Need Help - Which Doctor Takes Precedence?

[TiredCoastie]

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas!

I'm in the final stages of putting together a NOD - and thanks to all those who helped me thus far. I'm taking AskNOD's advice and putting appropriate CFRs in my rationale for why the RO wrongly denied service connection. However, I can't find an obvious CFR cite that covers which doctor they should listen to. In my situation, my ENT filled out a DBQ that said that my hearing loss was related to military service. The RO, relying on audiologists, is using the argument that I had hearing loss upon entering the service and that the level of increased loss was not due to military service - which for me included loud engine noise, pistol, rife, auxilitary or main battery fire, helicopter operations, etc. If my ENT said that it was, in his opinion, related to military service shouldn't the RO take that opinion over VA or QTC audiologists?

Of course, as AskNOD has so aptly put it, the DBQ form is somewhat short of a nexus letter. I can go back to my ENT and ask him for a full nexus letter to include with form 9.

But first of all, is there a CFR cite that discusses which doctor to choose? I sure can't find one...

[carlie]

I think a complete detailed examination or opinion from a licensed physician would carry equal weight as a C&P examiner.

An issue dealing with hearing loss or tinnitus must be addresses by a specialist in the field -

just a licensed physician won't cut it.

It must come from a licensed audiologist and sometimes is accepted from an ENT specialist.