Jonas Johnson to Step Down as Department of Otolaryngology Chairman

In the academic medical center we generally think of July 1 as the beginning of the new year. Our “School Year” year is 12 months long. Each June we congratulate a graduating class and bid them farewell. We are joined by new residents and fellows each July. Recruitment of new faculty often runs parallel to this schedule. As you are aware, we are approved to graduate five residents annually. Residency in Otolaryngology requires successful completion of five years of post-doctoral training. Approximately two-thirds of our residents then go on to sub-specialty surgical training. This training typically takes an additional year or two. Here at Pitt we have fellows in pediatric otolaryngology, neuro otology, head and neck oncology, as well as rhinology – Cranial Base Surgery. Most of these young surgeons go on to populate the faculty of Academic Departments across the country.

It is commonly held that the mission of an Academic Department of Otolaryngology is to provide health care in an environment of education and research. We are deeply invested in some basic science research on hearing loss and tinnitus. We are also involved in extensive clinical research as we investigate various diseases of the ears, nose and throat. It is through careful collection of information about diagnoses, treatments and outcomes that the doctors of the future can provide better care that what we have now. Many of our patients help when they fill in questionnaires about their condition. Their Patient Reported Outcome Measures (or PROMs) provide real data that helps the health care team better understand the disease itself, the response to treatment and, sometimes, the side effects of treatment. Accordingly, the patient is, in a very real sense, a partner in improving treatment.

Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of the young people who are completing their training this spring. Please also help us welcome the next generation to our team. And, thanks to everyone who has been so supportive in helping us to achieve our goals of better care in an environment of education and research.

Jonas Johnson, MD, FACS