Good Hearing in Beijing 北京给我美好的听力

 This is my first trip to Beijing and the only area of China I’ve ever travelled to, except for a brief visit to Hong Kong in the early 1990s.  I am truly enjoying myself here.  What a great city, with so much history, culture and plenty to see and do!  I have met so many nice people here and feel very welcome.  And the food is spectacular!  It’s like living a culinary dream.  I highly recommend it to others. . .take the chance to experience everything Beijing has to offer!北京同仁医院耳鼻咽喉头颈外科张华

 

I came to Beijing in February, 2010 as part of a faculty exchange program.  I am a geography professor at the University of Maine Farmington, in the United States.  While in Beijing, I am teaching the spring 2010 semester at the Beijing University of Technology.  As part of this exchange, Beijing University of Technology also sends a faculty member to my campus in Maine.  This faculty exchange arrangement is a fabulous opportunity for me to learn more about China and the people here.  I hope to return for another exchange in Beijing again soon!

 

During my stay in Beijing, China, I have been pleased to meet Dr. Hua Zhang (M.D.), director of the Clinical Audiology Center, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology at Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University.  In brief, I had a very good experience with Dr. Zhang.  He and his staff are very friendly, helpful, and provide professional service.  I am very confident in Dr. Zhang’s medical expertise and am grateful for his careful attention to my hearing issues.

 

Specifically, I approached Dr. Zhang because my in-the-canal hearing aid was near failure due to structural problems from the casing (shell).  Good hearing is critical for me to be an effective teacher, so it was important that I get appropriate assistance with it quickly.  He saw me as soon as I arrived, without delay.  He began by administering a hearing test to diagnose my hearing deficiencies.  I found this hearing test to be very accurate and consistent with such tests I have undergone in the U.S.  He then explained my options clearly.  It turned out that re-casing my existing hearing aid was the wisest, most economical choice.  Dr. Zhang and his staff helped with all the details of confirming the price for me, sending the hearing aid to the lab, and, once it returned, fitting it to my ear and setting the volume.  In three short days, I had my hearing aid back in great working order!  It not only has a new case, but is smaller and therefore a less conspicuous fit in my ear canal.  Moreover, the lab replaced both the case as well as the interior components of the hearing aid.  It is like new!

 

I feel very fortunate to have found Dr. Zhang, and am grateful for his assistance.  Dr. Zhang also has many important professional contacts in the U.S. and other parts of the world.  He conducts important research and also participates regularly in audiology conferences in various countries.  In every respect, he looks to advance his knowledge of his profession, and to improve his services accordingly.

 

With Dr. Zhang’s help and my reworked hearing aid, I can appreciate Beijing’s many sounds!  And though I can’t yet speak Chinese well, I can now hear it better!

 

 

Brad Dearden

Associate Professor of Geography

University of Maine Farmington

Farmington, Maine 04938

USA