Rebecca Nicholas, MBBS, FRCS(Plast), MSc, EBHS
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Rebecca Nicholas, MBBS, FRCS(Plast), MSc, EBHS, board certified Plastic Reconstructive, Hand and Microvascular surgeon, will be joining our practice starting November 1, 2024.
Dr. Nicholas is a UK-trained & board certified Plastic Reconstructive, Hand and Microvascular surgeon, fully licensed to practice in New York. Having attained Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in the Specialty of Plastic Surgery (FRCS(Plast)) she went on to achieve the prestigious specialist qualification of the European Board in Hand Surgery Examination (EBHS) awarded to surgeons recognized as specialists in the field of hand surgery in Europe. Dr. Nicholas has performed over 3000 surgical procedures to date with particular expertise in all types of hand surgery; pediactric and adult, trauma, nerve repair, reconstruction, transfer and decompression (including carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel), hand fractures, tendon repair and transfers, tumors including vascular anomalies, arthritis, Dupuytren’s disease, infections, burns, soft-tissue reconstruction of the hand including digital replantation, and congenital hand differences, in addition to complex skin cancer reconstruction (located anywhere on the body or face).
Dr. Nicholas trained at the University of Edinburgh and Barts and the London Medical School, followed by more than 10 years of surgical training in Oxford and London’s teaching hospitals and post-certification hand surgery Fellowship experience at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. She trained in pediatric hand surgery at the internationally renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital, as well as extensive periods of training at The Royal Free Hospital (London), The Royal London Hospital, and training in major burns surgery and reconstruction at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. More recently, Dr. Nicholas has been a Research & Teaching Fellow at NYU Langone (non-traditional volunteer), making significant contributions to their research and teaching programs to improve surgical techniques and patient outcomes, particularly in the area of hand surgery. She delivered the NYU Fellows & Residents Hand Division Teaching Program on Soft Tissue Coverage of the Hand: Skin Grafts & Flaps, organized and led the Best Practices in Upper Extremity Nerve Repair Course at the Axogen Lab with NYU, and was teaching faculty on the Upper Extremity Flap Reconstruction & Brachial Plexus Surgery training courses. Moreover, Dr. Nicholas spearheaded the Inaugural NYU International Symposium on Pediatric Hand Conditions in 2024.
Dr. Nicholas is committed to medical research and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and more than 75 national and international scientific presentations. Her research has led to improvements in patient care, such as the validation and implementation of the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale for Keloid Disease, now recognized as the gold standard in clinical practice. She has also received awards and prizes for her research and publications from numerous organizations including: The British Association for Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (BAPRAS) and The Healing Foundation Research Council Research Elective Award, for her research on disfigurement and visible loss of function; Women in Surgery (WinS); The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng), The Society of Academic & Research Surgery (SARS); and in 2021 she received the Best Pediatric / Craniofacial Paper Award from the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) Journal, an award to recognize outstanding contributions to the field of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, presented by the highest-ranked plastic surgery-focused publication globally.
A committed educator, Dr Nicholas also has a Masters (MSc) in Medical Education and extensive medical teaching experience: She has organized, run, taught and examined on national and international surgical courses, including serving as teaching faculty on over 20 surgical courses to date. She also holds a First-class Honors Degree (BSc) in International Health & Development and throughout her career has shown an unwavering commitment to global health and international surgical education, particularly in developing countries. She has provided voluntary medical service and teaching in India, South Africa and Uganda, served as the President of Trainees for the British Foundation for International Reconstructive Surgery and Training (BFIRST), was the founder and subsequent Chair of Overseas Trainees Committee for the British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH), as well as co-leading the inaugural BSSH Hand Trauma Course at Kiziizi Hospital in Uganda, delivering training in hand anatomy, assessment, and trauma management to 42 delegates from 22 regional units across Uganda.
Dr. Nicholas’ philosophy is to harmonize outstanding clinical practice with compassionate patient-centred care:
“As a mother who understands the importance of prioritizing my family alongside a fulfilling career, I believe in creating an environment where patients of all ages feel respected and listened to, and making children and their parents feel at ease. This enables me to discern my patients’ priorities and hear any concerns before tailoring my surgical approach to deliver outstanding patient-centred care.”
