Fellowship
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.
“I take personal pride in my work and do not leave the Operating Room until I am certain that it is the best job possible for my patient. The work is my reputation. I will never stop learning either as technology is always changing in the foot / ankle arena.”–Dr. Kevin Lam
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 Fellowship 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.
Our FELLOWS
Nathalia Esmeral, DPM, AACFAS
FELLOW 2022 to 2023
Dr. Joe Alepeter, DPM
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
Medical School – Kent State Medical College
Residency – Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland)
Melissa Hurwitz, DPM, AACFAS
FELLOW 2017 to 2018
From New York
Medical School – New York College of Podiatric Medicine | New York, NY
Residency – The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | New York, NY
Jul 12, 2017
Rikhil Patel, DPM, AACFAS
FELLOW 2016 – 2017 — Currently in practice in Annapolis Maryland
From Marlton, NJ ( near Philadelphia)
Medical School – Temple University | Philadelphia, PA
Residency – Phoenixville Hospital – PMSR/RRA | Phoenixville, PA
Chief Resident 2013 -2016Asma Khan, DPM, FACFAS
FELLOW 2015 to 2016 – Currently practicing in Orlando VA
From Chicago, IL
Medical School – Rosalind Franklin } North Chicago, IL
Residency – Crozer Keystone Health System, PMS36 | Springfield, PA
Oct 14, 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
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.
Family Foot & Leg Center
730 Goodlette Road – Suite 102
Naples, FL 34102
(239) 430-3668
Dr. Lam’s email: drlam@NaplesPodiatrist.com
“I take personal pride in my work and do not leave the Operating Room until I am certain that it is the best job possible for my patient. The work is my reputation. I will never stop learning either as technology is always changing in the foot / ankle arena.”
