We move on to Short Postings! These are two-week postings where we rotate in specialties that are distinct from Internal Medicine or Surgery.
What ENT Clinical Posting is Like
Otorhinolaryngology, otherwise known as ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat), or sometimes Head and Neck Surgery, is another unique specialty. Like Ophthalmology, ENT is quite a clinic-based specialty, and ENT specialists manage their patients both medically and surgically.
For ENT posting, we had mostly clinics and tutorials, with occasional OT. No ward rounds.
For the hospital we were posted to, ENT clinics were not split into subspecialties. Though there are some specialised consultations like Hearing Aid, Tinnitus Counselling, and Facial Plastic & Aesthetics.
The Great Parts About ENT Posting
- Seeing the clinical signs. We had the opportunity to see some pathologies for the first time (e.g., thyroglossal cyst) and examine a few patients (e.g., facial nerve). Having such opportunities is always invaluable as seeing the conditions in real life: 1) can be different from the classical textbook teaching, 2) allows us to learn how to pick up important clinical signs, and 3) cements it better in our memory.
- Viva-style teachings. We had one ENT tutor with a very effective teaching style. He’d have slide quizzes and constantly question us. (This is my favourite style of tutorials, by the way. There was one MO in our Internal Medicine posting who gave the best teachings ever with a similar concept.) This made the learning stimulating and effective.
- Learning ENT was fascinating. Because ENT is rather specialised, it opens up a whole new world. I actually deeply enjoyed the process of amalgamating different resources and trying to pare it down to what I needed to know, in a way that was understandable and systematic.
The Not-So-Great Parts About ENT Posting
- Little time to learn very specialised knowledge. Similar to Ophthalmology and the other Short Postings, ENT is quite a specialised field. (Of course, there are certain common conditions and emergencies that every general practitioner should know. But further knowledge can be quite ENT-specific.) The thing is, we have limited time. It’s like trying to become fluent in a new language in two weeks.
- Mostly clinics. Like Ophthalmology, ENT is a rather clinic-based specialty. There are of course surgeries in the OT, but for us as medical students we mostly hovered around the clinics. Hence, as in Ophthalmology, the day consisted mainly of rotating around the clinics, which might feel like the same old routine after a while.
Impressions of ENT as a Specialty
ENT is often likened to Ophthalmology in the sense that both are medical-cum-surgical specialties, and both tend to be more clinic-based. ENT gives a slightly more surgical vibe (but then again, you can tailor your practice and OT time according to your future subspecialisation and other factors).
While not one of the ROAD ‘lifestyle’ specialties (i.e., Radiology, Ophthalmology, Anaesthesiology, and Dermatology), ENT comes closer to a nine-to-five job than other specialties in medicine.
Surprisingly, I’ve heard more than one story of seniors who started medical school with a certain specialty in mind, and later pivoting to ENT once they’ve been exposed to it. Why? Perhaps because ENT specialists are generally amicable, the specialty has quite a strong surgical aspect, and the lifestyle is not bad.
Along with Ophthalmology and Dermatology, ENT is among the most competitive specialties.
TWO Examples of Something You Might See in ENT
(Image source: Weill Cornell Medicine)
(Image source: Children’s Health Queensland)