The Triological Society is Growing in Ethnic and Gender Diversity as Well as Thesis Acceptance

by Linda Kossoff •

What actionable information can be gleaned from a review of the Triological Society’s historical data on thesis trends and an analysis of current society membership demographics and age variances?

BOTTOM LINE

The Triological Society is growing and its membership is becoming more diverse; early submission of a thesis (within three years) is associated with the greatest likelihood of success.

BACKGROUND: Founded in 1895, the Triological Society upholds high standards of excellence and requires fellowship candidates to submit a thesis representing their scholarly contribution to otolaryngology. The society also maintains a progressive approach, recognizing key societal shifts, and has thus adjusted some criteria to facilitate candidates’ success in delivering high-quality theses.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective database review.

SETTING: Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.

SYNOPSIS: Researchers queried the society’s database to determine how many members became candidates from 1990 to 2018, and then tracked these candidates to determine the time required for completion of an acceptable thesis. Data for accepted candidates were also used to track the society’s growth in five-year increments. Membership demographic information was collected via emailed survey. Active candidates were also asked to respond to questions related to their thesis status. Overall, 514 of 809 active and senior fellows (83% male, 73% Caucasian) and 93 of 178 candidates (70% male, 58% Caucasian) completed the survey. Results showed a steady increase in candidates and theses accepted since 1990, with 73% completing theses within three years and 90% within five years. Results showed a steady increase in thesis acceptance rates, almost tripling from the 1990 to 1994 period to the 2015 to 2019 period. Data indicated that the ideal window of time for thesis completion and subsequent success is three years. Although the large gap in underrepresented minority residents and faculty in otolaryngology was echoed in the society’s demographics, the organization is becoming more diverse from gender and ethnicity standpoints.

CITATION: Lee KH, Thompson DM, Pensake ML. Evaluation of current Triological Society thesis trends and membership demographics. Laryngoscope. 2023;133:73-78.