Dear Colleagues,
In full swing of our sun-drenched summer, we find ourselves reflecting on the departure of another extraordinary class of residents and fellows. In this newsletter, you’ll discover their accomplishments and the exciting paths that lie ahead for them.
Our most recent graduates are not only skilled surgeons but also talented artists. Fascinatingly, the backbone of surgery is visual art. The master, Michelangelo, once remarked after finishing a sculpture, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Analogously, when we repair the anatomy of our patients, we are endeavoring to set them free. We do this by applying specialized knowledge and exquisite dexterity acquired from years of rigorous training. And we do this with artistry. Our recent grads remind us that the boundaries between fine and applied art are sometimes blurred. We wish them all the best as they embark on their professional journeys.
Our ongoing clinical, research, and educational partnerships continue to flourish, as you will see below. We embrace the new academic year with both a renewed dedication to our mission and inspiration drawn from the incipient promise, both surgical and artistic, of our current trainees.
May we all dedicate our lives to lifelong learning and our noble profession, inspired by Michelangelo who at 88 years old declared, “Ancora imparo: I am still learning!”
Happy summer!
Tina
Konstantina Stankovic, MD, PhD
Bertarelli Foundation Professor of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery and, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery
When addressing graduating residents and fellow, Dr. Stankovic remarked that many people have observed that the life and learning of a surgical resident in a teaching hospital closely resemble those of a young apprentice in a Renaissance workshop. “Some of these workshops in Florence were truly amazing,” she said and continued: “Andrea Verrocchio, the 15th-century goldsmith, painter, and sculptor, had as students in the first or second generation four magnificent artists – Leonardo, Botticelli, Rafaello, and Michelangelo. Like these masters, you will develop a unique personal aesthetic and cultivate your own techniques and preferences. In the course of your work, you will encounter the boundaries and limitations of the physical body, human emotions, social issues, and other complexities. We, your teachers and mentors, will bask in your glory, just as Verrocchio reveled in the success of his students.”
Julien Azimzadeh, MD, PhD
Neurotology Fellowship, University of Southern California
Mohamed Diop, MD, MS
Comprehensive ENT, Kaiser South Sacramento
Zoë Fullerton, MD, MBE
Head & Neck Surgery Fellowship, Washington University
Alice Huang, MD
Rhinology Fellowship, Mass Eye & Ear
Yu-Jin Lee, MD, MS
Head & Neck Surgery Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh
Eric Wei, MD
Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship, Vanderbilt University
Yousif Alammar, MD, MS
Department of Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery at King Saud University, Assistant Professor
Jacqueline Harris, MD
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara, Pediatric Otolaryngologist
Katie Hohenberger, MD
Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery at Stanford University, Clinical Assistant Professor
Kristen Kraimer, MD
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Minnesota, Assistant Professor
David Liu, MD, PhD
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna, Assistant Professor
Elizabeth Longino, MD
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Assistant Professor
Michael Montalbaron, MD
Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Assistant Professor
Daniel Penaranda, MD, MSc
CHRISTUS Children’s Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Clinic of San Antonio, affiliated to Baylor College of Medicine, Assistant Professor
Axel Renteria, MD
Department of Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Montreal, Assistant Professor
Zoë Fullerton, MD, MBE
Resident Teacher of the Year: For excellence during residency program.
Zoë Fullerton, MD, MBE
Resident Team Player of the Year: Resident who exhibits consideration for the team and care for the team.
Sam Most, MD
Faculty Teacher of the Year: For excellence in teaching.
Lisa Orloff, MD
Faculty Teacher of the Year: For excellence in teaching.
Mai Thy Truong, MD
Faculty Teacher of the Year: For excellence in teaching.
Julia Noel, MD
Affiliated Faculty Teacher of the Year: For excellence in teaching.
David Liu, MD, PhD
Fellow Teacher of the Year: For excellence in teaching.
Peter Hwang, MD
Faculty Mentor of the Year: For excellence in mentorship.
John Sunwoo, MD
Faculty Mentor of the Year: For excellence in mentorship.
Patrick Kiessling, MD
Resident Research Symposium Award Grand Prize
Maxwell Lee, MD, MS
Resident Research Symposium Award Runner-up in Content
Roy Park, MD
Resident Research Symposium Award Runner-up in Presentation
Michael Belsky, MD, MS
Peter Koltai Award: For excellence in the Pediatric Division
Maxwell Lee, MD, MS
Veterans’ Affairs–Palo Alto Resident Award
Monica Bodd, MD, MTS
Dr. M. Lauren Lalakea VMC Resident Award
Elish Mahajan, MD
Anthony Thai, MD
Lekha Yesantharao, MD
Resident In-Training Awards: Received top scores on the in-training exam (group statines of 7 or above).
Dr. Troy D. Woodard, President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery was our guest of honor and delivered the prestigious Willard E. Fee, Jr. Lectureship. His talk, “Turning Trials into Triumphs: Lessons Learned on the Leadership Journey,” was an inspirational message for our newly minted graduates.