President’s Newsletter
I received the Politzer Society presidency at Seoul and I would like to begin my tenure by thanking Mirko Tos for the work that he did. The Politzer Society’s mission is to create an international forum every two years that unites experts in otology, neuro-otology and skull base surgery. This mission was perfectly accomplished under the chairmanship of Chong Kim at the Politzer Meeting in Seoul which united more than 500 participants from every continent and his organization could be considered as a model in the future.
Following the Politzer Society rules, one part of the board was renewed and I would like take this occasion to thank those members who arrived at the end of their term for their amicable support: Alan Kerr, Erwin Officiers and Makato Sakai. Those who are filling these vacancies, Alec O’Connors, Roberto Filipo and Hiroshi Moriyama, will join the already-present Board members: Mirko Tos (Past President), Gordon Hughes (Secretary), Cor Cremers (Treasurer), Per Moller (Program Advisory Committee), Francisco Antoli Candela, Klaus Jahnke and Chong Sun Kim.
The first activity of the new Board was to designate the president-elect, Nuri Özgirgin , chosen due to his implication in the Politzer Society website, his capacities as an organizer of international congresses and of course for his own medical expertise.
Future Meetings
In 2007, the next important event will be the Politzer Meeting in Cleveland (October 14 to 16, 2007). As the last Politzer meeting hold in the United States was in 1982, I hope it will receive the full support and participation of American Otologists and Neuro-Otologists. Two important efforts will be promoted. First, the meeting will be made more attractive to young ENTs by reducing the registration fees and offering them a Politzer Prize for clinical and basic studies. The second is to induce more relationships between scientists and ENTs. Gordon Hughes is the man who will both maintain the spirit of the Politzer Meeting and help find new fields of interest.
The chairmanship of the Politzer Meeting in 2009 was, after election, conferred upon Alec O’Connors and will be held in London.
In addition to these two official Politzer Meetings, various Satellite Meetings under the auspices of the Politzer Society will be held in Biarritz, France in May 2008 on Otosclerosis and in Antalya Turkey in June 2008 during the international conference on Cholesteatoma.
One of the constant duties of the president is to encourage society membership. This can be done via the website – www.politzersociety.org – and becoming a member on the site will soon be easier through the use of credit cards. The advantages to becoming a member are: considerably reduced subscription rates to the Journal of Otology and Neuro-Otology, a substantial reduction in the registration of the Politzer Society Meeting and other reductions in different international meetings (EAONO, Cholesteatoma International Conference, etc.). Membership is based on personal application and expertise and consequently the applicant requires the support of two Politzer Society members. Being a member of the Politzer Society should be an international recognition of the ENT’s otologic value.
As a new president, it is a pleasure to find a positive balance, thanks to the meticulous work performed for many years by Cor Cremers. Thanks also to all the previous chairmen of the Politzer Society Meeting. This should enable us to sponsor a few residents from developing countries at the next Politzer Society Meeting.
Looking forward to seeing you in the next scientific meetings,
With my warmest regards .
Jacques MAGNAN
President of the Politzer Society
November 2005