The Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine is proud to welcome four new physicians to its five-year residency program. Joining the team on July 1, Shravan Asthana, MD, Nicole Rud, MD, Eric Smith, MD, and Ananya Tadikonda, MD bring talent, curiosity and a shared commitment to patient care and innovation.
We connected with our incoming residents to learn more about what inspired their interest in otolaryngology — and what they are most looking forward to during their training at IU School of Medicine.
Shravan Asthana, MD | Northwestern University — The Feinberg School of Medicine
Where did you grow up? Lansdale, Pennsylvania (a suburb just northwest of Philadelphia – Go Birds!)
What is your medical school / undergraduate background? I'm a BIG 10 guy! I went to Penn State University Schreyer Honors College majoring in biology, neuroscience, and economics. My dad and older brother also went there too. I then went straight to Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and now am making my way over to Indiana University for OTO-HNS residency.
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT? It’s the best — it spans so many intellectual and functional disciplines while offering care to a diverse population for everything from quality of life to oncologic and emergent care.
What intrigued you about the IU School of Medicine? I am drawn to the partnership with IU School of Medicine and the numerous research and systems level initiatives such as the Regenstrief Institute and HEALeR collaborative. I am excited to work amongst such an impassioned group challenging the status quo for how we deliver care to our communities in a more equitable and patient centered manner.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology? This specialty covers a tremendous breadth of medical and surgical problems that require clinical judgement, medical expertise and outstanding technical skills to effectively manage. I am looking forward to building my own clinical acumen and skillset modeling off the excellent patient care standards in this department.
Nicole Rud, MD | Creighton University School of Medicine
Where did you grow up? Brainerd, Minnesota
What is your medical school / undergraduate background? Medical School, Creighton University School of Medicine | Undergraduate, Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT? My interest in ENT began at an early age through my personal experience as a patient with conductive hearing loss, which exposed me to the specialty’s unique balance of surgical precision, clinical problem-solving and meaningful patient relationships. My ENT experiences in otology research and my clinical rotations in head and neck oncology further confirmed my passion for the field and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on patients’ quality of life.
What intrigued you about the IU School of Medicine? My older brother is an anesthesiologist at IU School of Medicine, and he got me to come check out Indiana for an away rotation. While rotating in Indianapolis, I was so impressed by how kind and willing to teach and help me to further my education everyone that I met was that I knew it was the place that I wanted to continue my training.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology? I am mostly just excited to get to know all of the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology better. But I also enjoy learning how different people approach complex surgical and clinical problems, especially the technical nuances behind their decision-making and patient care.
Eric Smith, MD | David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.
What is your medical school / undergraduate background? Undergraduate: Stanford University, BS in Biology | Medical School: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. I completed an Intern year in General Surgery at UCLA before starting at IU.
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT? My chin was effortlessly closed in the ER by a facial surgeon after I had sustained a large laceration. I was 2 or 3 years old at the time and had fallen down the stairs after finding my grandma’s lost glasses — I was running to return them. Today, that scar is nearly undetectable and I strive to provide the same services to patients of all ages.
What intrigued you about the IU School of Medicine? I was interested in Indiana for the high clinical volume, variety of pathology and incredible culture of the program.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology? I am hoping to become an empathetic and compassionate otolaryngologist while becoming a technically competent surgeon that is excited to continue growing throughout my entire career.
Ananya Tadikonda, MD | IU School of Medicine
Where did you grow up? Carmel, Indiana
What is your medical school / undergraduate background? Undergraduate: Nutrition Science at Purdue University | Medical School: IU School of Medicine
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT? As a medical student, it was important for me to find a specialty that combined clinical practice with the opportunity to advocate for a more connected community. Music, dance and a love for the outdoors have long been my ways of engaging with my surroundings and taught me to deeply value the senses that shape how we connect with the world. During my ENT rotation, I witnessed how otolaryngologic conditions can profoundly affect these essential functions by leading to isolation as patients struggle with hearing, speech, smell or other communication deficits. Studying social isolation and loneliness has been an important part of my journey through medical school, and otolaryngology emerged as a fulfilling path that allows me to better understand these essential gateways to human connection while helping address the isolation that can result from otolaryngologic disorders.
What intrigued you about the IU School of Medicine? I had the privilege of being able to work alongside residents and faculty from IU's ENT program throughout my research year at IU and felt at home immediately. The time I have spent with our ENT program led to significant personal and professional growth, as the culture here is very supportive. I was drawn to the program's engagement with opportunities in service, research and advocacy that can provide me with a wide array of skills for serving my community.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology? The residents in this program have become my role models and consistently exhibited qualities I admire through their teaching styles and communication. I look forward to learning both technical skills and how they communicate with otolaryngology patients to help shape my own future practice.
“We are extremely excited to play an integral role in shaping our new PGY-1 class into outstanding future surgeons,” said Taha Shipchandler, MD, residency program director and professor of otolaryngology—head & neck surgery with the IU School of Medicine. “Our goal has always been the same — exceptional surgical training while providing the single best learning environment for surgical residents in the country. I believe this is why top candidates such as Shravan, Nicole, Eric and Ananya chose our program for their five years of residency training.”
