Born and raised in Mexico City, Dr. Ricardo Avena attended medical school at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. After graduation, Dr. Avena took and passed the United States Medical Licensing Examination. He completed his General Surgery Residency at the University of Connecticut in Hartford, Connecticut. During his training in general surgery, Dr. Avena completed three years of surgery research at the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and he published several papers and won multiple regional and national awards for his research there.

Dr. Avena then completed a fellowship in critical care before at the University of Connecticut. He then completed a fellowship in Hand and Microsurgery at The Kleinert Institute in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Avena is now a Board Certified General Surgeon. He is married and has two children, and he enjoys outdoor activities with his family. Dr. Avena also enjoys a variety of sports including horseback riding, sailing, swimming, skiing and fencing.