Reflections on the Annual Meeting in Music City

The global otolaryngology community united in Nashville, Tennessee, for the AAO-HNSF 2023 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience, September 30 – October 4. Following are a few highlights from the robust, innovative, and cutting-edge program that was created by Daniel C. Chelius, Jr., MD, AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting Program Coordinator, and the Annual Meeting Program Committee.  

The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum provided the perfect backdrop for AAO-HNS/F President Kathleen L. Yaremchuk, MD, MSA, to welcome attendees to the #OTOMTG23 Presidents’ Reception as they connected with colleagues and experienced the blend of country music and history. There was live music, good food, and plenty of fun to kick-start the meeting.

President Yaremchuk (right) with Cherie-Ann O. Nathan, MD, at the Presidents’ Reception.

The following morning, Sunday, October 1, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, nestled in the heart of Music City, was host to the official Opening Ceremony. This unique venue provided the audience with a “front-row,” starting with the National Anthem performed by country music singer, Lana Scott. 

The Opening Ceremony was an inspiring jump-start to the Annual Meeting with the return of the John Conley, MD Lecture on Medical Ethics presented by Jennifer R. Grandis, MD, as well as the time-honored traditions recognizing the Presidential Citation awardees and the ceremonial presentation of the President’s medallion to Douglas D. Backous, MD, who began his term as AAO-HNS/F President at the close of the 2023 Annual Meeting. The final moment was the presentation of the gavel to Dr. Yaremchuk for her year-long service as AAO-HNS/F President. And with that, the audience left their seats to begin their individual and collective Annual Meeting experiences and participate in all this four-day event offered them.

Following the Opening Ceremony was the ribbon-cutting for The OTO Experience, which provided a central location for attendees to engage with each other, industry partners, and the 225+ exhibitors. It was a cornucopia of education, cutting-edge science, innovative technologies, and hands-on learning. A special congratulations to Atmos, Dr. Noze Best, and Stryker for being awarded the 2023 Annual Meeting booth winners!

The Scientific Posters also had a dominant presence in the OTO Experience with about 540 Posters. Congratulations to the 2023 Scientific Poster winners and honorable mentions!

The schedule featured over 450 education sessions as well as countless unique events to capitalize on participation and grow networks! There were 470 Scientific Oral Presentations, including four Late-Breaking Scientific Oral Sessions, showcasing 38 abstracts, and two Best of Scientific Oral Sessions highlighting the 16 highest scoring papers.

In addition to the traditional education program, which included the Scientific Orals and Posters, Expert Lectures, and Panel Presentations, there were new additions like the CME Enthusiast track, Coffee Talk with the Private Practice Study Group/Otolaryngology Private Practice Section, Crucial Conversations, Office Hours, and the 2023 Great Debates—which featured some newly enhanced aspects including cross-specialty debating—and the ENTrepreneur Faceoff!

Simulation education at the Annual Meeting continued to grow exponentially with 30+ interactive, hands-on sessions to enhance surgical skills training at no extra charge. Given the growth of this education track, all sessions took place in the “Simulation Center” for consistency for attendees. Congratulations to the 2023 SIM Tank winners, Laura-Elisabeth Gosselin, MD (first place), Mackenzie Latour, MD, (second place), and Avi Shaw, DO, (third place). 

With a renewed focus on our international members and attendees, Monday, October 2, was declared “International Day” and featured several can’t-miss events including the International General Session, International Advisory Board Meeting, and the return of the International Reception.

From left to right: Dr. Coral, Dr. Martinez, and Dr. Bures-Rodriguez.The 16th Annual Academic Bowl was a special edition this year, played as a Champions’ Tournament with the University of Puerto Rico Residency Program winning the title!

And for our growing medical student population, there was a special Medical Student Track curated with sessions that included the Board of Governors Student Forum with Lunch, Harry Barnes Medical Society Student Event, Scientific Poster Tours hosted by the Young Physicians Section, and more.

On top of all that, the AAO-HNS Sections’ General Assemblies offered members an additional avenue for information, education, and connections. These sessions gave members the opportunity to learn about important initiatives, hear from speakers on issues of importance to their community, and recognize their peers.

These are just a few highlights from the 2023 Annual Meeting. Read the coverage from the Annual Meeting on the official #OTOMTG23 news source, Meeting News Central.

Claim Your #OTOMTG23 CME 

AAO-HNSF 2023 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience attendees are eligible to receive CME credits from qualifying sessions attended from October 1 – 4. Please complete your CME evaluation before October 25 at 11:59 pm (ET), if you have not already done so, to receive your credits. To access the CME site, login using your registration ID number and last name.

The 2024 Annual Meeting Call for Science will be open December 1, 2023, through January 22, 2024! Look for more information in future issues of the Bulletin and in OTO News, on the Annual Meeting website, and by following the Academy on our social media channels @AAOHNS.