A maxillofacial and aesthetic surgeon in private practice, Haifa Fodha was born in Mahdia and was twice Tunisian handball champion before moving to Tunis for her internship and residency. In this interview with La Sultane, she looks back on a medical and sporting journey carried by perseverance and humility, balancing professional life and motherhood.
A woman of many facets
Haifa Fodha is a maxillofacial and aesthetic surgeon, a discipline she has devoted herself to. She already leads a life that is full and interesting in many respects. Mother, wife, surgeon, athlete, and lover of art and comedy, all at once. She is also a woman of strong values: a role model for younger generations in search of inspiration.
A meeting at home
We meet Haifa at her home, where she immediately puts us at ease and opens up to us about her profession, her childhood and her experience.
An early, sporting childhood
Born in Mahdia and enrolled in school at four and a half, she was precocious in everything she did. At 10, she took up handball and won the Tunisian championship twice. She was always supported by her mother, who trusted her and used to say of her: "she can do both, succeed in her sporting career and her studies at the same time."
Sport as a school of life
Handball allowed Haifa to develop a sense of sharing, teamwork, and respect for others, ingredients that proved essential to her training and practice as a doctor.
From dreams of flying to the path of medicine
At 17, baccalaureate in hand, she wanted to become a pilot, like many young people who see their dreams in the clouds, but her father, a surgeon himself, saw a doctor in the making and advised her toward a medical career.
Learning the craft in Monastir
Five years in Monastir brought her a life rich in contacts and learning. Her time as an extern at the hospital allowed her to satisfy her curiosity and develop humility as she discovered the sheer breadth of knowledge a good doctor must absorb and master.
The operating theatre, a revelation
"From my very first days in the operating theatre, I understood that surgery was made for me. There, I met professionals of great quality who led by example. I tried to take the best from each of them, carrying forward their love for our science."
The internship, starting out in Tunis, and residency
"At 22, I began my internship, I met my husband, and that's when I settled in Tunis. I still had to pass my residency, which I think is one of the hardest ordeals in the life of a specialist doctor…"
Maxillofacial surgery: a choice of both heart and reason
"Maxillofacial and aesthetic surgery seemed to offer the best balance between professional and personal life… I started my placement at Charles Nicolle Hospital."
A second home at the hospital
"I am, moreover, deeply grateful to all the teams and doctors who mentored me there, the paramedics, the nurses, the staff… a true second home for me."
The hospital, a school of humanity
Four years of residency teach us to be human, to manage complex situations and to give the best of ourselves at every moment. The hospital is a micro-system where you learn about life.
While continuing her training, she had her two children:
"Being young, having my friends and my family to support me, allowed me to grow with a great deal of serenity."
The assistantship and a decisive choice
"I had to choose between staying in Tunisia or going abroad… I decided to stay, and I don't regret my decision."
Mentoring, research and community involvement
"I was mentoring residents and externs. I was already organising scientific conferences and publishing my research… I joined the Tunisian society of aesthetic surgery that same year…"
Going into private practice: a new adventure
"I wanted to set up in private practice, to have my own challenges, to build my team the way I saw fit… So I began practising surgery and aesthetic medicine…"
A commitment to public education
"As aesthetic surgeons, we have a duty to explain what we do… I started producing a series of educational videos about our specialty…"
Informing and reassuring the public
"In them, I explain, in simple terms, in Tunisian dialect… the side effects, the recommendations… I also try to temper the over-exposure of failures or excesses in the media…"
Championing Tunisian excellence
"I also started building relationships with colleagues abroad… Medical training in Tunisia is excellent… That's why our expertise exports so well…"
A vision rooted in humility and love of the craft
Haifa is convinced that succeeding in her profession requires perseverance, hard work and humility, while remaining convinced that self-confidence and love for others form the bedrock of success.
Her journey at a glance
| Stage | Marker |
|---|---|
| Birth | Mahdia |
| Sport | Handball from age 10, twice Tunisian champion |
| Baccalaureate | At 17 |
| Medical training | Five years in Monastir (externship) |
| Internship | Started at 22, in Tunis |
| Residency | Four years, specialising in maxillofacial and aesthetic surgery |
| Hospital placement | Charles Nicolle Hospital |
| Practice | Private practice |
| Distinction | Cover of La Sultane #37 |
Contact details
- 📞 +216 20 220 882
- 📧 drhaifafodha@gmail.com
- 🌐 www.drhaifafodha.com
- 📱 Facebook: Dr Haifa Fodha
Haifa Fodha was on the cover of La Sultane #37
