Legacy of Excellence Digital Flipbook

LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE: JAMES L. NETTERVILLE, MD PRESIDENT FROM 2012 – 2013

A fter graduating from Lipscomb University, James L. Netterville, MD, attended the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, becoming “extremely inspired by the depth and breadth of otolaryngology.” It was there that he met one of the first key influencers in his life, Edwin W. Cocke, Jr., MD. “Dr. Ed Cocke was one of the first head and neck surgeons in otolaryngology in the United States. Being around him [as well as] one of my other young faculty members, Dr. Cavanaugh, I was extremely inspired by the depth and breadth of otolaryngology. It was far more than just sinus and tonsils,” he recalled. Later during a fellowship at the University of Iowa, training under senior professors in the specialty, such as Michael D. Maves, MD, MBA, and Brian F. McCabe, MD, he was inspired to focus on a career in academic medicine. “Early in my career, I was privileged to work with and learn from some of the real giants in the field of otolaryngology, doctors in both clinical and academic medicine. They all had big hearts and wanted to make a difference in the world. It was not about pride and ego for them—it was about doing something new and creative to advance patient care. They opened my eyes to the direction I should follow.” After landing his first job at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, he met two additional key influencers in his life, Robert H. Ossoff, DMD, MD, and Michael E. Glasscock III, MD. “I was so privileged to have these giants [who] were in my path. By watching the way they were interacting, I could see why they had accomplished so much. So, they reinforced my thoughts on what I wanted to do.” Dr. Netterville’s first leadership roles in the specialty included leading the Nashville Society of Otolaryngology

and serving as the president of the Tennessee Academy of Otolaryngology. He attended his first AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a third year resident in 1984. “The Academy was the pinnacle of education in the world, and it still is. I was astounded by the amount of educational opportunities I saw. That experience made me excited to be part of the Academy, and I sought out every opportunity to be on committees and then take on committee leadership.” After joining and leading several AAO-HNS/F committees, he was elected to the Board of Directors where he served for three years “and got to really

169