Otolaryngology

Otolaryngology or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) is the branch of medicine and surgery that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the head and neck.

The full name of the specialty is otorhinolaryngology; (neoclassical Greek and modern Greek also includes - "nose". The term comes from the Classical Greek roots - ot-"ear", - laryng- "larynx/throat", and the root -logy "study", and it literally means "the study of ear and throat".

Practitioners are called and professionally designated by the more accurate term otolaryngologists– head and neck surgeons, as specialists trained in otolaryngology are experts in surgical conditions of the head and neck. Some people refer to it simply as head and neck surgery. In the United States, otolaryngology is one of the most competitive specialties in medicine in which to obtain a residency position following medical school.