The Hand Fellowship program at Wake Forest School of Medicine prepares fellows for a career as a clinical or academic surgeon. In this program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, fellows will learn to treat complex disorders of the hand—affecting everything from the brachial plexus to the fingertips.

Why Train at Wake Forest?

All fellowship faculty have advanced training in hand and shoulder/elbow and perform all aspects of upper extremity surgery, including shoulder trauma, arthroplasty, reconstruction and arthroscopy.

We also provide the traditional hand curriculum, with excellent and broad exposure to trauma, reconstruction and microsurgery.

Hand Fellowship Overview with Ethan Wiesler, MD

Hear from Ethan Wiesler, MD, former Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship Director, on what the program at Wake Forest Baptist Health has to offer.

Program Aims

The fellowship is designed to provide a complete experience in upper extremity problems. At the completion of the fellowship, you should be competent in treating congenital and acquired disorders in either a private practice or academic setting.

Typical Week of a Hand Fellow

Three fellows are expected to cover the half-month that orthopaedics is responsible for hand call. Typically, this is either the first or last two weeks of each month.

Hand fellows do not admit patients to the hospital or operate alone. The fellows may operate with orthopaedic, plastic surgery or neurosurgery attendings.

Hand fellows change clinics every two months, and will have the opportunity to work with all hand faculty in both the fall and the spring. Please see the typical week overview calendar below.

Where Are They Now?

  • Elizabeth McBride, MD (2020) - OrthoTennessee, Maryville, TN
  • Eric Sarkissian, MD (2020) - VA Medical Center, Washington, DC
  • Natalie Vaughn, MD (2020) - Appalachian Orthopedics, Bristol, TN
  • Kate Butler, MD (2019) - Faculty, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC
  • James Kyriakedes, MD (2019) - Riverside Orthopaedics, Newport News VA
  • Michelle O’Brien, MD (2019) - Lexington Orthopaedics, Columbia, SC 
  • Roger "Casey" Gaskins, MD (2018) - Florida Medical Clinic, Tampa, FL
  • Robert Mason, MD (2018) - Tidewater Orthopaedic Associates, Hampton, VA
  • Emily Schaheen, MD (2018) - Southern Sports Medicine Institute, Gallatin, TN
  • Megan F. Friend, MD (2017) - Northern Virginia Orthopaedic Specialists, Manassas, VA
  • Michael J. Schreck, MD (2017) - SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
  • Ian R. Smithson, MD (2016) - Ortho Virginia, Lynchburg, VA
  • Michael D. Wigton, MD (2016) - University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

View all of the Orthopaedic Hand Fellowship Alumni