Folks,
I'd love to hear from both singers and medical professionals on the list
about what questions to ask when choosing an ENT. We've heard stories on
list lately of ENTs who were less than sensitive to the specific needs and
concerns of singers. I don't malign these doctors; I trust that they do
their best. But what is ok for a non-professional voice user may not be ok
for a professional voice user. And the more that professional voice use
depends on sound quality itself, the more specific we need to be in our
medical care.
One way to choose an ENT, of course, is by reputation. In a metropolitan
area, the same names will keep coming up amongst the working singers, voice
teachers, opera companies, et al. This can backfire, though, financially.
The ENT with the biggest reputation here in Boston no longer accepts
insurance. A visit with him is extremely valuable *and* extremely costly.
He knows his stuff and understands the demands and intricacies of a singing
career -- for example, that an active classical singer's cords may look
slightly swollen after a performance and that's normal, or that it's
necessary to balance the questions of "will I look bad if I perform?" and
"will I look unreliable if I don't?" when making the decision whether or
not to cancel.
He's an extraordinary doctor, and yet his fee makes it prohibitive to see
him in a maintenance vein. He's someone I would certainly want to see if I
were in crisis. However, in terms of establishing a baseline and checking
up on things once a year or so, I wonder if I might be able to find someone
else who accepts my insurance plan and who is qualified to assist with the
issues of a working singer with a high degree of nuance.
So how do I interview the people who *are* available on my insurance plan?
What are the questions I can ask which will show me who among them is most
in tune with the rigors of classical singing? It's not enough to ask them
if they have experience with singers -- because every ENT will have seen
singers in his or her career. I'm looking for those who have a high level
of expertise and empathy with serious, busy singers.
In the world of managed care, it's hard to even talk to a doctor without
making an appointment. Have you all had success with writing letters to
the various doctors your health plan offers? To those of you who have
satisfying relationships with an ENT, how did you cultivate those
relationships? Has anyone ever been in the situation of switching ENT?
How and why did that occur?
I look forward to reading your responses.
Thanks!
Naomi Gurt Lind
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