Rick Bosshardt, M.D., FACS
Dr. Bosshardt received his bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Miami, Magna Cum Laude, then attended the Leonard Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami, graduating in 1978. He completed a general surgery residency at the United States Naval Hospital in Oakland, California. His residency term was interrupted from 1979-80 when he served as medical officer aboard the USS Wabash and was deployed to the Western Pacific with an aircraft carrier task force. During that year, the Wabash was involved in the rescue of Vietnamese boat people and was part of operations to end the Iranian hostage crisis in 1980. The USS Wabash crew received several decorations for this deployment, including the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
Upon completion of his training, Dr. Bosshardt served as a general surgeon at the United States Naval Hospital in Okinawa, Japan from 1984-87. During this time, he obtained his board certification from the American Board of Surgery. While in Okinawa, Dr. Bosshardt applied, and was accepted, for residency training in plastic surgery under world-renowned plastic surgeon, D. Ralph Millard, Jr., M.D., at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Miami, Florida. He was honorably discharged from the Navy with the rank of Commander in 1987 and completed his plastic surgery training in Miami from 1987-89.
Dr. Bosshardt arrived in Lake County in July of 1989 as the first plastic surgeon in the county. He obtained lifetime certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 1991.
Since starting in private practice, Dr. Bosshardt has participated regularly in overseas medical missions to provide reconstructive surgery to children with cleft lip, cleft palate. and other problems. His travels have taken him to the Philippines, Guatemala, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, the West Bank, and Mexico. Dr. Bosshardt performs both cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery in his practice, which has grown to two surgeons working out of a modern facility that houses the only state licensed private surgical suite in Central Florida dedicated exclusively to plastic surgery. He has privileges at AdventHealth Waterman, University of Florida Leesburg Hospital, and South Lake Hospital.
Dr. Bosshardt's practice has evolved to focus especially on aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery, but he continues to provide services in most areas of plastic surgery. Dr. Bosshardt is a avid reader and also enjoys writing. For over twenty five years he wrote a weekly medical column in the Orlando Sentinel, House Calls. He was one of the original contributing writers and wrote a monthly article for Healthy Living Magazine in Lake and Sumter County until it closed in 2020. He is one of the original bloggers on the Orlando Sentinel Hyporlando blog site over the years that this site was active.
While proud of his achievements as a plastic surgeon, Dr. Bosshardt is most proud of his family, which has supported and encouraged him throughout the years. He has been married for 40 years to Sally Greenlee and has three children: Lindsey, married to David Pace and with grand daughters, Emerson and Elliette; Travis, married to Jessica Goddard, parents of Allison and Logan; and Olivia, married to Michael Hughes, parents to Charlie and Jack. He loves physical challenges and enjoys endurance sports. He has completed multiple half and full marathons, two Olympic distance triahtlons, one half ironman triathlon, and, in November 2013, he successfully completed the Florda Ironman triathlon in Panama City, FL. In 2016, he finished the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World, a 48.6 mile event run over four days. He has been a member of First Baptist Church in Leesburg for nearly thirty years. His mission is to help others attain their full potential, whether through his writing, work as a plastic surgeon, or as a member of the community.
As a physician, Dr. Bosshardt strives to walk his Christian faith and uphold the Hippocratic Oath he took upon receiving his medical degree to always put his patients first.
