Textbook Suggestions

Most of these texts are widely available from medical libraries, bookshops or second-hand. Remember to check for newer editions.

ENT

A fantastic free operative text available in multiple languages and downloadable in one PDF per operation/theme. This excellent resource was created by Prof Johan Fagan and the team at the University of Cape Town primarily to support colleagues in resource-limited settings, but you will find that it’s frequently read and quoted by UK ENT trainees as well.

Scott-Brown's Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Ed by Watkinson and Clarke et al (8th Ed 2018; CRC Press).

One of those three-volume beasts of ENT knowledge. Many departments will have a reference copy in their library and it is well worth using when researching topics or for in-depth understanding.

Cummings Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Ed by Flint, Haughey, Lund et al (7th Ed 2020; Elsevier).

Another three-volume reference beast. Interested in everything from the cytogenetics of head and neck cancer via Botox as a hot topic through to superior canal dehiscence? This is your text. The authors cover everything you can think of.

Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Lalwani (4th Ed 2019; Lange).

A concise and portable volume containing a moderately in-depth overview of ENT. This is an affordable text that some use as part of their FRCS revision. It's at the right sort of level for those looking to get into ENT higher surgical training. It is a US text so is pitched towards a North American readership.

Key Topics in Otolaryngology. Ed by Roland, McRae & McCombe (3rd Ed 2019; Thieme).

This is a good quick reference ENT book for those who already have access to an in-depth textbook. It's well-known in ENT departments around the UK and at the right sort of level for those looking to get into ENT higher surgical training.

ENT Secrets. Ed by Scholes and Ramakrishnan (4th Ed 2015; Elsivier).

A smallish reference that you can take to and from work. It's written in a Socratic Q&A format. The sorts of questions you get asked on (ward) rounds. It is a US text so again there is a mildly North American slant. Pithy answers and ENT gems supported by references. Excellent.

Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery - Oxford Specialist Handbooks in Surgery. Warner, Burgess, Patel et al (1st Ed 2009; Oxford).

A good, compact, comprehensive clinical guide for experienced SHOs and early years registrars. As with all Oxford handbooks, this gives you the warm fuzzy feeling of being able to look things up quickly and quietly before seeing the patient. Great for those making the jump into the registrar grade. (This is the light blue and red handbook: see below.)

Color Atlas of ENT Diagnosis. Bull & Almeyda (5th Ed 2012; Thieme).

Ever tried to explain the appearances of glue ear to a student? Never seen a laryngeal web? Need to show an A&E SHO what a septal haematoma looks like? Wondered how to get a nasopharyngeal angiofibroma out? This atlas is a treasure trove: clear photos of most ENT conditions, both common and rare, with explanatory text. An excellent book.

Basic Science for the MRCS. Raftery, Delbridge, Douglas (2nd Ed 2012; Churchill Livingstone).

Handy and compact, this book covers a lot of physiology and pathology and is a great help for anyone studying for the DOHNS or MRCS written papers. Some say it's a little expensive but then you wouldn't need to buy another exam-targeted basic sciences text.

ENT OSCEs: A Guide to Passing the DOHNS and MRCS (ENT) OSCE. Kullar, Manjaly, Yates (1st Ed 2012; Radcliffe).

This helpful book is full of clear colour photos. The physical examination section is excellent, with a clear, didactic style and good photographs of everything from using a Lack's depressor to holding an otoscope. This comes well-recommended by a successful candidate.

Last's Anatomy: Regional and Applied. Sinnatamby (12th Ed 2011; Churchill Livingstone).

The anatomy text of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. First published by RJ Last (Professor of Applied Anatomy) in the 1950s and edited by McMinn in the 1990s. Last's Anatomy was one of the first texts to emphasise the importance of learning anatomy in the context of clinical situations. The more recent editions have benefited from more clinical photographs, scans and diagrams. This is an up-to-date, concise and accurate - not to mention portable - text.

McMinn's Clinical Atlas of Human Anatomy. Abrahams, Boon, Spratt, Hutchings (6th Ed 2008; Mosby).

The well-known colour atlas - the first to use predominantly photographs rather than just line drawings. The photographs give a better idea of depth and relative positions than diagrams alone. Well worth using in conjunction with a good anatomy textbook. Almost like sitting in the dissecting room but without the whiff of formaldehyde.

McMinn's Color Atlas of Head and Neck Anatomy. Logan, Reynolds, Hutchings (4th Ed 2009; Mosby).

Netter's Head and Neck Anatomy for Dentistry. Norton (2nd Ed 2011; Elsivier).

Surgical Pathology Revision. Lowe (2nd Ed 2007; Cambridge).

Brevity is the selling point! Arranged alphabetically by topic using bullet points. Great for revision.

Key Notes on Plastic Surgery. Richards (1st Ed 2002; Blackwell).

A brilliant plastics handbook for those on an 'allied specialty' rotation or those interested in facial plastics.

Page last reviewed: 22 December 2022