Annual Resident Historical Research Competition: Advancing the Future of Otolaryngology Through the Lens of History

Sunday, October 18, 2026

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM PT

Location: West Exhibit Hall A, Learning Zone 7

Moderator(s)

James Alrassi, MD

Fellow
Mass Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Panelist(s)

JK

James J. Kearney, MD

Professor of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA, United States
AC

Alexander Chern, MD

Assistant Professor
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, United States
Stephen P. Cragle, MD

Partner
St. Cloud Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic
Saint Cloud, MN, United States

Disclosure(s):

James J. Kearney, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Stephen P. Cragle, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Attendees can expect concise, engaging presentations from resident and medical student finalists showcasing novel historical research in otolaryngology. Using primary sources, presenters highlight how past practices, policies, and innovations inform today’s clinical challenges. This session demonstrates the value of historical inquiry in guiding clinical insight, inspiring future advances, and shaping the specialty’s evolving identity.

Learning Objectives:

Describe how historical analysis and primary source research can illuminate the origins of current clinical practices and challenges in otolaryngology.
Identify key ways in which past policies, technologies, and social contexts have shaped contemporary patient care and professional decision-making in otolaryngology.
Provide trainees with a structured forum to present novel historical research and contribute to the specialty’s scholarly growth.