Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery: the Practice Eligibility Route

How training is structured

The Royal College sets out the training for Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery in the blocks below. An internationally trained specialist is assessed on whether their own training and practice record is comparable in structure and content.

Required experiences

Specific experiences the Royal College names for this discipline.

• 1.1 Between ten (10) and thirteen (13) blocks in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery or designated related specialties
• 1.2 A minimum of three (3) and a maximum of six (6) blocks, doing 1-3 block rotations in each of the following surgical rotations: 1.2.1 Neurosurgery; 1.2.2 Plastic Surgery and/or Facial Reconstructive surgery; 1.2.3 General Surgery
• 1.4 A minimum one (1) block rotation on a service that provides initial trauma management (such as Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, trauma team, oral and maxillofacial surgery, or Plastic Surgery)
• 1.5 A minimum of one (1) block rotation and a maximum of two (2) blocks in Critical Care Medicine
• 1.6 A one (1) block rotation in Anesthesiology
• 2.1 Experience in all the following Otolaryngology subspecialty domains while on Otolaryngology rotations: 2.1.1 head and neck surgery (minimum 3 blocks); 2.1.2 pediatric otolaryngology (minimum 3 blocks); 2.1.3 facial plastic and reconstructive surgery (minimum 3 blocks); 2.1.4 rhinology (minimum 3 blocks); 2.1.5 laryngology (minimum 3 blocks); 2.1.6 otology (minimum 3 blocks); 2.1.7 neurotology (minimum 3 blocks); 2.1.8 general otolaryngology (minimum 6 blocks)

Flexible or selective components

Where the requirements allow a choice.

• 1.3 Up to six (6) blocks doing 1-2 block selective rotations in any of the following: 1.3.1 Pediatric General Surgery; 1.3.2 Thoracic Surgery; 1.3.3 Emergency Medicine; 1.3.4 Internal Medicine and relevant subspecialties; 1.3.5 Pediatrics; 1.3.6 Oral and maxillofacial surgery; 1.3.7 Oncology (Radiation, Medical)
• 2.2 May include up to six (6) blocks in clinical or basic research in a program approved by the Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Program Director

Common questions

What is the Practice Eligibility Route in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery?

The Practice Eligibility Route (PER) is the Royal College process by which an internationally trained specialist can be assessed for eligibility to sit the certification examination in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery without repeating a Canadian residency. The Royal College reads your postgraduate training and practice record against the published Specialty Training Requirements for the discipline.

What training does the Royal College expect in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery?

The Specialty Training Requirements describe five (5) years of approved residency training. The full block-by-block structure is set out on this page, taken from the Royal College document for this discipline.

Does meeting the training requirements guarantee eligibility?

No. Eligibility is a committee decision made on your individual file, and other factors are considered. This page reproduces the published requirements so you can see how your own training compares before you apply; it is not an eligibility ruling.

Where do I start?

Read the six steps in the PER guide, then have your training mapped against the Specialty Training Requirements before you pay any fees. The free PDF for this specialty carries the steps, the document checklist, and the Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery requirements in one file.

More on the route itself: the full PER guide covers the six steps and the document checklist. Royal College examination dates for every discipline are on the Deadline Radar, and Canadian clinical fellowships in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery are in the Fellowship Finder.