Fellowship

Reconstructive and Limb Salvage Surgery Fellowship

Naples | FL

A FAMILY FOOT & LEG CENTER

Located in Southwest Florida, spanning Naples to Cape Coral

The FFLC reconstructive foot and ankle fellowship, founded in 2015, is part of a very busy practice that deals with al issue of the foot, ankle, and leg.

Program Summary / Training Goals:

This one-year foot and ankle fellowship position is under the direction of Kevin Lam, DPM, FACFAS. The fellowship is private office based and offers an advanced comprehensive program in reconstructive foot & ankle surgery, diabetic limb salvage/wound care, and practice/business management.

This is a high-volume practice with high expectations. The Fellow will be responsible to cover all OR cases (400-600 cases/year), cover clinic on non-OR days (10,000+ encounters/year), manage in-patients at 4 hospitals, and cover attending’s ER call at 4 hospitals.

The Fellow who is strongly motivated will finish this program feeling comfortable with any foot and ankle surgery. Fellow will receive an extensive amount of exposure to MIS surgery (HAV, Tailors, Weil, Hammertoes, Haglunds,Calcaneal Osteotomies, etc), arthroscopy and arthroscopic fusions (STJ/AJ), Nerve transposition, Dellon release, rearfoot/ankle fusions and reconstructive techniques, including tendon transfer; use of internal and external fixation; management of complicated patients with comorbidities.

The program will teach the Fellow all aspects of practicing medicine in a high-volume, fast-paced setting. Office/surgical coding and billing, marketing, time management in OR setting, in-office soft tissue and osseous procedures, Synvisc injections, in-office dispensing/DME.

High-tech office with diagnostic ultrasound, shockwave, CT scanner, PT department, arterial duplex and pathologist in-house.

An annual calendar is established to include weekly x-ray and surgical case reviews, monthly case log review and quarterly fellow reviews.

This is a fellow-first, fellow-driven program with the opportunity to experience a wide variety of foot and ankle pathology. The fellow will be exposed to multiple surgeons of various training backgrounds, in multiple locations, all well-respected in the community.

The Fellow will hone critical decision making skill such as:

  • Be able to decide to take patient to surgery, and develop surgical plan.
  • Be able to manage intraoperative and postoperative complications.
  • Optimize patients for surgical intervention planning.


The fellow will also be expected to attend and participate in scientific conferences, including the ACFAS Annual Scientific Conference, as well as other conferences as required by the director.

ABFAS Board Qualification is REQUIRED for this program.

Site visit is REQUIRED to receive an interview.

Meet Your Instructor

Clinical Director

Kevin Lam

DPM, FACFAS,DABLES, DABPS

Dr. Kevin Lam, one of America’s Top Podiatrists, is a distinguished figure in Southwest Florida’s medical community. Since 2005, he has been a trusted name in podiatric surgery, known for his expertise and dedication. He earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree with honors from Temple University, completed an internship at Temple University Health System, and a residency in Podiatric Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Lam’s commitment to advancing podiatric care has made a lasting impact on his patients and the field.

Training Requirements

As a foot/ankle fellow, your role is that of a junior attending physician. Within the office and hospitals, you have all rights and responsibilities of a full attending surgeon. When interacting with patients, treat them as your own, but let them know you are there on behalf of the attending.

1. Assist in all surgeries

Arrive early to mark the patient, ensure completeness of the chart, and do all preop and postop paperwork as needed. Communicate with the attending surgeon to ensure all necessary prescriptions are written before or after the surgery.

2. Assist in the clinical setting:

Office hours may start at 8:00 am or 9:00 am, depending on the season, the attending, rounds schedule, and the surgery schedule for the given day.

3. Assist in hospital rounds:

You may be the first person to get a consultation request, either through a page from the floor, the emergency room, a message on Athena, by a hospitalist, vascular surgeon, or another doctor, or by monitoring the hospital in-patient list. See the consult in a timely manner, add the patient to the hospital list, and notify the appropriate attending. Begin the order set appropriate for the patient, including vascular, wound care, and weightbearing status orders. If the patient is a surgical emergency, manage appropriately, add to the schedule, and communicate with the attending surgeon so that there are no delays.

4. Submit research abstract for poster and/or presentation to the ACFAS conference

5. Maintain board qualification and/or certification status with ABFAS

6. Maintain state, DEA, and necessary licensure and affiliations, as needed

7. Learn all aspects of the electronic medical record in the office (Athena):

You will use this program to complete office notes, send consultation letters to referring physicians, put in surgery requests, order medications and other order sets for the patient, including home health, physical therapy, etc. Familiarize yourself with the templates available on Athena, their links to billing, so that you are efficient in the office and learn appropriate billing management at the same time.

Also, monitor Athena for the elective surgery schedule weekly. Communication with the attendings is key to keeping abreast of the add-on surgery schedule.

Our Fellows

Nathalia Esmeral

DPM, AACFAS

FELLOW 2022 to 2023

Joe Altepeter

DPM, AACFAS

FELLOW 2021 to 2022

Jacob R. Dougherty

DPM, AACFAS

FELLOW 2020 to 2021

Mark Dreyer

DPM, FACFAS, LT, MSC, USN

FELLOW 2019 to 2020

April Nelson

DPM, AACFAS

FELLOW 2018 to 2019

Melissa Hurwitz

DPM, AACFAS

FELLOW 2017 to 2018

Rikhil Patel

DPM, AACFAS

FELLOW 2016 – 2017

Asma Khan

DPM, FACFAS

FELLOW 2015 to 2016

ATTENDINGS

Kevin Lam, DPM, FACFAS, DABPS

Fellowship Director

DOWNTOWN NAPLES OFFICE

Medical School – Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine

Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (2002 -w- Honors)

Internship (7/02 – 6/03):

Temple University Health System – Philadelphia

Residency:

Mount Sinai Medical Center – Miami Beach, FL
Podiatric Surgery Residency -24 (7/03-6/2005)
Chief Resident (7/04-6/05)

Oct 14, 2016

Wesley Drew Chapman, DPM, AACFAS

Assistant Director of Fellowship

SOUTHEAST NAPLES OFFICE

Medical School – Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine in 2011

Residency: Grant Medical Center Podiatric Surgical Residency PMSR+RRAS

Oct 14, 2016

Dr. Lauren Pelucacci, DPM, AACFAS

Family Foot & Leg Center – Naples

Medical School –Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, Philadelphia, PA- Class of 2012-2016

Residency – Kent Univeristy School of Podiatric Medicine Residency Fair 2016

Dr. Patrick A. Bartholomew Jr., DPM

Family Foot & Leg Center – Cape Coral

Medical School –Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, Class of 2012 – 2016

Residency –Geisinger Community Medical Center 2016-Present