Robert Pema, DO
Physician
Otolaryngology
Accepting new patients
Conditions and expertise
- Vocal Cord Paralysis
- Vestibular Neuronitis
- Tongue Diseases
- Vertigo
- Tinnitus
- Thyroid Nodule
Locations
- Outpatient Care East
Academic information
Department: Otolaryngology
About
- Gender
- Male
Biography
As an otolaryngologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, I specialize in sinus surgery, sleep apnea, thyroid surgery and pediatrics. I have a special interest in sinus issues and implants for seizure disorders, as well as treating children for tonsil issues and ear tubes.
I believe using a holistic approach to patient care, and not just simply treating a patient’s symptoms. I think it’s important to listen to each patient’s concerns and work with him or her to resolve any issues.
I love my job and enjoy working with my patients to help improve their quality of life. The Ohio State University’s Department of Otolaryngology is ranked as one of the best in the nation, and our physicians work together to give patients the best care and medical therapy. I am very happy to have found my purpose as an ENT physician.
In my free time I enjoy running, playing tennis and spending as much time as possible with my wife and four children.
Highlights
- Presidential Achievement Award, two-time winner
- Residency director, Doctors Hospital's Otolaryngology program, 1996 - 2013
- Chairman, RPAC of CORE Ohio, a committee to expand educational opportunities for all osteopathic ENT residents in Ohio
Conditions and expertise
- Airway Obstruction
- Audiology
- Cough
- Dizziness
- Eardrum Perforation
- ENT Diseases
- Eustachian Tube
- Facial Injuries
- Goiter
- Headache
- Hearing Loss
- Hoarseness
- Hypercalcemia
- Hyperthyroidism
- Labyrinthitis
- Meniere Disease
- Nasal Obstruction
- Nosebleed
- Otitis Externa
- Otitis Media
- Otolaryngology
- Sinusitis
- Sleep Apnea Syndromes
- Sleep Disorders
- Snoring
- Thyroid Nodule
- Tinnitus
- Tongue Diseases
- Vertigo
- Vestibular Neuronitis
- Vocal Cord Paralysis
Locations
Please note: Not all physicians schedule patients at each listed location.
Credentials
Education
- Residency - Otolaryngology
- OhioHealth - Doctors Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
7/1/1990 - 7/31/1995 - Doctor of Osteopathy (DO)
- Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH, United States
1/1/1986 - 1/1/1990
Certification
-
American Osteopathic Board of Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery
4/30/1996
Ratings and reviews
The overall patient satisfaction rating is an average of all patient responses to the six doctor communication related questions shown below from the Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. For additional information about the patient satisfaction survey, please visit our Patient Satisfaction Survey page.
The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their view and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
564 Patient Satisfaction Reviews
Patient Comments
Consulting and Related Relationships
At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we support a faculty member’s research and consulting in collaboration with medical device, research and/or drug companies because a faculty member’s expertise can guide important advancements in the practice of medicine and improve patient care. In order to provide effective management of these relationships, the University requires annual disclosures from all faculty members with external interests related to their University responsibilities.
As of 11/3/2025, Dr. Pema has reported no relationships with companies or entities.
Engaging
Excellent
Seemed knowledgeable and aware of my worries
Prompt, timely and polite.
Very friendly and professional
Took time with me. Friendly. Informative.
I had come with a problem that's been troubling me for several months. Dr Pema was very concerned and we have a plan in place.
(A critical record had not yet been received from a former practice). The doctor was knowledgeable of my history with OSU, professional, and helped clarify my possible conditions.
Excelkent
He was thorough
Very good makes shore you understand everything
Outstanding
Dr. Pema is an Outstanding Physician
He was very knowledgeable and welcoming.
Very good
First time with this care provider and was very happy with my visit
He is one of the best doctors I've ever seen, extremely friendly, compassionate, gives detailed explanations and is very reassuring
Great
Dr Pema was courteous and a little funny, just as he ought to be.
All good
Dr. Pema is outstanding!
Listened intently of my concerns and what I was experiencing
I felt the doctor didn't want to listen to me, was in great hurry, and gave me scripted responses to concerns I had.
Dr Pema was better than I could have anticipated. Thorough, worked with me in my concerns.
Great. Very personable, informational, attentive.
He was wonderful and provided great information.
Kind and knowledgeable
I really liked my visit with Dr. Pema, I plan on seeing him again. He even said to me that he's part of MyChart now.
I went in with pain and discomfort. He check me out and clean my ear out and provide a solution. He was sympathetic to my discomfort with the treatment and helped mitigate. This treatment provide a great amount of relief and led me down a path of healing.
I've always had a great experience with Dr. Pema he is understanding, thoughtful and explains everything throughly.
Although not much can be done to treat my condition, the provider was very understanding and thorough.
Left In room for a long period of time, quick to get through my appointment. Had to repeat Information on my health. Doctor did not listen nor acknowledged the reason for the visit.
Good
This was my first visit with Dr. Pema, he was friendly, addressed all my questions and explained everything in layman's terms. Dr. Pema said if l have further questions, l can text him and he would get back to me.
Very good
I feel the Physician listened to my concerns and answered all my questions.
Dr. Pema Was knowledgeable. I came to him for a new perspective after my usual caregiver proposed a different approach to treatment.
Very kind, thoughtful, and made me very comfortable
All good.
Excellent
He is one of the best doctors I have ever interacted with. He was completely sympathetic to my concerns, considering that my mother had just passed away. I felt very comfortable sharing with him that I am a "recovering "hypochondriac. I do actually suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, and since my mothers passing by hypochondria has been triggered, and he was extremely sympathetic to my issue. I did actually have a legitimate issue that needed to be dressed, and he did not downplay my concerns. I would definitely return to him and have him as my ENT.
My care provider has a great bedside manner, engaging, and explains things well.
Regarding my Care provider there has never been a bad experience because my care provider always takes the time to explain what Is going on with my health
Very good
Care provider was attentive and patient when answering all my questions.
He was very friendly, listened to my concerns and did well at explaining my issues and ways to fix it!
Excellent excellent
Provider was thorough in his examination and explained what was going on so well. He was friendly and didn't feel rushed.
Was very attentive
Amazing good
I was referred to him by my vasculitis doctor, but he didn't seem to be interested in sharing his opinion on that issue with me. He was more interested in testing my hearing, which was not the reason I was referred to see him, and telling me that hearing problems could negatively affect my functioning. I believe that is true in general, but whatever the test showed, I can hear very well, even in noisy environments, and never have to ask anyone to repeat themselves.
Dr. Puma was very Professional, kind and explained everything perfectly.
Dr. Pema always courteous and professional, personable.
De. Pema is always an excellent communicator and explains everything
Very good
The provider said I had a dry mouth and that I should drink eight glasses of water a day and no more than two cups of coffee. He didn't do anything to determine what was causing my dry mouth. I did what he said and I'm now waking up at night with a sticky slimy mouth and pressure in my head. I feel worse than I did when I came to see him. Last night I had the worse night I have had since this started. It used to be when this happed, I would drink a glass of water and take a cough drop and I was able to go back to sleep. Last night when I woke up, my mouth was full of sticky slimy stuff and there was a lot of pressure in my head especially around my eyes. I had two glasses of water and three cough drops and it didn't help. I took some Sinus Calm Tablets and used a saline nasal spray and that didn't help. The pressure in my head was very uncomfortable. My wife got up and made me a haven't cup of tea and that relieved some of the pressure and I was able to sleep. When I woke up, I still had pressure. After I ate breakfast and had a couple of cups of coffee I felt better. I had a good night sleep since just before I visited the doctor.
All good
Dr Pema is wonderful and very caring!
Very good
The best
No bad experiences at all he seemed very professional.
Very thorough
Dr. Pema was kind, thoughtful, and reassuring! His bedside manner put me at ease, and his confidence without being dismissive made me feel a lot better!
Understanding
Dr Pema was thorough, expert, and compassionate. I trusted his care completely.
Dr. Pena was friendly, efficient and demonstrated concern. He is exceptional!
Calm , listening caring
Excellent
Good
Exceptional, as always
Awesome, informative, patient
No issues/ concerns.
Knowledgeable, friendly, caring.
Dr Pema is the most caring Doctor I have ever had
Attentive and kind
He made me feel that he was honestly concerned about my issue
The best
Always professional and caring
I was happy that this office had all tests needed and I didn't to schedule some thing else.
My care was well accepted
My experience with my Care provider has always been excellent as well as professional
Very understand and helpful
As the longest 'tenured' patient, Dr.Pema has treated me since before Y2K.Incredibly thorough and dedicated.
Knowledgeable.
One of the worst experiences of my life
Friendly and polite. Showed great concern in regards to my hearing and made suggestions
Provider was concerned about my condition and was very helpful.
Dr Pema was delightful.
Exceptional.
Friendly, attentive
Outstanding care - totally understood my situation that had caused me to go into the Emergency Room over the weekend and removed a device and proscribe medicine that actually is working. I wish I had seen him years ago - was lucky to have him.
The doctor was great. we just didn't have many answers for tinnitus.
Knowledgeable
Very nice and good sense of humour
Amazing!! Helped entertain toddler and made the experience for my apt better
Answered all questions
He is a great physician. Trust him.
Dr. Pema is the 4th ENT that I have seen and is the first one to give me an answer and a possible solution. I think he is awesome and I wish more people were like him. I will definitely be recommending him to others.
Everything went fine
Very thoughtful and asked a lot of questions, he cared
I appreciated the doctor's explanations.
Good experience
Good
He was incredible! Truly listened to me and had a wonderful conversation as a whole!
Dr. Pema was excellent.
Good listened and knowledgeable about my ears.
Always professional and helpful
Good!
The doctor cleared that my jaw had arthritis and got to prescribe for medication.
Dr. Pema showed great concern to discover my ear infection and discuss a solution
Dr. Pema really listened to me and my concerns. I've seen so many doctors concerning the issue I'm having and he is the very first one to treat me well, listen fully and not rush me. Would recommend him to anyone.
Exceptional
Good
Dr. Pema knew I was very anxious. And handled my anxiety with concern and a good sense of humor. He made me very comfortable.
Excellent
The care provider was very thorough, pleasant, and reassuring.
The physician did not appear to know what the visit was for. He had to look up the records during the session. I felt as though he dismissed my concerns, indicated by "my wife tells me she is losing her hair all the time, I told her it's just part of getting old." The session felt rushed, and as though it was a bother for him to be there.
Very pleasant
Excellent
Good
The ENT was friendly, efficient, and helped me resolve my issue!
He rushed my out of the room it felt. I felt gaslit and not listened to.
Gave me all information about what was occurring and the solution to resolve the issue.
Dr.Pema is an all around great doctor. Caring about my hearing, as well as my cancer journey that led to my hearing loss.
I was very satisfied.
Thorough and detailed evaluation.
He was nice and informative
He was just wonderful. It was my first time with him, and he made me feel comfortable. I felt he listened to what I had to say. When he spoke, he explained things clearly and concisely. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. I left there feeling good about the appointment and like it actually accomplished something which is great because many times I have seen other doctors and left feeling like they didn't listen and that it was a pointless visit.
No bad experience
Listens to concerns.
Good
Caring and concerned.
Excellent
Very thorough;listened to all concerns
No problem
Explained everything and reassuring regarding his capability
The care provider was a kind and good listener
He provided excellent service. Answered all my questions and found the problem in a timely manner.
Care provider was very professional
Goodgood
Dr Pema was exceptional.
I was very impressed with the doctor and how he listened to me regarding my health concerns.
I think the doctor should've took the history of other medical conditions and my current complaints to try to help me figure out why I'm having the problem that I saw him for
I could tell that he is very knowledgeable. He showed great care about why I was there and asked questions about my current health. It was an enjoyable experience getting to be treated and getting to know him.
Staff is exceptional at this office - from the front desk staff to the dr. Very appreciative of them all
When he checked my VNS, he said it wasn't ready to be replaced because of the battery life
Dr. Pema and I had a good discussion about possible follow-up if I do have an internal auditory canal lesion.
Care provider gave good advice.
Very professional with this office visit.
He is a great doctor.
I wish he'd cleaned my ears out more thoroughly.
Dr, Pema is thorough.
Only a good experience, friendly, efficient, considerate, knowledgeable.
Nothing bad at all. He's a very nice Dr.
Knowledgeable
We both understood my concern with my medical issue.
Very good.
It didn't seem like he was concerned with the question I had he talked over it.
Dr Pema is concerned. Explains procedures, tests, etc.. Takes his time with you.
Courteous and professional
Very thorough, caring and kind
He is on top of it
All good
Dr. Pena was very kind and sincere. He was easily approachable with conversation.
Dr. Pema has great bedside manners. I felt very comfortable for just meeting him.
Dr. Pema is very well informed on the subject with which I needed help, possible hearing loss following a middle ear infection and possible treatment for same. He was friendly and sympathetic, and told me what to do next.
My experience with Dr. Pema has always been positive because he is very knowledgeable and competent
Care provider was personable, knowledgeable & reassuring.
Very friendly and knowledgeable
My wife and I have always received Outstanding Service from Our Care Provider!
Was very honest about rates of needed care/depth of
Showed concern for my problem
My care provider was very friendly and funny and courteous, and treated me respectfully
Excellent, very personable, very professional, extremely knowledgeable. Put me at ease.
Gas lighted
Ok
Excellent, personable, knowledgeable, explanation of situation, courteous
Very good v
Dr. Pema has literally saved my life twice with his dilligent, caring approach towards taking care of his patients. HE IS THE BEST !
Dr Pema always shows care, is friendly, and efficient.
Dr. Pema and the audiologist (Audra) treated me with respect and courtesy.
He was amazing and very relatable
Friendly- explained
He was awesome. Listened and addressed my issue.
I am most impressed with Dr. Pena. He listened closely and explained very clearly, He showed a real concern and interest in me as a patient. I am so pleased to have found Dr. Pena, he is exceptional.
One of the best we have gotten to know.
Made me feel comfortable
The first appointment was too fast.
He was very nice. He listened to everything I had to say. He asked questions. He truly loves his job and patients. Very through and not in a hurry.
Very friendly
Absolutely wonderful. I felt really good talking with him.
Good.
The doctor was the "Best" both medically informative and extremely relatable. Can't say enough good about him really. Just had a way to make one feel really comfortable and relaxing to the point he was really easy to talk to.
Thorough, very friendly and professional
Dr. Pema is an excellent, caring provider who I would recommend to anyone!
Very goodvery good
Dr. Pema is kind and gentle. He spends as much time as needed with me.
This was my first time seeing Dr. Pema and he was great! He took time to answer all my questions and had a good sense of humor.
Didn't tell me why I experienced sudden hearing loss.
Friendly, helpful & concerned. Took time to cover my extensive medical history and cover each challenge with suggestions.
Very pleasant and professional.
This provider takes the time to listen to my issues and helps address them
He's always nice and caring
Always polite and professional
He was caring, paid attention to details.
I have never responded with negative comments before but this was such a disappointing experience, I feel obligated to comment. I chose this dr because his bio stated he treated a condition I suspected I had (LPR). In his comments he indicated he was concerned with patient's overall well- being and had interest in helping patients get treatment needed if he wasn't able to address their needs. I don't knows if he had looked at my history but he addressed only the complaint I had about my throat - he advised that I had a " habit" of throat clearing and coughing and was irritating my throat - his suggestion was that I stop doing it. I questioned if there was an underlying condition - As he was exiting the room , he agreed that LPR could be contributing and that I should follow up with whoever is managing my LPR - which is nobody - that is why I came there. He said that if my symptoms don't improve with my efforts to break my "habit" , he can refer me to another ent at the main clinic who can do exam with camera so I can see pics on screen ???? Overall, this visit was disappointing and frustrating. On a positive note, the dr seemed skilled at examining my throat - the procedure was painless.
Excellent
He was super nice, listened to my concerns, and explained everything well.
I had a very positive experience the entire visit.
Showed concern about my hearing problems
Really great. Asked and answered questions. Reassured me was going to be ok.
Great rapport and Interaction with Dr. Pema would appreciate a little more time.
He was great.
He knew about Burning Mouth Syndrome. Most Drs don't
Dr Pema was very kind and professional.