Biography

Dr. Julie Wei is an internationally recognized Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon, professor, clinical researcher, passionate author, and speaker committed to helping physicians and patients achieve greatest wellbeing possible. She has served as the Academic Chair of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery, specialty and residency advisor for UCF COM students since 2014. From 2013-2022, she served as Division Chief of Pediatric Otolaryngology/Audiology at Nemours Children’s Hospital, as well as Surgeon-in-Chief at NCH from 2016-2019. Currently she is the President of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, an Editorial Board member and contributing author for ENT Today (RxWellness Column), and active member of several otolaryngology societies.

Throughout her clinical career, she has been a passionate educator and mentor for students and trainees while advocating for preventive health for children. Over the past 12 years, Dr. Wei used her personal and professional experience of extreme “burnout”, perspective as an immigrant, female surgeon, and academician, to highlight and address system factors that eroding physician wellbeing and career longevity. She created immediate access mental health support for trainees, physicians, and advanced practitioners in a health system, a medical staff Wellbeing committee, and transformed healthcare culture to de-stigmatize mental health needs of physicians. Dr. Wei has   coached numerous physicians to achieve career development and life fulfillment. She is recognized nationally as an expert highlighting root causes of system issues that impact patient safety and risk of physician burnout, while creating permission for physicians to share and process their own second victim experiences and stress inherent in medical/surgical careers.

As an advocate for physician wellbeing, she champions issues faced by physicians, personally and professional, including infertility, disability, PTSD, depression, divorce, financial risks and how to create both psychological and professional safety. Dr. Wei is leveraging unique experiences gained from navigating many of the challenges listed to support individual and groups of physicians as an advisor to provide professional guidance that address all factors that threaten physician wellbeing and career longevity.

A passionate advocate for physician and children’s health, Dr. Wei has been highlighted on TEDx “The Hidden Dangers of the Milk and Cookie Disease” and on The Doctors TV Show teaching audiences how the American diet/dietary habits in children lead to acid reflux, which is the true cause of ENT symptoms that do no need medications. She created online courses for parents, author of A Healthier Wei and co-author of Acid Reflux in Children to empower families to help children avoid unnecessary medication and surgeries. She has been on multiple podcasts and media outlets online.Dr. Julie Wei is an internationally recognized Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon, professor, clinical researcher, passionate author, and speaker committed to helping physicians and patients achieve greatest wellbeing possible. Nominated to serve as the incoming President of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, she is also Editorial Board member and contributing author for ENT Today. Over the past 12 years, Dr. Wei used her personal and professional experience of extreme “burnout”, and perspective as an immigrant, female surgeon, academician, to highlight and address system factors that eroding physician wellbeing and career longevity. She created immediate access mental health support for trainees, physicians, and advanced practitioners in a health system, a medical staff Wellbeing committee, transformed healthcare culture to de-stigmatize mental health needs of physicians, and personally coached numerous physicians to achieve career development and life fulfillment.

As a Division Chief and Surgeon in Chief of a children’s hospital, Dr. Wei has immense experience identifying root causes of system issues that impact patient safety and sources of physician burnout. As an advocate for physician wellbeing, she champions issues faced by physicians, personally and professional, including infertility, disability, PTSD, depression, divorce, financial risks and how to create both psychological and professional safety. Dr. Wei is leveraging unique experiences gained from navigating many of the challenges listed to support individual and groups of physicians as an advisor to provide professional guidance that address all factors that threaten physician wellbeing and career longevity. A passionate advocate for physician and children’s health, Dr. Wei has been highlighted on TEDx “The Hidden Dangers of the Milk and Cookie Disease” and on The Doctors TV Show teaching audiences how the American diet/dietary habits in children lead to acid reflux, which is the true cause of ENT symptoms that do no need medications. She created online courses for parents, author of A Healthier Wei and co-author of Acid Reflux in Children to empower families to help children avoid unnecessary medication and surgeries. She has been on multiple podcasts and media outlets online.

Recent Publications:

• Wei, JL. Individual and System Wellbeing Initiatives. 6^th Edition of Bailey’s Head and Neck Surgery – Otolaryngology Textbook. Publication pending

• Wei JL. “Balance versus Integration: Work-Life Considerations,” Otolaryngologic Clinics’ special article series dedicated to Current State of the Otolaryngology Workforce

• Wei JL, Blythe W, Malekzadeh S. The Physician as a Leader: Navigating the breadth of opportunity and finding the right leadership fit. Otolaryngologic Clinics

• Janz TA, Nagasubramanian R, Wei JL. Pediatric head and neck fibrosarcomas: A demographical, treatment, and survival review and review of a rare case. Int J  Ped Otorhinolaryngol, 2019; 116:92-96.

• Janz TA, Nagasubramanian R, Wei JL.  A population-based survival analysis of pediatric tonsillar malignancies and review of a rare case. Int J Ped Otorhinolaryngol, 2019; 118:160-64.

• Chan KH, Dinwiddie JK, Gurpreet AS…Wei JL, et al. Advanced practice providers and children’s hospital-based pediatric otolaryngology practices. Int J Otorhnolaryngol. 2020; 129:109770

• Luetzenberg FS, Maul TM, Wei JL. Prevalence of prescription medication use in preschool-age children seen in pediatric otolaryngology. Int J Otorhinolaryngol. 2020; 135:110105.
• Nguyen DK, Jueng J, Maul TM, Wei JL. Middle ear effusion prevalence at a time of tympanostomy tube before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Otorhinolaryngol 2021;147:110785.
  

Peer Reviewed:

• Chan KH, Dinwiddie JK, Gurpreet AS…Wei JL, et al. Advanced practice providers and children’s hospital-based pediatric otolaryngology practices. Int J Otorhnolaryngol. 2020; 129:109770
• Luetzenberg FS, Maul TM, Wei JL. Prevalence of prescription medication use in preschool-age children seen in pediatric otolaryngology. Int J Otorhinolaryngol. 2020; 135:110105.
• Janz TA, Nagasubramanian R, Wei JL. A population-based survival analysis of pediatric tonsillar malignancies and review of a rare case. Int J Ped Otorhinolaryngol, 2019; 118:160-64.
• 40. Janz TA, Nagasubramanian R, Wei JL. Pediatric head and neck fibrosarcomas: A demographical, treatment, and survival review and review of a rare case. Int J Ped Otorhinolaryngol, 2019; 116:92-96.
• Hoffman A, Fagan H, Casas-Melley A, Wei JL, Hebra A. Hurricane Irma impact on the inpatient population at a tertiary children’s hospital in Florida. The Am Surg. 2018; 84(9):1395-1400.
• Sawani A, Farhangi M, Wei JL. Limiting dietary sugars improves pediatric sinonasal quality of life and reduces inflammation. J Med Food, 2018; 21(6):527-534.
• Manzi B, Sykes KJ, Wei, JL. Sinonasal quality of life in children after outfracture of Inferior turbinates and submucous inferior turbinoplasty for chronic nasal congestion. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 2017; 143(5):452-457.
• Smallwood J, Wei JL. Badly behaving noses in children: Rhinitis, sinusitis, or neither? PediatrAnn. 2016; 45(11):e384-e387.
• Driscoll JN, Bender BM, Archilla CA, Klim CM, Hossain J, Mychaskiw G 2nd, Wei JL. Comparing incidence of emergence delirium between sevoflurane and desflurane in children following routine otolaryngology procedures. Minerva Anestesiol. 2016; 83(4):383-391.
• Wei JL, Rosen P, Greenspan JS. Physician Burnout: what can chairs, chiefs, and institutions do? J Pediatr 2016; 175-6.
  

Book Chapters:

• Luetzenberg FS, Wei JL. Chapter: Saline Irrigation in Pediatric Rhinosinusitis. Editors Hassan Ramadan, Fuad Baroody. Springer Publishing, 2018-2019, manuscript completed. In print
• Wei JL: Healthy Kids Movement. XVII IAPO Manual of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Interamerican Association of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Rettec Artes Graficas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2019, submitted.
• Wei JL, Messner A. Epidemic of Tongue Tie and Lip tie. XVII IAPO Manual of Pediatric Otorhinolarynogology, Interamerican Association of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Rettec Artes Graficas, Sao Paulo, Brazil 2020. https://www.iapo.org.br/en/xvii-manual-de-otorrinolaringologiapediatrica-da-iapo-636/
• Wei, JL. Individual and System Wellbeing Initiatives. 6th Edition of Bailey’s Head and Neck Surgery– Otolaryngology Textbook. Publication pending.
• Wei JL. “Balance versus Integration: Work-Life Considerations,” Otolaryngologic Clinics’ special article series dedicated to Current State of the Otolaryngology Workforce.
• Koufman J, Zur K, Wei JL. Acid Reflux in Children: How Healthy Eating Can Fix Your Child’s Asthma, Allergies, Obesity, Nasal Congestion, Cough & Croup. May 15th, 2018, Random House.
• Demauro S, Wei JL, Lin R. Perspectives on neonatal and infant tracheostomy. Semin Fetal NeonatalMed 2016 Aug 21(4):285-91.
• Wei JL. Chronic Nasal Dysfunction in Children: infectious, allergic, what to do if neither? Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head & Neck Surg 2015 Dec; 23(6)491-8.
• Wei JL. Rhinosinusitis: Definitions and Diagnosis. Pediatric Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, a Clinical Reference Guide. Plural Publishing, 1st ed, Jan 2014 Chapter 25, pp.221-229.
• Wei JL: How Diet and Dietary Habits Impact Pediatric Ear, Nose, and Throat Health. XII IAPO Manual of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Interamerican Association of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Rettec Artes Graficas, Sao Paulo, Brazil 2013.