The UAB Department of Otolaryngology received a generous contribution from the esteemed head and neck surgeon, Gary T. Turner, M.D., FACS, to establish the annual Gary T. Turner Lectureship. His gift to the department provides funding for internationally renowned speakers to lecture on innovative topics for resident education.

Dr. Turner wanted to endow a lectureship to return something meaningful to the Department of Otolaryngology after his experience as a student and a professor at UAB. Turner says he was influenced by his mother and his uncle who attended the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa to pursue a career in medicine. He ultimately enrolled at his uncle’s alma mater and then went on to complete his residency at UAB. After initially wanting to eventually specialize in cardiovascular surgery, Turner was asked by the chief resident at the time to perform a radical neck dissection. Once he began participating in head and neck cases, Turner said he was fascinated with the various types of surgery within otolaryngology and decided to switch his concentration during his second year.

Upon completion of his postdoctoral training, Turner dedicated the next 35 years of his career to building his private practice.

“Completing my residency in otolaryngology at UAB allowed me to be very well trained. It enabled me to have a wonderful and meaningful private practice and provide for my wife and children,” said Turner. He also attributes his training and overall experience at UAB to having the opportunity to serve in the American Academy of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS).

Once he decided to step away from his longtime and meaningful practice, Turner pivoted his career focus toward his passion for academia. He joined the UAB Department of Otolaryngology as a clinical professor, where he provided outstanding care to UAB patients with general otolaryngology disorders.

“Because of support like Turner’s, the UAB Department of Otolaryngology is among the nation’s leaders in the field, providing advanced care across the spectrum of head and neck disorders.” said the department’s interim chair, Bradford Woodworth, M.D., “Dr. Turner’s gift supports the educational mission of our department to keep our outstanding resident training at the forefront of research and clinical treatment paradigms.”

Dr. Woodworth and the department extend their gratitude towards Dr. Turner as a partner in our educational mission.