Alumni
 Samuel Barber, MD – Alumni
My name is Sam Barber. I am originally from Upstate New York in the Finger Lakes area. After graduating from the University of Rochester with a degree in Psychology, I worked for a few years as a surgical neurophysiologist in both Denver, CO, and Boston, MA. I also used this time getting in many ski days, traveling the world, and picking up interests including cooking, photography, and DJ'ing. I was fortunate to stay in Boston for medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine. This afforded the opportunity for research at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, during which I was lead clinical coordinator for two FDA trials investigating neuroprosthetic devices for hearing. I discovered my passion for Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at that time. In residency, clinical interests include lateral skull base and endoscopic ear surgery. My current research focuses on the application of medical imaging and virtual technologies for pre-operative planning and surgical navigation. I have over 40 peer-reviewed articles and have been invited to national and international meetings as presenter or faculty. Research activities have been previously funded by Formlabs and the Academy of Medical Education Scholars. I am a reviewer for multiple peer-reviewed journals and serve on the editorial board for Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
What attracted you to UArizona? Arizona has a large surgical volume with all major subspecialties represented. The main goal of residency is getting surgical and clinical experience. We are fortunate here to operate starting on day 1. Given that 5 residents cover over 15 attending physicians, we receive personalized training from our mentors who provide us with autonomy early into residency. What is your favorite surgery to be involved in? I enjoy a variety of procedures involving fine dissection, with a special interest in minimally invasive approaches to the skull base. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I spend time with my wife, who is an anesthesiology resident here. We were fortunate to successfully couples match at the University of Arizona. There are a lot of places to explore outside of the hospital, including restaurants in town or day trips to nearby areas. We also enjoy getting together with friends to cook great meals or be poolside throughout most of the year. What are your long term goals? I matched into Neurotology fellowship at LSU next year and plan to pursue a career in academics.
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 Jonnae Ostrom, MD – Alumni
Dr. Jonnae Ostrom was born and raised in Southeast Alaska and is the oldest of four children. She attended the University of Washington where she received two degrees, one in psychology and the other in biochemistry. She then attended the University of Washington School of Medicine where she was awarded the UW School of Medicine Service award for her involvement in volunteer activities. In addition, she graduated from the Underserved Pathway program, a separate curriculum within the school of medicine for those interested in working with underserved populations. Jonnae is currently completing a fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Washington. |
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 Erynne Faucett, MD – Alumni
Dr. Erynne Faucett grew up in Northern California with her twin sister and supportive parents. She spent her time playing basketball and directed an outreach program for inner city youth. She went to the University of California, San Diego where she completed her degree in Biology. While at UCSD, she was a member of the intercollegiate women's basketball team, where she was MVP and served as team captain. She then graduated from Michigan State University- College of Human Medicine where she was a Gold Humanism Honor Society recipient. After completing her residency, Dr. Faucett went on to complete a Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship at the University of Toronto and is now working at Phoenix Children's Hospital. |
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 Andrew Johnson, MD – Alumni
My name is Andrew Johnson. I was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska. I attended the University of Washington in Seattle, WA where I received a degree in bioengineering. I then moved to Cleveland, Ohio to attend medical school at Case Western Reserve University. I was first introduced to the field of otolaryngology at the end of my first year of medical school and was involved in research on pediatric hearing loss. I was drawn to the field of otolaryngology by its diverse surgical and clinically practice and the fascinating anatomy of the head and neck.
What attracted you to UArizona? At my interview day, I could tell the sense of community that is present within the department and the passion that our attendings have for teaching. I liked the small program size because it provides an excellent opportunity to work closely with our outstanding faculty mentors. I feel that we have a unique opportunity to grow as surgeons during our residency because of how well our faculty get to know us and are able to specifically tailor our surgical training. What is your favorite surgery to be involved in? Tonsillectomy. However, I enjoy surgeries in all the different subspecialties of otolaryngology and hope to have a broad surgical practice in the future. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? In my free time, I enjoying playing golf, mountain biking, hiking, and skiing. What are your long term goals? At this time, I am undecided if I would like to pursue fellowship training after residency. Currently, my hope is to return back home to Alaska to practice.
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 Tyson Nielsen, MD – Alumni
Dr. Tyson Nielsen was born and raised in Southwest Idaho and is the oldest of five children. He attended Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho where he completed a degree in Biology. He then attended the University of Washington School of Medicine. Tyson is married and has two daughters. Outside of medicine Tyson loves spending time with his family, exploring new places, and tinkering with automotive projects. |
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 Saranya Reghunathan, MD – Alumni
Dr. Saranya Reghunathan grew up in California as the second of four children. She spent her youth learning classical Indian dance, playing tennis and volunteering in animal shelters. After graduating high school, she matriculated to the University of Missouri Kansas City where she successfully completed their 6-year BA/MD program as the youngest student in her class to graduate with an MD. After completing her residency, Dr. Reghunathan went on to complete a laryngology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic and is now working in private practice in Southern California. |
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 John Richards, MD – Alumni
My name is John Richards, I was born in Palm Springs, California and grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma. I attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma where I obtained my undergraduate degree in biomedical chemistry. I then attended the University of Oklahoma for medical school in Oklahoma City where I fell in love with Otolaryngology as a third year medical student. I was very fortunate to interview with the University of Arizona's Otolaryngology program here in Tucson. I was extremely impressed with the quality and quantity of educational experiences that this program offered and was ecstatic when I matched here. I feel extremely grateful to be at a program that has a tight knit group of residents and faculty that truly care. Outside of the hospital I enjoy mountain biking, running, cooking, playing video games and relaxing with my wife and two dachshunds. I am very proud to be in this program and extremely thankful to be surrounded by outstanding individuals that continue to improve the program every day. What attracted you to UArizona? I was attracted to UArizona by the outstanding surgical and clinical training. I think UArizona is extremely unique in that we have a very tight-knit group both with the residents and with the faculty to the point that you are just as likely to see me hanging out with a faculty member outside of work as you are with a fellow resident. Also, I believe the hands-on training we receive is second to none. What is your favorite surgery to be involved in? I enjoy being in big open head and neck cases like free flaps, parotidectomies and neck dissections. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I enjoy being with my partner and two dogs, being outdoors hiking or mountain biking and cooking big meals for my friends. What are your long term goals? I am looking forward to a career where I can continue to learn and improve my skills as well as share my knowledge with others. |
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 John Symms, MD – Alumni
My name is John Symms, I was born in Caldwell, ID and spent much of my childhood in the Treasure Valley. For my undergraduate degree I attended University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT where I majored in mathematics. I then attended University of Nevada School of Medicine for medical school in Reno and Las Vegas, NV. During my fourth year of medical school I had the chance to interview with University of Arizona’s ENT head and neck surgery team and immediately felt at home with the residents and faculty. I am so excited to have the chance to train at a place that provides such a rich and comprehensive operative and clinical experience. In my free time, I love to play golf, listen to music, practice the saxophone, slackline, collect vinyl records, and spend time with my lovely wife and five children. I couldn’t be more proud to be a of such an awesome group of people here and I’m eager to explore an exciting, rewarding career in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery!
What attracted you to UArizona? I am so excited to have the chance to train at a place that provides such a rich and comprehensive operative and clinical experience. |