Lena W. Chen, MD

Bio

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Cupertino, CA, in the South Bay Area.
 
What is your medical school/undergraduate background?
I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Chicago (2017), and medical school training at Johns Hopkins (2022).
 
Why are you pursuing a career in ENT?
I chose ENT because it deals with the cool and complex anatomy of the head and neck with some of the gnarliest surgeries I’ve ever seen, and you can really make a huge difference in a patient’s quality of life because ENT encompasses so many of our important senses. I love that I can mold my career into what I want it to be because the scope of ENT is so varied.

What intrigued you about IU School of Medicine?
I really valued programs with a warm environment where I would feel comfortable being myself, and I found that at IU during my interview day. It’s also very impressive that IU is so high volume, as I’m confident that I will get great clinical and surgical training and be prepared to enter whatever practice I choose to pursue in the future.
 
What do you want to learn most from the faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology?
I’m excited to learn how to treat both the most common and most rare and difficult pathologies seen in this field with a flexibility and creativity that comes with learning from the diverse skillsets of the faculty and residents at IU.
 
What are some of your hobbies?
Boba, napping, exploring the food scene, music festivals and concerts, badminton, coffee.