Ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery
Otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery, or ENT as it is more popularly known, is a fascinating and diverse specialty. ENT has more separate surgical procedures than most other surgical disciplines put together and is a cradle to grave specialty. An ENT surgeon may be involved with a neonate's breathing problem, an infant's hearing loss and this involvement may continue right through to the hearing loss and loss of faculties of old age.
Essentially, it is the specialty of communication, involving hearing, olfaction, taste, and of course, speech and language.
ENT surgeons are involved in communication disorders and should themselves be good communicators. Although it is a surgical specialty, it has a very large outpatient medical base.
Emergency work tends not to be very heavy, although it tends to be dramatic. ENT is a surgical discipline which is ideally suited to flexible working.
Personal qualities should include:
- Ability to listen to patients' problems - especially those with communication difficulties
- To make sound clinical judgements and decisions as to different treatments quickly and accurately
- The ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- Manual and technical skills required to spend about half the time in the operating theatre.
- Competent information technology
- Good management skills
Further information
For further information on this specialty, please contact:
Royal College of Surgeons of England
25-43 Lincolns Inn Fields
London
WC2A 3PN
Tel: 0207 405 3474
Website: http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Nicolson Street
Edinburgh
EH8 9DW
Website: www.rcsed.ac.uk Email: outreach@rcsed.ac.uk
More information can also be found on the Medical Careers website