Reflections from a Past President of the Triological Society

There is no other organization in our specialty that promotes fellowship, camaraderie, and development across the entire spectrum of otolaryngologists (Triological Society fellows, candidates, residents, and students) the way our society does. Some organizations stop there, looking inward, promoting internal professional development. But the Triological Society also looks outward, promoting engagement, education, and opportunity outside of its member group. In fact, the Triological Society’s greatest function and greatest legacy lies in the promotion of professional development outside of its own walls. The Mission Statement affirms TRIO’s dedication to “develop, maintain, and enhance knowledge among otolaryngologists and other healthcare professionals.” This outward focus is what attracted me to the Triological Society and continues to drive my participation.

Being president of the Triological Society is, in reality, a three-year commitment. While the presidential term itself is one year, the commitment is one year each as president-elect, president, and immediate past president. COSM 2025 marked the end of my three-year commitment; it’s bittersweet, as the expression goes, to step back and see a new team take the helm with new ideas and energy. The three-year nature of the Triological presidency is wise in its construction; it provides an on-ramp to the workings of the position and the opportunity to plan for a successful presidency. Similarly, the immediate past president’s year allows projects to be completed and provides continuity for the next leadership team.

Becoming a fellow in the Triological Society is a process of first being nominated and accepted by your peers and then completing a scholarly work known as a thesis. This results in a relatively small number of members of common mind and purpose—581 active fellows at last count. Being a small society provides a tremendous advantage—the Society can be nimble. It allows priorities to be set and adjusted as needs arise, trialing “experiments” in education and outreach. This feature powerfully couples with the significant financial resources of the Society. It allows us to be the largest source of research and educational grants by any society in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (including the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery), publish the oldest and largest peer-reviewed journal in our specialty (The Laryngoscope), and provide the most widely read periodical in our specialty (ENTtoday). I like to refer to the Triological Society as a small society with an outsized impact.

Nowhere is that outsized impact more evident than at the Combined Sections Meeting each January. It is a unique forum where residents and students abound and mix easily with faculty and peers. As someone who relies on data, I initiated a survey of resident and student submissions and found that 42% of presenters were on the podium for the very first time and that half of the residents were attending their first national meeting. What a privilege to be able to provide so many with their first scholarly experience, and what an obligation it is to put our best foot forward for those colleagues and welcome them into a world of scholarship, camaraderie, and mentorship.

One unique and memorable experience in the Triological Society that demonstrates that camaraderie and mentorship is the opportunity to publicly recognize people whose influence on you and your career was particularly meaningful. The opportunity to bestow a citation occurred for me twice, once as vice president of the Western Section and once as president. How often do we have the chance to publicly honor those who helped elevate us personally or professionally? It is a rare occurrence but one that is rewarding for everyone: the honoree, as a person whose contribution is recognized, the audience, who, at that moment, gives thought to whom in their own life is deserving, and of course, the presenter, who has the privilege of recognizing the meaningful influence of a colleague, mentor, or friend. It was a highlight of my service to bring these people to the podium to receive a citation, and it is a highlight of every meeting for me to learn the stories behind citations awarded by others.

To profess that being president of the Triological Society is the honor of one’s career is a well-trodden path. That refrain persists for good reason, because it’s true! It really is the honor of a career to be asked to serve and to be forever on the same list as some of the most prominent leaders in otolaryngology, a list which includes Dr. Francis Sooy and Dr. Roger Boles from my own institution, the University of California, San Francisco. That serves in no way to equate my contribution or prominence to those giants, but more as a nod to the storied legacy of the Triological Society in the specialty of otolaryngology–head–head and neck surgery.

Ultimately, though, how does one get to be president? Actually, how did I get to be president? I would say that a requisite credential is service. Service in the form of program committees, panels, lectures, and presentations. Serving as vice president provided visibility in the Western Section of the society, and administrative committee service was also important. I’m also sure that pairing up with a colleague to rewrite the Society bylaws was seen by some as the ultimate service commitment. Updating bylaws, while essential, is also a tedious and nearly invisible chore in any society. Ultimately, though, it is the friendships, collegiality, and support of your colleagues that propel you to this position, as it should be.

It may seem that being president of a society is a solitary function. After all, you’re the president, and there’s only one president at a time. You have the responsibility to preside over meetings, give presidential addresses, and bring initiatives to society members. All these public functions, important as they are, are almost literally the window dressing on your service. In reality, my term as president involved motivating committees, rolling up my sleeves, and serving with a team of dedicated, smart, and, yes, fun colleagues and staff. My personal initiatives included recruiting talented and diverse colleagues for membership, publicizing our grant opportunities to the scientific community, establishing a policies and procedures manual (still ongoing), and guiding service opportunities for our members. Most importantly, though, I provided my perspective, experience, and common sense to organizational decision making. That is the work of a leader at its core.

Now what? My service to the Triological Society is by no means complete. Besides finishing a few initiatives, I’ll continue serving the organization in its work, presenting and participating at meetings, and guiding the next generation of otolaryngologists. I hope not to miss a past president’s dinner, the delivery of a presidential citation, or a speed networking session.

I will continue to be present, learning what is new in our specialty, contributing what I can, and enjoying the camaraderie of my colleagues for years to come.