Dr. Bortz was born and raised in rural Iowa.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology, with distinction, from Iowa State University. He then completed his medical school training at the University of Iowa, where he had the opportunity to participate in the Senior Honors Research Fellowship Program and was elected to the College of Medicine Continuing Medical Education Committee.

Dr. Bortz is a fellowship-trained and board-certified Mohs surgeon.  He is board-certified by both the American Board of Dermatology and the American Board of Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery.  He is a Fellow Member of the American College of Mohs Surgery and the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dr. Bortz has served as an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Stanford University, where he lectured and instructed Stanford Dermatology residents on skin cancer surgical techniques.

Over the past 25 years, Dr. Bortz has performed over 40,000 Mohs Micrographic Surgery cases and surgical reconstructions.