Dear Doctor: Gwen Korovin
The Upper East Side otolaryngologist with a focus on treating the voice.
With a private practice on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Dr. Gwen Korovin not only specializes in treating the voice, but is also a full-service ENT, working with everything from the sinuses to the ear. Her passion for working with voice came from her time spent training under some of the world’s best laryngologists. Read on to learn more about her journey into medicine, how one presentation catapulted her into a niche subspecialty, and what it’s like treating performers of all kinds.
“In school, I really enjoyed math and science. I knew that I wanted to have a career in either medicine or law. A bunch of my older male cousins were physicians, and when they found out that I was interested in pursuing medicine, they questioned my decision. They wanted to be sure that it was what I really wanted–at that time, it was a male-dominated field. That just motivated me further to work hard to get there. I had no doubts that it was what I wanted to do, and that it was the career I wanted. I love that I get to help people and make an impact on their lives.”
Getting into Otolaryngology
I went to medical school at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. At that time, my father had very bad hearing loss. I remember him saying to me, if I was going to take any electives in medical school, I should find one on ENT so I could help him better understand what he was going through. From that elective, I realized I really loved the specialty. It’s both medical and surgical, and I get to take care of people of all ages and varieties. The ENT department at Upstate is really strong. There were some excellent attendings there that I was able to learn from.
During my training, there was this one afternoon where we were given a talk by Janina Casper, PhD, about vocal folds. It stuck with me all of these years, and I ended up exactly in the same sub-specialty. During my residency, I was able to work with the world-renowned ENT doctor and voice specialist, Wilbur James Gould. He got me involved in the Voice Foundation and one of the first people I met was Janina Casper! I found this whole network of people in laryngology. It’s a small group–most of us got to know each other well. It makes a huge difference when you are able to refer patients to physicians you trust both nationally and internationally.
Treating the Voice
I joined Dr. Gould at his private practice on the Upper East Side after I finished my residency. His practice was well-established, but he knew he wanted to start slowing down, so he began transitioning responsibilities and patients to me. After five years of working together, he suddenly passed away. I fully took over the practice after that, and have been doing it ever since. I really wanted to keep up the traditions and standard of care Dr. Gould brought, especially because many of our patients continued to come to the practice to see me.
Dr. Gould was a very caring person and physician; he was a wonderful mentor who taught me the art of listening. Taking the time to talk with patients, getting to know them, and listening intently to everything they have to say allows me to give them the best care possible. I learned this from the master!
In many ways I’m a concierge-like ENT. I don’t sign out to anyone else; I want to be the one on call always so my patients have access to me 24/7. I’m dedicated to my practice — it’s the most important thing in my life. A lot of my patients want to be seen in their apartments or backstage, so I meet them where they need me to be. I get to treat everyone from the voice student just starting out to teachers to celebrities. It’s such a wide range; it keeps me on my toes.
Working with Performers
New York is one of the best places to practice in laryngology because of the variety of performers we have here. They come to me not just for their voice, but also for ear or sinus problems that affect their performances. It’s really gratifying because I get to go to their performances and hear the results live — it’s amazing.
Treating the voice is more than just medical. It’s really important to take into account the emotional implications. What someone is going through affects their voice, and if they have a voice problem it can affect their emotions — it’s a continuous circle. I’ve learned over the years that it’s so important for physicians to sensitively communicate with patients about their conditions, so that I don’t alarm them in any way.
Many years ago, I used to carry a beeper on me for my patients to reach me. I remember running into a colleague who asked me why I needed to carry a beeper, asking “what kind of emergency could I possibly have?” If a performer is about to go on stage and they have a problem with their voice — it’s an emergency to them. While it may not be a life or death, to them it comes pretty close.
I wish more people knew the importance of finding a laryngology sub-specialist. We are more empathetic and understanding of what a voice professional is going through. Unfortunately, it’s not always treated as much of an issue as some other things, but I have seen the effects it can have, which is why it’s so important to find the right doctor.
Lightning Round
Everybody needs some loving care sometimes.
Ideal day off in NYC: Going to work out, reading the newspaper or a magazine, relaxing a bit then seeing a great Broadway play or musical.
New Yorkers are unique because…they want things done right away. In a NY minute!
Favorites
Exercise: Switch Playground it’s a HIIT class with a live DJ.
NYC neighborhood: West Village
Current favorite Broadway show: The Prom, Kiss Me Kate, Tootsie, The Cher Show.
You can learn more about Dr. Gwen Korovin here.
Know a great female doctor in NYC? We’d love to meet her, introduce us here!
