Audiologists are health professionals who earn their doctoral degrees in audiology, while otologists complete medical school and other rigorous learning processes. Otologists need to learn how to perform surgery and complete a minimum of six years of clinical training and fellowships. Doctors of audiology diagnose hearing loss and balance disorders, while an otologist can perform surgery on the ears, like inserting tubes into the ear. For this reason, many doctors of audiology refer patients to otologists for more intensive procedures.