FPT October 2025
Dr. Katherine Hicks, from Greenville, South Carolina, earned the highest score on the 2025 ABFPRS examination in Washington, D.C., and will be honored with the Jack R. Anderson Award for Scholastic Excellence at the AAFPRS Fall Meeting in Los Angeles, California.
As is true with other ABFPRS diplomates, Dr. Hicks was still making up her mind about pursuing a career in medicine when she was in high school. “When I was a senior, I was pretty sure I wanted to choose a major that would give me some flexibility in case I changed my mind. I decided to pursue a degree in Biosystems Engineering at Clemson University. I liked the math, science, and problem-solving inherent in engineering and the curriculum also contained all the medical school prerequisites that I needed to take. I enjoyed the study of engineering and ultimately decided to pursue a Masters in Bioengineering, where I focused on the study of materials used in orthopedic implants.”
“I applied for engineering jobs and took a position as a Biomedical Engineer at Rhythmlink International. While I was there, I worked on the design and patenting of neuromonitoring devices. I liked the company quite a bit, but I decided that I wanted to spend my days in front of people instead of a computer! That said, I think engineering is a great background for medicine because it teaches you how to think on your feet and figure things out when you encounter challenges or unexpected findings,” shared Dr. Hicks.
Listening to her instincts to change career directions, Dr. Hicks attended the Medical University of South Carolina for medial school and arranged all of her electives to be in ENT and orthopedic surgery. As it turned out, ENT was her very first clinical rotation. “I loved the work and the people in that field, and I made the decision pretty early on that I wanted to do ENT. Dr. Krishna Patel was an important role model for me—the passion she shows towards her work and her patients, as well as her mentorship and guidance, had a lasting influence on me during my clinical rotations and residency application.”
Dr. Hicks was extremely fortunate to do her residency at Northwestern University where she trained under facial plastic surgeon Dr. Douglas Sidle. “Dr. Sidle had a huge impact on my training and experience. He always approached patients and their concerns in a very pragmatic fashion and he was an excellent surgeon with great outcomes. His patients appreciated his kind demeanor as well as his honest and straightforward discussions in and out of the operating room.”
Dr. Hicks stayed at Northwestern to pursue a fellowship in facial plastic surgery. “I felt like Dr. Sidle had a lot of trust in me and my abilities after working with me for 5 years in residency. I was afforded a lot more autonomy and hands-on experience than a lot of fellows. Additionally, Dr. Regan Thomas joined the faculty just before I started my fellowship bringing with him a wealth of experience and knowledge. He helped expand my skillset inside the OR and also demonstrated a different style of counseling and caring for patients in a clinical setting,” she added.
Dr. Hicks had also always been interested in cleft lip/palate procedures so instead of going straight into practice, she decided to pursue additional training after completing her first fellowship. “I went to UC Davis for a fellowship in pediatric ENT with an emphasis in cleft and craniofacial care. I benefitted so much from working with Travis Tollefson, Brian Rubinstein, and Craig Senders throughout my year there. All three of those surgeons have very different styles and different approaches to problems. From Travis, I learned about the importance of evidence-based medicine and impeccable preparation for procedures. From Brian, I benefitted from watching his meticulous approach to surgeries and his careful attention to patient and family support postoperatively. From Craig, a true pioneer in that field who took on some extremely difficult reconstructive cases, I learned about the importance of creativity and improvisation in the management of very complex patients,” shared Dr. Hicks.
After finishing her second fellowship in 2020, Dr. Hicks stayed in academics for a few years prior to starting her own practice. “In the fall of 2022, I moved home to Greenville, SC, and I opened my practice in January 2023. I sublet a temporary space for a few months then moved into my newly constructed office and opened my operating room in October 2023. Right now, my practice is about 75% aging face and 25% rhinoplasty. Face/necklifts, browlifts, blepharoplasties, rhinoplasties, fat grafting, and CO2 resurfacing compromise the majority of my surgical practice,” added Dr. Hicks.
Another plus for moving to Greenville and opening her practice there? “My whole family has been so supportive and helpful in getting the practice off the ground—decorating the office, helping with our marketing efforts, and in my husband’s case, actually changing careers and joining me at the
practice to run things from a business development standpoint. We also bring Wookie, our Cavalier King Charles