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Shepherd Pryor, M.D.
Program: Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Residency,
PGY – 4, Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Medical School: Rush Medical College, Rush University Medical
Center
What inspires you about medicine?
"As an undergraduate at Princeton University studying neurobiology
and neuroscience, I was fascinated by the complexity of embryonic
development. The incredibly intertwined network could be derailed
by one set of improper signals. And yet when it is functional it
has the capacity to create a living being that can perform incredible
works of art, or create a book of poems, or fly a shuttle to the
moon. I wanted to know more."
Why did you choose Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education
for your residency program?
"Mayo’s Otorhinolaryngology Department is unsurpassed in the country.
The level of responsibility and opportunity to operate is unprecedented
among the programs that I researched. The opportunity to perform
basic surgical procedures occurs immediately rather than during
the second or third years. Also, junior-level residents are exposed
to more complex procedures earlier in their residency. For example,
instead of performing 500 tonsillectomies and 10 neck dissections,
Mayo’s program will allow its residents to perform 150 tonsillectomies
and 100 neck dissections with complex tumor removal. This translates
into a far more capable surgeon who is able to function at the staff
level once residency is complete."
What surprised you about Mayo?
"The overwhelming sense of unity among the staff that the patient,
above all, comes first. This translates into an ‘open door’ policy
amongst colleagues of all branches of medicine. The Mayo system
promotes an urge to be complete with each and every patient and
always ask: ‘What more can I do?’ I think that this assures that
residents completing their respective programs will be better people
and better doctors."
How do you enjoy living in Minnesota?
"My wife and I are both from the big city of Chicago. Relocating
was difficult as the pace of the city was not easy to leave behind.
But over time we've discovered new things to enjoy and have assimilated
to a smaller city quite well. We've taken day and weekend trips
to Minneapolis on a frequent basis. We bought a home … and eventually
adopted a black lab puppy named Riley from the pound (two things
we would never have done in Chicago). My wife has taken up ice skating,
cooking and knitting along with being a full-time Speech Language
Pathologist taking care of complex head and neck cancer patients
here at the clinic. I enjoy weightlifting and recreational leagues
for softball and basketball. We’ve found lots of activities and
have shared some wonderful memories with the people and friends
we've made here in Rochester."
How do you see your future in medicine?
"I plan on pursuing a fellowship in facial plastics and reconstructive
surgery and then onto a career in academic medicine. Academic medicine
will always be at the forefront of the field; the technology, the
complexity of patient care, the constant challenge of discovering
new knowledge or old knowledge that may be applied in new ways."
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