ENT Societies: Why Join?

In this episode of BackTable ENT, Dr. Gopi Shah and Dr. Johnson discuss the benefits and challenges of joining ENT societies in a panel discussion with Dr. Ron Mitchell (American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology), Dr. Gaelyn Garrett (Triological Society), and Dr. Seth Dailey (American Broncho-Esophagological Association).

ENT societies can bring many professional opportunities to network and find mentorship outside of their own institutions. Society meetings can also advance research interests, as attendees can seek advice about research topics and find research funding and travel grants. Finally, ENT society members have a sense of belonging to a “tribe”, or a family of like-minded individuals who share the same goals for advancing their practice as well as community health.

Nevertheless, as ENT societies grow in scale, there is potential for more challenges to develop. For example, younger members may feel that their voices are not being heard, as there can be a leadership-member gap at society meetings. Additionally, financial barriers and admission requirements may deter new members from joining. Finally, many ENT societies remain academically focused and seem irrelevant to community practitioners.