Dr. Oliver Florica, MD FRACS

I graduated high school in 1984 from Gheorghe Lazar College, the most prestigious mathematics and physics institution in Bucharest and Romania. I then attended Carol Davila University, and completed my studies in 1990.

I began my internship in Romania and completed it in 1992 in Johannesburg. In 1993, I started surgical training at Groote Schuur Hospital and began a Master's Degree in Surgery at the University of Cape Town, specializing in trauma and intensive care. I returned to Johannesburg in 1994 to train at Witwatersrand University in orthopaedic trauma, bone sepsis, neuro-vascular microsurgery, and small joint arthroplasty.

In 1992, I tragically lost a close friend to crime in Johannesburg. This event prompted me to promise myself that, despite South Africa being my welcoming adoptive home, I would leave at the first opportunity.

In 1995, I accepted a job in Tasmania that was below my training level without regrets. I spent a year in unaccredited surgical training in Launceston and took an intern position in Hobart the following year. During these two years, I completed the USMLE to practice in the United States, passed the surgical training exam, and became a private pilot.

From 1997 to 2002, I completed my accredited surgical training in the combined Tasmanian-Victorian program, finishing at Royal Melbourne Hospital and passing my fellowship exam at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. During my training, I met my partner, a medical practitioner and decorated officer in the Australian special forces, with whom I've spent over twenty-five years.

Throughout those seven years of training in Australia, I was often treated as a qualified specialist, even while in intern positions. This allowed me to undergo extensive training at and above fellow level with thousands of supervised surgeries across various specialties, including general, bariatric, upper and lower GI, plastic, orthopaedic, paediatric, urology, and cardiac surgery. My first experience with cardiac bypass occurred as an intern in Hobart. I appreciated the toughness and fairness of Australian surgeons; it was rewarding to represent them well in my career. I worked in around 55 hospitals and trained under over 300 specialists, consistently receiving very good to excellent assessments in South Africa and Australia. This led me to self-proclaim myself a surgeon of excellence.

In 2001, I obtained my third citizenship.

In 2002, as a newly qualified surgeon, I started working as a locum surgeon at Goulburn Base Hospital. Just days into my new role, I treated a 19-year-old unconscious patient, Andrew Howarth, who had fallen while working. After intubation, a brain scan revealed a life-threatening clot. I received an urgent call from Canberra stating that he was deteriorating rapidly. Lacking the necessary equipment, I improvised using an orthopaedic drill to relieve the pressure, and to everyone's surprise, Andrew regained consciousness. He later expressed his gratitude for saving his life.

I then moved to Sydney and soon became the Director of Surgery at Baulkham Hills Private Hospital, often working 100-hour weeks while juggling on-call duties across multiple hospitals. My first child was born in 2002, almost on the hospital corridor as I rushed from the operating room. In 2004, I delivered my second child in the front seat of my car while on call. My wife still jokes that I was trying to push the baby back in. Now, my child is a medical student, and I plan to pass on my muscle car, an environmental disaster with a six-liter engine, to him one day.

This prompted me to step back from administrative roles and focus solely on private practice to prioritize family. I soon realized that private practice also left little room for free time. After eight years, life settled down a bit, and we welcomed another pair of children.

On January 31, 2003, I performed emergency surgery on Nauru’s President, Bernard Dowiyogo, who was experiencing a life-threatening condition during a national celebration. Despite his prior health complications, he recovered after my surgery, leading to further opportunities to assist affluent families in Nauru. In three weeks, I conducted over 30 major operations with basic surgical equipment, without any patient fatalities. My mission was to enhance surgical services in Nauru and establish an endoscopy service, part of Australia’s medical aid as compensation for accepting refugees during John Howard's tenure. For my duration, the hospital, sadly nicknamed “No Go Home,” became a sought-after destination for medical care in a struggling country. Before leaving Nauru, the president offered me the position of Nauru Surgeon, along with land and financial incentives. He even gifted me a very expensive bottle of Penfolds Grange, which turned out to be corked after I opened it many years later. I donated my locum payment to the Australian College of Surgeons for the Pacific Island Program and later donated my annual income to a Catholic hospital in Western Sydney to improve medical services in underprivileged areas.

In my private practice, I focus mainly on complex surgeries. For ten years, I was on call for emergency surgeries, sometimes working in excess of 20 days on call a month. Currently, my work centers around bariatric, plastic/cosmetic, and some digestive/colorectal and general surgery, primarily using minimally invasive techniques.

Over 20 years, I have maintained an impeccable record in Sydney, a city notorious for its litigation rates, having not faced any deaths or lawsuits, even while performing major surgeries. My cosmetic surgeries have transformed patients dramatically, showcasing the quality of my work.

In 2015, I became one of the first general surgeon in Australia to use the Da Vinci robot, pioneering the total extraperitoneal inguinal hernia mesh repair with this technology. Today, I employ flexible laparoscopic instruments, a highly technological yet affordable approach to minimally invasive surgery.

In 2015 my son was among the few privileged little children allowed into the Da Vinci headquarters lab in Silicon Valley, where he performed simulations on the Xi Da Vinci robot. He is now a medical student.

In 2019, my patients nominated me for Australian of the Year. Although I did not receive the award, I felt honored by their recognition, especially as it came from war veterans.

Beyond surgery, aviation is my lifelong passion. I own six aircraft, having built three experimentals and refurbished others. My latest acquisition is a vintage model used in the Vietnam War, which I use for family trips. I love retro aircraft and wines. I've flown my private plane to most locations in Australia and the USA, and into Montreal, Canada. One of my proudest achievements was crossing the Pacific Ocean from California to Sydney in a single-engine aircraft in 2011, making me the only pilot to accomplish this direct over-water journey in a Cessna C172.

Reflecting on my journey, I wouldn’t change a thing, though it has not been easy. Like Don Quixote battling windmills, my path has been fraught with challenges. I've made many mistakes and have regrets, but I have grown spiritually and professionally in ways I never imagined.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who has trusted and inspired me throughout my career.

I’ll conclude with a quote from one of my role models, alongside my parents:

“Every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times more...”
— Elvis Presley

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Listening to your feedback and reading your comments makes me very happy. Contact me if you have any questions, comments, information, or to request an opinion or an appointment. I will get back to you shortly. 

Dr Oliver Florica