But seeing patients is just one facet of his work. Zeitels is also active in both teaching and research.

The Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary is the seat of the Medical School's Otolaryngology Department. Aside from his primary appointment with Harvard, Zeitels also holds an adjunct appointment at the Boston University Medical School and is a lecturer at Tuffs Medical School.

In addition to training young physicians, Zeitels also teaches students of voice at Tanglewood, the Berklee College of Music.

"I teach them how they produce sound and how to take care of themselves--vocal hygiene," says Zeitels.

Zeitels' two main areas of specialization are cancer management and voice maintenance. He cites the variety in his patient population as being one of the most exciting parts of his job.

"[In this field], I deal with all age groups and types of people, from some of the sickest head and neck cancers to athletes of voice, performing artists," says Zeitels. "For example, I have a patient currently on the ward with a very serious cancer. This is very different from seeing the lead in a play."

When asked, he said that he often gets requests to make a house call in the dressing room of a performer, but he rarely does this, because of the lack of resources and equipment available in such a setting. "It would take the direst of circumstances," he says, to warrant such a visit.

Zeitels is also actively involved in improving techniques and instruments for working on and examining the throat. Some of his work has involved collaborating with an instrument company to patent tools for microlaryngeal surgery, which is performed with both lasers and conventional techniques.

Jerome Gropper, Zeitels' nursing assistant in the ear, nose and throat department, explains that the doctor's reputation has spread by word of mouth through the music community.

"They know him," says Gropper.