to build your future with savings, but it’s also good to enjoy the moment and buy something “crazy” because you feel like pleasing yourself!

It is well documented that male surgeons earn considerably more than females do (some sources cite as much as 55% more). Why do you think this is?
I don’t necessarily think this is the case across the board. But where it does happen, one possible explanation is that men still feel their biggest responsibility is to support their family, so they need to work more to earn more money.

Women are more likely to take time out for children and other family responsibilities… even if they have some help, women usually have to give directions and make sure that everything has been done properly. They have another part time job!

Do you think the wage gap is one of the reasons there are fewer female than male plastic surgeons?
I don’t think so, because it is not the motivation when you start your residency. To be able to complete your residency and invest that level of hard work, you really need to have other aspirations than just money. It really is a vocation.

If there are fewer females, it could be because you sacrifice a minimum of 13 years of your life to get your training at a young age. And then you have to get started in order to build your reputation, which takes another few years… Not all women want that commitment.

What advice would you give to women who want to enter a profession in which they see men appearing to reap greater rewards? 
I don’t really agree that the rewards are less. There are other considerations to take into account when considering a career in surgery, which I believe are much more important than the financial aspect. For example, the commitment it takes which may lead to a delay in getting married or having kids, sacrificing your youth, a lot of hard work, etc… I think that if you feel that it is the right profession for you, then you should do it!

I don’t look at how much my colleagues earn. I think we can all earn enough money in this world. The most important thing is to make money doing the right things, and respecting patients.

What gives you the most satisfaction about your job?
Making my patients happy.

What have been some of your most important lessons about money?
Money is not the ultimate goal in life! It’s good to have money, don’t get me wrong. But nowadays, there is a distortion of the good values of life. It’s all about money everywhere, in every field, in every country.

At some point, you go back to nature, real things, true people…

What are your biggest financial achievements?
Real estate.

How hard was it to open your own practice in Belgium? Did it mean making many sacrifices?
Not very hard. After I completed my residency, I was lucky to work in different places (private practices and university teaching departments), which were very popular with patients thanks to very good plastic surgeons. I took advantage of this good reputation, and then I opened my own practice thanks to a colleague who helped me with his good advice and support.

For me, the sacrificing time was during residency, because you have no personal life. In French, we use this saying: “corveable à merci”; it means that as a resident, you’re kind of exploited. Now, things have changed and residents have a much smaller workload.

Do you notice women displaying different attitudes to spending money on looking good here in Dubai compared to Europe?
There is no doubt that women are spending more in Dubai than in Europe. Dubai is a place where people like to dress beautifully, there are plenty of nice restaurants and bars, there are unbelievable cars, etc… Dubai is the place to spend and looking good is a big part of that!

Who is your typical client?
I have learnt that when it comes to aesthetic surgery, there really is no typical client. And especially in this environment you see so many different types of patients both male and female from all walks of life. One thing they share is the desire to look and feel their best.

Why did you move to Dubai?
The main reasons are the sunny weather (which does wonders for your mood), tax conditions and quality of life.

How have you seen your work change the lives of other women?
When a woman feels beautiful, she gains confidence. And with confidence, everything is possible – not only professionally but also in her personal life. I have seen many cases where women were troubled for years by something viewed as an imperfection and to see them look at themselves in the mirror with pride is one of the best parts of my job.

Contact details for Dr Carole’s clinic in Dubai are as follows Aesthetics International, Al Wasl Rd, www.aesthetics.ae; +971 4 346 9 888.