Dr. Kunkel grew up in Fort Worth. He attended the University of Notre Dame, graduating with honors. Dr. Kunkel received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He recognized early during his medical school years that he wanted to become a plastic surgeon. During his fourth year of medical school Dr. Kunkel went to Basel, Switzerland to study with one of the pioneers of facial reconstructive surgery techniques. Dr. Kunkel completed a residency in surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch hospitals (where he also won an award as the Outstanding Surgery Intern), then moved to Seattle to study burn surgery at the University of Washington. He then completed his plastic surgery training at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon, where the program director was one of the innovators in bone growth and regeneration. Dr. Kunkel moved back to Fort Worth in 1994 to begin his private practice of plastic surgery. He is currently..