Students Perception and Awareness of the Term Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in a Saudi Medical School

Introduction: Otolaryngology or otorhinolaryngology (ORL) is a Modern Greek term derived from ancient Greek words: ous (ear), rhis (nose), larynx (larynx), and logia. In the past, the phrase ear, nose, and throat (ENT) was used to describe this specialty. However, over the years, this term has proved its limitations in describing the wide variety of the scope of its practice. Thus, the official name was changed in 1980 to otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (ORLHN) to better describe the scope of this practice. Many studies have been conducted to evaluate public awareness of the terms used to describe different medical specialties. However, no study has evaluated medical students' perceptions of the same topic. Therefore, we sought to assess the perception and awareness of the term otolaryngology-head and neck surgery among medical students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019. A 2-question questionnaire was created and attached to the final exam of fourth-year female medical students of King Abdulaziz University. All data analyses were performed using SPSS, version 24. Results: A total of 86 female students were included in the study. Of the participants, 67.4% thought that ENT was the official medical term, whereas only 32.6% chose otolaryngology-head and neck surgery as the correct answer. The most common justification for choosing ENT was that rhino should be included in the full name of the subject; some believed that ENT is the correct medical term of the specialty, and some reported that they never knew that the name of the subject was otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Conclusion: Although otolaryngology-head and neck surgery is a long and difficult-to-pronounce term, it describes the actual scope of the specialty. Medical students need to be aware of the official terms and scope of the specialty. A possible way to achieve this is by increasing clinical exposure during medical school and emphasizing the wide variety of subspecialties that fall under otolaryngology.