Membership Aids Individuals and Profession
“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.” – Marie Curie “Each of us must work for his [or her] own improvement.” Providing the tools needed for otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons to deliver the best patient care through education, research, and advocacy is the cornerstone of the AAO-HNS/F’s mission. We, as Academy members, know this. It’s why we belong to this organization. It’s the second part of this great quote that I want to call your attention to. “Share a general responsibility…” for the whole. Who is responsible for our specialty? For innovation? For quality care? For fair representation? Who is better to play this role than those who are uniquely trained, experienced, and in the best position to serve it? We all share this responsibility and we all can lend a hand. You may know about the professional development tools offered by the Academy, but did you know that our colleagues create those tools? Each of the products and services offered by the Academy and Foundation trace their roots back to members who accepted the task to develop content, lend their expertise, volunteer their time and leadership, advocate for fair and equitable practices, and/or contribute financially. You might say that each otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon is the curator of the specialty, and the Academy is a vehicle for production and distribution. If not you, then who? In today’s culture, time is scarce. There are so many demands on us professionally and personally, that taking on even just one more thing seems impossible. What I suggest in response, however, is: if we don’t, then who will? Who will take over this role of curator? Can we leave it up to the government agencies, commercial industry, or non-specialized physician groups to figure out what’s best for our patients? All of these groups play a part in the healthcare system, of course, but none of them are poised to know how to deliver the best otolaryngologic patient care. Our Academy is positioned, through the participation of its members, to protect, sustain, and advance the specialty of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. This is why continuing your membership and participating in Academy activities are so important. How can you help? The AAO-HNS/F has created opportunities for you to not only continue improving as a physician leader, but also to further your role as curator of the specialty. These opportunities are designed to fit any level of participation, from face-to-face networking opportunities to activities that require only your computer. Each of these activities plays an important role in the specialty, whether it is creating content to educate the next generation of physicians, participating in research activities that improve quality of care, lending your voice to educate legislative and regulatory bodies on issues affecting our practices, or contributing to our body of knowledge through journal articles. Participation is based on your schedule and interests, and input from all types of otolaryngology practice experiences—academic, private practice, military, governmental, rural, suburban, urban, etc.—makes our entire specialty stronger. I encourage you to maximize your membership and explore the opportunities that have been created to allow all otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons to curate our specialty. Visit www.entnet.org/getinvovolved.
“Each of us must work for his [or her] own improvement.”
Providing the tools needed for otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons to deliver the best patient care through education, research, and advocacy is the cornerstone of the AAO-HNS/F’s mission. We, as Academy members, know this. It’s why we belong to this organization. It’s the second part of this great quote that I want to call your attention to.
“Share a general responsibility…” for the whole.
Who is responsible for our specialty? For innovation? For quality care? For fair representation? Who is better to play this role than those who are uniquely trained, experienced, and in the best position to serve it? We all share this responsibility and we all can lend a hand. You may know about the professional development tools offered by the Academy, but did you know that our colleagues create those tools? Each of the products and services offered by the Academy and Foundation trace their roots back to members who accepted the task to develop content, lend their expertise, volunteer their time and leadership, advocate for fair and equitable practices, and/or contribute financially. You might say that each otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon is the curator of the specialty, and the Academy is a vehicle for production and distribution.
If not you, then who?
In today’s culture, time is scarce. There are so many demands on us professionally and personally, that taking on even just one more thing seems impossible. What I suggest in response, however, is: if we don’t, then who will? Who will take over this role of curator? Can we leave it up to the government agencies, commercial industry, or non-specialized physician groups to figure out what’s best for our patients? All of these groups play a part in the healthcare system, of course, but none of them are poised to know how to deliver the best otolaryngologic patient care. Our Academy is positioned, through the participation of its members, to protect, sustain, and advance the specialty of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. This is why continuing your membership and participating in Academy activities are so important.
How can you help?
The AAO-HNS/F has created opportunities for you to not only continue improving as a physician leader, but also to further your role as curator of the specialty. These opportunities are designed to fit any level of participation, from face-to-face networking opportunities to activities that require only your computer. Each of these activities plays an important role in the specialty, whether it is creating content to educate the next generation of physicians, participating in research activities that improve quality of care, lending your voice to educate legislative and regulatory bodies on issues affecting our practices, or contributing to our body of knowledge through journal articles. Participation is based on your schedule and interests, and input from all types of otolaryngology practice experiences—academic, private practice, military, governmental, rural, suburban, urban, etc.—makes our entire specialty stronger. I encourage you to maximize your membership and explore the opportunities that have been created to allow all otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons to curate our specialty. Visit www.entnet.org/getinvovolved.