How to Pursue a Career in Otolaryngology?

Answer 1

The medical specialty of otolaryngology has bright career prospects in the coming decade because this branch of medicine dealing with issues regarding the ear, nose and throat interact with numerous other medical specialties in addition to handling men, women and children as patients.

Otolaryngology is the oldest medical specialty practiced in the U.S. and physicians who have been trained in treating diseases of the ear, nose and throat, called ENT specialties, are called otolaryngologists or ENT physicians. An otolaryngologist specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases in both adults and children that occur in the ears, the nose and sinuses, the throat and voicebox, as well as those areas of the head and neck that deal with sight, smell and hearing.

Following study to receive a medical degree, a physician desiring a career in otolaryngology must undertake at least five additional years of specialized training in disorders and diseases of the ear, nose and throat. Once the candidate has passed the American Board of Otolaryngology exam, the physician usually chooses another sub-specialty within otolaryngology. There are seven specialties requiring an additional one to two years of intensive training: Pediatric otolaryngology dealing with children’s diseases and developmental defects; rhinology, dealing with diseases affecting the nose and sinuses; laryngology dealing with throat and voice disorders; facial plastic and reconstructure surgery, treating any abnormalities appearing on the face or neck; allergy, treating disorders brought about by allergic reactions to substances or environmental polution; otology or neurotology, dealing with ear disorders that cause hearing, tinnitis or balance problems; and head and neck specialties, involving both cancerous or non-cancerous tumors.

The field of otolaryngology is one which interacts with a great number of other medical specialties, including plastic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, opthamology and oncology.

The American Society for Otolaryngology offers good resources for anyone interested in pursuing a medical career in this specialty. Otolaryngologists can open a private practice seeing patients, specialize in surgery following additional training, or may opt to pursue a career in clinical research in this field.

The annual salary for an otolaryngologist in the U.S. ranges between $150,000 and $330,000, depending upon the area of the country and the physician’s particular specialty.