Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program

Temple University Hospital offers a three-year, ACGME-accredited independent fellowship program in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. The program provides trainees with a strong, broad-based clinical experience and the confidence to practice in the environment of their choice upon graduation. At Temple, fellows acquire detailed knowledge of all aspects of the field, including breast surgery, body contouring, oncologic reconstruction, microsurgery, hand surgery, craniofacial surgery, aesthetic surgery, and abdominal wall reconstruction.

Notable aspects of Temple’s Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program include:

• Four fellowship-trained core faculty members who are enthusiastic educators and well-respected clinicians
• Additional adjunct faculty at each rotation site who have extensive experience in aesthetic surgery, elective hand surgery, microsurgery, and private practice
• Exposure to a diverse and complex patient population, including head and neck cancer patients at Fox Chase Cancer Center
• Exposure to the most advanced procedures, such as orthognathic surgery and gender-affirming surgery
• Training in urban, suburban and rural environments
• Semiannual, fellow-run injection clinics
• Protected didactic sessions, journal clubs, and board reviews
• Opportunity to participate in clinical and basic-science research projects
• Access to the microsurgical lab and curriculum

For more information about Temple’s Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program, contact Tiffany Copeland-Hughes, Program Coordinator, at Tiffany.Copeland@tuhs.temple.edu  or 215-707-7032.

Clinical Training

During their three years, Temple Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery fellows rotate at two-month intervals between Temple University Hospital, Fox Chase Cancer Center, St. Luke’s University Hospital, Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health, the Philadelphia Hand to Shoulder Center, and Geisinger Medical Center. Through these rotations in urban, suburban, and rural environments, fellows will receive a broad and diverse experience that emphasizes not so much a collection of procedures as a set of techniques and a way of thinking that will prepare them for every scenario.

Fellows enjoy a fair amount of autonomy from the onset of the fellowship with graduated responsibility as they progress through the years. On each rotation, fellows will be responsible for running their services independently. Call schedule varies based on fellow schedules but, on average, involves one weekend and seven weekday calls monthly.

Procedures Performed

Temple Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery fellows see a wide range of procedures during their three-year program. These include:

• Body contouring
• Hand surgery
• Facial reconstruction
• Breast reconstruction
• Limb salvage
• Head and neck reconstruction
• Abdominal wall reconstruction
• Gender confirmation
• Orthognathic surgery
• Secondary burn reconstruction
• Aesthetic surgery, including rhytidectomy

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery fellows also work closely with other Temple surgical specialty teams, including orthopaedics, ENT, neurosurgery, urology, and surgical oncology.

Scholarly Activity

The Temple Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program offers many opportunities for scholarly pursuits. During monthly research meetings, fellows are encouraged to initiate new projects. These projects are conducted in partnership with department faculty members, other residents, medical students and a wide range of Temple specialists.

A protected, weekly two-hour didactic conference provides a structured in-service exam review and oral board preparation.

Fellows have opportunities to attend local and national professional conferences. In addition, the department hosts visiting professors and workshops each year. 

An Outstanding Faculty

Temple’s four Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery faculty members are excellent clinicians and dedicated educators who create an environment of inquiry and scholarship. The department prides itself on its collegiality, team-based approach to care, and close-working relationships between faculty and fellows. This helps trainees lay the foundation for a successful career as clinicians while also fostering academic growth through exploration of research and educational opportunities.

Faculty members include:

• Christine Jones, MD
• Xi Lin Jing, MD 
• Alireza Hamidian Jahromi, MD 
• Sameer Patel, MD
• Opeyemi A. Asanbe, MD
• Adam Walchak, MD

Application Process

Two positions are available each year in Temple’s Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program. Interested physicians must apply through the San Francisco Match Services (sfMatch) in August. To apply, visit www.sfmatch.org.

Interviews for Temple Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship are held twice annually, in January and February. Invitations, interview confirmations, and other correspondence will be sent via email.

Stipend Scale and Benefits

View information on the stipend scale and benefits for residents and fellows.

Additional policies and materials can be found on the Temple Graduate Medical Education website.

Current Fellows

• Karen Massada, MD
• Sajni Parikh, MD

• Tuan Nguyen, MD
• John Trangucci, MD

• Joseph Costa, MD
• Heather Peluso, DO 

Recent Graduates

2023

• Opeyemi Asanbe, MD - Assistant Professor, LKSOM, Temple University Hospital
• David Kim, MD - Pediatric Craniomaxillofacial Fellowship, University of Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario, Canada

2022

• Ornela Dervishaj, MD - Private Practice, Affiliates in Plastic Surgery, Chevy Chase, MD 
• Kun-Tai Hsu, MD - Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, WI 

2021

• Samuel Golpanian, MD - Private Practice, Encino Hospital, CA
• Joseph Spaniol, MD - Private Practice, Plastic Surgery Center, Wichita, KS

2020

• Eva Dentcheva, MD – Hand Surgery Fellowship, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
• Dare Ajibade, MD – Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship, North Texas Plastic Surgery, Plano, TX

2019

• Judy Pan, MD
• Richard Tyrell, MD – Craniofacial Fellowship, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

2018

• John Gillespie, MD – Private Practice, Wilmington, DE
• José Munez, MD – Private Practice, Miami, FL

2017

• X. Lin Jing, MD – Craniofacial Fellowship, University of Tennessee; Academic Practice, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN
• Chirag Mehta, MD – Hand Fellowship, York Hospital, York, PA; Private Practice, Sherman, TX

2016

• Tutu Cheng, MD – Private Practice, Davenport, FL
• Dev Vibhakar, MD – Aesthetic Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; Private Practice, Juniper, FL

2015

• Hamid Abdollahi, MD – Aesthetic Fellowship, Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, New York, NY; Private Practice, Voorhees, NJ
• Matthew Jenkins, MD – Academic Practice, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

2014

• Dallas Buchanan, MD – Private Practice, Tampa Bay, FL
• Marc Everett, MD – Aesthetic Fellowship, Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery, Houston, TX; Private Practice, New York, NY

Contact Us

Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
3401 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA  19140
Phone: 215-707-7032
Fax: 215-707-2990

Program Director
Sameer Patel, MD

Associate Program Director
Xi Lin Jing, MD

Program Manager
Tiffany Copeland-Hughes
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