New Associate Director Dr. Brian Hughley to Help Shape the Future of Duke’s Otolaryngology Residency

Changes in Duke Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences’ Otolaryngology Residency leadership promise to build on recent successes and carry on our mission to educate and train future leaders in otolaryngology.

Associate Professor Brian Hughley, MD, has taken over as Associate Program Director of the Otolaryngology Residency Program, as Russell Kahmke, MD, steps aside.

A head and neck oncologic and microvascular reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Hughley joined our faculty in 2023. His new leadership role with the Otolaryngology Residency Program began on August 1.

“In the time I’ve been at Duke, I’ve really enjoyed the relationships I’ve built with the residents,” Dr. Hughley says. “I’ve always liked working with residents, participating in their training, and trying to make their experiences better. That’s really the reason I’m at an academic institution, and I appreciate everyone’s support and trust in me as I take on this role.”

Dr. Hughley plans to maintain the progress made in recent years to the successful Otolaryngology Residency Program.

 “Our primary goal is to continue attracting the best applicants and helping otolaryngology residents develop their surgical skills,” he says.

Dr. Hughley wants residents to gain the knowledge and physical skills necessary to become strong general otolaryngologists and/or to prepare them for subspecialty fellowships.

“I want them to have the knowledge and skills to be able to treat every patient that comes into their clinics,” he says. “And to be able to efficiently and competently perform surgical procedures, to mitigate and manage complications, and hopefully to eliminate poor outcomes.”

To help residents do this, Dr. Hughley plans to serve as an overall source of support for them.

“I’ll try to make their lives easier by helping them figure out what’s important, minimizing the paperwork, listening to any issues they have, and acting as a liaison with other faculty members in resolving them. I want residents to feel comfortable coming to me with anything.”

Dr. Hughley’s otolaryngology residency at the University of Virginia School of Medicine will help inform what he brings to otolaryngology residents at Duke.

“One of the best parts of my residency was my group of peer mentors — co-residents I relied on as I learned and figured things out — and I think that exists here, too. We also had great attending physicians to learn from, in terms of both knowledge and getting used to their different styles and preferences.”

In this new role, Dr. Hughley will work with residency program director Charles “Chip” Woodard, MD — someone he’s known since they were residents themselves at UVa.

“I’ve known Dr. Woodard for more than 10 years — he was my senior resident — and we have a good, comfortable working relationship and an open line of communication,” says Dr. Hughley.

“Dr. Woodard has done a lot of great things with the residency program in the almost 10 years he’s been leading it; he’s built it and significantly increased its national reputation,” Dr. Hughley says. “So in addition to being able to work with him, I hope to learn about what he’s done and how he’s been able to do it.”