Latest / Voices of Otolaryngology / The Setzens: Family, Service, and Private Practice Success

Transcript

The Setzens: Family, Service, and Private Practice Success · Voices of Otolaryngology

• 0:01
  Welcome to the Voices of Otolaryngology podcast series, where we spotlight
• 0:05
  diverse perspectives and insights within the field of otolaryngology.
• 0:08
  I'm your host, Rahul Shah.
• 0:10
  Let's jump into it.
• 0:12
  Welcome to the Voices of Otolaryngology.
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  I'm broadcasting here Monday
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  from our annual meeting from the exhibit floor in Indianapolis.
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  I've got a lot of funny sayings, and one of them is
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  sometimes you just get lucky.
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  And I've got the Setzen brothers here.
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  I am so excited to have you both.
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  Thank you, Doctor Shah.
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  Great pleasure to be here.
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  And, looking very forward to our chat.
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  Please introduce yourself.
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  I'm Michael Setzen, I'm thrilled to be here.
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  I'm Gavin's older brother.
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  This is a celebration of things that have happened for both of us.
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  So happy to be here at the annual meeting in Indianapolis.
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  Yeah, we had the footage rolling for the prior 15 minutes, and it was fun to see.
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  You definitely are the older brother.
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  What is the age difference?
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  Almost 13. Years. 13 years.
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  And there are other Setzens as well.
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  There is.
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  There's another brother, in South Africa.
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  He's an ob gyn and an oncologist. He is
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  three years younger than Michael.
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  So there are three boys.
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  That's it.
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  That's three of us. And he.
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  So he's the middle brother. Me?
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  You're the middle.
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  I know he's the younger brother. The older brother.
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  We got a middle brother back home in South Africa.
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  Still? Yeah.
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  Fascinating, isn't it? Isn't it?
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  They say when you have three of the same gender.
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  The oldest in the youngest are very similar.
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  Did you know that?
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  I think that's. True. I think so too.
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  I think so.
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  Very much so.
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  As my brother and myself as well.
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  All right, so take me through the journey.
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  How where did you train Michael?
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  So I grew up in South Africa.
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  I, became a physician at the University of Eduardo's aunt in Johannesburg.
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  And I had always wanted to do surgery and felt that
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  if I am going to do it, I'm going to train in America.
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  So we emigrated to America.
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  Started off at the Cleveland Clinic, did one year of general surgery there
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  and wasn't sure what I was actually going to do.
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  And in my third month into the rotation,
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  I started on ENT and I said, ENT is where I want to go.
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  I then got into Wash U with Joe Agoura.I was one of his
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  final residents, and I trained there and finished with Joe Agoura.
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  And then quickly take me to then.
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  And then you did after that?
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  So then I felt, you know, coming from South Africa, I'd always wanted
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  to be on one of the two coast to either the West coast or the East Coast.
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  Looked at New York. Something happened on Long Island.
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  Like the, the opportunity there.
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  And I settled in in Long Island.
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  And I've been there now for 42 years practicing as an otolaryngologist.
• 2:35
  And describe your practice setup.
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  So my practice initially, you know, obviously rhinology wasn't a big deal,
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  but 25 years ago, an endoscopic sinus surgery became
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  something I gravitated towards rhinology.
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  So I'm primarily a rhinologist, but I do do other things over and above rhinology.
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  But for me it's, you know, doing septoms.
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  Endoscopic sinus surgery, love rhinoplasty.
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  My best case is if a patient comes in and says, doc,
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  not only do I have nasal congestion and sinus problems,
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  but this little bump on the nose. Can you take it down?
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  That is my best patient.
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  So I might be your best patient.
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  If you like. I have a Polly beak.
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  I've got all the deformities.
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  I'm a textbook. I'll be perfect for you.
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  And then. So, Gavin, 13 year difference.
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  Correct? Yes.
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  Your brother's here.
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  He was where?
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  When you decided you wanted to be an otolaryngologist?
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  He was in med school. He was with Doctor Agoura.
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  Where was he?
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  So he was already with doctor Agoura.
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  So a nine and 13 year age difference.
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  I always grew up in this medical home watching my brothers
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  on their medical journey.
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  Had an early interest in medicine.
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  Visited Michael for the first time in 1979.
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  He was at Wash U at that point.
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  Fascinated by everything ENT.
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  How old were you then?
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  You were seven years old. Five years old?
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  Eight. They hear your peers.
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  And the sad thing is, it's
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  probably true that they threw you on a plane, to see your brother.
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  And what were you really, eight?
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  No, no, no. So I was born in 63. 68.
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  Yeah. But still.
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  So you're a 16 year old seeing American medicine when there were no duty hours?
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  Pretty scary. No, absolutely.
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  It was just so fascinating.
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  So, you know, training at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
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  Incredible experience.
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  I spent almost two years at Baragwanath Hospital, a 4000 bed hospital.
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  Training there, but always knew that the allure
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  of American residency and training was just so captivating.
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  I knew that this is where I was heading.
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  Mike had set such an incredible precedent.
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  For all the good reasons,
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  we all go into otolaryngology was driving me.
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  I'll never forget, as a medical student in South Africa, we read the House of God.
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  That was required because. Samuel Shem.
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  That sealed the deal.
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  But, my route was - You can go two ways with that book.
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  You either read it and it seals the deal and you're a doctor,
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  or you're horrified and you're a writer.
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  That's it.
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  So then.
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  So then what's your path? So, you know,
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  it was a little more difficult, the path into the US at that point.
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  And, you know, thank goodness I was able to get a green card.
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  Why is some immigration reform had happened?
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  This was in the late 80s.
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  I came across in late 89.
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  My green card was delayed.
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  I spent four months in Moosomin Saskatchewan, 60 miles
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  north of North Dakota, in a family practice role.
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  And then did half
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  of a general surgery residency at New York Hospital, a North Shore.
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  Internship and residency. Yes.
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  And then transitioned to otolaryngology In the early 90s?
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  So my residency was 92 to 97 at (inaudible).
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  And then just loved the opportunity.
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  The area, the friends that we had made stayed in Albany.
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  So I was covering upstate Mike had downstate covered.
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  We had we had a great, situation.
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  So I wonder if your immigration was delayed because of your brother.
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  I mean, the Setzen name. Probably.
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  They just said stay away.
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  No, that's actually, I had sponsored Gavin and was able to get him
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  a residency position at my hospital in general surgery.
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  Oh, wow. And. But didn't it.
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  There are some. Sort. So just the logistics. Yeah.
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  Of the green card immigration process, which was.
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  That's very. Difficult.
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  So now you're both in New York,
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  you're starting a practice general otolaryngology with rhinology.
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  You're coming out of Albany.
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  I'm. I'm your uncle.
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  I'm your nephew's.
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  Why not do it together?
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  So that was - Who messed it up?
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  a consideration.
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  And, conversation at one point.
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  But, you know, for me,
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  you know, Mike had been well-established for a long time.
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  I wanted to develop my own footprint and practice.
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  Love the allergy took over the practice from a former AAOA president.
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  And then you just get entrenched. It from there.
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  Also, just the capital region upstate area was very captivating.
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  You had made so many lifelong friends at that point that it made it difficult
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  to sort of. It was his fault, Michael.
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  And you said, come join me in the parents said, come join me.
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  And he's the youngest son.
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  He said, I'm going to do it on my own.
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  I'm the youngest too, Gavin.
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  It would have been great to be together,
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  but I think working in different places has allowed us both to grow and develop.
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  You know, for us. To establish your own credibility.
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  And establish your own credibility.
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  And, you know, it was difficult coming in as as a foreigner from day one.
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  They were a lot of the ups and downs.
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  One of my favorite words is the vicissitudes of life.
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  You coming to America? It's it's difficult.
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  Thank God I had my wife, who was my biggest supporter.
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  Without her support, I would never have been able to do all that I've done.
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  She has stood by me throughout my 42 years or more of of marriage.
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  So with that lifelong supporter, I've been able to do what I did.
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  You know, I came after the residency into New York.
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  I knew nobody in New York, really.
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  And I had to when I go out there and say, you know what?
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  I've always been someone with with leadership
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  capabilities, I said, I'm going to go out and I'm going to get involved.
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  And the first thing I got involved with was the Board of Governors.
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  I looked at the Academy
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  and I said, this was something I need to give back to the specialty
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  and the Board of Governors propelled me all the way up to where I am
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  currently today.
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  Let me back up.
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  That was profound.
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  So the Setzens actually knew nobody?
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  No, no. You know everybody now.
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  So so what I what I'm profound by that is people
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  always say, oh, I don't want to go to Oklahoma.
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  I don't know anybody.
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  I don't want to go.
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  So in Long Island, you set up practice.
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  You really didn't know anybody?
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  I knew nothing.
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  So how did you grow a world renowned practice?
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  I, you know, knew nobody.
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  And as I said, I felt it was important to get involved in the academy.
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  Rose through the ranks. So that's where you started first.
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  And you started in Great Neck, New York.
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  Local Long Island. Locally.
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  And over time, I realized although I was in private practice,
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  it was important to get involved, to publish, present, mentor...
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  Why did you figure that out?
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  Because I felt I had leadership capabilities,
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  and I felt I need to give this back to others.
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  And that's what, you know, there was no financial gain for this financial loss.
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  It was an economic giving up life time. Right.
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  That's profound, though very interesting.
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  And anybody that I've spoken to that has said, doc, how can we get involved?
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  I've said, get involved with the Academy.
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  The ARS was also big for me.
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  Yeah.
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  Once I'd finished my time with the Academy, I got very involved
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  with the ARS.
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  Once again, That you started locally in Great Neck, first?
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  Started locally.
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  So what did you do? You'd call on the doctors.
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  You'd go to the local medical society. What did you do?
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  So what I did is I realized here I am, I'm 31 years old.
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  Know nobody had a practice.
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  I was in a group of about four others.
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  I made myself available in the ERs.
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  In the hospitals. Anybody that called.
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  Wait a minute. Available, affable and able?
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  Yeah.
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  Are you the one that came up with that term? No.
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  In my opinion, I think affable is most probably the most significant part.
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  We as South Africans
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  have grown up with bedside manner being a very important part of what we do.
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  And I think a lot of patients like that.
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  My patients aren't there just for me to treat them.
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  I like to befriend them, make them feel comfortable,
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  talk about things I love golf, tennis, pickleball.
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  So you were always available you were ready for, though?
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  Yes, I was.
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  So then how did you build your practice?
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  I didn't know, I thought you're born with the Setzen name.
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  Everybody knew who you were.
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  So then. So you said.
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  Look, my brother did it in Great Neck.
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  I'm going to go do it in Albany, right?
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  Right.
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  And and similarly, you know, when I, when I moved to Albany, when I emigrated,
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  I certainly did not think, I would be living in Albany.
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  I was thinking you know, major
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  metropolitan areas of New York City, Boston, LA, Chicago.
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  But it's to Mike's point and,
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  and I think what's ingrained in a lot of us, it's about the people.
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  I loved my time in the
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  city, in Long Island, and it was fantastic.
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  A transition to Albany, where I really developed
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  lifelong friendships and relationships and incredible
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  program, for my wife and raising kids was outstanding.
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  So I developed relationships and,
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  you know, cultivated those over time as well.
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  There's a definite immigrant work ethic.
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  And for both of us coming from South Africa and others looking to build
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  and grow.
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  So same thing you would you would want to hustle in your area.
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  Absolutely.
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  Just meeting people, developing relationships, volunteering.
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  You know, Mike had set a great example of, you know, involvement in the academy
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  and others.
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  I got involved in Academy the first year of residency.
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  I'd be coming to the annual meeting since 1992.
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  I've not missed one.
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  Very involved in local legislative,
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  New York State society activities and then, you know, board of Governors.
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  Back then, you all didn't do it for economic enrichments.
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  Absolutely.
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  It was it was costing you money. Exactly.
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  But you did it
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  because you - it advanced medicine, you were grateful.
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  It helped your practices.
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  And the sense of belonging and an incredible
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  group of people with shared goals and aspirations.
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  As otolaryngologists, being able to give back on an educational basis,
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  a volunteer basis,
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  cultivating those relationships, mentoring, sponsoring, teaching,
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  just it enriches the pot of practice
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  there, you know, brings that balance and and for me and I know for Mike as well,
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  it was just a very important part
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  of the cohesive aspect to providing great health care.
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  And meaningful leadership.
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  And then I would say the economic benefits came much later
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  once you had the brand people refer to you, but it's phenomenal.
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  Everybody has it backwards: let me get economically
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  stable, right and enriched first, then I'll give back.
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  But y'all started it from the beginning.
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  Yeah.
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  No we did I mean, I've been doing this for 42 years and I'm not quitting.
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  I love the ability to practice medicine.
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  I love helping people in need.
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  That makes me feel good.
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  Develop great relationships with patients.
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  I don't only do medicine, I think it's important
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  for the longevity of your practice to be able to take some time off.
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  I've actually never worked on a Friday.
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  Friday has been hold on, hold on.
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  Michael Setzen, I can't believe that I'm in the are you hiring?
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  Friday is a day for golf, tennis, pickleball or academic work lecture.
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  Are you absolutely serious? I'm absolutely serious.
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  I'd say that again. You.
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  But then how do you make the ends meet?
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  I make
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  ends meet by being available, doing what I have to do.
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  And with that in mind, I can make ends meet.
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  I don't think you have to work six, seven days a week.
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  I think you need some time off.
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  I'm fortunate enough to have grandkids.
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  I want to spend time with my grandkids. You didn't have them 40 years ago.
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  I didn't have them 40 years ago.
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  But now when I have this time off, I can spend time
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  like, You’ve been doing this your whole career.
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  I've been doing this my whole career and I'm not done.
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  So I love it so much. Let's have a little brotherly fight.
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  Are you a 24/7, 365 guy or are you a Michael Setzen?
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  I'm transitioning to the Michael Setzen and,
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  I've always, been a little, you know,
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  very sort of driven type A, which is not which is here to but,
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  balancing time and,
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  you know, family and other commitments is absolutely essential,
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  you know, wellness and the like, but, similarly,
• 15:19
  the medicine is an incredible
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  part of what drives me on a day to day basis.
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  The organizational part of medicine and other opportunities,
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  I think is a very important counterbalance.
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  And sometimes that does come at the at the expense of family time or leisure time.
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  And certainly economically there is a sacrifice.
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  But I think marrying the two for me has made it
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  something sustainable and something that I want to continue doing for five,
• 15:50
  ten, 15 years, without consideration to stopping any of it.
• 15:54
  This is phenomenal.
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  I didn't, I don't prep for these.
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  I don't I want to be raw.
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  And when I it's phenomenal.
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  You all were advocacy and engagement
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  and wellness before it was cool.
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  All right.
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  You guys are the OG.
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  Okay? OGs, you're the originals.
• 16:11
  The old guys. Yeah, but.
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  So you were actually thinking about wellness 25, 30 years ago.
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  And some of that wellness came from Great Neck
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  Otolaryngology community, ARS, and other societies.
• 16:24
  Is that right? That's what you're saying. Yeah.
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  But I'm also the reason one could be so involved with
• 16:29
  the academy, with the ARS is because I did set aside time.
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  If I was running 6 or 7 days or weeks, I would not be able to have the time
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  when when people would call me up and say, you know, I'm having an issue with
• 16:42
  a reimbursement related or an advocacy related issue, I was available.
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  I could say to them,
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  look on Friday, I have some time off, we can talk about it.
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  So that's why.
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  I can't believe it, because if you opened up half
• 16:54
  in the mornings, you would have made 20% more, right?
• 16:57
  How's that not tempting?
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  It's not
• 17:00
  tempting because I have significant satisfaction with what I've been able
• 17:03
  to accomplish working the restrictions that I- In four days.
• 17:07
  Absolutely. I mean, same with you, Gavin. You you.
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  It just so interesting.
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  But you all were doing this 25, 30 years ago.
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  You didn't wait until you were economically okay.
• 17:16
  Right? Right.
• 17:17
  And I think
• 17:20
  one thing that is unique to otolaryngology and,
• 17:24
  and this community, it's very embracing, we have phenomenal
• 17:30
  leadership role models, mentors who take you along the journey.
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  And so it's something very compelling
• 17:37
  that you want to get involved and be a part of early on.
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  And the more you do it, the more satisfaction.
• 17:43
  The more people, the more connectivity, the more meaningful
• 17:47
  the relationships and the opportunity to give back
• 17:50
  and the opportunity to secure the future of the field.
• 17:54
  So I'll talk just quickly about mentorship.
• 17:56
  You both, know it or not, are mentors to my brother and I, Udi Shah and myself.
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  And we're very grateful to you.
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  We've called upon you when you needed help.
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  Sometimes people think a mentor mentee relationship is, let's sit down.
• 18:10
  Once a quarter and go through issues.
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  But what I think you're hearing is coming to ARS, coming to the Academy.
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  You bump into people.
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  You have that 30 minute conversation with Michael.
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  I come back six months later. Hey, how's it going?
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  Is that what you mean?
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  And that's definitely part of it, along with other engagements
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  at every level in one's clinical practice, at home,
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  in the community, in med schools and residencies.
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  These four, I think there are so many opportunities
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  to touch lives and, and, and positively impact and learn.
• 18:45
  Learning from others is so important that that's
• 18:48
  that's as much giving as taking in learning from others,
• 18:53
  learning experiences and just opportunities for improvement.
• 18:58
  Absolutely. I'm so blown away, I really am.
• 19:00
  I thought you both were 120% work work for Bill, bill bill clinical
• 19:06
  and I live in a world where we get one plus one plus one to equal ten.
• 19:10
  And it looks like you're talking about that engagement advocacy wellness.
• 19:15
  Right. You're seeing how it can be a multiplier effect.
• 19:17
  Yeah.
• 19:18
  Looking out here we see an expo hall.
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  We see 5500 people.
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  We see the future in front of us.
• 19:25
  Are you all excited about the future?
• 19:26
  Pessimistic. You want to go? You're the older guy.
• 19:28
  You want to go first.
• 19:29
  I'm very excited about the future, I think.
• 19:31
  How could you be excited?
• 19:32
  It's dismal. It's scary. No, no.
• 19:33
  No, because we have new technologies that are out there.
• 19:36
  I think each one of us needs to engage in these new technologies as advocates.
• 19:41
  On behalf of otolaryngology, we're going to continue the battle.
• 19:45
  Gavin and I have been involved in the battle for otolaryngology.
• 19:48
  We're going to continue.
• 19:49
  So any of these individuals that have issues, we're going to continue
• 19:53
  to advocate for them. This is what we've done. Now.
• 19:55
  You're optimistic. You think we can make a difference?
• 19:57
  I think we can make a difference.
• 19:58
  I mean, there are a lot of pressures in medicine today making it difficult.
• 20:02
  There's the malpractice issue, which is scary.
• 20:04
  There's the work issue, there's the financial issue.
• 20:07
  But I still think it's the best profession.
• 20:09
  I think it's the only profession I could have done for myself.
• 20:12
  It's been a wonderful journey for me for the past 40.
• 20:15
  So let me let me try this 42 years. You in practice? Yes.
• 20:18
  Go back 25 years in your head.
• 20:20
  Go back 25 years were the reimbursement malpractice.
• 20:24
  Political milieu
• 20:26
  as scary back then as it was today? Yes.
• 20:30
  We think it's the worst ever now.
• 20:31
  But no.
• 20:33
  The malpractice issue was the issue.
• 20:34
  What what we were getting 25 years ago financially for procedures we did
• 20:39
  from a Medicare standpoint, is very similar
• 20:41
  to what we're getting today, which is a pity.
• 20:44
  I think the reimbursement is a little lower than what it should be.
• 20:47
  Yeah, everything else today has gone up.
• 20:48
  Cost of living has gone up. Everything else has gone up.
• 20:50
  But reimbursement for what we do has not, unfortunately.
• 20:54
  Hopefully my back is the sky is and falling right now it's,
• 20:58
  it just the challenges, the continuity, the perpetual crisis in medicine.
• 21:03
  Gavin, are you optimistic?
• 21:04
  Pessimistic, neutral?
• 21:05
  Extraordinarily optimistic.
• 21:08
  For a few reasons. Wow.
• 21:10
  I think the body of otolaryngology and
• 21:14
  the the spirit and the core of every other.
• 21:17
  (inaudible) Yeah, is one
• 21:20
  of is favorable, optimistic.
• 21:23
  Taking care of patients.
• 21:24
  Doing things for the right reason.
• 21:26
  Fortunately we have leadership in the structuring place that's helping
• 21:30
  address the other issues socio economic regulatory declining reimbursement,
• 21:36
  EHR, you know, the the plethora - med mal.
• 21:39
  So those challenges, House of medicine. Why?
• 21:42
  I think if we can continue to advocate as a group, we should succeed.
• 21:47
  I'm very optomistic. Does it work?
• 21:50
  Incrementally over time, the challenges have been profound.
• 21:55
  But similarly, if we don't continue to confront them,
• 21:59
  we will all lose the battle.
• 22:02
  And so the profound reason at the end of the day is the patient ultimately.
• 22:06
  So we just have to continue to look at opportunities for improvement.
• 22:11
  We're both in private practice.
• 22:13
  You, others, Dr.
• 22:15
  Denanny have done an incredible job of ensuring the survivability
• 22:19
  and the opportunity to thrive in private practice,
• 22:23
  there are many different challenges in terms of consolidation and so on,
• 22:28
  but the academy is really poised to help guide us through that.
• 22:31
  And I look forward to your leadership in helping us meet and beat these challenges.
• 22:38
  And to Mike's point, extraordinarily optimistic.
• 22:41
  We have to be optimistic to win the battle.
• 22:44
  And I think it is winnable.
• 22:45
  It just, you know, it's more than just reimbursed.
• 22:49
  I mean, I think most people
• 22:50
  have always said over the years, you don't go into medicine to make money.
• 22:53
  You go to medicine because you have a passion that you want to help people.
• 22:57
  And I think whether you go into private practice or academic practice,
• 23:00
  you can be successful, but you need to work at it.
• 23:03
  It doesn't just happen.
• 23:04
  As you can see, Gavin and I, we went out there and we tried.
• 23:08
  We work hard to make it happen.
• 23:10
  You need to get involved, get involved with the Academy, get involved
• 23:13
  with your society, publish, present.
• 23:17
  As a private practitioner, many people have said,
• 23:19
  don't you feel awkward being on a panel with academicians?
• 23:22
  I said, no, I'm doing as much as they do.
• 23:25
  Many people actually thought I was an academician.
• 23:28
  I said, I'm a private practitioner with significant
• 23:32
  academic involvement, and that's what I recommend people do.
• 23:35
  Whether you're academically inclined or private practice, be involved, publish,
• 23:39
  present, be involved and be involved with your academy and your societies.
• 23:44
  That's what leads to success.
• 23:46
  So people don't realize that.
• 23:48
  We'll talk for a couple more minutes.
• 23:49
  People don't realize
• 23:50
  we had our opening ceremony, and you are honored as a living legend.
• 23:54
  And I'll tell you, it's better than a pioneer
• 23:56
  because that means you're,
• 23:58
  you know, we're we're grateful to have your current day status.
• 24:00
  So congratulations.
• 24:02
  And I saw two biggest smiling faces, your wife and your brother.
• 24:07
  How did it feel when your brother is recognized as a living legend?
• 24:09
  You guys respectfully started from nowhere.
• 24:13
  And I mean that in the nicest sense.
• 24:15
  And you've helped transform a field.
• 24:16
  How did it feel seeing him up?
• 24:17
  Fantastic. Fantastic.
• 24:19
  A tremendous sense of pride and admiration
• 24:23
  for that.
• 24:24
  Never.
• 24:24
  For me, it
• 24:24
  was the most significant accomplishment and accomplishment I've ever had.
• 24:29
  Something where my peers, it said, you obviously accomplished
• 24:32
  something significant.
• 24:33
  So I'm very proud, Gavin.
• 24:35
  Actually, there's also been regarded as a living legend, honored distinction.
• 24:39
  He got that three years ago.
• 24:41
  So I think this is unusual that two That was a.
• 24:44
  brothers can both be living legends.
• 24:46
  How do you feel when you see your brother with the presidential medallion?
• 24:50
  Absolutely.
• 24:51
  I I'm proud of his accomplishments.
• 24:53
  I'm happy to hear that he believes that I was responsible for some of his,
• 24:58
  success.
• 24:59
  And my father would have been thrilled
• 25:02
  to have seen two brothers sitting in this position as Leaders!
• 25:06
  He actually was an accountant who wanted to do medicine,
• 25:09
  and he was partially responsible for driving me into medicine.
• 25:13
  I didn't know that I wanted to even be an ENT until I rotated
• 25:17
  in general surgery, Cleveland Clinic and my third month in ENT.
• 25:21
  I said, you know what? This is what I want.
• 25:22
  I was at Cleveland Clinic. I said, well, where am I going to go?
• 25:25
  They said, an opening just opened up at Wash U with Agoura.
• 25:28
  See if Agoura will take you.
• 25:29
  I met with Agoura,
• 25:31
  he said, I never take foreigners, but I'll take a chance with you.
• 25:34
  And here we are.
• 25:35
  Is that really, really, really amazing?
• 25:38
  Any pearls we have for the future?
• 25:40
  So I always say this.
• 25:41
  I'm 50 years old, half the academy's older than me and half for younger.
• 25:46
  And I think, you know, a couple minutes on the future.
• 25:48
  What advice, what advice do you give to young doctor Sean Setzen Who's your son?
• 25:54
  Who's in residency training program, your nephew Sean,
• 25:57
  what advice do you give him and his classmates?
• 26:00
  It's interesting. I always tell.
• 26:02
  And give us the real advice, not the, you know, work hard.
• 26:04
  Do you believe in - This is an equal opportunity sport.
• 26:08
  And so if you're just willing to contribute of your time,
• 26:13
  your energy commitment and passion, there's nothing you can't accomplish.
• 26:18
  It just depends on your personal motivations, interests and drive.
• 26:22
  And it seems, you know,
• 26:26
  you, your brother Udi, family.
• 26:30
  There seems to be a lot of mutual desire
• 26:33
  to step out, help grow, improve, better.
• 26:37
  So I've heard that as well.
• 26:39
  It's show up, my show up, you know.
• 26:41
  Equal opportunity sport. Absolutely. Yeah.
• 26:45
  What advice do you give to him and his friends?
• 26:46
  You're our new EVP and I congratulate you and wish you all the best.
• 26:50
  But the pearls that I give people, is work
• 26:53
  hard as a medical student, if you like ENT you know, go there,
• 26:57
  work hard as a resident, try get into an appropriate fellowship.
• 27:01
  And then when you get out there, do whatever you want.
• 27:04
  If you like rhinology, work hard in rhinology, get involved, publish present
• 27:09
  and whenever invited to do a task, do it and do it well.
• 27:13
  And with time you will become successful.
• 27:16
  So what was amazing is I heard work hard 3 or 4 times in there
• 27:20
  before I do something funny because if you all are watching,
• 27:23
  just pay attention because it's going to be funny.
• 27:25
  I'm gonna I'm going to call Bill Blythe on ENT Connect
• 27:28
  a very prominent private practitioner, big fan and friend of the academies
• 27:32
  from, Alabama, Birmingham, I believe Birmingham.
• 27:35
  So he says something on ENT Connect.
• 27:37
  If you want to outearn me, outwork me.
• 27:41
  That's it.
• 27:41
  I mean, you all talked about working hard.
• 27:43
  You ready for something fun? Yes.
• 27:45
  Sean, come over here.
• 27:47
  Don't worry, guys, just walk this way. Walk around.
• 27:49
  We're going to be okay. Everybody don't worry, don't worry. Shit.
• 27:52
  No no no no no no no no. Come sit.
• 27:53
  Come to have a seat. That is he.
• 27:56
  We're going to be okay everybody don't worry Miguel.
• 27:59
  Put this on.
• 28:01
  Put this on.
• 28:04
  You ready? You're doing good.
• 28:06
  Doing great.
• 28:06
  All right.
• 28:07
  In your view, your father and your uncles. Go ahead.
• 28:10
  Oh, wow.
• 28:10
  Okay. So - Introduce yourself.
• 28:13
  Hi, I'm Sean Setzen I'm, a current PGY-1
• 28:17
  One, ENT resident at Saint Luke's in, Pennsylvania.
• 28:21
  Excited to be at this, academy meeting.
• 28:24
  You're my first guest host.
• 28:25
  What do you want to ask your uncle?
• 28:28
  First guest host. Don't mess up.
• 28:30
  I guess, What was the biggest challenge when you came here?
• 28:35
  And and how did it. Feel leaving.
• 28:37
  Family back home?
• 28:39
  You know, it. That was a big challenge.
• 28:40
  But the good news is, my family supported the move.
• 28:44
  My mother and father said, you know what?
• 28:46
  South Africa was having some political situations.
• 28:49
  My wife's family said, you know that as well.
• 28:52
  So we stepped up and immigrated.
• 28:54
  Fortunately, I was able to do it because Gavin and you are both here.
• 28:58
  So it was a challenge starting up in Cleveland.
• 29:01
  And when we said we knew nobody, it was difficult.
• 29:04
  Believe it or not, the most significant situation in my life
• 29:08
  from a medical standpoint was I was chairman of the board of governors
• 29:11
  during 9/11
• 29:13
  when on the Tuesday at 10 a.m., when we saw the two buildings come down,
• 29:19
  I had to make this decision and show some leadership.
• 29:22
  What should we do with this meeting?
• 29:24
  We decided that the meeting was over.
• 29:26
  I was there with Gavin.
• 29:28
  We got into a limo and we drove from Denver to New York.
• 29:32
  You remember that day, Gavin?
• 29:33
  So I'm gonna help you as a moderator because you can't tell your uncle.
• 29:36
  He's only got 40. How old were you on 9/11?
• 29:38
  I was four. Okay.
• 29:41
  Please ask your father. What? What pearls would you.
• 29:44
  As if you're a podcaster, what do you ask your dad?
• 29:46
  Yeah, well,
• 29:46
  I mean, I guess a interested to hear a little bit
• 29:48
  more about your relationship with one another.
• 29:50
  And outside of ENT you know, your proudest moments Of one another's lives.
• 29:55
  So that's a great question.
• 29:57
  And, you know, Mike, my big brother,
• 30:00
  always provided excellent leadership and friendship and support
• 30:06
  because it was a 13 year age difference.
• 30:09
  Yeah, he was quite significantly ahead of me in different ages and stages,
• 30:14
  and we maybe didn't spend as much time
• 30:17
  growing up in the same, you know, spheres.
• 30:20
  But he has always been my role model.
• 30:25
  And, you know, somebody I've looked up to all along
• 30:29
  and, just provided great leadership advice, support, friendship
• 30:33
  as, as one would hope from, from a big brother.
• 30:37
  And Gavin, you actually gave me a presidential citation during
• 30:41
  your presidency.
• 30:43
  And I really appreciate and thank you for that.
• 30:46
  So yes, we have a very close relationship.
• 30:48
  We actually both spend a lot of time in Boca Raton.
• 30:51
  We both have homes there.
• 30:53
  So that's the time we really get together.
• 30:55
  We play golf, we spend time together at the beach.
• 30:59
  We have similar and have fun. We goof around.
• 31:01
  Yeah, he has grandkids, I have grandkids, we all get together and we're happy.
• 31:06
  You're on board with us now. And I couldn't be happier.
• 31:08
  So Sean, you might be our youngest ever, host.
• 31:12
  Okay. You're definitely the first guest host.
• 31:14
  Are you excited? Are you nervous?
• 31:16
  Are you worried about the future of medicine?
• 31:18
  Your father is extraordinarily optimistic.
• 31:21
  Your uncle is very optimistic.
• 31:23
  Talk to your colleagues out there.
• 31:25
  How do you feel?
• 31:25
  Yeah, I mean, I, I would I.
• 31:27
  Remain incredibly optimistic.
• 31:29
  You know, coming to these meetings the year after year, my first one
• 31:32
  in Atlanta in 2017.
• 31:35
  When my, my dad was president.
• 31:37
  I've, I've had the good fortune of coming every year since.
• 31:40
  And I continue. To see.
• 31:42
  The amazing pride amongst ENTs from all over the Country
• 31:46
  and the world at large, coming together.
• 31:49
  Year after year. Both at Academy, but also.
• 31:52
  At smaller meetings
• 31:53
  at, you know, local, local societies.
• 31:57
  And I think that the fire in the heart of ENTs
• 32:00
  remains strong, and that it's one of the things that really.
• 32:03
  Inspired me to, to Want to want to become an otolaryngologist
• 32:07
  and continue to contribute to this incredible specialty.
• 32:10
  Did you know what I think Sean is doing right is he's publishing, he's presenting.
• 32:15
  He's pretty involved. Yeah.
• 32:16
  Did you notice I didn't cut the future off?
• 32:19
  I cut you guys off. But, But I let him go.
• 32:22
  I'll tell you,
• 32:22
  we should end there, because I've never been more excited about the field.
• 32:25
  And I just want our our folks.
• 32:27
  I'm going to pull back, and we'll end just with the silent shot of the Setzens.
• 32:31
  It's really, really amazing, the pride here on what we've developed
• 32:35
  and the new young man. You're the future. So why don't we end that way?
• 32:37
  Thank you, thank you.
• 32:38
  Congratulations and appreciate the opportunity.
• 32:41
  Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity.
• 32:45
  Thank you.
• 32:45
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• 32:48
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• 32:52
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• 32:53
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• 32:55
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• 32:59
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• 33:02
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