Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Welcome to the first quarter Connections newsletter of FY25! We are excited to share significant updates and achievements that highlight our commitment to fostering a vibrant learning culture that advances knowledge, practice and health outcomes. This journey begins with our residents and extends throughout our healthcare team members at all levels.
In this newsletter, you will read about our Otolaryngology Residency Program and the resumption of in-person interviews for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. You will gain insight into how we strive to innovate and improve our resident surgical training program by focusing on structured progression, personalized feedback, and hands-on experience.
Our commitment to training leaders in our specialty is inextricably linked to our emphasis on impactful research training in our 5-year residency program and our 7-year NIH R25 funded surgeon-scientist track. We are proud of these programs which set Duke apart as a training ground for tomorrow’s leaders. To address inequities faced by patients treated for otolaryngologic and communication disorders at Duke, we have implemented a Health Equity Curriculum for our faculty, staff, and trainees, led by our residents and their mentors. Additionally, we are deeply invested in the professional development of all team members, ensuring that we are equipped to move the field forward, and to shape the future of clinical care and medical education.
Enjoy this first quarter’s issues which appropriately focuses on our most precious asset: Our faculty, trainees and staff who make up our learning community. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to making us excellent in all of our missions.
Sincerely,
Howard W. Francis, MD, MBA, FACS
Richard Hall Chaney, Sr. Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology
Chair, Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences