University of Minnesota Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery

Fellowship + Residency Complete! ✅

Last Friday, we celebrated our amazing residents, fellows, and award winners at the Metropolitan Ballroom! It was a night filled with gratitude, laughs, and life-long memories 🎓💛🎉

And a perfect color coordination between Dr. Roby and Dr. Barrera! 💙

Speech-Language Pathology Best Paper Award! 🏅

Recently, Stephanie Misono, MD, MPH, along with colleagues in the Department of Psychiatry, were awarded the Journal of Voice Best Paper Award for their research on innovative voice measurement tools!

Last weekend, we celebrated 5 outstanding graduates from our Department's residency and fellowship programs! 🎉

This year we congratulated Drs. Koenigsberg, Straughan, and Weykamp on completing their five-year residency, as well as Dr. Amin on his Facial Plastics and Reconstruction Fellowship, and Dr. Barrera on her Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship!

Congratulations all! 🥳

More content to come Friday!

⭐Graduation Week Spotlight: Alec Straughan, MD ⭐

“Thanks to my patients, faculty, and co-residents for an incredible five years! I’ll never forget my time in Minnesota and the UMN otolaryngology family. Hennepin County breakfast burritos will always have a place in my heart.”

⭐Graduation Week Spotlight: Cynthia Koenigsberg, MD ⭐

“Thank you to all of my co-residents and staff for the memories and support along the way - it has been a wonderful 5 years! I’ll truly miss my residency community, the free sinus rinses, and the HCMC cafeteria chocolate chip cookies. Swipe left for a sinus rinse demo.”

⭐Graduation Week Spotlight: Lydia Weykamp, MD ⭐

As a part of graduation week, we wanted to highlight our 3 graduating chief residents! Starting with Lydia!

“Thank you to all of my amazing current & past co-residents and staff for the best 5 years. I’m so lucky to have trained at this program with all of you. Cheers to U apple fritters, VA LOPs, HCMC breakfast burritos, and Regions trauma team activation broadcasts ruining an average night's sleep in the workroom lounger.”

Awareness & Access at the Arboretum 🌺🌳

This past Saturday, our Department was proud to join and support the Minnesota Lions at the annual D-Feet Hearing Loss Walk at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the scenic trails, connect with the community, snap a few photos with Goldy, and showcase our new CATSS mobile hearing clinic in support of a great cause!

From scrubs to the spotlight! 🎭

Recently, PGY-3 Katherine Xie, MD, performed at the Parkway Theater as a part of the Art of Medicine: For the Moment production w/ Center for the Art Medicine! It was a picturesque evening of medical storytelling!

OFS 2026! 🎉🔬

Last week, we hosted 4 amazing medical students as a part of our Otolaryngology Future Scholars Program! Our scholars gained hands-on experience and learned about the world of ENT through clinical shadowing, departmental research, faculty lectures, simulations, and so much more! It was a fun week of connection, learning, and exploring the Twin Cities!

First ever Sub-I Otolaryngology Bootcamp!!! ✅

Last week our Department hosted our first ever Sub-I otolaryngology bootcamp, and it was a huge success! This bootcamp aims to prep medical students for their home and away bootcamps through hands-on experience in the multiple sub-specialities in otolaryngology. Students got to improve their skills in airway management, epistaxis and rigid scope, flexible scope, suturing, and so much more!

If you’re interested and will be applying in the fall of 2027, join us May 2027 for our 2nd annual Sub-I Bootcamp!