Making the Most of TRIO Meetings

As physicians, we take an oath to care for and protect our patients. It is our moral duty. To achieve this continuously, we must improve, learn, and adapt to the ever-changing landscape in our field. New techniques and knowledge are generated with a rising frequency. As pressures of the healthcare system evolve, we must also take care of our physical and mental health. While preparing to leave your practice to attend a meeting can be stressful, a Triological Society meeting is just the event to help you learn new things, interact with friends and colleagues, and even enjoy a spa event!

The most recent Combined Sections meeting in Orlando was outstanding, with more than 500 people attending. The program, created by the program chair, Reena Dhanda-Patil, MD, along with the section vice presidents, Natasha Mirza, MD, Craig Buchman, MD, Earl Harley, MD, and Dinesh Chetri, MD, was engaging, inspiring, and educational.

The meeting was highlighted by the launch of a new society initiative called Elevate ENT. This program, spearheaded by Dana Thompson, MD, Gina Jefferson, MD, and Jeffrey Simons, MD, serves to invest in and assist underrepresented medical students to become engaged in our fabulous specialty. Students, mainly from medical schools without home otolaryngology programs, are paired with renowned Triological Society Fellows who serve as mentors. These mentors will inspire the students to be the best they can be and to navigate their medical school journey, hopefully into a career in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. At the meeting, a skills lab was set up for them to gain hands-on experience with common procedures such as endoscopy and mastoid drilling. This lab was brought to life due to the significant efforts of Michael Hoa, MD, and Michael Hoffer, MD, and the amazing support of our wonderful vendors.

Relaxation was also part of the meeting, which ended with the choice of a round of golf or a rejuvenating spa at The Ritz-Carlton. Just what we needed before trying to get back home during the terrible blizzard and ice storm that hit a substantial portion of the country.

I hope you can attend the upcoming annual meeting at COSM in Phoenix. Reza Rahbar, MD, DMD, and his program committee have planned an exciting and engaging program. This year, the Ogura Lecture, presented by Cliff Megerian, MD, CEO of the University Health Care System at Case Western University in Cleveland, will focus on the current state of large academic health-care systems and their impact on provider wellness and humanity. The Gerald B. Healy Panel, led by a panel of experts, including Jessica Bienstock, MD, chair of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education board, will discuss the current state of graduate medical education. Panelists will discuss the current trends and possible changes in how we train and prepare our residents.

We are ecstatic to be welcoming a large class of fellows this year—we’ll be shaking the hands of 32 new fellows. I am encouraged by the passion our colleagues have to become members of The Triological Society.

Through both the Combined Sections Meeting and the Annual Meeting at COSM, the Triological Society continues to foster a collaborative community dedicated to advancing the science and practice of otolaryngology. These meetings provide essential platforms for sharing research, mentoring the next generation of physicians, and strengthening the professional bonds that drive progress in the specialty. As the field evolves, gatherings such as these ensure that clinicians and researchers remain at the forefront of innovation, uphold the noble legacy, and ultimately improve the care delivered to patients around the world. I also recommend you take time for yourself to re-engage with colleagues, old and new, and remember to have some fun!

Dr. Micco is the vice chair of education in the department of otolaryngology and a professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, medical education, and neurological surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and president of The Triological Society.