Benjamin Aziz Talei MD

Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Talei graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in physiological sciences, receiving both college and departmental honors. While studying at the University of Menéndez Pelayo in Spain, Dr. Talei worked for the Sisterhood of Blood Donors and the Red Cross, promoting blood donations in Andalucia, Spain.

He then received his medical degree at one of the nation’s top medical schools – the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD). Dr. Talei was nominated to the Gold Humanism Honor Society after having donated immense amounts of time and energy to the free clinic in San Diego, along with other charitable foundations.

Dr. Talei then completed his residency training in head & neck surgery at Columbia University Medical Center, Cornell University Medical Center, and New York Presbyterian Hospital. There, he worked with some of the most prominent facial plastic surgeons, including his primary mentor, Dr. Steven Pearlman. Dr. Talei then served as chief during his residency at Columbia University and Cornell University. He also served as a fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Following his residency training, Dr. Talei became one of the unique groups of surgeons in the country to complete two separate fellowships in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. First, he completed one of the most revered and prestigious fellowships in the country at the New York Center for Facial Plastic & Laser Surgery. Simultaneously, he offered his skills and training while serving as a voluntary staff and teacher for the resident head and neck surgeons at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine. Dr. Talei then furthered his training with Dr. Milton Waner at the Vascular Birthmark Institute of New York, a part of Lenox Hill and Manhattan Ear, Eyes, and Throat Hospitals. There, he treated the most rare and devastating vascular birthmarks and congenital anomalies while refining his techniques in pediatric facial plastic surgery. Dr. Talei is dual board-certified in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.