AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
I was born in l953 in Richmond, Virginia, and grew up in Kent, Ohio, (known for the Kent State riots during the Vietnam war). I was an Eagle Scout and a Judo wrestler.
I spent four years at Oberlin College and went to Small College National Championships in Varsity Wrestling his senior year. I was then accepted at one of the finest medical schools in the United States, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
At 22 years old, one year into my medical education, I decided that I needed to "find myself" and took a two-year sabbatical. After starting and managing a tree surgery business, I went to Wyoming to work on oil drilling rigs, and then spent the next year traveling to rock climbing areas.
I became a master climber and traveled to cliffs in twelve states. Additionally, I published articles in climbing magazines and made "first ascents" at Devil's Tower, Wyoming, and Joshua Tree, California. I made an early ascent of "The Naked Edge," a classic climb near Denver, and climbed the Long's Peak Diamond. As recently as the mid-1980s, I climbed such difficult classics as Astroman, the west face of El Capitan, and the Crucifix in Yosemite, free climbing up to a mid-"5.12" difficulty level. I climbed the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome in 18 hours in 2004 and the Nose route on El Capitan in less than 24 hours in 2005.
After returning to medical school in l978, I found that bodybuilding complemented my studies. With the added responsibility of specialty training and professional pressures, I had less opportunity for athletics in the past decade. However, I ran 14 triathlons in the late '80s and early '90s and made time for some Kempo Karate (though injuries sidelined me). I have practiced Astanga (flow) Yoga and trained with the legendary 70-year-old master Yogi, Frank White, at the "Center For Yoga" in Hollywood. More recently, I practiced Bikram Yoga and concluded, "it's way hot in there." (105 to 115 degrees F). I currently practices Baptiste Yoga every day.
Robert Yoho in 1998
I married a wonderful woman from Trinidad and had three kids. My son Alan became an All American cross country star in high school, and he and his twin Sarah graduated from Brown University. He now works at Google and Sarah at Nasdaq. Hannah, their older sister, managed a group at the Four Seasons Resorts by the time she was 24.
Curriculum Vitae: cosmetic surgery career (now retired)
DATE OF BIRTH October 3, 1953
INTERESTS
Children, weight lifting, rock climbing, psychology, writing, kayak, Ashtanga and Bikram yoga. Bookworm: Reading averages 3 new books a week. Climbed El Capitan 4 x, Half Dome, Sentinel, Astroman (5.11c), Crucifix (5.12b) in Yosemite. New routes: a grade 5 in Zion and El Matador (5.11) at Devil's Tower, others at Joshua Tree. Climbed regular route on Half Dome in 17 hours 2004.
EDUCATION
1971-1975 : Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio
1975-1981: Case Western Reserve Univ. Medical School
10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio. 44106-4920
POSTGRADUATE TRAINING
1981 - 1982: Internal Medicine Internship R 1 year
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
1982 - 1983: Dermatology Residency R 2 years
Hanover, New Hampshire at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, New Hampshire
1983 - 1985: Emergency Medicine Residency Training
Los Angeles County Hospital LAC/USC Medical Center
1200 N. State St. Room 1011, Los Angeles, CA
Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, CA
WORK HISTORY
2020-2021 full-time writer.
2019: retired from my medical and surgical practice and resigned my medical license. I had a fantastic career, and I was initially sad to end it. But I was soon relieved that I was no longer responsible for patient care and was able to write full time without conflicts of interest. See also the first chapter of Butchered by Healthcare for the circumstances, included on this website under "Writing."
1992-2019: Cosmetic surgery practice, Pasadena, Visalia, and Oxnard, California. Liposuction, breast implantation specializing in through the umbilicus (belly button), laser blepharoplasty, face-lifts, facial implants, laser resurfacing, vein treatments, hair transplantation. Operated medical hyperbaric chamber between 1996 and 2000.
1987-1994: General practice in Pasadena, California.
1984-1987: Employed by the Huntington Memorial Hospital Emergency Medicine Group,
SPECIAL EXPERTISE
One of the most extensive experiences in the United States with tumescent liposuction and Brazilian butt lift with fat. Some of our liposuction supply vendors say we are their largest account internationally for several years.
Trans-umbilical breast augmentation is a surgery that many try, but few become proficient. Thousands performed.
One of only two surgeons in the United States who passed the specialty boards in both cosmetic surgery and emergency medicine.
PAST MEMBERSHIPS IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
Los Angeles County Medical Society
California Medical Association
American Society of Cosmetic Breast Surgery
Fellow, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
ACADEMIC STAFF APPOINTMENTS (INACTIVE)
Drew-King Medical Center, assistant clinical professor, Department of Dermatology. Training residents in cosmetic surgery techniques.
BOARD CERTIFICATION EXAMINATIONS TAKEN AND PASSED (NOW INACTIVE):
American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), 1987. Re-certification examination passed l999 and 2009. 3000 Coolidge
Rd., East Lansing, Michigan 48823-6319
American Board of Dermatologic Cosmetic Surgery passed in 1999. Recertification passed ten years later. 18525 Torrence Ave., Lansing Illinois 60438. (708) 474-7200.
American Board Laser Surgery passed in 2000.
417 Palmtree Dr. Bradenton, Florida 34210-3009.
ACLS re-certification 1999, 2002, 2005. ATLS in past.
Member, Fellow, and Past President, American Society of Cosmetic Breast Surgery: testing included written and oral examination as well as peer observation of surgical technique.
PEER REVIEW WORK
Produced with Robert Goldweber, M.D., Socrates Emergency Medicine Oral Boards Review Course, 1987. This was distributed nationwide for over 5 years.
Emergency Medicine Residency Director Huntington Memorial Hospital (coordinated and trained Los Angeles County Hospital emergency medicine residents) 1985-1987.
Board of Directors of California Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, 1998-2000.
Outpatient surgical facilities reviewer training for IMQ surgical centers and AAAHC surgical centers. (Inactive)
Testified before California Medical Board 6/01 regarding liposuction standards and 11/02 regarding expert witness problems.
