5th YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2023

Undergraduate University of Arizona
Medical School University of Nebraska Medical Center
Clinical Area of Interest Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Research Interests Facial Plastics
Publication Are C, Caniglia A, Sharma A, & Gold JP. (2018). Burnout, substance abuse, and suicide: A surgical perspective. In Practical Ethics for the Surgeon (pp. 229-262). Wolters Kluwer Health Adis (ESP).
“This is a truly great ENT program. We rotate at multiple hospitals which affords us different clinical experiences and the ability to work with attendings all throughout the city. We start operating early in our clinical training and graduate fully autonomous and competent surgeons. As a resident group, we get along well and often hang out during our free time. Also, the city of Chicago has something to offer for everyone.”
Undergraduate The George Washington University
Medical School Eastern Virginia Medical School
Clinical Area of Interest Head & Neck Surgical Oncology
Research Interests Head & Neck Cancer, E-Cigarettes/Vaping, Outcome Improvement
Publication Perdoni CJ, Santarelli GD, Koo EY, Karakla DW, Bak MJ. Clinical and functional outcomes after total laryngectomy and laryngopharyngectomy: Analysis by tumor subsite, salvage status, and extent of resection. Head Neck. 2019; 41(9):3133–3143. doi:10.1002/hed.25807
“A strength of our program are the various rotation sites that provide resident autonomy within the operating room and clinic. We work and learn from a multitude of faculty throughout the city, providing residents with a diverse training experience preparing them for any career in Otolaryngology.”
Undergraduate University of Illinois
Medical School University of Illinois College of Medicine
Clinical Area of Interest Otology, General, Pediatrics
Research Interests Otology, Cochlear Implantation and Sound Perception Quality, Evolution in Surgical Techniques
Publication Mularczyk C. Moynihan M. Yu J. Mucocutaneous Lesions in an Adult Man Who Recently Moved From Mexico. JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 2019; 145(10):965-966.
“Chicago is an awesome city with something for everybody. I personally enjoy it for the music. UIC is the best representation of Chicago as a program. We see an extremely diverse patient base, which varies location to location. We work in various hospital systems that not only prepares us for patient care, but also exposes us to the wide variety of practice styles that exist in order to tailor how and where we would like to practice in the future. The resident group is awesome, and they keep me constantly laughing, even on the most exhausting of days”.

4th YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2024

Undergraduate Florida State University
Medical School Florida State University College of Medicine
Clinical Area of Interest Pediatrics, Facial Plastics, General
Research Interests Facial Plastics, Women In Surgery, Quality Improvement
Presentation Tanner B, Livingston F, Muszynski MJ. The Effect of Comorbid Cystic Fibrosis and Rheumatologic Disease on Outcome: A retrospective chart review. Poster. Celebration of Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep, Orlando, Florida. February 2019.
“What drew me to the program was the relationships within the program. Everyone gets along so well and is so supportive and that is the type of environment that I want to work in. I also love how many different rotation sites we get to experience. I think that provides such a versatile learning experience.”
Undergraduate Loyola University
Medical School The University of Illinois College of Medicine
Clinical Area of Interest Pediatrics, Otology, Head & Neck
Research Interests Pediatric Hearing Loss, Instrument Design, Medical Education, Quality Improvement
Publication Samra S, Steitz JT, Hajnas N, Toriumi DM. Surgical Management of Nasal Valve Collapse. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2018;51(5):929‐944. doi:10.1016/j.otc.2018.05.009
“What I love about being a resident here is the supportive environment I work in every day. The residents all strive to help each other, and are very attentive to each other’s needs. The attendings are constantly teaching and genuinely interested in our education, and go out of their way to push us to grow and improve.”
Undergraduate The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Medical School The University of Illinois College of Medicine
Clinical Area of Interest Rhinology, Sleep, Pediatrics, Facial Plastics
Research Interests Sleep/Airway, Neurotology, Interspecialty Perceptions, Quality and Process Improvement
Publication Wilson J, Reid KJ, Braun RI, Abbott SM, Zee PC. Habitual light exposure relative to circadian timing in delayed sleep-wake phase disorder. Sleep. 2018. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsy166
“This program couples rigorous and broad surgical training across all subspecialties with immensely supportive co-residents and faculty. I chose UIC because I knew I would learn everything I need to become an accomplished surgeon surrounded by colleagues who care and want me to succeed.”

3rd YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2025

Undergraduate University of California, Berkeley
Medical School Albany Medical College
Clinical Area of Interest Otology, Rhinology, Pediatric ENT
Research Interests Hearing Loss, Skull Base Surgery, and Everything else
Publication Lee JA, Schaffer CE, Mehta CH, Close MF, Nguyen SA, Meyer TA. Impact of early gastroesophageal reflux disease on childhood otologic outcomes. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Apr 27;134:110069. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110069. PMID: 32371356
“The otolaryngology residency program at UIC prides itself in a culture of collegiality and a tradition of clinical excellence. I am excited to become part of the family!”
Undergraduate Northwestern University
Medical School University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine
Clinical Area of Interest Pediatric Otolaryngology, Otology
Research Interests Pediatric Vestibular Function Testing, Innovations in Medical Education
Publication Weinreich HM, Martin E, Agrawal Y. “Overview of Dizziness in Practice.” Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2021 Oct;54(5):839-852. doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2021.05.008.
“While attending medical school at UIC, I was able to see first-hand the many strengths of this program, especially the diversity of training environments and camaraderie among residents and attendings. I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue my training here and excited about my future at UIC.”
Undergraduate Boston University
Medical School Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
Clinical Area of Interest General, Rhinology, Laryngology, Facial Plastics, Pediatrics
Research Interests Facial Nerve Reanimation, Postoperative complications in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing undergoing free flap reconstructive surgeries
Publication Friedman JJ, Schumacher JK, Papagiannopoulos P, Tajudeen BA, Batra PS. Targeted 648-Gene Profiling Demonstrates Low Tumor Mutational Burden in Olfactory Neuroblastoma. International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology. Accepted for publication April 20, 2020.
“I am so excited to have matched at UIC! When rotating here, I experienced firsthand the camaraderie among the residents and was impressed by the strength of surgical training, breadth of exposure to all the subspecialties, the ability to work with various patient populations at multiple sites, and the overall family feel of the program”.

2nd YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2026

Undergraduate Arizona State University
Medical School University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford
Clinical Area of Interest General Otolaryngology, Laryngology, Rhinology
Research Interests Sound quality of videoconferencing platforms during voice rehabilitation telemedicine visits, metal jewelry and accidental burns from monopolar cautery in the operating room, trans-nasal esophagoscopy as a screening tool for esophageal cancer in vulnerable populations
Publication LaCroix AN, Blumenstein N, Tully M, Baxter LC, Rogalsky C. Effects of prosody on the cognitive and neural resources supporting sentence comprehension: A behavioral and lesion-symptom mapping study. Brain Lang. 2020 Apr;203:104756
“I was eager to stay at UIC for residency because of the excellent mentorship I received as a medical student. I was always impressed by the autonomy of fifth year residents I got to work with, and it’s an honor to follow in their footsteps, treating a diverse patient population with an abundance of role models and supportive co-residents.”
Undergraduate University of Southern California
Medical School California Northstate University College of Medicine
Clinical Area of Interest General Otolaryngology
Research Interests General Otolaryngology, Neurotology, Pediatric Otolaryngology
Publication Bruss D, Abouzari M, Sarna B, Goshtasbi K, Lee A, Birkenbeuel J, Djalilian HR. Migraine Features in Patients With Recurrent Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Otol Neurotol. 2021 March
“UIC offers strong training in a supportive learning environment. We treat a wide range of patients and pathologies. The faculty are invested in our success and push us to become the best resident physicians we can be. It’s also amazing to train in such a vibrant city with so much to offer in terms of food, live music, and fellow young professionals.”
Undergraduate University of Toronto
Medical School Boston University School of Medicine
Clinical Area of Interest Facial Plastics and Reconstruction, Head and Neck, General Otolaryngology
Research Interests Social Determinants of Health, Medical Education, Facial Plastics and Reconstruction
Publication Cheung, AY, Kan, KY, Jang S, Cohen, M, Levi, JR. Socioeconomic variables as a predictor of indication for pediatric adenotonsillectomy. Int J Pediatric Otorhinolaryngol. 2020; 136:110181.
“When applying for residency, I was looking for a program that combined high quality training with a diverse set of supportive mentors and coresidents. I was also looking for an institution that was dedicated to health equity and cared deeply for patients from all walks of life. I found these attributes at UIC, and I am absolutely thrilled to have matched here!”

1st YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2027

Undergraduate Washington University in St. Louis
Medical School University of Illinois College of Medicine – Peoria
Clinical Area of Interest Pediatrics, General Otolaryngology
Research Interests Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Oncology, Clinical Outcomes
Publication Kozak KJ, Achim VD. Individual head and neck screening: Initiating a dialogue about best approach. Am J Otolaryngol. 2022 Mar-Apr;43(2):103302. doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2021.103302. Epub 2021 Dec 3. PMID: 34894446.
“From the day I stepped foot in the ENT department here following my first year of medical school, I was made to feel at home. The faculty are all approachable, incredibly supportive of the residents, invested in our success, and genuinely nice people to be around. The resident room is an impressive but friendly and down to earth group who are great examples of the well-rounded training at this program. “
Undergraduate University of Kansas
Medical School Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Clinical Area of Interest Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, General Otolaryngology
Research Interests Head and Neck Reconstruction, Surgical Innovation
Publication Pankey AN, Chandar A, Isaacson G. Safety of Ibuprofen in Children With G6PD Deficiency: A Systematic Review. Laryngoscope. 2022 Jun;132(6):1300-1305. doi: 10.1002/lary.29868. Epub 2021 Sep 21. PMID: 34546579.
“UIC embodies everything I was looking for in a residency program and it is an honor to train here. Our faculty are truly invested in resident education and the variety of clinical training sites provides a comprehensive and robust training experience. I am grateful to live in such an energetic city and it is a privilege to serve the incredibly diverse population of Chicago.
Undergraduate Johns Hopkins University
Medical School University of Illinois College of Medicine
Clinical Area of Interest Head and Neck, Otology, General Otolaryngology
Research Interests Head and Neck Cancer, Facial Trauma, Clinical Outcomes Improvement
Publication Trapp LP, Koo EY, Lee V, Yu J. Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma to the sinonasal cavity: A case report and literature review. Oto Case Reports 2022;24:100449. doi:10.1016/j.xocr.2022.100449
“As a medical student, I was struck by the friendliness, collegiality, and professionalism of the residents and attendings in this department. From day one, everyone in the department will help you challenge yourself and succeed. I’m very excited to continue my training within a group that brings this kind of energy to our patients in Chicago.” 

5th YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2022

Undergraduate
Webster University

Medical School
University of Missouri-Columbia

Future Plans
Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship

Research Interests
Rhinoplasty, Aesthetics, Neurotoxin, Filler, Non-Surgical Cosmetic Therapy

Publication
Cristel RT, Dayan SH, Akinosun M, Russell PT. Evaluation of Selfies and Filtered Selfies and Effects on First Impressions. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2020:1-9.

“UIC allows for residents to pursue their interests with support from faculty clinically and in research. We have the ability to train at several surgical sites in Chicago which offers a unique opportunity to learn different techniques. The relationships among the residents is one of the best parts of the program being able to work well as a team and hang out together in our free time.”

Undergraduate
Rice University

Medical School
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston

Clinical Area of Interest
General Otolaryngology

Research Interests
Cochlear Implants, Operative Efficacy and Functionality

Current Project
Jeu, C. “A CI simulation study of transposing frequencies in an individualized programing approach”, Pilot study to investigate the effect of transposing input from mismatched cochlear implant electrodes on localization and discrimination.

“Chicago has proved itself to be a great 5 year home exceeding all expectations from great food, beautiful cityscape, and a glimmer of hope that is Chicago summers amidst not so bad winters. The UIC program has become my second family with an amazing group of residents who are more than just colleagues, always lending a hand and looking out for one another. Faculty truly makes an effort to better the residents any chance they get and make these 5 years of training something I will be proud to take anywhere.”

Undergraduate
Brandeis University

Medical School
Georgetown University School of Medicine

Future Plans
Sleep Medicine Fellowship

Research Interests
Neurotology, Obstructive sleep apnea, Medical education

Publication
Wickemeyer J, Achim V, Redleaf M. Stapedectomy Is Rewarding: But How to Prove It? Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2019 Oct;128(10):911-914. doi: 10.1177/0003489419849615.

“UIC is a well-balanced program. It offers excellent surgical training at numerous and diverse subsites, good support for research endeavors, and a caring team of co-residents. Here, you have the scaffolding to shape your career into whatever you want it to be.”

4th YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2023

Undergraduate
University of Arizona

Medical School
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Clinical Area of Interest
Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Research Interests
Facial Plastics

Current Project
Are C, Caniglia A, Sharma A, & Gold JP. (2018). Burnout, substance abuse, and suicide: A surgical perspective. In Practical Ethics for the Surgeon (pp. 229-262). Wolters Kluwer Health Adis (ESP).

“This is a truly great ENT program. We rotate at multiple hospitals which affords us different clinical experiences and the ability to work with attendings all throughout the city. We start operating early in our clinical training and graduate fully autonomous and competent surgeons. As a resident group, we get along well and often hang out during our free time. Also, the city of Chicago has something to offer for everyone.”

Undergraduate
The George Washington University

Medical School
Eastern Virginia Medical School

Clinical Area of Interest
Head & Neck Surgical Oncology

Research Interests
Head & Neck Cancer, E-Cigarettes/Vaping, Outcome Improvement

Current Project
Perdoni CJ, Santarelli GD, Koo EY, Karakla DW, Bak MJ. Clinical and functional outcomes after total laryngectomy and laryngopharyngectomy: Analysis by tumor subsite, salvage status, and extent of resection. Head Neck. 2019; 41(9):3133–3143. doi:10.1002/hed.25807

“A strength of our program are the various rotation sites that provide resident autonomy within the operating room and clinic. We work and learn from a multitude of faculty throughout the city, providing residents with a diverse training experience preparing them for any career in Otolaryngology.”

Undergraduate
University of Illinois

Medical School
University of Illinois College of Medicine

Clinical Area of Interest
Otology, General, Pediatrics

Research Interests
Otology, Cochlear Implantation and Sound Perception Quality, Evolution in Surgical Techniques

Current Project
Mularczyk C. Moynihan M. Yu J. Mucocutaneous Lesions in an Adult Man Who Recently Moved From Mexico. JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 2019; 145(10):965-966.

“Chicago is an awesome city with something for everybody. I personally enjoy it for the music. UIC is the best representation of Chicago as a program. We see an extremely diverse patient base, which varies location to location. We work in various hospital systems that not only prepares us for patient care, but also exposes us to the wide variety of practice styles that exist in order to tailor how and where we would like to practice in the future. The resident group is awesome, and they keep me constantly laughing, even on the most exhausting of days”.

3rd YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2024

Undergraduate
Florida State University

Medical School
Florida State University College of Medicine

Clinical Area of Interest
Pediatrics, Facial Plastics, General

Research Interests
Facial Plastics, Women In Surgery, Quality Improvement

Presentation
Tanner B, Livingston F, Muszynski MJ. The Effect of Comorbid Cystic Fibrosis and Rheumatologic Disease on Outcome: A retrospective chart review. Poster. Celebration of Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep, Orlando, Florida. February 2019.

“What drew me to the program was the relationships within the program. Everyone gets along so well and is so supportive and that is the type of environment that I want to work in. I also love how many different rotation sites we get to experience. I think that provides such a versatile learning experience.”

Undergraduate
Loyola University

Medical School
The University of Illinois College of Medicine

Clinical Area of Interest
Pediatrics, Otology, Head & Neck

Research Interests
Pediatric Hearing Loss, Instrument Design, Medical Education, Quality Improvement

Publication
Samra S, Steitz JT, Hajnas N, Toriumi DM. Surgical Management of Nasal Valve Collapse. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2018;51(5):929‐944. doi:10.1016/j.otc.2018.05.009

“What I love about being a resident here is the supportive environment I work in every day. The residents all strive to help each other, and are very attentive to each other’s needs. The attendings are constantly teaching and genuinely interested in our education, and go out of their way to push us to grow and improve.”

Undergraduate
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Medical School
The University of Illinois College of Medicine

Clinical Area of Interest
Rhinology, Sleep, Pediatrics, Facial Plastics

Research Interests
Sleep/Airway, Neurotology, Interspecialty Perceptions, Quality and Process Improvement

Publication
Wilson J, Reid KJ, Braun RI, Abbott SM, Zee PC. Habitual light exposure relative to circadian timing in delayed sleep-wake phase disorder. Sleep. 2018. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsy166

“This program couples rigorous and broad surgical training across all subspecialties with immensely supportive co-residents and faculty. I chose UIC because I knew I would learn everything I need to become an accomplished surgeon surrounded by colleagues who care and want me to succeed.”

2nd YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2025

Undergraduate
University of California, Berkeley

Medical School
Albany Medical College

Clinical Area of Interest
Otology, Rhinology, Pediatric ENT

Research Interests
Hearing Loss, Skull Base Surgery, and Everything else

Presentation
Lee JA, Schaffer CE, Mehta CH, Close MF, Nguyen SA, Meyer TA. Impact of early gastroesophageal reflux disease on childhood otologic outcomes. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Apr 27;134:110069. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110069. PMID: 32371356

“The otolaryngology residency program at UIC prides itself in a culture of collegiality and a tradition of clinical excellence. I am excited to become part of the family!”

Undergraduate
Northwestern University

Medical School
University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine

Clinical Area of Interest
Pediatric Otolaryngology, Otology

Research Interests
Pediatric Vestibular Function Testing, Innovations in Medical Education

Presentation
Martin E. “Frustrating and Terrifying: What It’s Like to Be in Medical School During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” ENTtoday. 2020 May 11. Accessible at https://www.enttoday.org/article/frustrating-and-terrifying-what-its-like-to-be-in-medical-school-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

“While attending medical school at UIC, I was able to see first-hand the many strengths of this program, especially the diversity of training environments and camaraderie among residents and attendings. I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue my training here and excited about my future at UIC.”

Undergraduate
Boston University

Medical School
Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine

Clinical Area of Interest
General, Rhinology, Laryngology, Facial Plastics, Pediatrics

Research Interests
Facial Nerve Reanimation, Postoperative complications in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing undergoing free flap reconstructive surgeries

Presentation
Friedman JJ, Schumacher JK, Papagiannopoulos P, Tajudeen BA, Batra PS. Targeted 648-Gene Profiling Demonstrates Low Tumor Mutational Burden in Olfactory Neuroblastoma. International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology. Accepted for publication April 20, 2020.

“I am so excited to have matched at UIC! When rotating here, I experienced firsthand the camaraderie among the residents and was impressed by the strength of surgical training, breadth of exposure to all the subspecialties, the ability to work with various patient populations at multiple sites, and the overall family feel of the program”.

1st YEAR RESIDENTS – CLASS OF 2026

Undergraduate
Arizona State University

Medical School
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford

Clinical Area of Interest
General Otolaryngology, Laryngology, Rhinology

Research Interests
Sound quality of videoconferencing platforms during voice rehabilitation telemedicine visits, metal jewelry and accidental burns from monopolar cautery in the operating room, trans-nasal esophagoscopy as a screening tool for esophageal cancer in vulnerable populations

Publication
LaCroix AN, Blumenstein N, Tully M, Baxter LC, Rogalsky C. Effects of prosody on the cognitive and neural resources supporting sentence comprehension: A behavioral and lesion-symptom mapping study. Brain Lang. 2020 Apr;203:104756

“I was eager to stay at UIC for residency because of the excellent mentorship I received as a medical student. I was always impressed by the autonomy of fifth year residents I got to work with, and it’s an honor to follow in their footsteps, treating a diverse patient population with an abundance of role models and supportive co-residents.”

Undergraduate
University of Southern California

Medical School
California Northstate University College of Medicine

Clinical Area of Interest
General Otolaryngology

Research Interests
General Otolaryngology, Neurotology, Pediatric Otolaryngology

Publication
Bruss D, Abouzari M, Sarna B, Goshtasbi K, Lee A, Birkenbeuel J, Djalilian HR. Migraine Features in Patients With Recurrent Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Otol Neurotol. 2021 March

“UIC offers strong training in a supportive learning environment. We treat a wide range of patients and pathologies. The faculty are invested in our success and push us to become the best resident physicians we can be. It’s also amazing to train in such a vibrant city with so much to offer in terms of food, live music, and fellow young professionals.”

Undergraduate
University of Toronto

Medical School
Boston University School of Medicine

Clinical Area of Interest
Facial Plastics and Reconstruction, Head and Neck, General Otolaryngology

Research Interests
Social Determinants of Health, Medical Education, Facial Plastics and Reconstruction

Publication
Cheung, AY, Kan, KY, Jang S, Cohen, M, Levi, JR. Socioeconomic variables as a predictor of indication for pediatric adenotonsillectomy. Int J Pediatric Otorhinolaryngol. 2020; 136:110181.

“When applying for residency, I was looking for a program that combined high quality training with a diverse set of supportive mentors and coresidents. I was also looking for an institution that was dedicated to health equity and cared deeply for patients from all walks of life. I found these attributes at UIC, and I am absolutely thrilled to have matched here!”