Surgical skill alone does not build a humanitarian career, and Dr. Andrew Jacono has spent much of his academic work trying to pass that lesson to younger surgeons. As Fellowship Director for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, he oversees training that covers both technique and the ethical use of specialized surgical skill.
Dr. Andrew Jacono also holds academic appointments at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and serves as Section Head of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at North Shore University Hospital. Those positions give him regular contact with medical students and residents, many of whom will eventually decide how, or whether, to build humanitarian work into their own careers.
Teaching Through Example
His own record offers a template. Dr. Jacono has performed reconstructive surgery for more than 100 survivors of domestic violence through the FACE TO FACE project, and he has treated more than 750 children abroad through missions with groups such as Healing the Children and the HUGS Foundation.
Fellows who train under him see a surgeon who maintains a demanding Park Avenue cosmetic practice while also traveling roughly twice a year to countries such as Ecuador, Thailand, and Vietnam for pediatric missions. That combination shows trainees that humanitarian commitment does not require stepping away from a competitive private practice.
A Career Built on Two Tracks
Dr. Jacono’s path traces back to a formative moment as a medical student, when he watched a young cleft lip and palate patient’s life change after reconstructive surgery. That early exposure shaped a teaching philosophy in which technical mastery and social obligation are presented as inseparable rather than competing priorities.
For fellows and residents passing through his programs, the message is consistent: surgical expertise creates the opportunity to serve patients who otherwise have no access to reconstructive care, and that opportunity carries responsibility. Refer to this article for additional information.
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