ABSTRACT Clinical experience of the management and rehabilitation of the patient with voice disorders and problems associated with head and neck cancer is limited for speech and language therapists with a mixed caseload. These generalist therapists are expected to cope confidently and effectively and to offer assessment, differential diagnosis and therapeutic intervention to the highest standards, often without the support of a specialist speech and language therapist. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists requires that to become a specialist ENT speech and language therapist, the training should include a period of work experience fully supervised by a specialist voice therapist (Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, 1991). It is the experience of the author (HFR) (as an Advisor to the College) that in many districts, therapists do not have access to this degree of supervision and clinical exposure. The internship is a simple innovative approach to the training of qualified speech and language therapists in the UK and may be defined as ‘a reciprocal approach, which provides clinical training to a qualified therapist in return for an equal amount of time managing an autonomous ENT caseload'. The training is a unique postgraduate learning process, primarily because it has been individually tailored and is student‐centred. The host department — Nottingham — provides the learning and training opportunities, with exposure to a wide range of clinical experiences. There are no fees for training, although interns need to be aware of the hidden costs, for example, travelling expenses and accommodation (usually met by the intern) and the provision of caseload cover at the intern's home servie. There have been four placements since the call for applicants in the summer of 1993. This project won the Education Section of the Arjo/Therapy Weekly 1994 Awards, and won the overall Best Win