Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training

The Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF) is composed entirely of residents and fellows-in-training who are active members of the Academy as medical graduates in training in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

The SRF functions as an advisory body to the Academy Board of Directors and has been charged to: Communicate issues to residents and fellows; Make recommendations to the Academy Board of Directors; and Support the specialty of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery as a whole. For all SRF-related inquiries: [email protected].

The Section is governed by the Governing Council members and a group of appointed officers:

Governing Council

Term: 2020-2021

Chair: Zainab Farzal, MD

Vice Chair: Kevin Y. Zhan, MD

Member-at-Large: Hayley Born, MD

Information Officer: Evan Charles Cumpston, MD

Immediate Past Chair: Carla Valenzuela, MD

BOG Governor (Governance and Society Engagement Committee): Kevin Contrera, MD

BOG Alternate Governor (Legislative Affairs Committee): Emily Commesso, MD

BOG Alternate Governor (Socioeconomic and Grassroots Committee): Hannah N. Kuhar, MD

Appointed Delegates, Term: 2020 – 2021

American Medical Association Resident and Fellows Section (AMA-RFS)
Delegate: Kelly C. Landeen, MD
Alternate Delegate: Raisa Tikhtman, MD

Society of University Otolaryngologists (SUO)
Delegate: Chelsea Hamill, MD
Alternate Delegate: Kareem Haroun, MD

American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS)
Delegate: Maxwell Bergman, MD
Alternate Delegate: Thomas Edwards, MD

American College of Surgeons – Resident and Associate Society (RAS – ACS)
Delegate: Christine Settoon, MD
Alternate Delegate: Joseph Bellairs, MD

International
Delegate: Stefania Goncalves, MD
Alternate Delegate: Gaelen Stanford-Moore, MD, MPhil

Who makes up the Section?

When the Section was created in 2000, AAO-HNS leadership felt it was important that all ENT residents and fellows-in-training who are “active members of the Academy” automatically be members of this Section. That means that you can run for office, vote in the election of officers, propose resolutions that the Section will vote on and act upon, and have a voice in determining the course of your profession while you are still in training!

Who are the leaders of the Section?

The Governing Council: Made up of five individuals (four elected at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting plus the Immediate Past Chair). All must attend the Governing Council meeting and the SRF General Assembly Meeting during the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Experience, and the Governing Council meeting at the AAO-HNS/F Leadership Forum.

Chair: One-year term. Presides over all meetings of the Section (in the fall and spring), attends all Board of Directors meetings of the Academy, and coordinates conference calls throughout the year.

Vice Chair: One-year term. Assists the Chair in running of the Section and assumes any duties that the Chair is not able to perform. Also compiles the annual SRF survey.

Information Officer: One-year term. Similar to the Secretary position in other organizations. Facilitates communication within the Section by maintaining an active list of all members and maintaining electronic communication tools (e.g., website, listserv, eNews, committee representatives). The Information Officer will distribute a monthly email to the resident representatives with SRF and Academy updates.

Member-at-Large: One-year term. Coordinates the residents’ Miniseminar at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Experience.

Immediate Past Chair: One-year term, following the term as Chair. Assists the current Chair as needed.

Who represents the Section to AAO-HNS and other organizations?

Three representatives elected at the SRF General Assembly in the fall and five delegates appointed by the Governing Council.

Representatives:

BOG Governor: One-year term. Represents and is a voting member of the Academy’s Board of Governors. Attends BOG meetings during the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting and the AAO-HNS/F Leadership Forum, and serve as a liaison between the BOG and the Section.

BOG Alternate Governor (Legislative Affairs): One-year term. Attends BOG meetings during the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting and the AAO-HNS/F Leadership Forum, and updates the Governing Council on BOG legislative actions via written reports.

BOG Alternate Governor (SEGR): One-year term. Attends BOG meetings during the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting and the AAO-HNS/F Leadership Forum, and updates the Governing Council regarding BOG public relations actions and initiatives via written reports.

Delegates (must attend the meetings of the Governing Council during the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting):

American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS) Liaison: Two-year term. Serves as the Section’s liaison to the ABOHNS. Communicates the Section’s concerns to ABOHNS and reports to the Section on ABOHNS’s activities. Forms a communication relationship with the Executive Director of the ABOHNS. The ABOHNS liaison attends Governing Council meetings during AAO-HNS/F Leadership Forum and the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting. Travel expenses are not covered.

American College of Surgeons–Resident and Associate Society (RAS-ACS) Delegate: Two-year term. Serves as contact person for all relevant information exchanged between the RAS-ACS and the Section. Attends the ACS fall clinical congress, spring meeting, and phone conferences. Required to update the Section regarding actions taken by the ACS. An alternate delegate will be selected if the delegate is unable to attend meetings. Travel expenses are not covered.

American Medical Association (AMA) Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) Delegate: One-year term. Attends both the AMA Resident and Fellow Section Annual Meeting in June and the interim meeting in December and serves as a liaison between the Section and the AMA-RFS. Minutes from both AMA meetings must be done within three weeks of attending these meetings. Important action items must be brought to the Academy via the Section’s Governing Council. In addition, attends the medical student outreach program to promote otolaryngology to potential medical students during the AMA’s June meeting. An alternate delegate will be selected if the delegate is unable to attend meetings. Travel expenses are covered.

ENT PAC Delegate: Two-year term. Attends events held by ENT PAC (by invitation), is a liaison between the Section and the ENT PAC, and promotes increased involvement among our members in ENT PAC. Travel expenses are not covered.

Society of University Otolaryngologists (SUO) Delegate: One-year term. Attends the Annual Meeting of the Society of University Otolaryngologists (usually in October or November) and updates the Section regarding actions and initiatives taken by the SUO. Must have a strong interest in academic medicine. An alternate delegate will be selected if the delegate is unable to attend meetings. Travel expenses are covered. The SUO delegate will be responsible for a brief presentation to be given at the Annual SUO Meeting to update the SUO on SRF matters, particularly the SRF survey results.

What are the costs/benefits of my involvement?

Costs: Each office requires attendance at meetings, which leads to responsibilities and tasks between meetings. SRF leaders must also obtain permission for time away from clinical duties to attend these meetings.

Benefits: Many of the offices are eligible for travel grants for some meetings. Most importantly, you are able to work with Academy leaders and your colleagues to achieve real change in how we practice our profession!

What does the leadership do besides attend meetings?

The SRF produces change through having a vote on the Academy’s Board of Governors. Also, through direct contact with the Academy’s Board of Directors via resolutions drafted by our members stating our position as a group on issues concerning us. We effect change through education at the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting, reaching out to different specialties and groups like the AMA, SUO, and ENT PAC, and by getting involved and organized early in our careers so that our generation of otolaryngologists can effectively support and improve the future of our specialty.

Join the SRF Governing Council

The Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF) seeks candidates for elected officer positions on the SRF Governing Council each year. Terms are for one year, beginning October 1. Elections will take place during the SRF’s General Assembly during the AAO-HNSF 2021 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience. Candidates must attend the General Assembly to be considered for office. Stay tuned for more information on the application process.

Questions about SRF Governing Council positions? Email [email protected].

Become an SRF Resident Representatives

In an effort to help communicate important messages and issues to residents, the AAO-HNS Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF) Governing Council relies heavily on training program representatives. Any resident can serve as a representative from their training program to the AAO-HNS. As a representative, residents are responsible for the following:

• Working with residents and program directors to support AAO-HNS efforts to communicate with residents about current resident issues
• Bringing feedback from training programs to the AAO-HNS SRF Governing Council so they can act upon it, if necessary
• Ensuring the AAO-HNS has correct information for all residents and training program directors at the representative’s residency site
• Having an email address which you use daily

If you are interested in becoming a resident representative, please email [email protected].

Below is a list of SRF podcasts. To view all of the Academy’s podcasts, download FrequENTcy, the official AAO-HNS/F Podcast App through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

In Episode 3 of “SRF Roll Call Podcast,” host Peter Vila, MD, delves into financial reimbursement and payment for Doctors in the United States.

In Episode 2 of “SRF Roll Call podcast,” host Peter Vila, MD, analyzes Political Action Committees, or “PACs.”

In Episode 1 of “SRF Roll Call Podcast,” host Peter Vila, MD, discusses opportunties for Residents and Fellows-in-Training at the AAO-HNS.

Share your feedback! Participate in the 2021 SRF Survey today. View the full results from the 2018 SRF Survey.