Fellowship Program

“My year spent at the Weil foot, ankle and orthopedic Institute during my fellowship year was one that truly propelled me five years ahead into practice. I gained a significant amount of insight in advanced surgical techniques, research as well as the business of running a practice with balancing a family and social life. Truly one of the best decisions of my career!!”

"I arrived early, stayed late, published 12 papers, and received one grant. But my best experience was sitting for dinners with Lowell and the entire Weil family. I was welcomed without hesitation and I'll always have a special place in my heart for them all."

"Spending a year at the Weil Foot and Ankle Institute as a Fellow was an extremely rewarding experience both professionally and personally. The knowledge I obtained clinically and surgically is unparalleled. I cannot overstate the importance of learning the business side of our profession, and the ease to which I transitioned from Fellow to Practitioner. Most importantly I gained lifelong mentors/friends to continue my education in the practice of medicine."

“The Weil fellowship changed my life, it’s a very special and unique family that I’m blessed to be a part of.”

“After residency I felt I had the ability to go out and conquer the world. And I was right. 95% right. I could have gone out there and conquered the top 95% of it. However, the Weil Fellowship gave me the exposure, knowledge, relationships, and tools for that top 5%. To this day, I am constantly learning, changing, and I am a composition of all previous experiences in my life. But that extra shiny polish, thought process, attention to detail, and humbleness is due to my fellowship. Today, I owe 95% of my success to that 5%.”

“The WFAI Fellowship is an amazing experience that helps you to develop into the best surgeon and physician while being surrounded with even better individuals.”

“The Weil Fellowship experience continues to shape me even after more than 15 years in practice. All of my training and education allowed me to call myself a doctor and a surgeon, however, my time at the Weil Foot and Ankle Institute allowed me to be a successful practicing Podiatric Physician and Surgeon. The polishing of my surgical skills gave me confidence. Learning from all the amazing doctors I worked with exposed me to all facets of business and medicine. As I run my practice, talk to patients and reps, do complex surgical reconstructions and even preside over a state medical association as President, I think back to my time at WFAI and know that without that education, experience, comradery, and networking, none of that would have been possible.”

“I have nothing but positive things to say about Dr. Weil and the Weil fellowship program. As a graduating resident, I felt as though I was well trained and well prepared for working in the real world. Although I was confident in my knowledge and surgical skill set at that time, I still chose to seek fellowship training to become the best version of myself that I possibly could be. I didn't know what I didn't know at that time, and I spent a year as a fellow learning the things that I had no idea I didn't know. As I look back I realize that residency did not adequately prepare me for practice, but being a Weil fellow did.”

“Completely changed the course of my professional career. I would not be the practitioner I am today without the WFAI fellowship."

“Before I arrived at the Weil Institute, I was told by previous fellows that becoming a Weil fellow was the greatest decision of their lives. Many of those fellows have gone on to become presidents of our professional societies, entrepreneurs, leading researchers, and leaders in our profession and communities. When I first started I thought that I would learn the newest and latest techniques from the best surgeons and that is why I figured it would also be a great decision for me. It’s only after a decade that I realized the true reason why. We typically meet once a year at professional conferences. What I found surprising is that Dr. Weil and the team at the Weil Institute have learned just as much about me as I know about them. I wasn’t fellow number 9. I was Bobby, the guy who is secretly competitive, could eat his weight in wings, and committed every Super Bowl and World Series to memory. That approach to people applies to their patients as well. Each patient is unique and sometimes requires a unique solution. This is why the Weil institute has been so innovative because they see each patient as unique and not some problem that has a matching solution in the textbook. That lesson- more than any surgical technique - is why my year at the Weil Institute has shaped who I am.”

“Lowell Weil Jr. has become a mentor to me. Since my first day at WFAI in 2013, I have ben able to see how amazing the whole team treats every single people. Lowell has a super energy to work and take care of all details to make the best treatment for patients. In addition to learning how to manage a variety of foot and ankle diseases, I could absorb WFAI philosophy, which is: do your best for your patient. I had opportunity to be with many great surgeons while doing my international fellowship. Dr Weil Jr is certainly one of the best I have seen. Being at WAFI was the best professional decision I have made in my life. Since that experience, I have become a decent surgeon, chief of the residency program at my hospital, obtained my master’s and Phd. Today, I am proud of saying that I am friend of entire WFAI family! Thank you so much WFAI team.”

“Invaluable, then and now. My Fellowship experience helped refine, sharpen and add to the great residency training I received. The lessons learned, perspectives gained, and guidance received influence the Practitioner I am today. The Fellowship provided knowledge in a multitude of facets. Clinical practice pearls, Surgical and Research principles, and Practice Management wisdom were among a few. Now, as a Past Fellow, I get to enjoy a community of past and present WFAI Fellows whom continue to shape the profession. I consider myself fortunate to have taken part in such a tremendous opportunity, and privileged to part of the WFAI Fellowship family.”

‘I came to the WFAI Fellowship after graduating a Level-1 Trauma residency program heavily focused on rearfoot and traumatic reconstructive surgery. I wasn’t confident in transitioning to private practice in forefoot surgery. I’ve graduated the program and opened my own private practice and am in my 9th year. I still quickly and easily consult with and refer to/receive referrals from Dr. Weil And the institute on patient treatments and inquiries. The Fellowship program is remarkable and the training you will receive is solid. And socially, we are a lot of fun!”

"My fellowship experience at Weil Foot and Ankle Institute has been both professionally and personally transformative. While my residency training developed a solid clinical and surgical foundation, fellowship provided me with the skills necessary to excel. Working with Dr. Weil Jr. and Dr. Sorensen instilled a new level of confidence in my abilities and greatly improved my efficiency. The opportunity to learn practice management from one of the lead podiatric private practices is unparalleled. Equally important is the emphasis placed on work-life balance that will help keep me grounded for the entirety of my career. Lastly, one aspect of this program that particularly interested me was the sense of camaraderie shared amongst current and past fellows. The bonds created between the tremendous pedigree of physicians are invaluable and last far beyond the year of training."

"WFAI provides a unique opportunity for high level, quality research within the podiatric and orthopedic fields not found in the vast majority of fellowships through ACFAS. This valuable experience pays dividends with job placement, working with industry, and future involvement in the profession. WFAI has provided the important next step into becoming an excellent practitioner by gaining experience in practice management to efficiently manage high volume individualized patient care, while delivering a comprehensive patient experience. This is reflected in my clinical and surgical patient satisfaction in my current practice. Once your fellowship is complete, you join a long list of alumni who have completed meaningful work within the profession. You have an experienced, robust network of friends/colleagues to provide insight on patient care, collaborate on research, and assist with any needs no matter where you are at in your career. You have access to great minds for the continuation of your career."

“A roller coaster ride of learning and adventure. Never a dull moment. Learning how to manage medicine with many personalities. “

“Fellowship was a monumental year for me, not only as a surgeon but as a young professional. My experience at the Weil Institute provided me with exposure to authorship, surgical training and pioneering new surgical ideas. This is all done in a close knit family type setting that I look forward to reuniting with year after year.”

“The WFAI fellowship was a crucial part of my training. I went to a residency that offered everything I wanted, it offered everything I wanted. However, at the end of the residency, I knew I could still improve in surgical skills, clinical knowledge, and become an overall better foot and ankle surgeon.

Fellowship offered a totally new perspective on what I learned in residency. Fellowship had a large focus on outcomes, research, and attention to detail which has shown me what is possible as a foot and ankle surgeon. I learned that each detail of each procedure is done for a reason for surgery to work the best. The WFAI experience blends the techniques and concepts of master surgeons from many different backgrounds giving the program more depth. Some of the most meaningful learning experiences happened with discussions in the clinic when deciding what we would do for our patients in the OR, and why. This insight has been critical for my practice.

The Weil's and all of the fellowship staff are incredibly generous to take their time with this mentorship. They continue to pour out their time and resources to us as previous fellows, they have helped to answer questions and guide me through challenges in practice. One highlight of the year was getting to know the family better with Christmas at the Weil's home. You are treated like family at this WFAI.”

"After graduating my residency at the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 2000, I was accepted as the first fellow at the Weil Foot and Ankle Institute in Des Plaines, Illinois under the direction of Drs. Lowell Weil, Jr. and Lowell Scott Weil, Sr. I cannot express in words how profoundly this year changed my professional life for the better. These individuals taught me about the technical, theoretical and ethical aspects of foot and ankle surgery. They taught me who to operate on, who would be best treated conservatively and how to be critical of my own work. It is during this time that I learned the art of surgery and what it would take to one day become a master surgeon like them. I am especially indebted to Dr. Lowell Weil, Jr. who, from the first day I started my fellowship, embedded confidence in me that remains unparalleled in my life. He was then, and remains, a true mentor. He supported my decisions if they were sound, provided gentle guidance if I overlooked other options, and challenged me to always be better. The mentorship and the academic possibilities afforded to me during my fellowship provided a springboard for the rest of my career. Without question, 20 years after graduating, my fellowship at the Weil Foot and Ankle Institute remains the single most impactful year of my life."

“‘Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.’ This famous quote by the legendary Vince Lombardi defines the impact of this renowned fellowship on my career. In one year, I was taught to chase perfection in the operating room, diagnosis of pathology, research protocol, and presentations of publications. This relentless drive for progress in combination with discipline and work ethic provided by this world renowned fellowship created a standard by which excellence is measured in the speciality of foot and ankle and has become the foundation upon which I have built my career.”

“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to continue my surgical training as the new fellow at WFAI and I look forward to caring for the people within the greater Chicagoland area.”

“Podiatric residency models have been restructured as mandatory 3-year comprehensive medicine and surgery programs. The thinking is that this type of training would incorporate a more detailed clinical, academic, and didactic experience. Following that logic, residents would inherently be more qualified, and therefore, be prepared for the various aspects of private or academic practice in podiatry.

With rapid advancements and improvements in medical techniques and devices, it has becoming increasingly difficult to “get it all in” during residency training. Additionally, as much as the residency governing bodies would like us to believe, not all programs are created equally, and certain skills may not have been as developed as possible. So what does one do after residency training is over?

Many fellowship programs have been established over the past few years, and have truly upgraded the status of podiatric training. I carry a bias regarding this topic; I completed a fellowship in Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery and Research at the Weil Foot and Ankle Institute in Chicago. Many residents, students, and practicing physicians ask me why I chose to enter a fellowship, namely WFAI, and what I got out of my experience. Here’s my chance:

1. Proficiency. Right off the bat, I want to mention that I had a great residency experience. I was Chief Resident at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and completed a 3-year PM&S-36 residency. I felt that my director and attendings equipped me with the ability and knowledge to enter a successful practice, and I was confident in my skills. Confidence? Yes. Mastery? Not exactly. That’s what a fellowship like WFAI does. It potentially takes a “good doctor,” sharpens up their skills, and attempts to make them a “great doctor.”

2. Extra Attention. Most residencies programs have 3-5 participants per year. That’s 9-15 hungry, eager brains starving for learning. A fellowship usually has one or two candidates per year and everyone’s focus is on that person. The personal attention that I received at WFAI was bar-none.

3. Special Skills. One of the most attractive features of any fellowship is who the fellowship director is. Most of them are pioneers and leaders in the field and are involved in complicated specialties, such as reconstruction and advanced wound care. Some are great business people and excellent at practice management. Were a resident to desire to improve on that training, it would be a good idea to seek out the fellowship director who is doing that type of work. Luckily, WFAI’s fellowship directors and clinicians are world-renowned innovators and business people.

4. Research. I think that research and fellowships go hand-in-hand. The time management issues that accompany residency somehow prevent adequate quality research time. Most fellowships require publication-worthy research as part of their requirements. Research advances medicine and the profession as a whole. Individually, it also focuses and forces one to critically think about what they’re doing. It helps one grow as a physician. I was able to learn how to design research projects from the ground up, and have the time and assistance to put that research into action. Those skills have aided me in my publications post-WFAI, and taught me how to be a scientist-physician in clinical practice.”

“You see I had the unique opportunity of training under Dr. Weil, Sr. And Dr. Weil, Jr. on a daily basis. WFAI was a little smaller back then but still with a lot of moving parts as you can imagine. I was able to have intimate conversations and interactions as well as observances with both Dr. Weil, Sr. and Dr. Weil, Jr not only on the surgical aspect of podiatry but also the business and life aspect as well. Having this daily interaction, especially in the operating room, with both of them allowed me to not only grow as an individual but hone my surgical skills by keenly observing a precision in detail of every procedure and understanding why that procedure was being done. All of these aspects have allowed me to progress in ways that have brought me to where I am today. As far as what the fellowship has done to my career, a plethora of doors have been opened to me because of the Weil Foot and Ankle Fellowship. I was hired because I had completed a surgical fellowship. The person who hired me was specifically looking for a fellowship trained foot and ankle surgeon. I have been involved in multiple sports teams as either team podiatrist or consultant in Jacksonville including the NFL, AFL as well as MLB and the PGA Tour. Being a past Weil Fellow also introduced me to Industry partners which allowed to me to work with them in academic surgical teaching labs as well as being part of product development in order to further advance surgical technology. Everything that I have accomplished in my career has a lot to do with the basis of me completing the Weil Foot and Ankle Institute Fellowship.

But most importantly, Dr. Weil, Sr. and Dr. Weil, Jr truly care and show genuine interest in the people they have trained and worked with over the years. I don’t think you will find more gracious and personable people whom strive to be the best they can be in all aspects of life. Thank you. “