“My heart still feels connected to Salzburg. When I received the invitation to return as a faculty member, I was truly proud and happy,” shared Dr. Jan Boucek from the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, at the recent Salzburg Weill Cornell Seminar in Otology and Temporal Bone Surgery.
Dr. Boucek attended his first OMI Otolaryngology seminar in 2012 and returned the following year for participation in the Otology course.
“The OMI program strongly influenced my career. It gave me the opportunity to meet leading experts and see how global collaboration truly works. It was my first international experience,” he stated. “Trained in a post-communist era, my career was strongly influenced by the OMI. Meeting Dr. Stewart and Dr. Selesnick in Salzburg became a defining milestone in my life. They became my mentors and invited me to Weill Cornell Medicine, which was eye-opening and changed how I viewed medicine.”
Dr. Boucek was also motivated by the OMI seminars to return home with fresh concepts. Inspired by what he discovered in Salzburg, he established OMI-style temporal bone courses in Prague in 2014. Since then, these classes have developed into global training sessions featuring visiting instructors, including Professor Selesnick.
“The seminars I attended were the perfect example of how education could be organized on an optimal level. It inspired me to start something similar in Prague,” summarized Dr. Bouček.
Dr. Boucek is a board member of the International Society of Otology and a full professor at Charles University. Returning to Salzburg as a faculty member, he now hopes to serve as a role model for the upcoming generation of otolaryngologists.
“I hope my personal example will motivate today’s fellows, to show that the effort and energy they invest here can truly influence their future careers.”
Dr. Boucek’s story beautifully illustrates the full-circle impact of the OMI, showing how a program that once shaped his early career now benefits the next generation of otolaryngologists. As he returns to Salzburg as a faculty member, he not only shares his expertise but also serves as a living example of the opportunities that the OMI provides. We look forward to seeing this year’s ENT fellows carry forward the same curiosity, dedication, and passion, building their own journeys.