About Sidney J. Starkman, MD
Fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon Sidney J. Starkman was born in Toronto, Canada and raised in Scottsdale, AZ. His inspiration to join the medical field came at a very early age from his grandfather, who was a pediatrician. He originally wanted to pursue a career in business management, before volunteering in a hospital during high school and becoming enthralled with the unique relationship between doctor and patient. He was then drawn to facial plastic & reconstructive surgery because of the combination of science and art. The field of facial plastic surgery allows Dr. Starkman to build a close rapport with his patients, and he values the relationship required for a patient to trust their face to a surgeon. Dr. Starkman met his wife, Alee, while he was in medical school and she was in nursing school. They then had the opportunity to work closely together at the same hospital while she took care of his post-operative patients on the medical/surgical floor. Today, Dr. Starkman enjoys spending his time with Alee and his daughter Hadley. They enjoy hiking, traveling, cooking, and golfing. He also enjoys watching University of Arizona sports events in his downtime. Dr. Starkman received his bachelor’s degree in human anatomy and physiology from the University of Arizona, where he graduated summa cum laude. Dr. Starkman gained admittance to the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Rochester, MN, which he attended on a full four-year scholarship. There, he served as a member of the medical school admissions committee and as a teaching assistant in the anatomy lab before obtaining his medical degree. Dr. Starkman then completed his surgical residency at the SUNY-Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine, specializing in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery. During his residency training, Dr. Starkman trained under Dr. David Sherris, one of the foremost rhinoplasty surgeons in the country. Before launching Starkman Facial Plastic & Laser Surgery, Dr. Starkman completed an AAFPRS fellowship under the training of the world-renowned Dr. Devinder Mangat, a past president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Starkman focuses his surgical procedures exclusively to cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery of the face. He specializes in advanced rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation procedures. Dr. Starkman is also highly skilled in multiple nonsurgical facial treatments, including laser treatments and dermal injectables, such as BOTOX or fillers. Though these treatments are often provided in conjunction with aesthetic surgery, they are available to any eligible patient. Dr. Starkman performs most of his surgeries on-site at Starkman Facial Plastic & Laser Surgery. Dr. Starkman is a strong believer in supporting the community through volunteer work, public speaking, and endorsements and is quite active in international medical care programs. His first medical mission trip brought him to Xi’an China where he spent a month teaching anatomy at the Fourth Medical Military Institute. He also traveled to the Dominican Republic and Haiti in 2010 following the devastating Haitian earthquake. He served the population by providing general medical care in the Dominican Republic, as well as disaster relief in Haiti. In 2011, he then traveled to Tanzania to assist a local community hospital in general patient care and education. Additionally, he has served on 2 separate surgical mission trips to Belize where he has performed cleft lip and palate repair, reconstructive rhinoplasty, and other reconstructive procedures. In 2018, he received an American Academy of Otolaryngology Humanitarian Travel Grant in recognition of this work. Dr. Starkman is also a strong advocate for women’s rights. He is the founder and director of the nonprofit Saving Face program, which offers pro bono care to those who suffer facial injury from domestic violence.
