Based at our world-class academic medical center, home to KU Medical Center and The University of Kansas Health System, this 12-month plastic surgery fellowship will include all aspects of adult gender-affirming surgical care. The fellowship is open to board-certified and board-eligible candidates who have completed plastic surgery, urology or OB/GYN residency. Our goal is to provide our fellow with comprehensive experience in all clinical and academic aspects of adult gender-affirming care. Our institution has a robust clinical volume, with more than 190 cases in 2023.

Staff

The fellow will train under the tutelage of expert core faculty members from the departments of plastic surgery (Dr. Rebecca Farmer, Dr. Satish Ponnuru, Dr. Julie Holding and Dr. Chris Jehle), urology (Dr. Josh Broghammer) and OB/GYN (Dr. Meredith Gray), all of whom take a key role in the administration of the adult gender-affirming care services offered by our clinical partner, The University of Kansas Health System.

The fellow will be primarily mentored by the program director, who will provide regular feedback and will ensure that all clinical rotations are designed for optimal learning opportunities.

Locations

The fellow will train at clinical locations operated by The University of Kansas Health System, including operating rooms and clinics at the main campus on 39th Street and Rainbow Boulevard and at the Indian Creek campus at I-435 and Nall Avenue.

Clinical Volume and Objectives

Fellows will be instructed in the full range of adult gender-affirming surgical care, including the following procedures:

• Facial Gender Affirmation Surgery and Chondrolaryngoplasty (“Tracheal Shave”)
• Chest Reconstruction Surgery (i.e., Chest Masculinization and Breast Augmentation)
• All Stages of Phalloplasty Surgery including Erectile Device and Testicular Implants
• Metoidioplasty (with and without Urethral Lengthening)
• Open Penile Inversion Vaginoplasty and Vulvoplasty (“Zero Depth Vaginoplasty”)
• Hysterectomy/BSO, Vaginectomy
• Body Contouring (e.g., Liposuction, Fat Grafting)
• Revision Surgery

The fellow will also have opportunities to participate in other aspects of adult gender-affirming care, including primary care and endocrinology for hormonal management, ENT, voice/speech training, mental health, social work and fertility preservation. They will be given one academic day per week to pursue educational objectives in these other fields. The fellow will be appointed as a clinical instructor in their respective department, meaning that they will have the ability to independently staff their own clinics and operative cases. The program practices graduated autonomy throughout the fellow’s experience and will tailor advancement to independent practice as appropriate for each individual.

Fellows will also be expected to complete the objectives of academic practice, including mentoring medical students and residents both in and out of the clinical arena. We expect that the fellow will participate in twice-monthly adult gender-affirming care team didactic sessions, which focus on current literature from all aspects of the field, and that they will also organize twice-yearly journal club sessions on adult gender care. Finally, the fellow will be expected to actively participate in research initiatives within the program, with the expectation of completion of one publication by the end of the fellowship. The program will sponsor the fellow to obtain membership in WPATH and attend the annual WPATH Scientific Symposium.

Salary & Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits are provided based on the institutional guidelines for educational level. This information can be found on the GME website.

Application Requirements

Eligible applicants will have completed an ACGME-accredited plastic surgery residency by June 2026, in order to start fellowship training July/August 2026.

Candidate fellowship applicants should send the following documents to the Program Director, Dr. Rebecca Farmer (rfarmer2@kumc.edu) or the Program Coordinator, Kendra Harms (kharms2@kumc.edu).

• Curriculum Vitae
• Two letters of reference
• Personal statement

Applications will be due in March 2025.

More information about the Adult Comprehensive Gender Care and Surgery Fellowship can be found at the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons website.

Interviews

Interviews will take place between late April and early May 2025.

Contact Information

Fellowship Director:
Rebecca Farmer, M.D., Ph.D.
rfarmer2@kumc.edu

Program Coordinator:
Kendra Harms
kharms2@kumc.edu