The Path to Leadership: Advancing Careers in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Whatever your passion, there is a way of parlaying that into a leadership role.

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January 2009

-Patricia L. Turner, MD

Whatever your passion, said Dr. Turner, there is a way of parlaying that into a leadership role.

Ways to Advance in the Academy

Speaking on behalf of the academy, Susan E. Sedory Holzer, MA, Senior Director of Strategy and Governance of the AAO-HNS, reiterated that volunteering is an important way to establish leadership. We see that otolaryngologists who become leaders for the specialty have strong roots as volunteers for their professional associations, she said. Thus, not only do the Academy and its Foundation offer members lots of ways to volunteer, we recognize participation through our Honor Point Recognition Program.

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Figure 1. A roadmap can enable the physician to get on the road and find the way toward leadership in the field.

We see that otolaryngologists who become leaders for the specialty have strong roots as volunteers for their professional associations. Thus, not only do the Academy and its Foundation offer members lots of ways to volunteer, we recognize participation through our Honor Point Recognition Program.

-Susan E. Sedory Holzer, MA

The Honor Point Recognition Program is designed to recognize physicians for their participation in various activities within the Academy. The program allots points for participation in various activities, such as presenting papers at the annual meeting; reviewing journal articles, meeting abstracts, and research grant applications; and participating in clinical, educational, and Board of Governors activities and committees. After earning enough points, physicians are then awarded the Honor Award or Distinguished Service Award in recognition of the quantity, variety, and longevity of service.

To date, the AAO-HNS has bestowed 1,388 Honor Awards and 203 Distinguished Service Awards, said Ms. Holzer.

For the Academy, member participation through volunteering is seen as enriching the profession by bringing together diverse people with different preferences and expectations but who share a commitment to networking, learning new skills, and passing on knowledge.

For members who would like to get involved and get on the road to leadership, Ms. Holzer provided a roadmap via Mapquest on how to arrive at the destination of one’s choice (Figure 1).

©2009 The Triological Society