Special 125th Anniversary Issue – Bulletin

Gregory W. Randolph, MD AAO-HNSF International Coordinator (2009-2013) AAO-HNS/F President (2017) T he world is a big and wonderful place. The Founders: The individual inspiring

James E. Saunders, MD AAO-HNSF International Coordinator (2013-2017) I had the great pleasure of standing on the shoulders of giants. Dr. Randolph and, before him, Drs. KJ Lee and Eugene Myers laid a

leaders who underlie the Academy’s global program are Gene Myers and KJ Lee, who through their own personal activities handcrafted a global network of connections that led to the current AAO-HNSF International Affairs Program. They understood the world is filled with talented individuals from whom we could learn and who we may also be able to teach. They believed this and they lived this, and very simply that is why we are where we are with our global Academy program. Further, these two individuals grew a garden of subsequent inspiring and energized leaders, including Jim Saunders, Pablo Stolovitzky, and now Mark Zafereo. One must keep in mind that this growth and expansion has been carefully curated by Jim Denneny’s firm hand on the tiller. All these leaders have served in the evolution of our Academy’s global life. Expansion: It was with the recognition that the world is too large a place for one, two, or even a group of individuals to manage that the global Regional Advisory was born. Ultimately this has led to the coordination of a structure within the Academy to help manage different yet similar areas around the world, resulting in the formation of the International Advisory Board to optimize global management. Personal milestone: Some time into my international work I had an epiphany—my own personal recognition that the interplay between the AAO-HNSF and the world is very much a two-way street. I understood that I have in fact learned more from our global partners than I personally have taught. For this I am deeply grateful. Momentum moving ahead: There is no possible way to stop the momentum this program has realized. A body in motion stays in motion. Not the pandemic, not global wars—nothing will stop this need for interplay and to relate to others who you can teach and from whom you can learn. This world is too jubilant a place—its people too great with too much to learn to have these activities falter. With respect and a desire to learn, we will continue to climb this mountain and overcome any obstacle.

great foundation to make global affairs a central piece of the Academy. The tremendous international influence of these leaders, complemented by diplomacy of Catherine Lincoln, CAE, cannot be understated. During their tenure, it became clear that the Academy is indeed a global organization that enjoys the support and allegiance of otolaryngologists from all over the world and influences the practice of otolaryngology way beyond our borders. The major development during my time was codifying these foundational steps into actual programs with structure and leadership. With the International Visiting Scholarship (IVS) program, the Academy supported the training of young otolaryngologists from around the world—especially from low resource countries who otherwise would not have an opportunity to attend the Annual Meeting or train in the United States. I am so pleased every year to see these young leaders become more involved in the Academy as they progress in their careers. Soon after came a robust system of global caucuses—allowing us to hear directly from our international constituents about their interests and relationships with the Academy. These caucuses and the IVS alumni blossomed into an army of colleagues from around the world that were engaged with the Academy. Finally, under the direction of the Presidential Task Force of Gayle Woodson, MD, the concept of the IAB began to take shape. When attending the Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training and the Women in Otolaryngology Section with Academy COO Brenda Hargett, she commented, “Wouldn’t it be great to have a forum like this for our international partners?” Thanks to the efforts of Gayle Woodson, Greg Randolph, Pablo Stolovitzky, Rebecca Dobbins, and the Academy leadership, this dream has become a reality. It is like watching your newborn child grow up and graduate from college! Looking ahead, I think the Academy should continue to embrace its global standing by finding ways we can collaborate with our international partners and influence global health policies to support the growth and advancement of the specialty in low-resource areas. I believe this is our responsibility and our legacy.

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SPECIAL EDITION: 125TH ANNIVERSARY AAO-HNS BULLETIN ENTNET.ORG/BULLETIN NET.ORG S TN S BUL ORG/ IN TIN -HNS ET EN LLETI ORG/B A RG/BULL NT LLE Y AAO ULL T Y O ET AAO LLET AAO NS O I LL OR LL TN ORG/B ET N Y AAO T S LL A NS LL AA AAO- S UL