2021 BOG Model Society Award

The Model Society Award recognizes outstanding local/state/regional societies that exhibit effective leadership. 

The Harry Barnes Society is the recipient of the 2021 BOG Model Society Award. Named after William Harry Barnes, MD, the first African American board-certified otolaryngologist in the United States, the Harry Barnes Society is dedicated to the recruitment, development, and promotion of African Americans in the field of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

Over the past year, the Harry Barnes Society has been at the forefront of promoting otolaryngology among underrepresented minority (URM) students, residents, and practicing otolaryngologists. In the fall 2020, despite the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the society brought together over 100 URM medical students for a virtual event that featured lectures and small group discussions with breakout Q&A sessions to help students prepare for applying to, interviewing for, and completing an otolaryngology residency program. Despite the last-minute change from an in-person to a virtual presentation, it was the most well-attended annual student event that the society has offered. 

The society nimbly approached the challenges of meeting during a pandemic and pivoted from offering an in-person business meeting and academic symposium to hosting a monthly virtual grand rounds series, which provided opportunities for URM otolaryngologists who are both working in academic or private practice settings.