Education Residency People

Q&A with Chief Resident Miranda Lindburg

Photo of Miranda Lindburg and fiance Hunter Banks skiing
Miranda Lindburg, MD, shares a selfie while skiing in Alta, Utah with fiance Hunter Banks.

Raised in Utah, Washington University otolaryngology resident Miranda Lindburg, MD, loves the St. Louis food scene and longs to attend another Olympic Games.

Why did you choose Washington University for residency training?

As a WashU medical student, I was able to observe firsthand the incredible breadth and depth of training the residents got in this program. I also saw that the residents had a wonderfully collegial relationship with the world-class faculty, and that trainees were happy! I certainly looked at many other programs when I was applying to residency, but did not find any other place that I liked better than WashU. I was fortunate enough to be able to match here, and I have found as a resident that all of my impressions as a med student were accurate!

Lindburg spends some time with parents Steve and Peggy Lindburg and fiancé Hunter Banks at the Missouri Botanical Garden during a recent visit.

When did you develop an interest in becoming a doctor?

I was born in Seattle, but grew up in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah with my mom, dad, and younger brother. I loved living right at the base of the mountains—we would hike in the summer and ski in the winter. I still love it when it snows, although it’s a lot less frequent in St. Louis!

I have enjoyed science ever since I was little. I even thought I wanted to be an astronaut, that is until I watched the movie Apollo 13. It wasn’t until the very end of my undergraduate studies that I realized I wanted to become a doctor rather than go to graduate school to study neuroscience.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Lindburg and Banks explore a new St. Louis restaurant.

I love to explore St. Louis, especially its fantastic food scene. I love trying new restaurants and visiting old standbys. My fiancé Hunter Banks and I go to the Tower Grove farmers’ market every Saturday to stock up on great food and produce and to wander through the park. I’m also a sucker for a good bar trivia night, love to go to movies, read fantasy and science fiction, and spend time with friends.

What is at the top of your bucket list, and why?

Ever since I was able to see some of the Winter Olympics when I was young in Salt Lake City, I have wanted to go to another Olympics. Being there with people from all over the world, collectively watching amazing athletes perform incredible feats of strength and speed, was magical. The city was absolutely transformed. It felt like something from a more idealistic time, which I think the world could use more of.

What television series are you most likely to get caught indulging in?

photo of Miranda Lindburg and co-residents at St. Louis Balloon Glow.
Lindburg with co-residents Anja Srienc, MD (neurosurgery, left), and Stephanie Chen, MD, at the annual St. Louis Balloon Glow.

The Expanse is science fiction done incredibly well, and I return to it again and again. Politics, drama, realistic space travel and a touch of wacky alien technology—there’s something for everyone!

Where will you be headed after graduation?

I will be doing a short apprenticeship to gain more experience with sleep surgery, and then finally starting a real job! Stay tuned…


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