"For a neurotology fellowship, Mayo Clinic provides an unparalleled combination of strong mentorship, high surgical volume, ample exposure to both common and rare clinical presentations, and endless research opportunities. The program goes above and beyond to foster a productive academic environment where you can excel and prepare for a career in neurotology."

Hometown: Riverside, CA

Undergraduate: UC San Diego

Medical school: Case Western Reserve University SOM

Residency: University of Utah

Hobbies: Snowboarding, hiking/backpacking, fly fishing, guitar, BBQ

Future plans: Academic neurotology

Hometown: Little Rock, Arkansas

Undergraduate: Hendrix College

Medical school: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Residency: Medical University of South Carolina

Hobbies: Woodworking; gardening, hiking, board games, cooking/baking

Why Mayo: For a neurotology fellowship, Mayo offers a peerless surgical experience with strong exposure to all common and many not so common pathologies, and from a career building perspective it offers access to endless research opportunities and effective, friendly mentorship.

Future plans: Career in academic neurotology

“As expected, the surgical, clinical, and research opportunities at Mayo Clinic are tremendous. Our consultants balance autonomy and teaching in the OR, so that we have the opportunity to work through problems, but also learn how to be effective and efficient skull base surgeons. Research opportunities are abundant; even before I arrived at Mayo, Dr. Carlson guided me through writing a grant, so I could hit the ground running. Arguably most importantly, and something that is frequently glossed over, this fellowship has been incredibly fun. I have had a wonderful time working with both our Neurotology and Neurosurgery consultants. Even half-way through fellowship, I'm still excited to walk into work, and that is certainly because our consultants, residents, nurses, staff, and research colleagues are exceptionally enjoyable people.”

“While much of residency is geared toward the fundamentals, fellowship is your opportunity to get better at what you already know how to do and expand your comfort zone. Fellowship at Mayo allows this to occur as you learn by doing, not watching. Our surgeons are so good at what they do that they can let trainees learn and practice within a safe, comfortable environment. This, combined with opportunities to pursue research and teach the residents, has made for an ideal fellowship experience.”

Medical school: University of Illinois College of Medicine

Residency: Otolaryngology Residency, Mayo Clinic

Fellowship: 2018-2020

Assistant professor at The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah