For Dr Nicole Yap, medicine has never been just about surgery; it is about people.
Widely recognised as one of Australia’s leading breast and skin surgeons specialising in oncoplastic surgery, her career has been shaped by compassion, resilience and a genuine desire to help women feel whole again.
Nicole spent thirteen years at Loreto Toorak, where she developed her academic skills whilst pursuing her love of music. Her journey into medicine began during a Year 10 work experience placement at the Royal Women’s Hospital, where she witnessed the birth of triplets, a moment she describes as life changing. It sparked a fascination with surgery, studying medicine at The University of Melbourne before specialising in plastic, reconstructive and breast cancer surgery, later refining her expertise in France.
Inspired by the loss of her close friend Tina to breast cancer, Nicole dedicated her career to improving care and support for women facing the disease. She established the not-for-profit Australian Breast Care Centre (ABCC), a multidisciplinary and preventative approach focused on personalised risk assessment. The ABCC empowers women to take a proactive role in their health, including genetic testing and personalised risk profiling to support earlier diagnosis. These approaches can save lives, particularly for women under fifty who are not routinely included in national screening programs and comprise up to twenty three per cent of all breast cancer diagnoses.
Throughout her career, Dr Yap has held numerous leadership positions, including Deputy Chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and President of the Medico-Legal Society of Victoria, while mentoring the next generation of surgeons.
Dr Yap’s story is not only one of professional success, but also reflects Loreto Toorak’s values of confidence, compassion, leadership and the empowerment of women so that they may use talent and determination to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
More details on Dr Nicole Yap are on DrNicoleYap.com.au.
Read more stories from our alumni in the latest edition of the Mandevillian, 2026, Vol.41 no.1.
