Published: December 8, 2014

Orlando Recap: a Resident’s Perspective – ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

This year, more than 1,000 residents and fellows-in-training attended the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM in Orlando. Through the generosity of the AAO-HNS, 127 of these residents received Resident Leadership Grants (RLG) to defer the cost of attending the meeting.

Meghan N. Wilson, MD
Vice Chair, SRF

This year, more than 1,000 residents and fellows-in-training attended the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM in Orlando. Through the generosity of the AAO-HNS, 127 of these residents received Resident Leadership Grants (RLG) to defer the cost of attending the meeting. As a medical student planning to attend my first annual meeting years ago, I thought “the Academy” was just an educational meeting.

However, after attending the meetings and becoming involved in the Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF) and its Governing Council, I have realized that “the Academy” is a community—a second family of sorts. And better yet, it’s a community that is rooting for us residents and fellows. This was evident from the myriad opportunities for residents and fellows at this year’s meeting in Orlando.

Firstly, there was a seemingly endless schedule of educational sessions. Several subspecialty societies hosted resident/fellow-focused seminars during education day on Saturday. And Sunday morning brought a thrilling Academic Bowl, where the University of Connecticut residents pulled out an impressive win. As an audience member, we were also able to participate and answer questions—both entertaining and a great review!

Numerous miniseminars and instruction courses each day covered a wide range, from basic science, to advice from the experts, and even practice management. Section and committee meeting attendance was open to all, encouraging residents/fellows to get involved. Those of us who attended the Board of Governors (BOG) meeting were able to see how we could continue to participate following the completion of training.

The Women in Otolaryngology (WIO) Section delivered an excellent meeting (open to both men and women!) with a wonderful lecture entitled “Presenting Your Best Self.” I know I took several tips from this, and looking around at the rest of the audience, I knew I was not the only one. At the SRF General Assembly Academy, leaders including Drs. Nielsen, Waguespack, Chandrasekhar, Stern, and Malekzadeh addressed us residents/fellows specifically.

A breakout session with representatives from various Academy organizations and subspecialty organizations enabled networking opportunities and an avenue for residents to become involved at multiple levels. An exciting election saw a record number of attendees run from the floor, and the newly elected Governing Council got to work right away to continue to advance SRF educational, leadership, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

Two of the often-overlooked resources at the Annual Meeting are the ENT PAC (political action committee) and the Millennium Society. The ENT PAC staff can teach you everything you want to know about otolaryngology-related government affairs; they can also help you get involved in protecting our specialty.

The Millennium Society members lounge provides an intimate setting, enabling networking and mentorship opportunities with senior attendings and Academy leadership that are truly unlike any other. If you missed the annual meeting this year, plan to attend the 2015 AAO-HNS/F Leadership Forum in the March. This meeting is also an amazing opportunity for residents to learn more about our Academy, leadership, and government affairs. Hope to see you there!

More from December 2014/January 2015 - Vol. 33 No.12
07_the-ENT-Team
Honduras: Torticollis Repair and More
I attended a weeklong mission trip to the Baptist Hospital in Guaimaca, Honduras, with the Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International. The rural town of Guaimaca has a population of around 25,000, with another 300,000 living in the surrounding mountains.
07_Post-op-clinicDomRep_3
Mission Trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Earlier this year, I traveled to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with a group of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and staff under the auspices of Medical Aid for the Children of Latin America (MACLA).
CPT Changes for 2015: What ENTs Need to Know
As the medical community has come to expect, part of the annual rulemaking process conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) includes the new and modified CPT codes, developed by the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel.
Modeling How Committees Influence the Specialty
Four AAO-HNS/F committees have been named Model Committees based on their accomplishments since the 2013 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM. The Model Committee Award recognizes committees that contribute in ways that lead to the overall success of the AAO-HNS/F vision: empowering otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons to deliver the best patient care.
Figure 1: Geography of Ebola Virus (Filoviridae family). Written permission was secured from the Viralzone, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (11/19/2014) for the use of the above figure in illustrating the special features of the Ebola Virus.
The Manifestations of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Ear, Nose, And Throat, Head And Neck
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak is a public health emergency of significant international concern. The World Health Organization estimates we will see more than 10,000 new Ebola cases each week in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia by the end of the year.
The Three A’s Revisited
As the holidays pass so quickly signaling the completion of yet another year, we pause and reflect.
David R. Nielsen, MD AAO-HNS/F EVP/CEO
Saying “Thank You”
As I depart the Academy and say, “thank you,” I feel the need to recognize others whose influences on my life have been profound. First, my parents and siblings. I am one of 11 children—five older and five younger—eight of whom are still living, and they bless my life in indescribable ways.
Gayle E. Woodson, MD, AAO-HNS/F President
We Are United in Our Diverse Field
With our new Bulletin publication schedule, the December and January issues are consolidated so we can simultaneously say goodbye to 2014 and move on to 2015. More importantly, this expanded issue can accommodate information that will be valuable to Members throughout the coming year, as we continue “Transforming, Thriving, Together.”