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We know that you, as medical students, aspire to the highest ideals of professionalism. We know that you will always have a neat appearance and a pleasant personality. We know that you will do completely thorough histories and physicals. You will be very compassionate to all your patients and coworkers, and you will always be willing and ready to learn. It has been our experience that all students know this is expected of them. However, there is one important caveat that is often not addressed in medical education: It is as much your responsibility to know your limitations as it is to know about treating patients. If you are trying hard, reading an hour every day, and truly interested, then if you are asked a question to which you do not know the answer, it is perfectly legitimate, and indeed expected, that you simply answer, “I don’t know.” Nobody knows everything. If you use the information you already have, you will often do surprisingly well if you guess at an answer. But if your answer is only a guess, qualify it by pointing out that you do not specifically know the answer. Integrity— 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 student 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 uncomplicated problems that can be taken care of at the primary care level.
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