On one hand, Matthew J. Kabalan, MD ’19, is a lifelong Western New Yorker, having been born and raised in the Buffalo area. On the other hand, he grew up and remain immersed in the local Lebanese Maronite Christian community, the son of hardworking immigrants who came to this country seeking a better future.

The combination of American and Lebanese cultures has provided him with a unique outlook and experience, he says.

Kabalan received his undergraduate degree in biomedical sciences from the University at Buffalo, followed by completion of his medical education and residency training in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ENT) at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Following residency, he then completed a fellowship in rhinology and endoscopic skull base surgery at Cleveland Clinic.

My medical education at the Jacobs School provided the foundation I needed to succeed in each step as I moved toward a career in ENT, whether it was preparation for standardized tests, core clinical rotations, auditions for otolaryngology residency, and more.

I was fortunate to have professors who genuinely cared about our success. Their years of experience as educators and experts in their respective fields enabled them to communicate a high volume of material in a clear and engaging way.

As I was weighing my options for residency training, I sought a program that would provide me with early, extensive, and broad operative experience, in a collegial and collaborative environment. UB’s otolaryngology program embodied all of those things.

I saw a real opportunity to help my hometown in returning after my fellowship training. At the time, there were no fellowship-trained rhinologists in the area and patients from the Buffalo area would often have to leave town to receive advanced sinus and endoscopic skull base care.

Additionally, I felt that the program was entering an exciting new era of growth and evolution and I wanted to be a part of it.

Since my return to Buffalo, my colleagues at the Jacobs School have given me a very warm welcome back. Within my own department, my chair and senior colleagues have furthered my professional development by supporting me not only in my clinical work and ongoing growth as a physician and surgeon, but also by helping me to obtain opportunities to develop my mentorship and leadership skills.

I have also worked side-by-side with physicians and other health care professionals of various specialties in clinical and educational settings. This multidisciplinary, collaborative approach makes the practice of medicine fun.

Buffalo is an underrated town in many ways, and much has been said about how it offers the amenities of a major metro area in a convenient, easy-to-navigate package. However, my personal favorite thing about living in Buffalo is the people. Western New Yorkers are incredibly friendly — this is truly a City of Good Neighbors!