Dr. Paul Drago may be the only one to say it, but saying it he is: Otolaryngology is going to be a well-known field in little to no time. The medical branch is somewhat obscure to many Americans, but for anyone who’s ever had an ear infection, they are all too familiar with the importance its specialists can play.

In South Carolina, where Dr. Paul Drago is based, the demand for otolaryngologists is the same as it is all over the country, in what one of Dr. Paul Drago’s coworkers calls “a growing comprehension of just how necessary and illness-prone some parts of the body are.” This is certainly true in a country where the common cold, ear infections (generally referred to colloquially as “swimmer’s ear,” though such infections range and sometimes refer to different parts of the ear itself), and sore throats occur hourly and have become normalized.

Indeed, Dr. Paul Drago argues that the main reason otolaryngology is so unknown is not a lack of familiarity with the illnesses it combats or with the field itself, so much as a need to become introduced to the word. “It’s a big word and people are easily afraid of big words,” he said. “The trick is to bring it up when meeting with a patient, so that they understand the work being done and the importance of the medicine being called upon to meet the demands of the specific situation.”

Though he may be the only one, Dr. Paul Drago firmly maintains that otolaryngology is going to have its day and that day will be soon. Though others continue to glorify the cardiovascular and neurological ends of the medical world, otolaryngologists have, the doctor insists, been all too often taken for granted. As the world becomes more and more aware of the implications of ignoring the illnesses they view as commonplace, they will come to see the benefits of otolaryngology, as well as the importance of maintaining less-commonly prioritized parts of the body. Once this happens, Dr. Paul Drago maintains, those little cases of swimmer’s ear and monthly colds will be viewed as the medical strain they truly are.