Paediatric ENT

What is it in children?

ENT surgeons (otolaryngologists) treat the ear, nose, throat, airway, head and neck. Paediatric otolaryngology is one of seven special interest areas in the ENT curriculum ^[1].

Typical conditions and operations

• Grommets for glue ear. A small tube placed in the eardrum when fluid in the middle ear doesn't clear ^[2].
• Tonsillectomy. Usually only for severe tonsillitis that keeps coming back ^[3].
• Airway problems, such as laryngomalacia, subglottic cysts and croup ^[1].
• Foreign bodies in the ear, nose and airway, including inhaled foreign bodies ^[1].
• Cochlear implants. Implants in both ears at once are recommended for children with severe to profound deafness who don't get enough benefit from hearing aids ^[4].

How to get there

ENT is entered at ST3, after two years of core surgical training ^[5]. A run-through route was trialled from 2018 but no longer exists, and in 2026 national recruitment was at ST3 only ^{[6, 7]}.

1. 5 to 6 yearsMedical school

   A medical degree. To apply for the Foundation Programme you need to be eligible for provisional registration with the GMC ^[8].

2. 2 yearsFoundation Programme

   The two-year UK Foundation Programme ^[8].

3. CT1 to CT2Core surgical training

   Two years of core surgical training ^[5]. You need the MRCS by exam to apply for ST3 ^[9].

4. ST3 to ST8Higher training in ENT

   Typically six years ^[5]. Paediatric otolaryngology is one of the special interests you can choose for the final phase, which takes an indicative two years ^[1]. You become eligible for the Intercollegiate Specialty Board (FRCS) exam at the end of phase 2, and must pass it before your CCT ^[1].

5. CCT, then an optional fellowship

   Fellowships are optional and done after your CCT ^[10]. Some ENT surgeons also train in cleft surgery (see plastic surgery) ^[11].

Good to know

• Adding it up: two Foundation years, two core years and about six specialty years, so roughly ten years after medical school ^[5].
• The MRCS (ENT) has been discontinued, with the last sitting in February 2026, so new applicants need the standard MRCS ^{[12, 13]}.
• Some Academic Clinical Fellowship posts in ENT are still run-through ^[5].

Getting involved as a student

• SFO UK, ENT UK's group for students and foundation doctors, costs £25 a year ^[14].
• SFO prizes for members include an undergraduate essay prize and an elective prize, each £500. The 2026 essay prize closed on 23/02/2026 and the elective prize isn't open at the moment, so watch for the next rounds ^[15].
• BAPO, the British Association for Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology, is the professional society for paediatric ENT in the UK and Ireland ^[16].