Tim Sayed, MD, MBA, FACS has earned his education and completed training at some of the most competitive and top-ranked institutions in America. From a young age, coming from a family of engineers and physicians, he was drawn to a career in surgery which would allow him to balance intellectual and problem-solving skills and creativity. As a youngster, he was fortunate to be able to explore the laboratories at the University of Utah, where the first successful artificial heart program was developed, and quickly decided a career in surgery would allow him to apply engineering technologies to help solve problems of the human condition. This has led to his unique career contributing to his profession as a leading plastic surgeon as well as to the development of new technologies for physicians.
Dr. Sayed is proud to have been one of the top performers among his peers at every level of his education and training, from graduating valedictorian of the largest graduating high school class in the State of Texas, to finishing the highly demanding electrical engineering and computer sciences program at Berkeley (generally ranked in the top 3 engineering programs in the world by US News & World Report), to being inducted into the Alpha Omega Medical Honor Society, an honor bestowed upon only the Top 10% of medical school graduates. His medical school class at The University of California, San Francsico (UCSF) was ranked #1 in the US for student selectivity by US News & World Report for the entering class of 1992. UCSF is routinely ranked among the top 3-5 schools in this comprehensive survey and is often the only major research medical school to also earn a top 5 ranking for its primary care program, speaking to the breadth of its curriculum and focus on producing physicians who excel at both the science and gentle art of medical practice.
Dr. Sayed was accepted into his first choice, the top-ranked Surgical Residency at Harvard Medical School’s oldest and most prestigious teaching hospital, The Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was humbled to follow in the footsteps of giants who have shaped the profession of surgery since 1811. The MGH proudly ranked #1 on the 2015-2016 US News ranking of Top Hospitals. During his time at MGH, Dr. Sayed was respected among his peers for his work ethic, technical skills, bedside manner, artistic talents and clinical acumen. There, his interest in plastic surgery was further nurtured with rigorous rotations on the plastic surgery, burn management, pediatric surgery, trauma, orthopedic surgery and other services. He was privileged to learn under international plastic surgical leaders like Dr. James W. May, and served a three-month intensive stint as the chief resident of the Boston Shriners Burn Hospital service, taking care of the acute and reconstructive needs of children from around the world with burns and other deformities. After completing the traditional, longer five-year general surgery pathway on his way to matching into the highly selective plastic surgery residency match, he then returned to UCSF to undergo further specialty training in plastic surgery.
At UCSF, he scrubbed with some of the plastic surgical profession’s most acclaimed innovators and leaders, including the late Dr. Stephen J. Mathes (who introduced the classification of complex flap surgery, a cornerstone of reconstructive surgery techniques), Dr. Ronald Gruber (one of the world’s preeminent rhinoplasty surgeons, with whom Dr. Sayed performed research and wrote two peer-reviewed papers), Dr. James Anthony (one of San Francisco’s top-rated cosmetic surgeons – check your in-flight magazines!), Dr. William Hoffman (a mentor, brilliant craniofacial surgeon and current chairman of UCSF Plastic Surgery), Dr. Gilbert Gradinger (a pioneer of aesthetic surgery techniques), Dr. Jack Owsley (originator of one of the most revered and durable facelift techniques, the deep-plane facelift), and Dr. Harry Buncke (considered the father of microsurgery, the highly technical discipline that makes face transplants, replantation of amputated limbs, and other complex reconstructive surgery possible). Dr. Sayed served as Chief Resident at UCSF and was highly recruited by both academic and private practices upon completion of residency.
Dr. Sayed’s next move was to South Florida, where he rapidly established a reputation as a leader in the medical community. Dr. Sayed was appointed to the medical staff of 10 hospitals in Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, served as the Medical Director of a hospital wound care center, and was on the medical advisory boards of several hospital-based Breast Cancer centers. During his tenure in Palm Beach, he served in several leadership roles in the Palm Beach County Medical Society, Florida Medical Association, and hospital committees, and earned membership in The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, The Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons, The Palm Beach County Society of Plastic Surgeons, and other plastic surgery organizations. He continues to serve in leadership roles at the national level in plastic surgery professional societies and is recognized as a leader in emerging trends and technologies and public education. While practicing in Palm Beach, he was appointed to the clinical faculty at The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the University of Vermont School of Medicine, educating the next generation of medical students and surgical residents.
After nearly a decade honing his skills at cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, Dr. Sayed was asked to build an electronic medical record for plastic surgeons by one of America’s fastest-growing healthcare software startups. This product earned a #1 ranking among such products for plastic surgeons by BlackBook Market Research, a major professional research organization. He further leveraged his technology background serving as an advisor to healthcare startups targeting wellness and weight management, medical education, home care for elders and the disabled, and venture investing in the healthcare tech space. Along the way, he managed to find time to complete the Executive MBA Program at Northwestern University’s renowned Kellogg School of Management, the #1 Executive MBA program in Bloomberg Businessweek’s ranking (and #2 on Poets and Quants, a business school review site). This added highly coveted credential positions him to continue to advance his leadership, mentorship, innovation and public education skills.
Dr. Sayed also took a particularly “deep dive” into refining his skills at some of the latest cosmetic techniques coming out of this competitive market, including the Brazilian Buttlift fat grafting procedure, Vaser liposuction, Liquid Facelift, PRP and other approaches. As a consummate student, he has been able to sift through the hype and embrace those techniques that work, are safe, provide highly reproducible results and lead to satisfied patients in the hands of properly trained, board-certified plastic surgeons. He has been featured as an expert on local TV and radio programs discussing novel technologies, cosmetic plastic surgery patient safety and the ethical practice of cosmetic surgery. While we’re talking about education here, Dr. Sayed wants to remind readers that cosmetic surgery is a discipline that was developed by plastic surgeons and is a subspecialty of plastic surgery. If you are considering cosmetic surgery, please read more in Dr. Sayed’ virtual classroom about how to properly select a board-certified plastic surgeon for your procedure.
Dr. Sayed is proud to bring this talented background and extensive experience to Southern California, where he is becoming one of the most talked-about plastic surgeons on the scene. His boutique plastic surgery practice focuses on creating an amazing patient experience, achieving beautiful and natural looking results, and approaching every patient with an exclusive focus on their cosmetic goals delivered safely. We are proud to call this methodology Aesthetics Done Right™.
Education & Residency
The University of California, Berkeley
Undergraduate: 1988-1992
B.S., Highest Honors, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
EECS Honors Program, Phi Beta Kappa
The University of California, San Francisco
Medical School: 1992-1996
M.D., Alumni-Faculty Award for Academic Excellence
Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society
The Massachusetts General Hospital
Surgery Residency: 1996-2001
Department of Surgery
Nominee, Housestaff Teaching Award, Harvard Medical School
The University of California, San Francisco
Plastic Surgery Residency: 2001-2003
Division of Plastic Surgery
Chief Resident 2002-2003
The Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
Business School: 2011-2013
M.B.A., Executive MBA Program, Miami Campus
Board Certification and Professional Memberships
2002: Diplomate, American Board of Surgery (Board Certified in General Surgery)
2004: Diplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery (Board Certified in Plastic Surgery)
2005: Fellow, American College of Surgeons
2006: Active Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
2007: Active Member, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)
2017: California Medical Association
Licenses
Hospital Privileges (Current)
- Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach, CA
- Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, CA
- Florida Medical Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Tim Sayed, MD, MBA, FACS has earned many awards and honors in his distinguished career, including accolades for his scholarship, his expertise in the beauty industry, and his care for his patients. Below is a gallery of some of the distinctions he has earned as a premier plastic surgeon and a lifelong leader among his peers.
Top Plastic Surgeons
Consumer Research Council Top Plastic Surgeons 2013-16
Top Beauty Experts
New Beauty Top Beauty Experts 2013
Avvo Superb Doctors
Avvo Superb Doctors 10/10 Rating 2012
Avvo Superb Doctors
Avvo Superb Doctors 9/10 Rating 2011
Patients’ Choice
Patients’ Choice Award American Registry 2009
Patients Choice
Patients’ Choice Award American Registry 2008
Harvard Med School
Nominee for Housestaff Teaching Award 1997
Alumni Faculty Award
UCSF Alumni Faculty Award for Academic Excellence 1996
Alpha Omega Alpha
AOA Medical Honor Society Top 10% of UCSF Medical Graduates
EECS Honors Program
Highest Honors (Summa Cum Laude) Graduate 1992
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa Oldest College Honor Society 1991
Tau Beta Pi
National Engineering Honor Society 1991
Eta Kappa Nu
National Electrical Engineering Honor Society 1991
National Merit Scholar
National Merit Scholarship Plano Senior High School 1988
Valedictorian
Valedictorian Plano Senior High School 1988