Dr. Younger writes: “I was born at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta and was primary schooled in Calgary and Red Deer, Alberta. While there, I thrived and attained a high degree of mediocrity on multiple high school athletic teams. Because I was raised in a rural environment as a farm boy, I was able to attain hand skills in animal husbandry and carpentry as well as excelling at kayaking, ski racing and golf in my early college years. Since being a prankster was one of my strong suits, I was able to trick my way into the University of Alberta Medical School two years after my graduation from grade 12. I finished medical school at age 22, and maintained our family tradition by attending the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary with a rotating internship.”
Dr. Younger adds, “Our family’s Holy Cross tradition started with my maternal grandmother when she got her RN at the Holy Cross in 1925. My mom continued in her mother’s footsteps by attending Holy Cross and graduating from there as an RN in 1943. My dad, Lewis Ian Younger, did a rotating internship at Holy Cross in 1946 following his med school graduation in Edmonton in 1945. He completed an Otolaryngology residency in Minneapolis in 1951, practiced for 35 years in Alberta, and died at the age of 99 during Covid. He was the smartest man that I have ever known who was a true renaissance scholar, a hobby farmer and a particularly funny farm kid who was frequently the life of any party.”
Dr. Younger continues, “After my internship at Holy Cross, I cajoled my way into the UBC Otolaryngology program run by Dr. Pat Doyle in Vancouver, where numerous publications and a great skiing affiliation with Dr. John Dmytryshyn encouraged me to forge my own path into Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. AAFPRS fellowships were calling, and an outrageously stellar aesthetic fellowship with Gene Tardy in Chicago was followed by a skiing and reconstructive surgery fellowship with my European Dad—Herr Doctor Professor Claus Walter in Heiden, Switzerland. Gene was clearly the slickest Rhinoplasty operator and presenter in the country, while Claus was a gifted reconstructive technician and innovator unlike anyone I have ever seen. The fact that Claus spoke 8 languages at a very high level further gilded his reputation in the eyes of our somewhat limited North American linguists,” Younger noted.
“Seeking warmer coastal climes after mastering the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbühel, I applied and was hired in Vancouver at UBC, and headed the Facial Plastic Surgery program in Otolaryngology for 15 years on return. During that time, the ABFPRS was drawing me in, and after pulling the wool over my examiners’ eyes, I passed the ABFPRS exam, became a diplomate, and then jumped into the fray as a member of the ABFPRS Credentials Committee. Apparently, I enjoyed those tricky and sometimes testy ABFPRS Credentials meetings with Laurie Wirth so much, I have stuck with it for 28 years and branched out to be an occasional examiner for the ABFPRS Board exams,” Younger added.
“I still dance the light fandango, teach residents and medical students at UBC in Vancouver, and have been a Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery since 2004. In addition to my other stellar accomplishments, you should know that for the past 29 years, I try to be green and stay fit to the level of your average Olympic athlete by commuting to my office and five hospitals by riding my bike every day, except when snow is over 6 inches. Although I’m not quite the ‘Man of Steel,’ I have to say that riding a bike does have its drawbacks because I’ve been the victim of hit and run accidents at least four times over the years. To me, that’s a clear indication that being green and reducing greenhouse gases does have its consequences,” Younger admits. “As far as medicine is concerned, my practice and teaching sound pretty normal, but I caught a well-loved curve ball that allows me to engage in multiple 2 week to 4 month stints of surgical volunteer work in 6 Caribbean islands that have developed my improvisational skills, which serve me well to this day.”
“On a personal note, I have been married for over 20 years to Dr. Anna-Lena Normen-Younger, hailing from Sweden, and together we have two tremendous teenage boys, Wilde, and Thor. This is a four season family that frequently plays together. Winter months find us slammin’ the slopes at Whistler, summer escapades enter around Råda, Sweden with watersports taking a second fiddle to non-stop chores around the family farm at Åstorp. Fall takes us back to Vancouver where too many chefs in the family debate sous vide main courses versus low and slow smoky BBQ. Finally, spring finds us touring European vineyards with non-stop disagreements about what is the best white wine in the world—Chevalier or Bâtard-Montrachet—your call!
“That’s all I got!” concludes Dr. Younger.
“Ritchie Younger’s service to the ABFPRS is an incredible testament to his dedication to the standards the ABFPRS credential represents,” relates Catherine P. Winslow, M.D., ABFPRS President. “To think that Ritchie has reviewed over 330 ABFPRS primary and MOC in FPRS® applications means that he has evaluated a very large percentage of the 1350 ABFPRS diplomates who have completed and maintained certification requirements during his tenure on our Credentials Committee. We all owe him our heartfelt thanks for his service, even as increased applicants for ABFPRS certification means an increased workload for Credentials Committee members. Since Larry Schoenrock was also a dedicated member of the ABFPRS Credentials Committee before he passed away in 1997, I think he would be extremely pleased that Ritchie is the surgeon being honored with the Schoenrock award this year,” concludes Dr. Winslow.
Nominations for the 2025 Schoenrock Award should be addressed to the ABFPRS Executive Committee in care of ABFPRS, 115-C South Saint Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, or e-mail: <[email protected]>