Ricky Kanee Schachter, FRCP(C), CM (December 23, 1918 – July 1, 2007) was a

dermatologist Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medi ...

who practiced in the

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

area, and was invested as a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

in 1998, as "a researcher, teacher, administrator and healer, whose work in the areas of skin cancer and psoriasis has improved the lives of her patients, and inspired fellow researchers across Canada."

Early life, education, and private life

Schachter grew up in Melville,

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

, at a time when women were not generally accepted as professionals in Canada. When she decided to go to university at the age of 16, to become a doctor, even her father, an educated Russian immigrant and community leader, said to her that she would "be taking up a space for a man." In 1940, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Schachter then graduated from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

's Faculty of Medicine in 1943, and pursued post-graduate training in dermatology at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in New York from 1944 to 1945. She began working at the

Women's College Hospital Women's College Hospital is a teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in downtown Toronto at the north end of Hospital Row, a section of University Avenue where several major hospitals are located. It currently functions ...

, in

in 1946 and became a Fellow of the Royal College, in Canada, in 1950. She was appointed associate professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine in 1961. Her husband, Benjamin Schachter, was a Torontonian biochemist, working at the

, who, from 1934 to 1939, conducted research on female sex hormones. He isolated and identified conjugated oestrone sulphate (

Premarin Conjugated estrogens (CEs), or conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs), sold under the brand name Premarin among others, is an estrogen medication which is used in menopausal hormone therapy and for various other indications. It is a mixture of th ...

). Her late brother,

Sol Kanee Sol Kanee, (June 1, 1909 – April 22, 2007) was a Canadian lawyer, former president of Canadian Jewish Congress from 1971 to 1974, former chairman of the World Jewish Congress board of governors, the longest-serving member, for 17 years, of the ...

, also received the

for his work with the

Bank of Canada The Bank of Canada (BoC; ) is a Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation and Canada's central bank. Chartered in 1934 under the ''Bank of Canada Act'', it is responsible for formulating Canada's monetary policy,OECD. OECD Economic Surve ...

and the

Canadian Jewish Congress The Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC; ; ; ) was, for more than ninety years, the main advocacy group for the Jewish community in Canada. Regarded by many as the "Parliament of Canadian Jewry," the Congress was at the forefront of the struggle for Hum ...

Career

She began working at

, in Toronto in 1946 where she was appointed the head of the Division of Dermatology. Schachter became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, in Canada, in 1950. In 1976 she established the Psoriasis Education and Research Centre (PERC) at Women's College Hospital and became its first director. This centre was the first of its kind in Canada to specialize in treatment, education and research on psoriasis.

Retirement and legacy

Schachter retired from her position at Women's College Hospital on June 30, 1985. A chair in dermatology was established to honour her, and in 1985, the Dr. Ricky Kanee Schachter Dermatology Fund was established in recognition of her commitment to patient care. In July 1991, the Dr. Ricky Kanee Schachter Dermatology Centre opened its doors at

to treat a variety of skin conditions, through several out-patient clinics: * The Cosmetic Clinic and Cover FX * Cosmetic Procedures * The Dermatology Laser Centre * General Dermatology * Dermatology Minor Surgery * Mohs Clinic * The Pigmented Lesion Clinic

Awards and recognitions

In addition to being at the forefront of her field, and a pioneer in the treatment of

psoriasis Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small localized patches to complete b ...

on an out-patient basis, Schachter worked for the promotion of women's rights, Jews' rights, and for gender equality in the medical profession. She was a devoted teacher and healer, and received numerous recognitions of her work. With her appointment in 1978 as the president of the Canadian Dermatological Association—the first female in Canada to lead specialists in her field. She was also the first woman to win the Canadian Dermatology Foundation's Practitioner of the Year award, in 2005, and received an honorary

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

, by Queen's University, in 2006. During her time at Women's College Hospital, Schachter was also the president of the medical staff and Medical Advisory Committee from 1958 to 1959.

References

History of Women's College Hospital

External links

Ricky Kanee Schachter oral history interview
held at th
University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanee Schachter, Ricky 1918 births 2007 deaths Canadian dermatologists Dermatologists Jewish physicians Canadian Jews Canadian people of Russian-Jewish descent Members of the Order of Canada University of Toronto alumni Academic staff of the University of Toronto Kanee Schachter, Ricky