Introduction: Due to the ‘modernizing medical careers’ changes, doctors with a firm career intention will be able to enter a speciality-specific training programme after their foundation years.

Materials and methods: A questionnaire was emailed to all 204 final year medical students at Newcastle Medical School asking about their ENT undergraduate experience and if they felt it was sufficient to consider a career in otolaryngology.

Results: One hundred and forty-four completed questionnaires (71 per cent) were returned, with respondents giving the following information: 54 per cent had had a formal ENT attachment (average seven and a half days); 24/144 (17 per cent) and 60/144 (42 per cent) respectively had not attended ENT clinic or theatre; less than 50 per cent had seen common ENT operations; 12/144 (8 per cent) had never heard of a septoplasty; two-thirds (24/36) of aspiring general practitioners had never seen a tonsillectomy or grommet insertion; and only 6/30 (20 per cent) of aspiring surgeons felt their ENT experience had been enough to consider the speciality as a career.

Discussion: Alternative methods of delivering an otolaryngology curriculum should be considered. We must promote otolaryngology to medical students at every opportunity.