A hard of hearing doctor that tends to patients’ ears
Dr. Stephen Epstein
There are doctors that are either deaf or hard of hearing. Dr. Stephen Epstein is one of them, but what sets him apart from most of his deaf and hard of hearing colleagues? He is a otologist, the one who specializes in the ear, nose and throat. He has been in the medical profession since 1969.
“Are you the only hearing impaired otologist around?” was one of the first questions asked of Epstein. “No, Dr. Paul Hammerschlag, who is hearing impaired, has his own New York practice,” he said.
As an otologist he operates and directs his own The Ear Center in Wheaton, MD. Professionally he has been widely lauded and recognized for expertise in the field of otology. A recent honor was conferred on him by The Washingtonian magazine as one of the top area specialists. The magazine panel did not just select him arbitrarily – a peer group of physicians did the selecting and voting.
A busy man and constantly on the go, Epstein is one of these people that constantly wish for more time to do things he would have liked to do.He keeps busy with a listing of community and civic involvements. He is the president-elect of the Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf and will assume presidency in July 1998 at the conclusion of the AGBAD convention. He also teaches at the Georgetown University and George Washington University medical schools.
With the AGBAD, while waiting for the day he will take over the presidency, he writes a medical column for the newsletter, aptly titled “Sound Advice.”
Some background on him – he is a native of New York City. While attending public schools there he received extensive speech therapy lessons, a major factor for his success while intermingling with hearing people. Many of his colleagues, if not forewarned in advance, would have totally no clue as to his hearing impairment.
Growing up, though, was not easy during Epstein’s schooling years. “I was self conscious of my hearing loss and of wearing hearing aids during my adolescent years,” he said. Not making matters easier was the constant heckling from his classmates during grade school years.
And even while into college years overcoming his self-consciousness and despite attaining top grades, Epstein found getting into a medical school rather difficult. Medical schools were loathe to admit a hearing-impaired applicant. His frustrating efforts led to extreme anxiety, Epstein explained.
And while at medical school, there was still one serious obstacle – that bothersome surgical mask. No one could lipread through the mask! Like other barriers Epstein faced, he learned to use his residual hearing with his hearing aids!
Epstein’s interest in medicine is inherited. He comes from a family of physicians. And why did he specialize in the ear, the nose and the throat? He said “Having a handicap gave me certain advantages and insights to deal with patients.” He, however, hears so well with the assistance of a hearing aid that many patients do not realize he has an hearing impairment. The hearing aid (and endless supply of batteries) is so essential to his functions as a medical professsional. Without it, it is a different world out there.
