Congratulations to Dr. Joyce Chen on being elected Chairman,
Department of Plastic Surgery, Hoag Hospital Newport Beachand Hoag Hospital Irvine!

Meet Dr. Chen

Meet Dr. Joyce C. Chen

Dr. Joyce C. Chen is a board certified, double fellowship-trained, female plastic surgeon, who after completing over a decade of surgical training after medical school, has dedicated her life to helping people feel better about themselves through plastic surgery. She genuinely believes that “outward transformation can help augment one’s inner confidence towards living a happier, healthier, and more beautiful life”.

Dr. Chen combines her creative artistry, depth of knowledge, and breadth of experience towards helping her patients reach their aesthetic goals. She is both compassionate and passionate about providing excellence in both patient care and surgical treatment. Her surgical training, leadership ability, research acuity, and exceptional dedication to her patients are some traits that set her apart. In addition, a customized surgical plan is created for each of her patients, incorporating their needs, unique anatomy, and desired aesthetic goals.  Dr. Chen was recently appointed as the 2022-24 Chair, Department of Plastic Surgery, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, in Orange County.

Background

Growing up in West Texas, she was the first person in the area to become a four year Texas All-State Musician, earning a spot in the violin section of the Texas All-State Symphony Orchestra for four consecutive years. She attended Stanford University for her undergraduate studies, receiving a Bachelor of Science in the Biological Sciences and a Certificate in the Children and Society Curriculum. Dr. Chen also pursued research at Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey, CA and had the unique opportunities of studying Italian music and art in Florence, Italy, as well as touring Eastern Europe with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra during her undergraduate years.

She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Duke University School of Medicine and became an avid fan of the Duke Blue Devils, camping out with other graduate students for home tickets at Cameron Stadium! She also traveled with a team from Duke University on a medical mission to Haiti, starting a lifelong interest in international health.

Dr. Chen then completed a full General Surgery residency at Oregon Health and Science University, a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency at the Lahey Clinic, and a Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles under the direction of Dr. Mark Urata, who currently chairs the USC Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.

During her Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency at the Lahey Clinic in the Boston area, she rotated through the world renown Harvard system hospitals, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital Boston, and benefitted from the tutelage of their distinguished staff including Dr. Julian Pribaz, Dr. Dennis Orgill, and Dr. John Mulliken.

In 2009-10, she served as the Jerome P. Webster Fellow for the non-profit ReSurge International (formerly Interplast), traveling to over ten different countries as surgeon and educator. During that year she also completed mini-fellowships at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan under internationally known plastic surgeons, Drs. Fu-Chan Wei and Yu-Ray Chen and at Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris, France under world reputable plastic surgeon Dr. Eric Arnaud.

Dr. Chen’s year as the Jerome P. Webster Fellow sparked her interest in global health and inspired her to pursue a Masters of Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she was named one of only six Global Health Scholars at Johns Hopkins University for 2012-2013 and the only part-time student given this honor. Dr. Chen obtained her Masters in Public Health and Certificate in Global Health in August 2015.

During her surgical education, Dr. Chen also spent dedicated time pursuing basic science and clinical research, which culminated in multiple funded research grants, presentations at national and international meetings, and publications in peer-reviewed journals. In October 2008, she was awarded the best research paper by the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, under the mentorship of Dr. Wayne Ozaki at Oregon Health and Science University, who is currently the head of Craniofacial Surgery Division at UCLA. She has held several academic clinical appointments as Clinical Instructor and Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery.

Outside Interests

Dr. Chen is also an accomplished violinist and has performed with semi-professional and community orchestras across the country. She has served as assistant concertmaster of Symphony Irvine for the past 5 years and made her Carnegie Hall Debut with this talented group in 2017!   Recently, Dr. Chen was elected to the Symphony Irvine Board of Directors.

 

She has also held positions as first violinist with Portland’s Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Philharmonic, and Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, as well as the position of principal second violinist with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra.

She was recently invited to participate with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra’s first violin section in their OC Can you Play? Program on May 13, 2015, under the direction of Maestro Carl St. Clair. She had previously played under Maestro St. Clair twenty-five years ago in high school with the Texas All-State Symphony Orchestra, and her memorable experience was the focus of her college personal statement for Stanford University. Holding the position of assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at that time, Maestro St. Clair also inspired Dr. Chen to audition and be part of Tanglewood’s Young Artists Orchestra the following summer.

She has also held positions as first violinist with Portland’s Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Philharmonic, and Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, as well as the position of principal second violinist with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra.

She was selected as one of the violin soloists to perform in Vivaldi’s Concerto for 4 violins in B Minor with Symphony Irvine.

Dr. Chen was co-founder and violinist of Noteworthy4U, a string quartet based in Portland, OR during her general surgery residency. The string quartet was invited to perform at weddings, retirement receptions, as well as the American Board of Surgery reception. For the past three years, she has also attended a chamber music workshop in Auckland, NZ with some extraordinary tutors and musicians.

She also enjoys photography, charcoal drawing, and jewelry design. Her jewelry line Colourful Elegance, by Joyce was previously showcased at a boutique in Northwest Portland, OR. Some of her photography highlights are from her Tanzanian and Zambian safari experiences. Dr. Chen’s art gallery showcases some of her own favorite designs and artworks.