Observation and Fellowships

Dr. Thomas provides opportunities to those wising to learn more about diagnosing voice problems. The following information covers the types of of opportunities possible. To learn more, please contact Dr. Thomas’ office.

Observation

Duration: Periods for part of a day up to a week are available.
Requirements: Advance permission from Dr. Thomas.
Application: No formal application required. You may contact Dr. Thomas by to request this opportunity.
Who: Medical students, speech therapists and speech therapy students, voice teachers, residents in otolaryngology, and physicians from the United States or abroad.
Notes: Patients always have the final say on whether an observer will be allowed into the exam room. Most patients welcome the opportunity to have others learn how to diagnose and treat voice disorders.

Single Patient Observation

Duration: A single patient.
Requirements: Advance permission from Dr. Thomas and patient.
Application: No formal application required. You may contact Dr. Thomas to request this opportunity.
Who: Observers usually are a referring professional such as a physician, speech therapist, or voice teacher wanting to observe their own patient's examination.
Notes: As always, patients have the final say on whether an observer will be allowed into the exam room.

Fellowship

Duration: One to 12 months. The usual length is three to six months.
Requirements: Advance permission by formal application to Dr. Thomas, a medical degree, otolaryngology residency completion.
Application: Please initiate the process by sending your resume and cover letter describing your interest in studying voice; mail or e-mail acceptable. Additional requirements will be forwarded to you.
Who: Physicians who have finished their residency in otolaryngology. Physicians outside the United States are welcome to apply, however without an Oregon license, training is solely observational (though no less valuable in my opinion).
Stipend: If accepted for a year fellowship and you are licensed in Oregon, a salary between $24,000 and $52,000 per year is available. If you are interested in a fellowship longer than three months, but less than a year, a smaller stipend is available to offset housing expenes. In general, the first three months are observational, longer stays would offer the opportunity to take on more responsibility.
Malpractice: If you are licensed in Oregon, your malpractice insurance will be covered.
If you are considering any of the opportunities above, please review the information on voice disorders and diagnosis.