Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD AAO-HNS/F Past PresidentMore by Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD AAO-HNS/F Past PresidentLearning leadershipLeadership is one of those popular buzzwords these days. When most of us applied to medical school and residency, we were thinking about the medical and surgical work at hand and not really about becoming leaders.A new year, academically speakingJune marks the end of another academic year and the completion of various aspects of training—medical school, residency, and fellowship. About 20.4 percent of Academy Members are in full-time academic practice, and another, more fluid group of practitioners are either in part-time or voluntary academic otolaryngology.San Diego memoriesIt is an exciting time as the Foundation gears up for the AAO-HNSF 2016 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM. Although the San Diego, CA, location was decided years ago, this meeting is one that has special meaning for me as you will understand soon. The Foundation anticipates a healthy showing of physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and industry attendees to pour into San Diego this September.Great slate of candidatesIn this issue of the Bulletin, our future leaders get the chance to tell us about themselves. Each candidate is competing against colleagues and friends. Many have worked together on Academy projects. I remember agonizing about what to write for my statement.Halftime reportMarch finds me at the halfway point in my presidential year and the three-year cycle that encompasses it. Now is a good time to reflect on that process, and on what has been done, will be done, and the people who are doing it.Specialization or fragmentation? Expanded from the print editionWho are we as otolaryngologists? We are physicians (MDs and DOs) trained to take care of medical and surgical problems of the ear, nose, throat, head, and neck. The American Board of Otolaryngology’s (ABOto) primary certificate qualifies us to practice “otolaryngology including general otolaryngology, otology, facial plastic surgery, head and neck surgery, and pediatric otolaryngology.”Building on momentumAs we face the end of 2015 and the dawn of 2016, it is a good time to reflect on what we have done and what we aim to accomplish.
