Dear members,

In the last general meeting, 19 members were elected to the board of directors , and in the first meeting of the new board of directors, I (Yasuo Hisa) was selected as the Chairman of the ORL Society. I shall be much honored to assume the role of the Chairman of the ORL Society of Japan, and am preparing myself to face this huge task. I know now that I was granted this gift of life to achieve this great task, after having experienced a near-death situation last autumn.
Generally, the ORL Society may give one a "gloomy" or "aged" impression. On the other hand, we can say that these impressions come from how the society has been firmly and traditionally managed over several decades. I believe, however, that reformation is now essential. I would like to aim for a fresher and brighter ORL Society. Fortunately, I expect to have the opportunity to reconsider the operation of the society, since our business organization and committee constitution have been reorganized in the last term executive. Moreover, six new committees have been founded; an international committee, an ethics committee, a committee of conflict of interest, a gender equality committee, a committee for advanced researches, and a committee for education before graduation. The aim of the ORL is to promote study and research in the field of otorhinolaryngology, and furthermore to contribute to the development of an academic culture and to the health promotion of citizens. Keeping this memorandum of the ORL in mind, my target will be to stably manage the society with the support of the existing committees and the new committees mentioned above.
In regard to innovation of the ORL Society, a rise in membership fees has already been approved from the next year. It is important that we utilize this change effectively and exercise agile management of the whole society. A new training system for medical specialists will be introduced in all departments from 2017. Our society has already started selecting and authorizing members who will be qualified to be medical instructors under the new system. In addition, we also need to establish basic training programs that will be held in each of the training hospitals, and for this, we seek the support of all the members.
As for the outdated impression about the ORL Society that I mentioned earlier, I am sure that one of the reasons is the contents of the academic seminars that we hold. Obviously, we need to improve this aspect, and I propose to convene seminars that will be attractive even for young members.
There are still many tasks ahead for the society. I pledge to exert myself to improve the ORL Society during the two years of my tenure, and I shall greatly appreciate the understanding and cooperation of all members of the society.

Sincerely yours,

Yasuo Hisa, MD,PhD
Chairman, Board of Directors
The Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan, Inc.

(August 11^th, 2014)