The Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine welcomes four new fellows to its fellowship programs. For the 2024-2025 academic year, Hunter Archibald, MD is the advanced facial plastic and reconstructive surgery fellow, Hunter Elms, MD is the neurotology fellow, Chad Purcell, MD will be the rhinology and endoscopic skull base surgery fellow, and Benjamin Wahle, MD is the head and neck oncology and reconstructive surgery fellow.
The department's fellowship programs are designed to prepare trainees for a career in academic medicine. In addition to clinical duties at multiple locations across Indianapolis, emphasis is placed on research as well as each fellow's role as a future educator.
We recently reached out to this year's fellows to learn more about their interest in ENT and the IU School of Medicine.
Where did you grow up? I was born in Annapolis, MD and grew up in West Newbury, MA. This is a small suburb north of Boston.
What is your residency / medical school / undergraduate background? I went to college at Bates College in Lewiston, ME and studied chemistry and history. I went to medical school in Cleveland, OH at Case Western Reserve University SOM. I completed Otolaryngology residency at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN.
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT? I chose ENT because of the intricate anatomy and the welcoming mentors.
What intrigued you about the IU School of Medicine? Indiana University has a very well-regarded Otolaryngology Department and I really enjoyed my interview day 5 years ago. I chose the fellowship for the broad training and strong mentorship.
Why did you choose your fellowship subspecialty? I chose Facial Plastics and Reconstructive surgery because I love head and neck reconstruction and rhinoplasty. I like the creativity that is useful in reconstructing vital structures, and the fine work necessary for rhinoplasty.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology? I hope to further my skills in reconstruction including microvascular surgery. I hope to learn cosmetic rhinoplasty and facelift technique.
What are some of your hobbies? I love to run, sailboat race, root for Boston sports teams, and spend time with my wife, Laura. We also have a cat named Willard.
Hunter Elms, MDWhere did you grow up? I grew up in College Station, Texas.
What is your residency / medical school / undergraduate background? I did residency at Duke University, med school at University of Texas at Houston, and undergrad at University of Texas Austin.
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT? I have always enjoyed surgery, and the anatomy of the head and neck has always been my favorite. Nowhere else in the body is there the same density and variety of nerves, vessels, muscles, bones, and glands that the otolaryngologist has the privilege of operating on. Having all of these important things in the same place means that the surgeries we perform share that importance, and I love being able to positively impact the lives of patients so meaningfully.
What intrigued you about the IU School of Medicine? I sought out fellowship training at IU because of its position as a standalone academic catchment hub for the entire state of Indiana; this translates to high surgical volume for me.
Why did you choose your fellowship subspecialty? Neurotology scratches an itch for the next echelon of surgical precision and meticulousness that I have felt throughout my training. I love the idea of operating under a microscope in tight spaces around critical brainstem and ear structures. I love the amount of expertise I can demonstrate in performing lifesaving or life-altering surgeries in this area.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology? I hope to continue to hone my surgical expertise, both as a neurotologist, but also as an otolaryngologist. I hope to learn how to serve the unique needs of the Indiana (and Midwest) population as I start work in a new part of the country.
What are some of your hobbies? I enjoy social running, seeing live concerts (especially indie pop-rock), mountaineering, reading postmodern American literature, and wakeboarding!
Chad Purcell, MD
Where did you grow up? I’m from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This is a city of about 500,000 people on the east coast of Canada.
What is your residency / medical school / undergraduate background? I completed the entirety of my training at Dalhousie University, at home in Halifax. This began with an undergraduate biology degree with honors in pharmacology, followed by pharmacy, medicine and most recently otolaryngology. It’s been 17 years!
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT? ENT is unique among medical specialities in providing comprehensive care to a general region of the body. Medical and surgical care are both within an ENT’s scope of practice and as a medical student, this spoke to my prior interests and training. In later medical school, appreciating the complexity of the systems involved and how that relates to patient function and perception of special senses really solidified my choice to pursue ENT.
What intrigued you about the IU School of Medicine? Indiana University School of Medicine is internationally recognized. The Rhinology fellowship is in its second year at IUSM. After my interview with this program, I jumped at the opportunity to become one of the first rhinologists to have received their training at this renowned institution.
Why did you choose your fellowship subspecialty? I could go on and on, but simply, I love it most of all the things I’ve done or could have done.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology? Everything. I want to learn new techniques, approaches, gain insight into new techniques, approaches, clinic flow and practice management, and discuss and develop research questions.
What are some of your hobbies? I spend almost all of my free time with friends and family. I enjoy day trips, going for a walk, concerts and playing bass guitar. If I’m not on call, you’ll find me at live sporting events.
Benjamin Wahle, MD Where did you grow up? I grew up in Indianapolis!
What is your residency / medical school / undergraduate background? I did all of my school here in Indiana. I went to Indiana University in Bloomington for undergraduate and then returned to Indianapolis to attend IU School of Medicine. I did my residency training in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at Washington University in St Louis, and also completed a 2 year research fellowship during residency during which time I studied head and neck cancer genomics and transcriptomics.
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT? I decided to go into ENT after learning about the specialty from the amazing faculty members here at IU when I was a medical student. I was interested in a surgical career and helping patients with difficulties with the many special functions of the head and neck that give us so much enjoyment from life.
What intrigued you about the School of Medicine? I attended IUSM for medical school and knew from personal experience how great the faculty are at IU.
Why did you choose your fellowship subspecialty? I chose a career in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology / Reconstructive Surgery for many reasons. Head and neck cancer patients are a unique and rewarding population to care for. Throughout residency I had very rewarding experiences in the head and neck clinic and OR, and I always found myself drawn toward cancer care among all of the diverse patients that Otolaryngologists treat. I am also interested in the cellular and molecular events that contribute to head and neck cancer and desire to continue translational research on this topic.
What do you want to learn most from the faculty and in the Department of Otolaryngology? From the faculty I want to become a more skillful, knowledgeable, and wise oncologic and reconstructive surgeon. I know that the residents in the WashU ENT department are fantastic, and I'm sure I will learn much from them. I hope that I will be a more effective clinical and surgical educator after working with them in the fellowship role.
What are some of your hobbies? I enjoy playing guitar, hiking, making barbeque, Greyhound rescue, and most of all spending time with my family!
