Apply for the Otolaryngology Residency

Your future starts now! Application deadline for the Otolaryngology Residency Program is Nov. 15.

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505-272-6451

Meet Our Residents

PGY - 5

Allison Price, MD

Medical School: University of New Mexico School of Medicine

Undergraduate: University of Tulsa

PGY - 4

Maya Herzig, MD

Medical School: Oregon Health and Science University

Undergraduate: Occidental College, Los Angeles

Christopher Welch, MD

Medical School: University of New Mexico

Undergraduate: University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

PGY - 3

Quinton Blount, MD

Medical School: Mercer University School of Medicine

Undergraduate: University of Georgia

Kris Merrill, MD

Medical School: University of California, San Francisco

Undergraduate: Florida International University

Jordan West, MD

Medical School: University of New Mexico School of Medicine

Undergraduate: University of New Mexico

PGY - 2

Maria Johnson, MD

Medical School: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

Undergraduate: University of Arkansas

Eliza Broadbent, MD

Medical School: University of Utah

Undergraduate: Brigham Young University

Nikitha Kosaraju, MD

Medical School: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania

PGY - 1

Abigale Aldrich, MD

Medical School: University of New Mexico School of Medicine

Undergraduate: University of New Mexico

Christopher File, MD

Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston

Undergraduate: University of Texas at Austin

Taimur Khalid, MD

Medical School: Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV

Undergraduate: University of Nevada Las Vegas

Eric Pan, MD

Medical School: Medical College of Georgia

Undergraduate: University of Georgia

Allison Price

Quinton Blount

Hometown: Atlanta, Ga
Hobbies: Travel, Drag Queens, Gym, Fishing, Bouldering/Climbing
Favorite Music: Lil Nas X, Kesha, AJR, Latin/Reggaeton, Broadway Showtunes (Once on this Island, Rent)
Favorite Show/Series: Reality TV (Survivor, Big Brother, The Challenge), Harry Potter Series
Interesting things about me: I can juggle and stilt walk!
Prior meaningful work experience: Teaching young children to find their confidence on stage and in real life as a Summer Theatre Academy teacher.
Best job and why? My best job was slinging pasta as a waiter at Carrabba’s. I thrive in social settings, and I perform well under pressure. It was a ton of fun!
Why Albuquerque? I love love love a good view and sunset. I made sure to find a home with a beautiful mountain view and rooftop.
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: I was instantly drawn to the resident diversity and down-to-earth nature of the ENT faculty/residents during my interview day. I could tell that I found my people.

Maya Herzig

Hometown: Vancouver, WA
Hobbies: Tap dancing, aerial circus arts, starting many craft projects (crochet, sewing, pottery)
Favorite Music: Fav all-time artist: Mika, but currently jamming to: Sammy Rae & the Friends
Favorite Show: Taskmaster
Interesting things about me: I have the “how hard could it be” gene which leads to trying and being incredibly mediocre at many random hobbies (ex. Sailing, juggling, and roller skating).
Prior meaningful work experience: I worked in a sleep/circadian rhythms research group studying the cardiovascular effects of circadian misalignment (as seen with shift work) which required working rotating shifts at all hours of day and night to study why that was so unhealthy for us.
Worst, best jobs and why: Worst job was teaching tap classes for middle schoolers; middle school girls have the highest attitude-to-body-weight ratio on earth. Best job was tutoring chemistry in college where I got paid to hang out with my best friends, study chemistry, and buy all the new snacks from Trader Joes for our students.
Why Albuquerque? It’s a whole new world to explore for me!
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: The opportunity to work closely with a small dedicated group of residents and faculty with a diverse patient population and high surgical volume.

Kris Merrill

Hometown: Oakland, CA
Hobbies: woodworking, SCUBA diving, backcountry skiing.
Favorite Music: Bossa nova, instrumental rock, blues, metal.
Favorite Movie: My Octopus Teacher.
Interesting thing about me: I have bilateral cochlear implants.
Prior meaningful work experience: Supported science as a marine electronics technician and EMT on ice-breakers in Antarctica.
Worst, best jobs and why: Most rewarding job: managing smart engineers and solving complex problems for Bay Area tech startups; Most challenging (but not unbearable) job: providing medical care in remote regions of the Arctic and Antarctic
Why Albuquerque? The mosaic of cultures, people, and cuisines, interwoven by a captivating landscape.
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: Remarkable people and the incredible support system that fosters learning and growth.

Christopher Welch

Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Hobbies: Soccer, Golf, Watching Movies/Shows, Travel
Favorite Music: Ed Sheeran, Rufus Du Sol, Glass Animals, Ben Bohmer
Favorite Shows: Game of Thrones, Euphoria, The Wire, Love Island
Why Albuquerque? Albuquerque is home for me, so I get to see friends and family regularly.
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: I love that we get to work so closely with fellow residents and attendings creating such a collegial working environment that fosters fantastic learning.

Jordan West

Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Hobbies: Being a mom, reading, exercising, and baking (I am known for my dark chocolate, pistachio, sea salt cookies)!
Favorite Music: No favorites! I tend to listen to classical or instrumental music, LoFi beats, or alternative music. Also currently listening to the Moana soundtrack quite often as it is my daughter’s favorite.
Favorite Movies: Oceans 11, 12, and 13, Pride and Prejudice, Crazy Stupid Love, and many more.
Interesting things about me: I am a mom of two daughters (Wren and Maeve), both born during medical school. They are the lights of my life!
Prior meaningful work experience: I used to work as a server at the St. James Tea Room during undergrad. Here I developed my love of tea and passion for serving others! I also worked as a nurse for 7 years, prior to starting medical school.
Why Albuquerque? I love the sunrises and sunsets, the proximity to the mountains and great camping spots, and that most of my family lives here!
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: The people! I’ve had the privilege of working with the faculty and residents for many years. I know they are brilliant, dedicated, and compassionate individuals, striving to give the best care to their patients.

Maria Johnson

Hometown: Kansas City
Hobbies: Landscape and night sky photography, camping, hiking (all perfect things to do in the great state of NM!)
Favorite Music: Arctic Monkeys
Favorite Movies/Shows: TV Show: Ted Lasso; Movies: Lord of the Rings, Nomadland, Arrival, Interstellar
Interesting things about me: I have a very cute Beagle pup (Willow) and an awesome, supportive husband (Hunter)!
Prior meaningful work experience: I used to do freelance graphic design. I still do commissioned work from time-to-time, and I love it. It’s such a fun creative outlet.
Best Job: Tutored physical sciences all throughout college and loved getting to help students understand a concept or pass an exam!
Worst Job: Worked at a café for two years in high school. It was objectively a fun job, but I didn’t love working at 5 AM as a 16-year-old.
Why Albuquerque? The rich culture and access to wide-open spaces! Also, the food is fantastic!
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: The camaraderie in the department — residents, faculty, and staff at UNM truly care about each other and their patients.

Eliza Broadbent

Hometown: Minnetonka, Minnesota
Hobbies: Hiking, weightlifting, reading, cooking, listening to podcasts
Favorite Music: The Killers, Ezra Bell, Keith Urban
Favorite Movies/Shows: Community, Arrested Development, New Girl
Interesting things about me: I picked up sewing during COVID and like to make clothing.
Prior meaningful work experience: I used to write and record segments about health for a national radio.
Best Job: Worked at a children’s magazine during undergrad and loved getting to read the art and stories kids submitted.
Worst Job: Spent one summer cleaning housing for youth summer camps. It is impressive how dirty a group of pre-teen boys can get an apartment in one week.
Why Albuquerque? The opportunities for outdoor recreation, especially hiking. Also the amazing food!
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: On my interview day, I was impressed by the strong relationship between residents and the great culture at UNM.

Nikitha Kosaraju

Hometown: Oakland, CA
Hobbies: Exploring New Mexico, travelling, reading, baking
Favorite Music: Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, Rihanna, Bollywood
Favorite Movies/Shows: The Sound of Music, Pride & Prejudice, Grey’s Anatomy
Interesting things about me: I love growing house plants – let me know if you want cuttings!
Prior meaningful work experience: I spent a year doing hearing loss research during medical school where I harvested temporal bones from autopsy donors.
Best Job: Worked in customer success at a healthcare tech startup in San Francisco. I had a super fun time exploring the city and bonding with my co-workers!
Why Albuquerque? Sunsets, green chile, and the mountains!
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: The incredibly supportive co-residents and attendings.

Abby Aldrich

Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Hobbies: Thrift shopping, painting, embroidery, taekwondo, reading, baking, yoyo-ing.
Favorite Music: My favorite genre is R&B, but I love almost anything! A few of my favorite artists include Miguel, Olivia Dean, SZA, Rihanna, Frank Ocean, and Mariah the Scientist
Favorite Movies/Shows: My comfort shows are The Nanny, Schitt’s Creek, and New Girl.
Interesting things about me: I am a black belt in Taekwondo!
Best Job: I always wanted to work in a bakery, so during my gap year between undergrad and medical school, I did just that! It was so fun, and I got really good at writing on cakes!
Why Albuquerque? The sunsets and breakfasts.
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: I get to work with a community that feels like home.

Christopher File

Hometown: Born in the Northeast, Raised in Dallas/Fort Worth!
Hobbies: Lifting, Snowboarding, Tennis, Pickleball, Video games.
Favorite Music: Steely Dan!
Favorite Movies/Shows: Airplane!
Interesting things about me: I play Bass and Bassoon!
Prior meaningful work experience: I worked in Printer sales for a few years! Let me find you the perfect printer!
Best/Worst Job: The printer sales job! It’s intense!
Why Albuquerque? Beautiful scenery and perfect for outdoor activities.
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: The most fun and hardworking group you’ll meet!

Taimur Khalid

Hometown: I was born in Rhode Island, but I would say Las Vegas is my hometown as I have lived there for 15 years.
Hobbies: Guitar, chess, sketching, rock climbing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, singing, hiking.
Favorite Music: No single favorite but these are a few of the many artists I like: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen, The Strokes, Noah Kahan, Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, The Script, Hozier, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Giveon, Dijon, Frank Ocean, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Arijit Singh.
Favorite Movies/Shows: Favorite Movies - Goodwill Hunting, Life of Pi, 12th Fail. Favorite Shows - Avatar the Last Airbender, Severance.
Interesting things about me: I can throw a playing card into a watermelon.
Best Job: working as a private mathematics tutor - had excellent pay, flexible hours, and felt great to share my knowledge with talented and receptive students
Why Albuquerque? The beautiful sunsets.
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: The amazing bond between residents and faculty. It feels like one big family, everyone is looking out for and supporting one another and faculty are deeply invested in resident learning.

Eric Pan

Hometown: Lilburn, GA
Hobbies: Lifting, hiking, anime, manga, reading, sourdough, cooking.
Favorite Artist: Keshi
Favorite Movies/Shows: Severance
Best Job: Tutoring kids at Kumon
Worst Job: Tutoring kids at Kumon
Why? I’ve only had one job so it’s both best and worst by default!
Why Albuquerque? Great food and great nature!
Best thing about UNM Otolaryngology: The amazing people!

ENT Residency

Resident Program Director

Duncan Meiklejohn, MD
Department of Surgery
1 University of New Mexico
MSC10 5610
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001

Residency Coordinator

Pearl Benavidez
505-272-6451
PMBenavidez@salud.unm.edu