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Chapter 1
Primary Care Otolaryngology
an absolute commitment to honesty—is a prerequisite for becoming a
physician.
Although you may not know that much yet in your clinical career, you
have one secret weapon as a student: enthusiasm. Residents are often tired
and grouchy, as you probably have noticed, but having an enthusiastic stu-
dent around makes a difference.
The second goal of this book is to teach you a little about common ear,
nose, and throat (ENT) problems. Since the great majority of you will not
become otolaryngologists, it becomes much more important for you to
understand how to recognize potentially dangerous problems that should
be referred to an otolaryngologist, as well as how to manage uncompli-
cated problems that can be taken care of at the primary care level.