What is an Otolaryngologist?

Otolaryngology is the branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head & neck disorders. The full name of the specialty is otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

Practitioners are called otolaryngologists, or sometimes otorhinolaryngologists (ORL). A somewhat outdated, but nevertheless commonly used, term for this specialty is ENT (ear nose and throat). Otolaryngologists are medical doctors who complete at least five years of surgical residency training (one year in general surgery, four years in otolaryngology - head and neck surgery). Following residency training, some otolaryngologists elect to complete advanced subspeciality fellowships which are usually one or two years in duration. As with all medical fellowships, acceptance is highly competitive.