Inspired by the ‘Ability to Inspire’ Hope and Healing in Others, New Residents Start Journey

After the stress of finishing medical school, Esther Wang was thrilled to find out that she matched at the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck surgery.

“I can’t even begin to describe my absolute joy upon realizing that I would be training at a program I loved,” she said. Originally from San Jose, she’s been in Chicago the last 8 years for medical education, and has been visiting her partner — a student at USC — over that time. On those visits, she was always struck by how happy the students at USC were and their sense of school spirit and unity. “Every single memory I have of LA is of blue skies and palm trees; I couldn’t imagine a better city to live in.”

She is joined by two other clinical residents, Casey Collet and Michelle Fong, as well as one CSTP Resident, Joshua Lin. All four residents are set to start their training this summer.

‘The Ability to Inspire Hope’ – Esther Wang
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Medical School: University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine

Wang became interested in medicine after growing up watching her father be treated for pulmonary arterial hypertension after he had a pulmonary embolism after a surgery in China. He came back to the U.S. for treatment, where he saw physicians every other week for a year.

“I watched the physicians treat both his condition and his person,” Wang said. “They gave him hope that he would make it through and live a long, healthy life. I was inspired by those physicians—by the knowledge of diseases and treatments, the ability to inspire hope and their connection to patients. That set me on a path in medicine.”

Now, she’s especially interested in studying olfactory dysfunction. She’s struggled with a poor sense of smell her entire life, and took particular interest in rhinologists treating patients with post-COVID-19 long-term olfactory issues.

“In doing research on olfactory dysfunction in aging and in COVID-19, I fell in love with rhinologists’ ability to improve how patients interact with the world through smell (and even the ability to breathe),” she said.

Health: ‘A Second Chance at Life’ – Joshua Lin
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan/Belmont, Massachusetts
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC

One of the things that convinced Lin to rank USC highly was the support he received from the department faculty, even before he matched. When he was having an existential crisis about specialty choice, he emailed Dr. Michael Johns, the medical student advisor for OHNS, and asked if there were opportunities to shadow during the holiday season, as it was the only time he could explore his choices before applications for residency were due. While his early interests were in neuroscience, he was drawn to head and neck surgery to help people battling cancer.

“Dr. Johns immediately invited me to shadow in his laryngology clinic and connected me with the chief resident so I could scrub in on some cases,” Lin said. “I was super fascinated by the field afterward; this interaction paved the way for me to commit to OHNS.”

Lin said he believes in second chances, which is why he decided to become a doctor: “What better way is there to try to give people their health back for a second chance at life?”

A Love for ‘Intricate and Delicate Procedures’ – Michelle Fong
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC

Fong decided to become a doctor because she wanted to make meaningful impacts in people’s lives through personal connections.

“Health is vital to everyone’s livelihood so what better way to serve others than through practicing medicine,” Fong said. “I was inspired to pursue otolaryngology because I love the intricate and delicate procedures that the specialty offers. With such a wide range of head and neck pathologies, I’m constantly engaged in ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeries and clinic.”

As a medical student at Keck School of Medicine of USC, she saw how respected the USC Department of Otolaryngology is, and was excited and grateful to have matched into a program that she said she knows will shape her into a great surgeon.

After residency, she hopes to do a fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology.

“I love working with children and want to dedicate my career to making a difference in children’s lives that could help them for years to come,” she said.

‘Driven to Create a Holistic, Patient-Centered Care Environment’ – Casey Collet
Hometown: Ventura, CA
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC

“Growing up with a disabled mom who was often lost in the healthcare space, I felt called to the medical field and driven to create a holistic, patient-centered care environment for my future patients,” said Collet about why she became a doctor.

ENT was the first operating room that felt like home to her, she said.

“The complexity and breadth of cases, the supportive atmosphere among residents and faculty, and the complex quality-of-life considerations of ENT-related pathologies all drew me to the field,” Collet said.

She’s most excited about being able to take more ownership over patient care and the ability to become more involved in complex cases during her training at USC.