Dr Samuel Roberts

Consultant Otolaryngologist, Head & Neck Surgeon (ENT)

Sam is an Australian trained ENT/Head and neck surgeon with clinical interests in head and neck oncology, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, salivary gland surgery, skin cancer surgery, ear surgery, surgery of the nose and sinuses and paediatric ENT surgery.

Sam was born and raised in regional NSW and studied medicine at the University of Newcastle. During medical school, Sam developed a keen interest in surgery; particularly ENT/Head and Neck surgery. He was drawn to its challenging complexity, high volume of paediatric patients, and the opportunity to provide surgical oncology care.

Motivated by the limited access to this specialised field outside major metropolitan areas, Sam secured a place in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons training scheme in 2016. Throughout the training period, Sam participated in outreach initiatives in remote communities, including the Kimberly region of Western Australia and Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. In 2018, Sam worked as a surgical registrar in Katete, a rural town in Eastern Zambia, Sub-Saharan Africa, specialising in “tropical surgery.” Returning to Australia in 2021, Sam completed his surgical training, before completing a fellowship in Advanced Head and Neck Oncology Surgery at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

These diverse experiences highlighted both the quality of cancer care achievable for patients and the lack of access experienced by many in rural areas. In response, Sam established a clinic in Orange, NSW, collaborating closely with Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to extend surgical care to rural patients. Sam’s vision is to meet patients regionally and, for those with complex surgical needs, provide care at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. Subsequently, Sam aims to offer all post-operative follow-up care locally, minimising the travel burden on patients and ensuring a consistent presence in their cancer care journey.

In addition to clinical work, Sam is committed to providing ongoing subspecialty education to local doctors and allied health practitioners. A conjoint academic appointment through Sydney University allows Sam to involve rural patients in head and neck cancer research and educate medical students on the intricacies associated with rural cancer care.