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Rebecca L. Farmer, MD, PhD

Rebecca Farmer portrait
Assistant Professor, Plastic, Burn and Wound Surgery
rfarmer2@kumc.edu

Professional Background

My interest in plastic surgery first began during my PhD studies when I was working in the field of organic chemistry to develop novel prostate cancer metastasis inhibitors. Much like chemistry, plastic surgery has its own set of principles that are constantly applied to new and challenging problems, but with the added sense of fulfillment that comes from taking care of patients. This combined love of science and patient care led me to pursue integrated plastic surgery residency at UW-Madison, followed by microsurgical fellowship at St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

While I believe that there are opportunities for innovation throughout the field of plastic surgery, reconstructive microsurgery has continued to be the one area that aligns with my chosen career path. My inner chemist appreciates the potential for collaborative efforts in tissue engineering, drug delivery and device development that comes along with the field of microsurgery, and I enjoy pursuing these interests in my work. Furthermore, I am constantly impressed by the ability of microsurgery to help patients, often at their most vulnerable, restore a sense of hope and normalcy. I particularly enjoy taking care of cancer patients, whether it be for extremity tumors or breast cancer, and I have a particular interest in gender affirming procedures. I am very proud to be a part of this group at KUMC, and to do my best to help patients achieve their reconstructive goals.

Education and Training
  • BS, Chemistry, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • MD/PhD, MD and PhD in Chemistry, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
  • Residency, Plastic Surgery, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
  • Clinical Fellowship, Plastic Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital , Melbourne, VIC
Licensure, Accreditations & Certifications
  • Medical License (MD), Kansas State Board of Healing Arts
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, Member, 2021 - Present

Publications