🇬🇧 Which Exams Do You Need To Sit to Become an ENT Surgeon in the United Kingdom ?

Becoming an ENT Consultant Surgeon

We all know being an otolaryngology is an incredible speciality and has the best breadth and depth of operating of any surgical speciality - although I am biased. To become an ENT Consultant Surgeon you must not only complete speciality training but sit a number of exams which I will list below.

Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS)

This is the first set of exams to sit. There are two exams to sit. A written paper - which is notoriously difficult - and an OSCE (a practical examination).

There is no strict timing for when you should sit these exams but they must be both sat and passed prior to applying for speciality training. Most apply in the second year of core training and so it's a good idea to sit them prior to this.

I recommend sitting the written paper - Part A - in your foundation years when you have a relatively relaxed speciality without a huge on-call commitment such as GP. This should hopefully leave you with time to revise. It also gives you points on the core surgical training application, which most apply for in the second year of foundation training. I primarily relied on www.emrcs.com to succeed.

I recommend sitting the OSCE - MRCS (ENT) OSCE - after you have attained some clinical experience in ENT. I sat this in my first year of core training after my first ENT job. It was a relatively fun and fair exam. I primarily relied on www.dohns.co.uk to succeed.

On passing both exams you will be awarded the letters MRCS (ENT) to follow your medical qualification and you can apply for speciality training in ENT Surgery.

Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS)

This is the last set of exams you will sit. Ever. Again there are two exams to sit. A written paper - which is ridiculously difficult - and an OSCE - which is also difficult.

Again, you cannot complete your speciality training if you have not passed this exam and the right to sit it is reserved for senior speciality trainees - approaching completion of their training. Usually this means in your seventh year of speciality training, some excellent candidates can sit it in their sixth year but that remains under the discretion of the training programme director.

On passing both exams you will be awarded FRCS (ORL-HNS) which along with clinical sign offs will mean you get CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training). Once you have CCT'd you can apply for consultant surgeon jobs and on being successful at interview you have now made it.