Division of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery

Faculty of Medicine

Otology/Neurotology

Comprehensive & cutting edge

Our Otology service, led by Dr. David P. Morris & Dr. Nael Shoman, offers comprehensive evaluation and management of patients with complex disorders of hearing and balance. We offer tertiary and quaternary care to all ages from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and beyond by providing state-of-the-art services to individuals with a broad spectrum of ear disease.

We have fostered an excellent working relationship with Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres, and our geographic proximity on the same floor of the Dickson Building at the VG Hospital enables us to provide a one-stop assessment process with access to such unique assessment tools as rotational chair testing and video-nystagmography.

We work closely with industry to offer the most up-to-date technology available in North America through our Auditory Implants Program. This includes cochlear implantation, active middle ear implants and a range of bone conduction solutions in those facing challenges with conventional rehabilitation of their hearing loss.

Specialized clinics

In addition to regular adult clinics, Dr. Morris and Dr. Shoman hosts special clinics in Complex Pediatric Otology (with Pediatric ENT colleagues at the IWK), Cochlear Implant Candidacy Clinic for adults and children (in collaboration with audiology and speech and language pathology support from the Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres Cochlear Implant Programme) and both the multidisciplinary Maritime Lateral Skull-base Clinic and Special NF2 clinic in partnership with the Division of Neurosurgery.

Expansive education

We are committed to our residents’ teaching program with a supervised case-based approach in the clinic where the nuances of history taking and the subtleties of the vestibular examination share space with the interpretation of audiometric testing and the safe acquisition of procedural skills. We also offer a fertile learning environment for undergraduate and postgraduate medical students and audiology interns from the School of Human Communication Disorders at Dalhousie.

Advanced Otology & Neurotology Fellowship

Since 2002, the Division of Otolaryngology─Head and Neck Surgery has offered a Fellowship in Advanced Otology & Neurotology. We encourage applications from those aiming to develop a career in otology and neurotology in an academic institution where you will be able to use and teach your skills to further our specialty and to the future benefit of your patients and students.

Our program has grown significantly—we consistently attract 40-50 applications annually from around the world. We are very proud to have provided hands-on surgical training of 13 fellows to date, all of whom have continued their careers in otology, often in a similar academic setting offering tertiary and quaternary services to their patients.

We see the fellowship year as an opportunity for “full immersion” in the ear by sharing in the day-to-day running of our busy practices. Hopefully this will prove to be a life-changing experience!