Ricky Kanee Schachter

Schachter grew up in Melville, Saskatchewan, at a time when women were not generally accepted as professionals in Canada.{{cite web |title=Schachter, Ricky Kannee (oral history) |url=https://discoverarchives.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/schachter-ricky-kannee-oral-history |website=University of Toronto, Discover Archives |access-date=9 April 2021}} 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."{{cite news | first=Corner | last=Virginia | title= Four "Rebels" Honoured for Challenging the Status Quo | date=2001-06-06 | url =http://www.yorku.ca/ycom/gazette/past/archive/2001/060601/issue.htm | work =York University Gazette | access-date = 2009-08-02 }}

In 1940, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Schachter then graduated from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine in 1943, and pursued post-graduate training in dermatology at Columbia University in New York from 1944 to 1945. She began working at the Women's College Hospital, in Toronto 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.{{cite encyclopedia |editor=Elizabeth Lumley |encyclopedia=Canadian Who's Who |title=Schachter, Ricky Kanee |date=2001-06-30 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |pages=1147 }}

Her husband, Benjamin Schachter, was a Torontonian biochemist, working at the University of Toronto, who, from 1934 to 1939, conducted research on female sex hormones. He isolated and identified conjugated oestrone sulphate (Premarin).{{cite book | last = Xerox University Microfilms | title = Comprehensive dissertation index, 1861-1972 | year = 1973 | location = Ann Arbor, MI | pages = 999 | isbn = 0-8357-0080-1 }} {{cite journal|title=Observations on the Conjugated Oestrogens in the Urine of Pregnant Mares|journal=Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine|year=1936|first=Benjamin|last=Schachter|author2=Guy Frederic Marrian |volume=35|issue=2|pages=222–224|doi=10.3181/00379727-35-8916p|s2cid=88197857}} {{cite journal|title=The Isolation of Estrone Sulfate from the Urine of Pregnant Mares|journal=Journal of Biological Chemistry|year=1938|first=Benjamin|last=Schachter|author2=Guy Frederic Marrian |volume=126|issue=2|pages=663–9|doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(18)73874-X|doi-access=free}} Her late brother, Sol Kanee, also received the Order of Canada for his work with the Bank of Canada and the Canadian Jewish Congress.{{cite encyclopedia |editor=Elizabeth Lumley |encyclopedia=Canadian Who's Who |title=Kanee, Sol |date=2001-06-30 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |pages=669 }}

She began working at Women's College Hospital, 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.

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{{cite web|url=http://www.womenscollegehospitalfoundation.com/Pages/About/History_of_Innovation.aspx |title=About the new WCH |access-date=2009-08-02 |publisher=Women's College Hospital Foundation }} at Women's College Hospital 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

In addition to being at the forefront of her field, and a pioneer in the treatment of psoriasis on an out-patient basis,{{cite web|url=http://www.cdf.ca/press-release9.php |title=Press Releases: Dr. Ricky Schachter Honoured as Canadian Dermatology Foundation Practitioner of the Year 2005 |access-date=2009-08-02 |year=2005 |publisher=Canadian Dermatology Foundation }} Schachter worked for the promotion of women's rights, Jews' rights, and for gender equality in the medical profession.{{cite web|url=http://www.carolynbennett.ca/whatsNewPosting.cfm?ID=1451 |title=Dr Ricki [sic.]... she'll always be with us...... prodding us to do better.... |access-date=2009-08-04 |last=Bennett |first=Carolyn |date=2007-07-03 |publisher=Carolyn Bennett, MP }} 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, by Queen's University, in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/Sep21_06/HDfall06.pdf |title=Honorary Degrees - Fall Convocation 2006 |access-date=2009-08-02 |year=2006 |publisher=Queen's University }}

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.{{cite journal |title=Curriculum Vitae: Ricky Kanee Schachter |journal=Archives of Women's College Hospital |date=May 15, 1997}}

• [http://www.sw.ca/about/history/womenscollege History of Women's College Hospital]

• [https://discoverarchives.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/schachter-ricky-kannee-oral-history Ricky Kanee Schachter oral history interview] held at the [https://utarms.library.utoronto.ca/ University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanee Schachter, Ricky}}

Category:1918 births

Category:2007 deaths

Category:Canadian dermatologists

Category:Dermatologists

Category:Jewish physicians

Category:Canadian Jews

Category:Canadian people of Russian-Jewish descent

Category:Members of the Order of Canada

Category:University of Toronto alumni

Category:Academic staff of the University of Toronto

Kanee Schachter, Ricky