✓ Primary programme source linked✓ Dated source review current✓ Current cycle evidenced✓ Faculty identity sourced✓ Institution mark verified
DECISION SUMMARY
What matters before you keep reading.
Eligibility
International route mentioned
Funding
Duke orthopaedic fellows are paid on the PGY-6 scale. The currently published FY27 rate is USD 86,292; the 2028–2029 appointment amount is not yet published.
Deadline
1 November 2026 for the current 2028–2029 recruitment cycle
Duration
1 year (1 Aug–31 Jul)
Hands-on
Unclear — confirm privileges
Last checked
1 Sep 2026
Duration · published1 year (1 Aug–31 Jul)
Clinical exposureAdult reconstruction, hallux valgus and deformity, ankle arthritis and arthroplasty, arthroscopy, trauma, sports injury, diabetic/Charcot foot, orthotics and prosthetics; one mentored clinical or basic-science research project
Funding · publishedDuke orthopaedic fellows are paid on the PGY-6 scale. The currently published FY27 rate is USD 86,292; the 2028–2029 appointment amount is not yet published.
DestinationUnited States
Participation levelClinical participation and hands-on restrictions must be confirmed directly with the host.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT CHECK
What the official evidence currently supports
Decision-critical fields are separated into confirmed facts, partial information and points requiring direct confirmation.
≈Partially published
International applicant eligibility
International graduates need valid ECFMG certification, all three USMLE/COMLEX steps and an eligible accredited residency; Duke sponsors J-1 clinical house-staff visas but not H-1B
✓Published by official source
Required training level
Completed ACGME-, ACGME-I-, RCPSC- or CFPC-accredited prerequisite residency · SF Match application, personal statement, CV, Letter of Good Standing and three current recommendation letters
✓Published by official source
Programme classification
Clinical or combined training pathway; exact duties remain appointment-specific.
?Confirm directly with host
Hands-on restrictions
Hands-on participation and operative restrictions are not explicitly published.
≈Partially published
Medical registration
USMLE/COMLEX or accepted equivalent Steps 1–3, passed within the North Carolina Medical Board attempt limit, are required. International graduates must provide ECFMG certification.
?Confirm directly with host
Licensing examinations
Any examination requirement must be confirmed with the relevant regulator and host.
✓Published by official source
Language requirements
No standalone English-test score is published. Selection includes communication skills, and foreign medical graduates require a valid ECFMG certificate.
≈Partially published
Visa or work authorisation
Duke sponsors an ECFMG J-1 Clinical House Staff visa for eligible clinical fellows; it does not sponsor H-1B visas for this programme.
✓Published by official source
Funding availability
Duke orthopaedic fellows are paid on the PGY-6 scale. The currently published FY27 rate is USD 86,292; the 2028–2029 appointment amount is not yet published.
DATA QUALITY & AVAILABILITY
93% of core application fields verified
Checked 1 Sep 2026. Next scheduled editorial review: 2027-02-28. Every unresolved field keeps its exact evidence state—unpublished, not yet researched, historical, conflicting, inaccessible or not applicable—so an absence is never converted into a fact.
✓ programme title✓ institution / department✓ city and country✓ programme classification✓ subspecialty✓ current status evidence✓ duration✓ positions✓ commencement / intake✓ funding✓ benefits✓ eligibility✓ international eligibility✓ registration✓ visa / work authorisation✓ deadline✓ application process✓ required documents✓ application portal✓ official contact✓ faculty✓ verified faculty photograph✓ verified institution logo✓ official source✓ institutional source✓ accreditation / organisation source✓ verification date— accommodation / relocation · not published by the cited official source— Language requirement not published · not published by the cited official source
APPLICATION TIMELINE & CONTACT
Plan the application
Application deadline1 November 2026 for the current 2028–2029 recruitment cycle
Commencing date1 August 2028 for the current 2028–2029 recruitment cycle; the fellowship runs through 31 July 2029
Application route / cycleCurrent Duke at-a-glance recruitment for 2028–2029 through SF Match/CAS
Official contactCheryl DePaolis · Fellowship Program Coordinator919-684-0536
Deadlines and intake dates can change between cycles. The data-quality ledger above explicitly labels application fields that the cited official source does not publish.
ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS
Published entry requirements
Clinical / academic eligibility
Completed ACGME-, ACGME-I-, RCPSC- or CFPC-accredited prerequisite residency
SF Match application, personal statement, CV, Letter of Good Standing and three current recommendation letters
Registration, licence & examinations
USMLE/COMLEX or accepted equivalent Steps 1–3, passed within the North Carolina Medical Board attempt limit, are required. International graduates must provide ECFMG certification.
Visa / work authorisation
Duke sponsors an ECFMG J-1 Clinical House Staff visa for eligible clinical fellows; it does not sponsor H-1B visas for this programme.
Application documents
SF Match fellowship application form and programme list
Personal statement
Curriculum vitae
Letter of good standing
Three recommendation letters on official letterhead and no more than six months old
USMLE/COMLEX transcript for all three steps
ECFMG certificate for applicable international graduates
Licensing, visa and document rules depend on the individual programme and application cycle. OrthoFellow does not infer USMLE, AHPRA, ECFMG, recommendation-letter or visa requirements from the country alone.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What this program offers
A four-position ACGME Duke foot-and-ankle fellowship recruiting for August 2028, with reconstructive, trauma, sports, arthroscopy and research exposure. Eligible foreign graduates require ECFMG certification and use the J-1 route; housing and a standalone English-test score are not published.
BENEFITS & SUPPORT
Published benefits and support
Subsidised medical, dental and vision plans; disability and life insurance; three weeks' leave plus a Christmas or New Year holiday; an education allotment; on-call meals, pager, parking, lab coats and house-staff gym access.
Benefits may depend on appointment type, training level, visa status and the active academic year. OrthoFellow keeps stipend and benefits separate so a salary figure is not mistaken for the full package.
ACCOMMODATION & RELOCATION
Published housing information
✓ Official source mentions accommodation
⌂
Duke does not publish programme-provided housing, a housing allowance or relocation support for the Foot and Ankle Fellowship.
Housing availability, rent, deposits, utilities and relocation support can change by intake and appointment type. OrthoFellow does not estimate living costs unless an official source publishes them.
HOST INSTITUTION
About Duke University Medical Center
Duke publishes four ACGME foot-and-ankle fellows, seven associated faculty, broad reconstructive, trauma, sports and arthroscopy exposure, research and J-1 sponsorship for eligible foreign graduates.
Program Training Director · Foot and Ankle Division ChiefOfficial profile & photo verified
Current position
Fellowship supervisor / program leadership
Affiliation
Duke University Medical Center
Clinical focus
Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice
Qualifications
Not published on the cited profile
Mark E. Easley is listed in the cited programme evidence as program training director · foot and ankle division chief for Duke University Medical Center Foot & Ankle Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and director of Duke's Foot and Ankle Fellowship programs.
Fellowship Program LeadOfficial profile & photo verified
Current position
Teaching faculty / co-leadership
Affiliation
Duke University Medical Center
Clinical focus
Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice
Qualifications
Not published on the cited profile
Cesar de Cesar Netto is listed in the cited programme evidence as fellowship program lead for Duke University Medical Center Foot & Ankle Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Foot and Ankle Fellowship Program Lead at Duke.
Samuel B. Adams Jr. is listed in the cited programme evidence as associate professor · clinician scientists section head for Duke University Medical Center Foot & Ankle Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Samuel B. Adams Jr. is listed by the official programme source as associate professor · clinician scientists section head. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Associate Professor · Foot and Ankle Associate Division ChiefOfficial profile & photo verified
Current position
Teaching faculty / co-leadership
Affiliation
Duke University Medical Center
Clinical focus
Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice
Qualifications
Not published on the cited profile
Jonathan Kaplan is listed in the cited programme evidence as associate professor · foot and ankle associate division chief for Duke University Medical Center Foot & Ankle Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Jonathan Kaplan is listed by the official programme source as associate professor · foot and ankle associate division chief. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Karl M. Schweitzer Jr. is listed in the cited programme evidence as teaching faculty / co-leadership for Duke University Medical Center Foot & Ankle Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Karl M. Schweitzer Jr. is listed by the official programme source as teaching faculty / co-leadership. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Andrew Hanselman is listed in the cited programme evidence as teaching faculty / co-leadership for Duke University Medical Center Foot & Ankle Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Andrew Hanselman is listed by the official programme source as teaching faculty / co-leadership. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Ned Amendola is listed in the cited programme evidence as teaching faculty / co-leadership for Duke University Medical Center Foot & Ankle Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
Ned Amendola is listed by the official programme source as teaching faculty / co-leadership. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
James K. DeOrio is listed in the cited programme evidence as teaching faculty / co-leadership for Duke University Medical Center Foot & Ankle Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
James K. DeOrio is listed by the official programme source as teaching faculty / co-leadership. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
James A. Nunley II is listed in the cited programme evidence as teaching faculty / co-leadership for Duke University Medical Center Foot & Ankle Fellowship. The verified individual profile describes a focus in Foot & Ankle training and clinical practice. This association does not by itself confirm personal supervision, operative privileges or availability for a future intake.
James A. Nunley II is listed by the official programme source as teaching faculty / co-leadership. A separate individual short CV has not yet been verified by OrthoFellow.
Names and fellowship roles come from the cited programme source. A green “individual profile verified” label means the position, qualifications and biography were also checked against an official personal or institutional profile. OrthoFellow displays a portrait only when it can be tied to an official profile or faculty source; otherwise the host institution brandmark is shown, with initials retained only when neither image is available. Faculty rosters may change.
PROGRAM HISTORY
Published fellowship history
Duke's current at-a-glance table places the Foot and Ankle fellowship in the 2028–2029 recruitment cycle with a 1 November 2026 deadline. This refreshes the older 2027–2028 wording while retaining the historical AOFAS post-Match evidence. Housing and a separate English-test score are not published.
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INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
Published international eligibility information
International graduates need valid ECFMG certification, all three USMLE/COMLEX steps and an eligible accredited residency; Duke sponsors J-1 clinical house-staff visas but not H-1B
This note is shown only when the official source publishes information relevant to overseas applicants. Applicants should confirm licensing and visa eligibility directly with the host.
