Resident of the Month – meet Dr. Jason Talmadge

Name: Jason D. Talmadge

Medical school you attended/year you graduated: The Ohio State University College of Medicine/class of 2013

Residency/fellowship at UNMC:  Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery

Program director: Sam Pate, MD, and Christie Barnes, MD (co-directors)

How long is your training program and how long have you been at UNMC:

Five years – I have been here for four so far!

What do you like the most about your training program:

Our faculty are all fantastic mentors/role models and treat us like family.

What challenges do you foresee in graduate medical education in the future:

Resident-duty hour restrictions and more demands for cheaper care/quicker procedures will continue to lead to difficulties with residents getting the experiences they need to independently practice with confidence and success after training. Some residency training is getting longer to compensate – and due to nationwide funding difficulties for GME – this will probably lead to fewer residents trained per year in many fields and only make the shortage of doctors worse.

List some accomplishments that you are proud of:

– Watching my nine-month-old son continue to grow into an adorable happy toddler!

– Getting named a "Resident of the Year" this year for UNMC was a huge surprise, and I was touched just to be nominated.

– Matching into a fellowship in rhinology and skull base surgery in Houston starting next year (hopefully the city is in good shape by then).

Tell us three things about you that others may not know:

 My favorite book is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

 I have played the drums since I was 12 years old.

 I am an avid video gamer, and that's been my main way to blow off steam since med school.