Sharon Congdon found the right career early in life

Sharon Congdon has handled the very specific job of vestibular testing for the entirety of her long career – now more than three decades. She joined Houston Methodist Hospital five years ago after 32 years at Baylor College of Medicine. “I found the right job for me, and I stuck to it,” Sharon says. “Then, when I had the chance to help start the vestibular testing lab at Houston Methodist, it was a no-brainer. I love my job, always have.” “And” she adds, “I have the best toys,” she says of her testing equipment that includes a unique rotating chair available only in a few places in Texas. The rotary chair allows her to look at eye movements that can tell how the inner ear of a patient works. “The chair has amazing capabilities. If there’s a problem with the structures in the ears that help you keep your balance, this chair can help us figure that out,” she said. Sharon tests patients who suffer from dizziness, balance problems, light-headedness and vertigo. “Your whole daily routine is affected by dizziness. Sadly, nobody else can see it. I feel badly for my patients who try to describe the problem to their family and friends. Then, some of my elderly patients can be at risk of falls and further injury.” Her lab is located in the newly revamped space for the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Patient treatment for vestibular testing and videonystagmography (VNG) testing are now located in the same suite along with the rotating chair.

I always loved medicine, but I could never have envisioned myself in a lab like this. I’m fortunate to be working in this hospital environment. Methodist is an amazing place; we have scholars from all over the world.

Sharon Congden

She said she enjoys her time with patients and gets to know them well, spending a couple of hours with each patient – passing her findings to the patient’s doctor who has referred the person for testing. “Sometimes I have them (the patients) sit in the dark, so there’s no other visual input. I’m measuring eye movement, and I may need to tone down some of the other sensory inputs,” she says. She watches for reflexive eye movements. Other times she may display a single light on the wall or several lights to gauge what happens with the patient. “I do get some anxious patients. The challenge is for me to keep them calm; not everybody can do these tests. We can start with some of the shorter tests. Then, I try to talk to the patient and keep them relaxed.” She said her long career has allowed her to see technology evolve over the years. “However, the core test has “remarkably stayed the same.” Some of the surgeries for vertigo, for instance, are surgeries that are not done anymore. Likewise, the language around diagnoses have changed – considering the aging population of patients. No longer are some diagnoses necessarily attributed to aging but are described more generally. “I always loved medicine, but I could never have envisioned myself in a lab like this,” she said. “I’m fortunate to be working in this hospital environment. Methodist is an amazing place; we have scholars from all over the world.” “It’s such a good fit for me because I’d done medical research in college and was a technician for clinical research,” she said, adding that she received her bioengineering degree from Texas A&M University. After graduating from Texas A&M, Sharon married Clyde Congdon and moved to Houston. They have been married 38 years and have three adult children. Her son, Christopher, lives in Rome, Georgia, and has two children, Sharon’s grandchildren. Ryan Grace, is seven years old and Barrett is age 5. Her son Jonathan and daughter Sarah, who is newly married, both live in Dallas. She came to Houston Methodist when Jeffrey Vrabec, MD, joined the faculty of Houston Methodist Hospital as the Division Head of Otology and Neurotology in January 2019. They had been working together at Baylor College of Medicine. She also works with Kenny Lin, MD, and takes referrals from other doctors in the community. Dr. Vrabec is a Professor of Otolaryngology, Houston Methodist Academic Institute, Full Clinical Member at Houston Methodist Research Institute and Professor of Otolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Lin is Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology, Academic Institute Member, Research Institute, Academic Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College. Sharon said she stays busy with work, reads a bit and travels mostly to see her kids in Georgia and Dallas. “When I get a chance to travel, you can bet I’ll be going to see my grandkids and then to Dallas to visit my other children.”