Otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery)
Ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeons diagnose, evaluate and manage diseases of the head and neck.
Their formal title is otorhinolaryngologist or otolaryngologist.
Life as an ENT surgeon
You’ll treat people of all ages with a wide range of diseases which is what makes being an ENT surgeon so interesting and rewarding. You’ll see more children than most other surgeons apart from those in paediatrics.
You’ll treat conditions that affect the senses such as hearing and balance disorders or smell and taste problems. You’ll also treat patients with conditions that affect their voice, breathing and swallowing as well as those with head and neck tumours.
ENT has possibly the widest range of operations of any speciality. You could treat ear conditions such as hearing loss, childhood ‘glue ear’ (where the middle ear is blocked with fluid), dizziness, ear infections and perforated ear drums.
You’ll treat nose conditions such as sinus infections, nasal injuries, tumours and disorders of the sense of smell and throat conditions ranging from tonsillitis through breathing problems to cancers of the mouth or throat.
You’ll also be involved in facial cosmetic surgery, for example on ears and noses and facial reconstruction following trauma or cancer. You will work closely with a range of other specialists including plastic surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons and ophthalmologists.
You will spend a higher proportion of your time in outpatient clinics seeing day cases and less time in surgery than other surgeons. You will not be on-call as much as in other surgical specialities, making it easier to achieve a work-life balance.
You will make use of the latest technology including robots and lasers to treat patients which often means minimally invasive surgery and faster recovery times. Advances in care mean than you can often deliver life-changing treatment, for example helping a profoundly deaf person gain a sense of hearing and sound for the first time after cochlear implant surgery.
How much can I earn?
You’ll first earn a salary when you start your foundation training after medical school. Find out details of current salary ranges for foundation and specialty training, SAS doctors and consultants on the 'Pay for doctors' page.
How about the benefits?
- make a difference
- flexible and part-time working
- high income early in your career
- work anywhere in the world
- excellent pension scheme
- good holiday entitlement
- NHS discounts in shops and restaurants
Must-have skills
- excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, and patients and their families
- emotional resilience, a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure
- teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams
- problem-solving and diagnostic skills
- outstanding organisational ability and effective decision-making skills
- first-class time and resource management for the benefit of patients
- a high degree of manual dexterity
- superb hand-eye co-ordination, excellent vision, and visuospatial awareness
- physical stamina to cope with the demands of surgery
Entry requirements
Your first step is medical school. Typically, you’ll need excellent GCSEs and three A or A* passes at A level including chemistry for a five-year undergraduate degree in medicine. Many medical schools also ask for biology and others may require maths or physics.
If you already have a degree, you could study for a four-year postgraduate degree in medicine.
You’ll need to pass an interview and admissions test. You’ll be asked to show how you demonstrate the NHS values such as compassion and respect.
Some medical schools look to recruit a mix of students from different backgrounds and geographical areas, so your educational and economic background and family circumstances could be considered as part of your application.
"The crossover and interaction with other specialties is vast in ENT, including neurosurgery, plastics [plastic surgery], oral and maxillofacial surgery. We work in multidisciplinary teams with physician colleagues and other specialists including speech and language therapists and physiotherapists, which is hugely enjoyable."
Read Charles' story.
What are my chances of starting a career in ENT?
In 2020 there were 131 applications for 23 specialty training places (a competition ratio of 5.70).
How to become an ENT surgeon
After medical school, you’ll join the paid two-year foundation programme where you’ll work in six placements in different settings.
After your foundation programme, you can apply for paid specialty training to become an ENT surgeon, which will take a minimum of seven years.
You may be able to train part time, for example for health reasons or if you have family or caring responsibilities.
Where a career as an ENT surgeon can take you
You could:
- specialise or conduct research in areas such as conditions of just the ear, nose or throat, paediatric ENT, skull base surgery or facial plastics
- teach medical students or postgraduate students in training
- get involved in research at universities, the NHS or private sector
-
Consultant in Otolaryngology (ENT)
Doncaster & Bassetlaw, DN2 5LT
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS FT
-
Consultant ENT Surgeon
Cottingham, HU16 5JQ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant ENT Surgeon
St Helens, WA9 3DA
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant ENT Surgeon with special interest in Head & Neck
Cottingham, HU16 5JQ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant ENT Surgeon with an interest in Otology or Paediatrics
Plymouth, PL6 8DH
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
-
ENT Doctor
Swindon, SN3 3RB
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
ENT Doctor
Canterbury, CT1 1BN
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
ENT Specialist
Stoke on Trent, ST6 6BE
- Salary :
- £900.00 to £1200.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Omnes Healthcare Limited
-
GPwER - ENT
Birmingham, B16 8PE
- Salary :
- £10750.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Modality LLP
-
ENT Doctor
Worthing, BN11 3BN
- Salary :
- £550.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Clinical Fellow - ENT
Birmingham, B16 8PE
- Salary :
- £10250.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Modality LLP
-
Consultant Otologist (ENT)
Northampton, NN1 5BD
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Northampton General Hospital
-
ENT Consultants & Registrars
Oldham, OL2 5QL
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
ENT Healthcare Professionals
Edinburgh, EH1 1BL
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- Partnering Health Ltd
-
ENT Consultants & Registrars
Barnsley, S71 1TH
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Paediatric ENT Consultant
London, SE1 7EH
- Salary :
- £93666.00 to £126281.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
-
ENT Consultants & Registrars
Hereford, HR1 1BB
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
ENT Consultants & Registrars
Tonbridge, TN12 0LB
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
ENT Consultants & Registrars
Kidderminster, DY11 6SF
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
ENT Consultant/ Specialist
Thornton Heath, CR7 7JH
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Communitas Clinics
-
Speciality Doctor in Paediatric ENT
Brighton, BN2 5BE
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
-
Minor Operations & ENT Support Assistant
Plymouth, PL6 8BT
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- Sentinel Healthcare South West CIC
-
Healthcare Support Worker - ENT Outpatients
Dorchester, DT1 2JY
- Salary :
- £24465.00 to £26598.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant/Specialist in ENT
Winchester, SO22 5DG
- Salary :
- £100870.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Anatomy Education Fellow in ENT (ST1)
Ashford, TN27 0LZ
- Salary :
- £49909.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
-
Fixed Term Locum Consultant for ENT
Salisbury, SP2 8BJ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in ENT with special interest in Rhinology
Carmarthen, SA31 2AF
- Salary :
- £110240.00 to £160951.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hywel Dda University Health Board
-
Patient Pathway Coordinator (CAT 1 ENT, Plastics & OMF)
Henley-on-Thames, RG9 2DR
- Salary :
- £27485.00 to £30162.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in ENT with special interest in Otology
Ipswich, IP4 5PD
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant in ENT with Specialist Interest in Otology
Telford, TF1 6TF
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant in ENT with specialist interest in Rhinology & Paeds
London, HA1 3UJ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Consultant in Otolaryngology
London, TW7 6AF
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
ENT Consultant with Interests in Otology or Head and Neck Surgery
Orpington, BR6 8ND
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant in Paediatric Otolaryngology - Surgical
Liverpool, L12 2AP
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Hand Surgeon
Doncaster, DN40TG
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Plymouth, PL6 8DH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
-
Consultant Spinal Surgeon
Sheffield, S11 8UX
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- One Health Group
-
Locum Podiatric Surgeon
King's Lynn, PE30 4ET
- Salary :
- £55690.00 to £62682.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHSFT
-
Consultant Transplant Surgeon
London, W12 0HS
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Coventry, CV2 2DX
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
-
Consultant Urological Surgeon
Blackburn, BB2 3HH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Shepton Mallet, BA4 4LP
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Practice Plus Group
-
OMFS Consultant Surgeon
Plymouth, PL6 8DH
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
-
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Southampton, SO16 6YD
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust
-
Consultant Urological Surgeon
London, E11 1NR
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barts Health NHS Trust
-
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Reading, RG1 5AN
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Dermatology Surgeon
Grimsby, DN31 2BH
- Salary :
- £105000.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- HCRG Care Group
-
Consultant Urological Surgeon
Dartford, DA2 8DA
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Urological Surgeon
Oxford, OX3 7LE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist Surgeon
London, W12 0HS
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Nottingham, NG5 1PB
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts
-
Consultant Renal Transplant Surgeon
Portsmouth, PO6 3LY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
-
Consultant Urological Surgeon - Stone
London, E11 1NR
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barts Health NHS Trust
-
Consultant Oncoplastic Breast surgeon
Croydon, CR7 7YE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
-
Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon
Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5NY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Medway NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Portsmouth, PO6 3LY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
-
Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon
Colchester, CO4 5JL
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Treatment Doctor / Surgeon - 15 hours
Birmingham, B30 1DB
- Salary :
- £101000.00 to £151000.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS)
-
Locum Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon
Royal Stoke, ST4 6QG
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust
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These organisations have further information about being an ENT surgeon, particularly as your career progresses. Take a look.
British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists
British Association of Paediatric Otolaryngology
British Association of Otorhinolaryngologists (ENT UK)
Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations