Fellowship Director: Michael Dujela, DPM, FACFAS

Other Faculty:

• Byron Hutchinson, DPM, FACFAS
• Jake McLeod, DPM, FACFAS
• Keith Birchard, MD
• Chad Bender, MD
• Christopher Hawkins, MD
• Brian Houng, DPM
• Lucas Harvey, MD

Application Requirements:

• CV with headshot
• Letter of Interest in Fellowship
• Letter of good standing from residency director
• 3 letters of recommendation, including 1 from residency director
• Case logs through current date ? PRR Surgical Procedure Summary Report
• Please combine documents into one PDF file
• Applications due by June 30th.
• Send application materials to:
  • Brian Houng, DPM – [email protected]
  • Email/Call/Text for any questions: 310-357-7315
• Interviews/Visitations: August-September

Program Details

• Clinical Practice: Centralia and Olympia, WA 

• Surgical Services and Call Coverage: 
  • Providence Centralia Hospital
  • Providence St. Peter Hospital
  • Washington Orthopaedic Ambulatory Surgery Center

• Surgery
  • ~2 surgery days per week
  • Up to 4 surgery days with additional add-ons as needed (Trauma)
  • ~350-400+ cases per year
  • Diverse pathology including trauma, complex forefoot and rearfoot reconstructive cases, TAR exposure

• Call
  • Some diabetic foot call
  • Others as needed

• Clinic
  • Shared clinic time with Dr. Dujela when not in OR; about 3-4 days per week

• Outside Rotation
  • Exposure to TAR, complex reconstruction including circular frames, Charcot, and major deformity correction
  • Possible additional rotation with other orthopod

• Academics
  • Weekly Surgical Case Preparation Review 
  • Weekly Orthopedic Grand Rounds Available 
  • Regularly Scheduled Lectures 
  • Quarterly Grand Rounds and Journal Club with Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons 

• Research
  • 2 publications minimum 

• Duration: 
  • 1 year, July 15 – July 31

Meet Dr. John Kim, Washington Orthopaedic Center Fellow

Dr. John Kim was born in South Korea and moved to the Chicagoland area at a very young age. During his undergraduate years at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he went on a short-term medical mission trip to Peru, which sparked his interest in medicine. After graduation, he spent time as a clinical research coordinator at the University of Chicago Medical Center.  He then went on to complete his medical school training at the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in North Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Kim then completed a comprehensive surgical residency training program at Loyola University Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center in Chicago. During his final year, he served as chief resident for his program. In his free time, Dr. Kim enjoys exploring new places with his wife and daughter, playing golf and basketball, and trying out new restaurants.

What is a fellowship?

A Fellowship is the period of medical training that a physician may undertake after completing a specialty training program (residency).  A fellowship usually lasts at least one year and during this time, the physician is known as a fellow. Fellows can act as an attending or consulting physician in the field in which they were trained.  The purpose of a fellowship is to specialize and master a specific area of medicine or surgery and to become an expert in that field.  Being “Fellowship Trained” indicates the physician or surgeon has shown the highest level of dedication to their field and has achieved the highest level of training. 

Why did I choose to do a fellowship? 

I chose to do a fellowship not only because of my desire to obtain the highest level of training in foot and ankle surgery, but also because of my commitment to provide the best medical and surgical care possible.  I humbly believe that in medicine, there is always more to learn and completing a one-year fellowship in advanced reconstructive foot and ankle surgery will undoubtedly give me the additional experience, confidence, and expertise to treat my future patients with the utmost care that they deserve.  Furthermore, obtaining fellowship training and learning from the current leaders in our specialty has inspired me to one day pay it forward.  I’ve been so fortunate to have had such amazing mentors throughout my medical journey that I feel a responsibility to be a part of the education for future generations.  And lastly, I chose to do a fellowship because it has given me the opportunity to make irreplaceable connections and friendships that will last a lifetime.  

Why fellowship at the Washington Orthopaedic Center (WOC)?

I chose to do a fellowship out of a desire to master my craft and learn from the most skilled experts in our field. Additionally, I wanted to receive one-on-one mentorship and learn what it takes to become a leader in our profession. I believe that completing a one-year fellowship in advanced reconstructive foot and ankle surgery will undoubtedly give me the additional experience, confidence, and expertise to treat my future patients with the utmost care that they deserve.

I chose the Washington Orthopaedic Center (WOC) to do my foot and ankle surgical fellowship for a multitude of reasons.  Fellowship Director Dr. Michael Dujela is an internationally renowned, orthopedic fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon who teaches globally and who is passionate about education. His leadership and accolades speak for themselves as he has chaired and held multiple organizational leadership positions and participated in numerous national and international foot and ankle surgery conferences. Moreover, his surgical and clinical expertise — along with the surgical volume, diversity, and complexity of cases at WOC — allow for the opportunity to produce one of the best and well-rounded fellowship programs in the country. From a surgical standpoint, I can think of no better place to obtain my fellowship training. Lastly, what stands out to me more than the pristine surgical results are the core values that Dr. Dujela and WOC emphasize on a daily basis. From their bedside manners to their high ethical standards, they are committed and devoted to delivering compassionate orthopedic care of the highest quality.