Dr. Harry Payton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1951. He attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology in 1973. That year he joined the Peace Corps, where he worked with tuberculosis and leprosy patients in South Korea. He then went on to obtain his doctorate from the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery. He completed a rotating internship at Grandview Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, where he subsequently spent two years as a full-time emergency room physician. In 1981, Dr. Payton moved to Portland, Maine, to complete a four-year residency in otorhinolaryngology at Brighton Medical Center. Dr. Payton is board certified in otorhinolaryngology, head and neck and oro-facial plastic surgery. He is an associate professor in surgery at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery and the University of Vermont Medical School. Dr. Payton has staff appointments at Maine Medical Center and Mercy Hospital in Portland, Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, Bridgton Hospital in Bridgton, and Inland Hospital in Waterville. He joined Head & Neck Surgical Associates in early 1985. Dr. Payton and his wife along with their 3 children live locally and enjoy several outdoor activities. He has recently received his pilot license.