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WHAT "BOARD CERTIFIED IN OTOLARYNGOLOGY" MEANS
The mission of the American Board of Otolaryngology (ABOto), which is 1 of 24 certifying boards that are members of the American Board of Medical Specialties, is to assure the public that otolaryngologist–head and neck surgeons certified by the ABOto meet the highest standards of training and knowledge and to progressively raise the quality of patient care in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery.
A board-certified otolaryngologist–head and neck surgeon is a physician who has been prepared by accredited residency programs to provide comprehensive medical and surgical care of patients with diseases and disorders that affect the ears, the respiratory and upper alimentary systems and related structures: the head and neck in general. The required five years of postgraduate specialty training must include one year of general surgery and four years of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery in approved residency programs.
The otolaryngologist–head and neck surgeon has a command of the core of knowledge, skills, and understanding of:
n The basic medical sciences relevant to the head and neck; the respiratory and upper alimentary systems; the communication sciences, including knowledge of audiology and speech-language pathology; the chemical senses and allergy, endocrinology and neurology as they relate to the head and neck;
n The clinical aspects of diagnosis and the medical and/or surgical therapy or prevention for diseases, neoplasms, deformities, disorders and/or injuries of the ears, the respiratory and upper alimentary systems, the face, jaws, and the other head and neck systems. Head and neck oncology and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery are fundamental areas of expertise.
Definition of Otolaryngologist–Head and Neck Surgeon
An otolaryngologist–head and neck surgeon is a physician who specializes in disorders of the head and neck, especially those related to the ear, nose, and throat. Otolaryngology is abbreviated from a still longer name: otorhinolaryngology, which derives from the Greek base words, oto (ear), rhino (nose), and laryn (throat).
In the past 50 years, otolaryngology has expanded from "ears, noses, and throats" to a regional specialty of the head and neck. Even more recently, some otolaryngology–head and neck physicians subspecialize in otology, rhinology, laryngology, neurotology, plastic and reconstructive surgery of the face and neck, tumor surgery, allergy, and broncho-esophagology in both children and adults.
Collectively, the physicians of Stony Brook's Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Service have expertise in all of these areas of specialization.