The eldest son of physician parents, Dr. Benjamin Kirby has always loved building things. The wooden-block structures and Lego spaceships of his youth later advanced to 3D printed facial models. Dr. Kirby, recipient of the Rohrich Family Award, enthusiastically believes that advances in material science and custom manufacturing over the next decades will greatly expand the repertoire that plastic surgeons can employ to make their patients whole again.

Dr. Benjamin Kirby

What this award means: It is really a testament to all of the people who have helped me along my medical school journey. It is nearly impossible to succeed on your own, and I attribute much of my success to those people who were there for me along the way: my fiancée, my parents, my Colleges and Departmental mentors, and my plastic surgery peers.

Mentor comment: Dr. Kirby is a very talented individual who combines the unique attributes of dedication, hard work, and focus combined with emotional intelligence, ability to execute, and constant hunger to know more. These qualities will serve him well, since much of the specialty demands constant innovation and the ability to apply principles learned to a wide array of clinical and surgical situations. – Dr. Shai Rozen, Professor of Plastic Surgery

Background and family: I graduated magna cum laude in mathematical economic analysis and chemistry from Rice University. My parents exposed my brother and me to careers in medicine from day one. Family dinners would often revolve around interesting or challenging patient encounters, clinical problems, ethics, or policy dilemmas.

“It would take time, but our patient would eventually regain motor and sensory function in the regions damaged by his injury. In that moment I was hooked.”

What led to your career path: When I started medical school, I thought I would join the ranks of internists like my dad or radiologists like my mom. That changed during my second year when I had the opportunity to participate in an ulnar nerve reconstruction case. Peering through the microscope I could discern each glistening nerve fascicle as the attending surgeon meticulously sutured the nerve graft into place. It would take time, but our patient would eventually regain motor and sensory function in the regions damaged by his injury. In that moment I was hooked. Throughout my career, I want to learn and practice techniques that allow me to shape scarred tissue into flexible skin, fibula into mandible, and abdominal soft tissue into breasts. It is an exciting time to enter the field with ample opportunity to participate in the advancement of these techniques.

Future plans: I am thrilled to embark on the next stage of my life as a resident in plastic surgery at the University of Missouri Hospitals in Columbia, and I can’t wait to get married this coming May to Dr. Stephanie Barata, who also matched there in obstetrics and gynecology.

About the award: The award recognizes a medical student who demonstrates superior dedication and achievement in research and clinical work. It was created to honor Catherine and Claude Rohrich – the parents of former Department Chair Dr. Rod J. Rohrich.