A Legacy of Impact: Meet a Second-Generation Volunteer Helping Train Future Surgeons

From Student Volunteer to Volunteer Surgeon

Dr. Nicolas Sierra, MD, FEBOMFS, was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, and completed his medical training and residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery in Barcelona, Spain. Inspired by watching his father volunteer with Operation Smile, he began his own journey with the organization as a student volunteer and later continued his training through Operation Smile’s cleft surgery program in India and cleft and craniomaxillofacial fellowship in Brazil.

Today, Dr. Sierra practices oral and maxillofacial surgery, focusing on reconstructive surgery and comprehensive care for children, teenagers and young adults born with cleft conditions.

His path was shaped by his parents. His mother, a talented designer, introduced him to art, craftsmanship, culture and community. His father, Dr. Plinio Sierra, is a pediatric anesthesiologist who has volunteered with Operation Smile for more than 30 years. Through his father’s work, the seed was planted that would eventually lead Nicolas toward cleft care.

His father began volunteering as a senior resident in anesthesiology in Colombia. Today, Dr. Plinio Sierra serves as a regional medical officer in the Middle East and North Africa region, promoting safety, quality and best practices in surgery and anesthesia.

His father’s experience taught Nicolas that a career in reconstructive surgery could bring together the things he loved most: working with his hands, combining art and science, serving others and learning from different cultures.

We recently talked with Dr. Sierra to learn more about his journey as a second-generation Operation Smile volunteer.

What are some of your earliest memories of Operation Smile, and when did you realize you wanted to become involved?

Some of my earliest memories are around the table, listening to my dad share stories after each program. For a working-class family living in Colombia in the early 1990s, these stories were exciting and unexpected. They opened a window into cultures, places and experiences that were largely unfamiliar to us.

I realized I wanted to pursue cleft surgery when I was 17. While trying to decide what I wanted to study, I participated as a student volunteer in an Operation Smile program. I witnessed the surgery of a baby born with a cleft condition. I instantly knew this was what I wanted to do.

What was your first experience volunteering with Operation Smile?

In 2012, during my Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training, I applied for the Operation Smile Regan Fellowship, a program that gives residents in surgery and anesthesia the opportunity to join an Operation Smile program as observers or assistants.

I was fortunate to be selected and attended the Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center in India. That experience became a turning point for me. It was a call to pursue a career in global cleft care, not only by providing surgical care, but by becoming involved in strengthening healthcare systems and building local capacity so that more people can access safe, high-quality and comprehensive cleft care in low-resource settings.

My first experience volunteering as a surgical assistant at the Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center was life-changing. It was deeply inspiring and confirmed that I was on the right path.

What role did mentorship play in your development, and what lessons still guide you today?

Cleft surgery is a unique combination of craftsmanship, art and science. It requires precision, judgment and problem-solving developed over years of practice. From that perspective, mentorship is critical.

The lessons passed from one generation of surgeons to the next include far more than technique. Mentors also transmit a philosophy of care, ethics, empathy and a sense of responsibility toward the people we treat.

Through Operation Smile, I met mentors from different countries and backgrounds. Looking back, becoming a cleft surgeon has been a continuous process of learning from others and, increasingly, sharing what I have learned. That is perhaps the greatest lesson mentorship has given me: expertise becomes more valuable when it is passed on.

Looking back, how did Operation Smile’s investment in your training prepare you for later opportunities?

Operation Smile taught me that surgical excellence is built through consistent practice, high surgical volume and close mentorship. My time at the Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center during the Cleft Surgery Training Program established the foundations of my approach to primary cleft reconstruction and shaped the standards I continue to apply today.

Later, my cleft and craniofacial fellowship in Curitiba, Brazil, expanded that foundation to advanced surgery. Today, as an educator and team leader, I have the chance to contribute to the training of others. In many ways, I have come full circle. What began as an investment in my own education has become an opportunity to share knowledge, build capacity and keep learning.

What has it been like to transition from trainee to educator?

My experience with Operation Smile has been an organic and progressive part of my professional development. You start as a resident, perhaps observing a surgical program; then you begin assisting, gradually taking on more responsibility as your skills and experience grow. Years later, you find yourself serving as a team leader, field medical director or surgical educator.

Becoming an educator has been a natural extension of that process. Education within Operation Smile is not simply about teaching a procedure. It is about building confidence, judgment, teamwork and a shared commitment to safety and quality. The goal is to help teams become stronger and more capable of providing comprehensive cleft care in their own communities.

What does it mean to be part of a cycle where one generation inspires the next?

To me, this cycle represents gratitude, reciprocity and a responsibility to give back. I am deeply grateful to Operation Smile, to the mentors who invested in me and, above all, to the patients and families who place their well-being in our hands.

If today’s trainees become tomorrow’s educators, the knowledge, generosity and commitment of one generation can continue to multiply. That is a cycle I feel privileged to be part of.

Why is investing in training and mentorship essential to expanding access to cleft care?

Every day, children are born with cleft conditions in communities around the world, and they need timely, comprehensive care. Meeting this need requires skilled care providers in every part of the world.

That is why training and mentorship matter so much. Education is capacity building. When we invest in the knowledge and skills of local health professionals, we strengthen the ability of teams and health systems to provide care for years to come. Training is one of the most sustainable investments we can make. One trained professional can care for hundreds of patients and, in turn, teach the next generation.