Meet the Future of Otolaryngology: USC Welcomes Its Newest Residents

Residency follows the completion of medical school and serves as an important phase in a physician’s training, providing hands-on experience in clinical and/or research settings and giving residents increasing autonomy in making decisions related to patient care. This June, the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery welcomed four new residents, including clinical residents Haidee Chen, Melodyanne Cheng, and Tyler Gallagher as well as Clinician-Scientist Training Program (CSTP) resident Kimberly Ramirez. These incoming residents have been kind enough to share more about their diverse backgrounds, educational experiences, and goals and aspirations as they enter their first year of residency at USC.

Haidee Chen

Haidee Chen grew up in a low-income family in Georgia, where Traditional Chinese Medicine was a significant part of her household. “My earliest exposure to healthcare came from watching my family use herbal remedies and acupuncture for common ailments,” Chen explains. “However, as I got older, I became increasingly aware of the gaps in access to Western medicine in underserved communities like mine.” Chen’s interest in science and medicine solidified in part through her advocacy work, and a pivotal moment for her was helping her Mandarin-speaking mother navigate the healthcare system to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Chen received her B.A. in Biology from Columbia University and later attended medical school at UCLA. She found her passion for otolaryngology during her clinical experiences, where she witnessed the life-changing impact of surgery on patients with head and neck cancer as well as the impact of HPV vaccination education workshops conducted at institutions across the country. Chen notes that she was drawn to USC for residency “…because of its strong reputation in head and neck surgery, its commitment to patient-centered care and care of underserved communities, and its emphasis on innovation in both research and clinical practice. The breadth of pathology seen at Keck Medicine and the Los Angeles General Medical Center, combined with the opportunity to work with leading faculty in head and neck oncology, makes this program an ideal place for me to train.” Chen has also said that what stands out to her most about USC is the culture of collaboration and mentorship: “From my interactions with faculty and residents, I can see that this is a place where trainees are supported while being challenged to grow into exceptional surgeons and leaders in the field. The combination of excellent surgical training, strong research opportunities, and a commitment to community engagement makes USC the perfect place for me to continue my journey in otolaryngology.”

As Chen transitions from medical school to residency, she says that one of the key takeaways from medical school has been the importance of truly listening to patients. “As medical students, we were afforded the time to sit with patients, hear their concerns, and ensure they felt understood. I recognize that residency comes with increased responsibilities and a busier schedule, but I hope to remain cognizant of this lesson—continuing to prioritize patient communication, even in the face of time constraints.” After residency, Chen plans to pursue a fellowship in head and neck surgical oncology and microvascular reconstruction, and her ultimate goal is to become an academic head and neck surgeon, balancing clinical practice, research, and medical education.

Melodyanne Cheng
Melodyanne Cheng was born in New Jersey to a family of Taiwanese-American immigrants and moved every year across California before eventually settling in San Diego. Positively impacted by both great public schools and federal assistance programs, they became interested in scientific research and community/public health early on. They came to see medicine as the perfect intersection between the two. As an undergraduate at Stanford University, Cheng’s fascination with hearing loss led them to study with Dr. Stefan Heller (PhD), whose research focuses on the inner ear. They received a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in Chicanx/Latinx Health from Stanford as well as an M.S. in Comparative Medicine.

Still, Cheng wasn’t yet set on a career in otolaryngology. While attending medical school at UCLA, Cheng says: “I explored a ton of non-surgical, public-health-facing fields before randomly discovering the medical side of otolaryngology by accident (my school scheduling lottery) and realizing it was everything I had been dreaming of in medicine…in residency, I especially look forward to further exploring each subspecialty in depth, as well as the various intersections of gender-affirming care with otolaryngology.” As a resident, Cheng says they look forward to “growing and learning how to become the best provider I can become for my patients, their communities, and my colleagues.” They imagine that the most challenging aspect of the transition will be “juggling sleep deprivation” but they look forward to the challenge and learning from the experiences of the many fantastic residents and faculty who have come before them. “The wonderful part about medicine,” Cheng explains, “is it truly is a team-based sport.” In the future, Cheng hopes to pursue a career in academic medicine with a focus on both research and community impact.

Tyler Gallagher
Tyler Gallagher grew up on a farm in Armuchee, Georgia, moving to Los Angeles in 2016 to attend USC as an undergraduate. He received his B.S. in Biological Sciences and his B.A. in Political Science and will graduate from USC’s medical school in May with an MD and an MPH (Master of Public Health). Gallagher became interested in science at a young age: “My dad worked as an animal scientist, primarily…in wildlife management and damage prevention at Berry College. My mom was a middle and high school teacher, teaching physical science and chemistry. Through them, I developed a fascination with the basics of science and research.” As an undergraduate, Gallagher took a volunteering position at the Orthopedic Institute for Children in Downtown LA and fell in love with the combination of science and humanity that clinical medicine provides.

Gallagher’s first experience in otolaryngology was in high school when he underwent a tympanoplasty. “I was amazed by the fact that a simple surgery could restore such a great magnitude of hearing and quality of life,” he says. “I love otolaryngology because of the people in the field and the massive quality of life difference that we can make for our patients.” When asked about USC’s ENT program in particular, Gallagher explains: “To me, the most outstanding part of the…program is the ability to rotate between and experience the fantastic opportunities at both Keck and LA General. LA General provides an opportunity to care for a highly underserved population in Los Angeles, offering a chance to make a profound difference while learning in an autonomous environment. At Keck, we also have the opportunity to learn advanced surgical techniques in the most complex cases from some of the brightest minds in the field of otolaryngology, making for an outstanding residency experience. I feel very lucky to continue my training at this program as a resident.” Gallagher says that in 10 years, he hopes to have a career in academic otolaryngology while continuing to perform research to uncover inequities in patient care as well as best practices for addressing these issues.

Kimberly Ramirez
Kimberly Ramirez was born and raised in Los Angeles (specifically East Hollywood), a proud daughter of Salvadoran immigrants. She is a first generation college graduate, attending UC Berkeley and earning her B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology with a Neurobiology emphasis. She was introduced to otolaryngology while working as a medical assistant after graduating from UC Berkeley, saying, “I hadn’t initially set out to pursue ENT, but after working alongside skilled comprehensive otolaryngologists, I realized I wanted to make my mark in medicine as a physician.” As a student at UMass Chan Medical School, it became clear to Ramirez that no other specialty excited her as much as ENT, and she was particularly drawn to the field’s innovation, especially the development of groundbreaking therapeutics for genetic hearing loss.

Unlike the clinical residents, Ramirez will start her first two years as a research resident as part of USC’s Clinician-Scientist Training Program. “I am excited to start working with Dr. Gnedeva’s lab and to work on my own project exploring mechanisms of mammalian inner ear self-renewal and differentiation, though I worry I’ll forget all my neck anatomy!” As a native Angeleno, for Ramirez, doing her residency at USC also represents a homecoming after 13 years of missed birthdays, weddings, and life milestones, and she says: “As I enter this demanding chapter that is residency, I want to be closer to family while training at a program that excels in both research and community impact. USC is a pillar of the LA community and a leader in otology research, offering the perfect balance of academic rigor and service to a population that feels like home – because it is.”

In the future, Ramirez hopes to complete a neurotology fellowship and to secure a position at an academic medical center as a clinician-scientist. As someone who is a product of LAUSD and still has various family members working with the district (as cafeteria managers, counselors, teachers, and teachers’ aides), Ramirez also understands the value of education and hopes to work with inner city high school students, inspiring them to share her passion for patient care. “I aim to serve as a role model,” Ramirez says, “as someone who once walked in their shoes, learned from the same textbooks, graduated from LAUSD, and left LA to better myself only to return to serve my community. I have a lot of catching up to do, but I look forward to humbly learning how I can best contribute to my community again and be a positive influence for LA’s youth.”