The Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF) was born out of the Committee of Residents in Training, which had been in existence for over five years. Residents have a vote on the Board of Governors and a representative on the AAO-HNS/F Board of Directors. All residents and fellows-in-training who are members of the Academy are automatically members of the SRF.
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Welcome to the SRF
Mark A. Fadel, MD, JD, Chair, welcomes residents and fellows-in-training to the Academy’s Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF)! Dr. Fadel shares resources, information and opportunities for leadership engagement.
Latest SRF Updates
Current Practice Paradigms of Otolaryngology
Gain insights into the variety of practice opportunities and employment models currently available to Otolaryngologist Physicians in 2023. The pros and cons of these models including those in Independent Private Practice, Employed Physician and Academic Practice will be presented. Representative challenges faced in each of these environments, the opportunities available when transitioning between models and some key lessons learned will be discussed.
Protect Yourself from Signing a Bad Contract
This 10-part video series highlights critical components of the physician contract negotiation process that all otolaryngologists should consider. Before you sign your first employment contract or a new employment contract, take advantage of the Academy’s newest member benefit providing easy and cost-effective access to Resolve, a national firm that specializes in physician employment contracts, to help you navigate both salary and benefit negotiations.
About the SRF
The Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF) is composed entirely of residents and fellows-in-training from around the world who are active members of the Academy as medical graduates in training in otolaryngology. The SRF functions as an advisory body to the AAO-HNS/F Board of Directors and has been charged to focus on resources and issues to importance to residents and fellows-in-training, make recommendations to the AAO-HNS/F Boards of Directors, and support the otolaryngology-head and neck surgery specialty as a whole.
The SRF functions as an advisory body to the AAO-HNS/F Board of Directors and has been charged to:
- Communicate issues to residents and fellows-in-training
- Make recommendations to the AAO-HNS/F Boards of Directors
- Support the otolaryngology-head and neck surgery specialty as a whole
How to Get Involved and Leadership Opportunities
There are numerous ways to get involved in leadership that aren’t onerous, even to the busy junior resident taking call for the first time. The Academy and the SRF have something for everyone! Below is a brief overview of the numerous ways you can get involved.
Residency Program Representative
This is a great gateway into leadership activities and requires relatively the least amount of dedicated time. Residency representatives forward communications from the Academy–primarily from the Governing Council (GC) Information Officer–to their program and help relay any program specific concerns to the GC and the Academy. No previous leadership experience is needed. Each program should have somewhere between 1-3 representatives, depending on the size of the program. If interested, contact either the current Information Officer (listed below) or [email protected].
AAO-HNS/F Committees
There is an AAO-HNS/F Committee for everyone. Typically, committees meet once or twice a year either virtually or in person at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPOSM. SRF members are granted one-year terms. This is a great way to get involved in a specialty interest of yours and network with like-minded trainees and faculty at all stages! Committees typically propose Panel Presentations, lectures, Clinical Practice Guideline submissions, Position Statements, and more. These can have significant impact on daily practice.
Governing Council and Society Delegates
The Governing Council (GC) within the SRF acts as its elected officers and the numerous SRF society delegates serve as liaisons to other specialty societies such as the American Medical Association (AMA), American College of Surgeons (ACS), and Society of University Otolaryngologists (SUO). Each residency training program also has 1-2 SRF representatives to facilitate communications with the GC and the Academy.
The Governing Council (GC) and society delegates are elected positions and serve as officers and liaisons for the SRF. The GC is composed of eight members with various important roles that interface with all aspects of the Board of Governors (BOG), SRF members, and numerous other societies. Society delegates are paid by the Academy to attend their assigned society meetings and serve as liaisons for the SRF. Be on the lookout for emails from ENT Connect and our social media when applications open!
Resident Leadership Travel Grant
Applications for a travel grant of $500 each to subsidize the costs of attending the AAO-HNSF 2025 Annual Meeting & OTO Expo are no longer being accepted. The 2026 application process will open in Summer 2026.
To qualify, applicants are required to:
- Must be a current AAO-HNS Resident Member in good standing.
- Provide the Academy with a completed ACH authorization form and W-9 Form, as grant funds will be deposited directly into the recipient’s bank account
- Register and attend the 2025 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Expo
- Attend the Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF) General Assembly Meeting
Humanitarian Travel Grants
The Academy awards up to 25 $1,000 Humanitarian Travel Grants a year to support a trainee to attend a humanitarian medical trip in developing countries. These are awarded twice a year and are a great honor. A summary and write-up of the experience afterwards is expected. Trainees may only receive this grant one time. Deadlines are in November and May, depending on the timing of the humanitarian trip.
Resident Leadership Grants
Resident Leadership Grants (RLG) in the amount of $500 are awarded annually to numerous trainees each year to help defray costs of attending the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO. These can be awarded numerous times per trainee. Residents involved in leadership will be given priority and these are automatically awarded to all Governing Council members for the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO.
CORE Grants and CORE Study Section
The Centralized Otolaryngology Research Efforts (CORE) Grants are a prestigious assortment of funding opportunities that are awarded annually to investigators from trainees to faculty. Grants range from $5,000 to $150,000. There are numerous research grants that cover a broad range of subjects in otolaryngology. Letters of Intent are due in December and full grants are due in January. Awards are given in June the following year.
The CORE Study Section is for residents who are interested in CORE reviewing committee. This is an invaluable opportunity for residents to learn how to review grants and become better grant writers. Applications are typically due in January and reviewers are asked to attend the CORE study section in March in person.
Panel Presentation Submissions
These are panels that are sponsored by the SRF and oftentimes co-sponsored by other academy committees as well. All SRF members are encouraged to submit Panel Presentation proposals on a topic that they are passionate about. As such they’re given the opportunity to moderate this panel and invite panelists of their choosing. This is an especially rewarding process to be a part of and a great way to network. The Member at Large of the Governing Council is responsible for compiling proposals from the SRF and is a great contact person for this. Applications open in November and close in January for proposals.
Stay Connected
For all SRF-related inquiries, contact [email protected]. Please join the conversation in the SRF Community on ENT Connect and follow us on social media!
Typical Calendar Year and Important Deadlines
September/October
- AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting with SRF General Assembly
- Election of new Governing Council and delegates
November
- AAO-HNS/F committee applications open
- Deadline for Humanitarian Travel grants for January-June trips the following year
December
- AAO-HNSF Call for Science Opens
- CORE Research grant letter of intents due
- Academy committee applications due
January
- Academy Committee applications due
- CORE Research Grant applications due
May
- Deadline for Humanitarian Travel grants for July-December trips the same year
July
- Resident Leadership Grant applications open for AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO
- SRF Governing Council and Delegates applications due
Current Governing Council and Delegates
Governing Council
Term: 2025-2026
Chair: Sarah M. Russel, MD, MPH
Chair-Elect: Kayla B. Hicks, MD
Immediate Past Chair: Mark A. Fadel, MD, JD
Information Officer: David Z. Allen, MD
Member-at-Large: Natalie R. Weiss, MD
BOG Governor (Governance and Society Engagement Committee): Pranati Pillutla, MD
BOG Alternate Governor (Legislative Affairs Committee): Pauline P. Huynh, MD
BOG Alternate Governor (Socioeconomic and Grassroots Committee): Shriya Airen, MD
Appointed Delegates
Term: 2024 – 2025
American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS)
Primary: Emily Papazian, MD
Alternate: Pranati Pillutla, MD
American College of Surgeons – Resident and Associate Society (RAS – ACS)
Primary: Scott A. Lamm, MD
Alternate: Sairisheel Gabbireddy, MD
American Medical Association Resident and Fellows Section (AMA)
Primary: Shreya Mandava, MD
Alternate: Jordan Chappell, MD
ENT PAC
Primary: Shriya Airen, MD
Alternate: Hannah Turbeville, MD
International
Primary: Corin Kinkhabwala, MD
Society of University Otolaryngologists (SUO)
Primary: Taylor Standiford Erickson, MD
Alternate: Elliott Koshi, MD
