In Memoriam: Paul H. Ward MD

In addition to focusing on education at UCLA, Paul was very much involved in education at the national level. He was a member of the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education Otolaryngology Residency Review Committee and served an eighteen-year term on the American Board of Otolaryngology (ABOto) that included several years as the exam chair. I had the honor of overlapping with Paul for four years on the ABOto Board of Directors.

Many men and women are desirous of leaving a legacy. Paul leaves a legacy that is larger than most and covers so many areas. He will be remembered for his bigger-than-life persona. He was outspoken and did not mince his words. As tough as he could be on the residents, you knew it was tough love. I recall one occasion when a resident wasn’t performing up to his capabilities, and the decision was made at a faculty meeting that Paul needed to counsel the resident. It turns out the resident was having to moonlight a great deal to help pay for a piece of real estate he had purchased. Paul’s solution was to co-sign the resident’s loan so he could focus on his education.

Paul was a very accomplished researcher, and he and his team, led by Vicente Honrubia, MD, added prodigious amounts of knowledge, particularly with regard to the vestibular system. Although Paul’s practice focus was head and neck surgery, he always considered himself to be an otologist at heart.

But, for Paul, the accomplishment he was most proud of is the residents he trained and, in particular, the number of future chairs he produced. I was chair number thirteen of a total that I’m sure is now well into the twenties. He truly looked upon the residents as his children, and we were part of his family. Suzanne and Paul opened their condo to us regularly for dinners and parties. As another example of his “family” concept, Paul was always available after we finished training for consultation and mentoring on many topics. I know he put in a “good word” for us to the right people to aid our career development. He absolutely beamed when one of his residents became a chair.

Another trite, overly used phrase is “They broke the mold.” Well, in my opinion, they really did break the mold after Paul came into this world. We currently have a great cadre of educators and researchers in our specialty. Some even closely approximate Paul in their accomplishments, part of which is a result of Paul’s (and his peers of the time) commitment to the specialty. Still, Paul was one of a kind in so many ways.