First-year residents in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences (HNS&CS) receive a significant boost to their educational tools, thanks to a permanent endowment that supports the education of surgeons in training in perpetuity.
PGY-1 residents are awarded new surgical loupes during the annual Alumni Resident Research Symposium, just before they transition to their second year. Funded by the Samuel R. Fisher, MD, Memorial Fund for Resident Education, the customized loupes represent a key investment in the residents’ training in surgery of the head and neck.
The alumni symposium serves as an annual opportunity to celebrate academic achievements and reconnect with alumni. It also offers a platform to emphasize the department’s focus on community engagement and its ongoing efforts to address health disparities in otolaryngology.
As the department continues to expand its research and educational capabilities, support from the Fisher Fund plays a crucial role in equipping residents with the necessary tools to excel in their surgical training and research endeavors. The annual gifting of the loupes highlights the fund’s commitment to improving the residency experience through essential resources.
Dr. Fisher was an esteemed Professor of Surgery in the Division of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences. A key part of our team, he practiced at Duke for more than 40 years and trained many head and neck surgeons. He was known for his generous gifting of loupes to junior residents this endowment. Spurred by the advocacy of his three oldest children — Sam Jr., Lee, and Randall — 42 admirers – colleagues, friends, and patients – joined together with Duke University to fund this endowment in recognition of Fisher’s leadership of the residency program for those training to be otolaryngologists. Thanks to their generosity, Dr. Fisher’s legacy of leadership and this tradition will always live in the Department of HNS&CS.
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