Where are you from and how did you come to practice in Anchorage?
I was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. I lived in the Midwest for the majority of my life and hadn’t even considered Alaska until a friend moved to Anchorage for work and suggested I check it out as a potential place for work. My wife and I really enjoyed the feel of Alaska when we visited and luckily ACENT was looking to add a physician to the practice at the time.
What about otolaryngology first piqued your interest?
I was lucky to be raised by parents who are both healthcare providers (my father is a dentist and my mother is an oncology nurse). Therefore, I’ve been exposed to various aspects of healthcare throughout my life. Although my parents encouraged me to forge my own path and experience life outside the lens of healthcare, I always found myself gravitating back, and I’ve never been able to find another career/activity that has the same intellectual and emotional rewards that a career in medicine provides.
Where did you do your training? What were some of your highlights during that time?
I trained at the University of Iowa which has one of the oldest otolaryngology departments in the United States, and has been one of the top-ranked ENT programs in the country for over twenty years. As such, I was able to work with world-class clinical specialists and surgeons while receiving comprehensive medical training. The best part of training in that sort of setting was the constant exposure to state-of-the-art procedures such as implants to treat obstructive sleep apnea (e.g. hypoglossal nerve stimulation with Inspire implant) or hearing loss (e.g. cochlear implant that combines residual acoustic hearing with cochlear implant technology).
What advice would you give to someone having hearing difficulty, but are afraid to make an appointment?
Ear, nose, and throat symptoms can frequently be overlooked/brushed off or as one of my patients recently put it “too minor to bother someone about”. However, even treatment of “minor” symptoms can result in significant improvements in one’s overall well-being.
If you or a family member may be experiencing hearing loss and a hearing test is necessary, you can contact our audiology center in Anchorage to schedule a consultation. You can also give our office a call at (907) 279-8800 to set up an appointment.
Dr. Kowalski earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 2013 after graduating with honors from the University of Wisconsin. He completed his residency in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA in 2018. Dr. Kowalski is trained and practices in all aspects of otolaryngology including sinus surgery, otologic surgery, and pediatric otolaryngology.