Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - Department of Otolaryngology

Our Mission Our mission is to improve patients’ lives by leading our advancing field. We do that by - training the next generation of physician leaders, - conducting impactful research that advances our field, and - providing outstanding patient care in an environment of compassion and innovation. Our commitment The departmental mission embodies three elements: purpose, value and behavior standards. - Our purpose is the betterment of health care through the development of new knowledge arising from research, teaching and clinical programs in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery. - Our values are reflected in the ethical coordination of talent and resources. - Our behavior standards are addressed through a balance in research, teaching and clinical activities, and the fulfillment of individual and departmental potential. These declarations represent our commitment to quality, ethics, organizational pride, mutual respect and teamwork, open communication, functional balance and individual fulfillment. History The Department of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis has a rich, 130-year history of leadership in our field that is built on the foundations of academic medicine: patient care, research, training and service. Our past leaders include luminaries in the field of otolaryngology, such as John Blasdel Shapleigh, MD; Greenfield Sluder, MD; Lee Wallace Dean, MD; Theodore Walsh, MD; Joseph Ogura, MD; John Fredrickson, MD; Richard A. Chole, MD, PhD; and, presently, Craig A. Buchman, MD, FACS. In 1930, two major endowments were brought together to create a new facility for clinical practice, instruction, and research at WUSM. That year, the McMillan Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital, named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. William McMillan, was opened. Housed within it was the Oscar Johnson Institute, established to further research by the Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolargyngology. Both McMillan and Johnson were St. Louis industrialists. Even from our earliest days, excellence has been an integral part of the department’s fabric. A look at former faculty and program graduates reveals many of the true innovators in our field. While we remain humbled by our beginnings and past achievements, we choose not to rest on our laurels. Rather, we aspire to further our commitment to improving patients’ lives by leading our field and its clinical application. Today, more than ever, we are driven to provide the highest-quality, cutting-edge patient care that is both safe and effective. Our Washington University physicians and team, together with our award-winning hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, are second to none when it comes to tackling the full spectrum of conditions involving the ear, nose, throat, head and neck. Our basic, translational and clinical research programs are remarkable, providing answers to a variety of relevant questions that build on our foundations of knowledge, lay the groundwork for future clinical trials, and provide state-of-the-art patient solutions. Our educational programs for medical and graduate students, physicians in training, and established practitioners are committed to creating a culture of lifelong learning that firmly establishes our next generation of leaders in the field. Our residency program is highly rated by all metrics, providing balanced training across the clinical subspecialties and unique opportunities for growth and development as clinician-scientists (T32 NIH training grant) and educators. We are most proud that these activities are ongoing in a work culture that values collegiality, inclusiveness, diversity and mutual respect.