Exploring Life & Business with Pamela Henderson of Pamela S. Henderson, MD PC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Henderson.

Pamela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As a young child, I really did not have any interest in medicine but I did like and excel in science and math. I also didn’t have any family influence to pursue medicine as I was only 1 of 2 out of 31 cousins who attended college with no family members in medicine.

In high school, I continued to exceed academically and was able to graduate as a co-salutatorian. During my time in high school, I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I went to try out for the badminton team. Instead of playing badminton, I was put in a back brace for a year and then had back surgery at age 16. I had been very healthy for most of my childhood so it was during this time that I was most exposed to medicine and considered it as a career option. In my high school graduation album when asked what I wanted to be, my answer was an obstetrician or an oceanographer. The last was because I grew up watching Jacques Cousteau and loved the ocean but instead of becoming an oceanographer, I became a certified scuba diver years later. As far as being an obstetrician, I guess I thought delivering babies would be fun and it also seemed like a good field as a woman. I ending up changing my mind on that though after being given the opportunity to follow an OB/GYN in his practice and realized it really wasn’t for me.

When I entered the University of Arizona with a full scholarship, I was studying for a biology degree as a premed student as I knew I still wanted to pursue medicine but wasn’t sure of the field. One day, while in my dorm room eating lunch, I was watching TV on PBS and a show about treating congenital facial birth defects came on and it struck a cord in me. I knew I wanted to pursue a field that would concentrate on facial surgery. I really wasn’t familiar with the specific medical field but later came to know that the overall field was ENT, ie ears, nose and throat or otolaryngology.

As I continued through college my plans did not change but I did change my major in my 3rd year because I was always a cautious person and I knew there was no guarantee that I would be accepted into medical school and I needed a backup degree that would have more employment opportunities than a general biology degree. I decided to change to a Health Related Sciences degree which was basically a degree as a laboratory technologist. This meant I had to complete a 5th year as an undergraduate.

I applied to medical school and was initially on the alternate list so I was thinking I was glad to have my backup plan but as fate would have it, I was accepted. I went on to be the #1 student after the first year and again tied for second upon graduation, just like in high school. I never changed my mind on wanting to perform facial surgery during my 4 years as a medical student although other students in my class did change their career path. I was matched into an ENT program in Oregon and completed my internship in general surgery and my residency in ENT at OHSU.

Some people might not know but ENT is a multifaceted field and from that, you can continue to practice general ENT or can choose to pursue sub specialties including ontology/skull base surgery, head and neck cancer surgery and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery each of which require their own additional training or fellowship. Despite enjoying aspects of all of these fields, my heart remained with facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. I completed my fellowship in St. Louis at the Facial Plastic Surgery Center with the world renowned J. Regan Thomas MD before starting my private practice in Arizona in 1994. I have now been practicing for over 30 years and have no regrets.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No one including myself would have ever thought when I was young that I would consider a career in medicine especially one that involved surgery as I would faint at the site of blood. It even happened one time when I was watching a news program on TV and a person who had been injured was on a gurney and the sheet had some blood on it. The next thing I know I am waking up to my mom shaking me because I had fainted.

My career path has not always been smooth as even in college I experienced a period of burnout with a feeling of being overwhelmed when I thought I wanted to quit altogether. I knew I had a long way to go as I still hadn’t even completed my undergraduate degree and it seemed daunting to continue with so many years still ahead of me. I called my mom who basically said just to set with it for a while and if I still wanted to quit, then that is what I should do and they would support my decision if it was permanent or just a break. I never felt pressured by anyone except myself which had always been the case.

Although medical school could be mentally, emotionally and physically challenging, I never considered quitting at that time. I still had some issues with queasiness at the site of blood when I first started my surgical rotations but I was gradually able to overcome that feeling and begin to enjoy surgery as I knew it was all in my head.

While in residency, I did face some challenges with one professor who I really didn’t like but who still taught me a lot. I guess it just goes to show if you want something bad enough you can overcome many obstacles.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pamela S. Henderson, MD PC?
I have a private practice but share office space and employees with another physician who is a general plastic surgeon. Our office offers a AAAHC accredited office based surgery suite that allows us to perform our surgeries in the convenience of the office but with the safety of an accredited facility.

I specialize in facial plastic surgery, including facelift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, ear pinning, rhinoplasty as well as others facial surgeries. I also offer nonsurgical options for facial rejuvenation as well as the traditional fillers and neurotoxins. I believe what sets me apart is my willingness to incorporate new technologies and treatments into my practice that can be an alternative to surgery or a supplementary treatment to surgery.

More and more patients are considering nonsurgical options either because they can’t have surgery, don’t want surgery or aren’t ready for surgery. Having nonsurgical options such as Agnes RF, Scarlet RF, Nouvaderm laser and FaceTite allows me to have an option for these patients that although it may not give a surgical result, may provide the benefit the patient is looking for at the time. I tell patients because I am both a surgeon and I offer nonsurgical options, I am going to be fully transparent about what they can expect in terms of benefits and risks with both options. I believe it is this honesty and openness with my patients that creates an atmosphere of trust. I am proud of this relationship that I have developed with my patients.

I feel that cosmetic surgery is about making people feel better about themselves and feeling like they look the age that they feel they are rather than making them look different. Generally, people who see me don’t want to look different, they want to look like they used to. The best compliment patients can get is that they look good or refreshed and people don’t know that they had a procedure.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I love dogs and currently have 4 ranging in age from 2 to 17 years old. I enjoy going to the beach and spending time with family. I also enjoy my working out on my pilates reformer and have recently started going back to the gym.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://azfacialplastics.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azfacialplastics
• Twitter: @PamelaHenderso6
• Other: https://www.realself.com/dr/pamela-henderson-scottsdale-az