Penn Lower Extremity Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship

Program Director:
William "Jake" Brownell, III, DPM, FACFAS

Other Program Faculty:
Brett Chatman, DPM, FACFAS
Joseph Serletti, MD, FACS
Gina Nguyen, DPM, FACFAS
Stephen Kovach, MD
John Fischer MD, MPH

Recent Post Graduate Fellows:
2025-2026: Gina Palazzi, DPM, AACFAS
2024-2025: No Fellow
2023-2024: No Fellow

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Penn Medicine Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
3400 Civic Center Boulevard 
14th Floor, South Pavilion
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Phone: (215) 662-7300
Fax: (215) 615-0474
Email: william.brownell@pennmedicine.upenn.edu; kris.gallagher@pennmedicine.upenn.edu 

Website:
Pending

Number of Positions:
One

Duration:
One year

Program Start and End Dates:
July 1 - June 30

Application Deadline:
November 1

Program Application:
ACFAS Standard Fellowship Application Form

Stipend:
$85,532.23

Position Location:
Pending

Research Requirements:

  • The fellow is required to complete a minimum of one or two published papers in a peer reviewed journal and/or poster presentation at the ACFAS Annual Scientific Conference during fellowship year.


Program Summary/Training Goals: 

  • This is a unique one-year fellowship focused on advanced limb preservation and reconstruction within the Division of Plastic Surgery at Penn Medicine.
  • The fellow will gain educational experience from primarily six surgeons, including three fellowship trained podiatric academic attendings alongside three world-renowned plastic surgeons focusing on limb salvage and reconstruction. 
  • The fellowship is designed to give back to the profession and create a bridge between residency training and professional employment within a high-volume, hospital based multidisciplinary academic teaching institution. 
  • The goals of the fellowship are to develop and enhance advanced limb-preservation techniques including lower extremity plastic and flap reconstruction, external fixation usage, and diabetic limb preservation within a large academic teaching center.
  • The fellowship was originally founded in 2012 and was placed on temporary hold, but we are excited to reinstate our successful and unique fellowship with a group of dedicated, fantastic and passionate faculty. 
  • Our mission is to provide our trainees with a myriad of available learning opportunities through surgery, clinic, cadaveric lab, research, and practice management within a large major university academic teaching institution.

Post Graduate Fellows History:

2022-2023: Sean Van Aken, DPM, AACFAS
2021-2022: Gina Nguyen, DPM, FACFAS
2020-2021: William "Jake" Brownell, DPM, FACFAS
2019-2020: Bryan Holand, DPM
2018-2019: Virgina Parks, DPM, FACFAS
2017-2018: Brett Chatman, DPM, FACFAS
2016-2017: Stephanie Giles, DPM