John Wanamaker

John R. Wanamaker is a physician with over 35 years of experience specializing in Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery.

Bio and Featured Works

During his career he has provided high quality and compassionate medical and surgical treatment to patients with a variety of conditions involving the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck.

He is currently a staff physician at the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology in the Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. He serves an administrative role as Chief of the ENT Section at the VA Medical Center.

Dr. Wanamaker received a BA in Biology from Colgate University and an MD with Honors from the SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse. He then completed a residency in Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic and a fellowship in Head & Neck Cancer Surgery and Reconstruction at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Wanamaker is a medical educator and has trained over 100 residents in his field. This area of expertise has been recognized through his evaluations and by an award he received from the Georgetown University Department of Otolaryngology for teaching excellence and dedication to resident education in 2020.

He is committed to medical student education and has experience with instruction in a variety of settings including the classroom, at the bedside and in the operating room.

In the classroom, Dr. Wanamaker strives to promote a positive learning environment, emphasize goal setting to meet learning objectives, create relevant and individualized course content, and provide and receive feedback. He implements active learning strategies and affirms the importance of self-directed study and life-long learning.

Dr. Wanamaker currently serves as a Faculty Teaching Assistant in the Gross Anatomy Laboratory at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. In the lab he shares clinical applications that are helpful in fostering diagnostic and therapeutic reasoning skills and highlighting the relevance of the information the students are learning.

The students have recognized the value of this approach by nominating Dr. Wanamaker in 2024 and 2025 for an award that honors an outstanding first year instructor who serves as an inspirational role model in the field of Gross Anatomy.

Dr. Wanamaker serves as a mentor for medical students and residents in training and has served as a Cura Personalis Fellow Professional Identity Formation Coach at the Georgetown University School of Medicine for the Class of 2024 and 2025. He has mentored numerous medical students interested in pursuing residency training in the field of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery. Dr. Wanamaker finds it gratifying to serve as a resource and provide guidance and support to help students navigate their learning journey and achieve their academic and career goals.

When not taking care of patients, teaching and mentoring medical students and residents, he enjoys playing boardgames with the family, watching football games and political thrillers with his wife, cheering his daughter on at her cross-country races and loving on his golden retrievers Allie & Augie. He also enjoys taking long walks, trying new recipes, and reading historical novels.

 

About John Wanamaker

Expertise

Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery
Surgical Anatomy