We are pleased to announce that Steven Pletcher, MD, has been appointed the Roger Boles, MD Chair in Otolaryngology Education, succeeding Anna Meyer, MD.
The chair honors Dr. Roger Boles, who served as Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology from 1974 to 1989, appointed to the role by Dr. Frank Sooy, who later became Chancellor of UCSF. Dr. Boles was a renowned educator and pioneering head and neck oncologic surgeon who led every major professional organization in the field. He and his family remain philanthropic contributors to this endowment resource.
Dr. Pletcher is originally from Mill Valley, California, and a graduate of Tamalpais High School. He earned his undergraduate degree at Yale University and attended medical school at UCLA. He completed his training in otolaryngology - head and neck surgery at UCSF, followed by a fellowship at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in rhinology, sinus surgery, and skull base surgery. He has remained on the UCSF faculty ever since.
Today, Dr. Pletcher serves as a professor in the Division of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery, vice chair education for the department, and program director of the residency program. His research focuses on the human microbiome in rhinology, and he is a frequent contributor to the literature on surgical techniques and innovation. He has also had significant national impact through his work developing the signaling pathway used in the residency match system, contributing to educational platforms that have influenced medical education more broadly.
The department extends its thanks to the search committee, chaired by Andrew N. Goldberg, MD, MSCE, and to Ann Poncelet, MD, who represented the Academy of Medical Educators in the search process.
Please join the department in congratulating Dr. Pletcher on this appointment.
