Samuel Barber, MD

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.