Dr. Eric Ferkel is a Los Angeles native, born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. He attended Washington University in St. Louis, where he graduated cum laude with a degree in medical anthropology and lettered in varsity football, competing at the NCAA Division III level. While at Washington University, Dr. Ferkel also served as president of the Alpha Epsilon Delta Medical Honor Society. Dr. Ferkel earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He subsequently returned to southern California to complete his residency at the University of Southern California (USC), training at LA County General Hospital, USC-Keck Hospital, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. During residency, Dr. Ferkel had a particular interest in sports medicine, working closely with the USC athletic teams.
Dr. Ferkel completed a fellowship in orthopedic sports medicine at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, training under some of the nation’s pioneering arthroscopic surgeons. During his fellowship, Dr. Ferkel also spent time at Boston Children’s Hospital focusing on pediatric and adolescent orthopedic Sports Medicine. While in Boston, Dr. Ferkel served as an assistant team physician for the NBA’s Boston Celtics and Harvard University Athletics. One of his most memorable experiences was standing on the sideline at the 130th Harvard/Yale football game and watching Harvard go on to win the Ivy League Championship.
After completing his training in sports medicine, Dr. Ferkel wanted to deepen his understanding of foot and ankle surgery, and chose to complete a second fellowship at OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, North Carolina. At OrthoCarolina, Dr. Ferkel had the opportunity to train with some of the founding physicians of foot and ankle surgery. He was able to combine his sports medicine training with foot and ankle surgery, working closely with the Carolina Panthers and NASCAR.
