Dr. Brian Kobienia has felt drawn to the world of medicine since childhood. His mother was a pediatric nurse with a career that spanned over forty years. She filled their home with stories about the patients she worked with and how their lives were transformed by successful medical interventions and the skill and compassion of their doctors and nurses. These anecdotes and invaluable lessons not only inspired Dr. Kobienia to pursue a career in medicine but also shaped the ideal standard of the kind of physician he wanted to be for his patients in the future.

With a mind that loves the complexity and challenge of fixing things and a father who was a highly skilled mechanic with incredibly dexterous hands, Dr. Kobienia may have been genetically predisposed to pursue a career as a surgeon! Like his father, he has always enjoyed working with his hands in activities requiring heightened attention to detail. This passion for precision and artistry transcends far beyond the surgical field into Dr. Kobienia’s personal life, in which he is an avid fly fisherman, photographer, and painter.

Dr. Kobienia’s educational pathway to becoming a board-certified plastic surgeon began with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. John’s University, Minnesota, in 1988. After, he was accepted into the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he earned his Medical Doctorate. Dr. Kobienia then remained at the University of Minnesota for his residency in General Surgery and fellowship in Plastic Surgery. He has been board-certified by the American Board of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery since 2000 and in private practice since 1999.

Education is the keystone of Dr. Kobienia’s professional and personal ethos. He places immense value on educating not only his patients but also the future plastic surgeons of the world! For nearly twenty years, Dr. Kobienia shared his passion, skill, and experience in plastic surgery as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Surgery.

Licenses & Certification

• Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Department of Surgery (2000-2019)
• Board-Certified by the American Board of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (2000, 2010, 2020)
• Fellow, The American College of Surgeons (1994)
• State of Minnesota License, Medicine and Surgery (1994)
• National Board of Medical Examiners (1993)

Education