Hello! I'm an undergraduate SLP major planning on applying to AuD programs in the fall. I want to make myself as marketable as possible and trying to figure out what I can do this summer. Some of my ideas have been summer camps, retirement homes, shadowing at audiology practices... Help please!!
Getting Into an AuD program
- Thread starter jknapp010
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I may not be the best person to answer your question, but i was accepted to several AuD. schools. What i noticed from the interviews was most of the candidates had experience shadowing/volunteering ranging from 1-2 years.
I would definitely suggest shadowing at audiology practices or even volunteering at an audiology office if you can find an opportunity. Try to shadow at a variety of practices (schools, hospital, private practice) so that you can show you have a good understanding of the variety of settings and hopefully you can figure out what you want to do in your own career! I was also a SLP undergrad and I did an independent study with one of my professors that is an audiologist. If you have a professor that would be willing to work with you on that, I would recommend it! I think that really helped me get into Purdue! Hope this helps!
It does help! I have tried at local audiology private practices to shadow and/or intern, and no one will return my call (so frustrating!) I'm going to try a hospital setting and hopefully something will come of it. I also am working on research with one of my professors. Glad to know it will be of help. Thank you!
As an audiologist with 25 years experience in private practice, I can tell you I've talked to many audiology students over the years. When calling a private practice to inquire about observing, paid employment, etc., be very clear about what you're interested in. I am very careful about patient confidentiality and it becomes complicated when someone who isn't an employee wants access to patients.
On the other hand, I wish I'd done more observations, in a variety of work settings, before I decided to become an audiologist. My experiences, before graduation, were very limited and not informative in this vein.
For the existing and prospective audiology students I've stayed in contact with, none can ever say I didn't warn them that audiology is NOT like what they are told by academic advisors and audiology professors. Please be aware that academic programs are a BUSINESS like every other and YOU are the customer. It is your MONEY they need for their business to succeed.
Things I wish my academic advisor had told me:
You will spend the rest of your life explaining what an audiologist is.
You will spend the rest of your life pretending to laugh, when the person you're explaining this to says, "huh?" and thinks it's hilarious.
You will never make "a lot" of money, no matter what work setting you choose. You will have to be content with job satisfaction. Your advisor will likely not be giving you real-world salary estimates.
There is NOT a shortage of audiologists everywhere.
The medical profession has almost no idea what an audiologist is.......still.
ASHA is a bully, not your friend.
Having a speech pathology school certification is NOT a good backup career plan.
You will most likely be a hearing aid salesperson. Get used to it and get good at it.
Please don't get me wrong, I do love my work in private practice. But, that's not because I was well informed and well prepared by the university. It's because I've come to terms with the reality of audiology. My best advice is talk to as many audiologists as possible. Ask them to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly about audiology. Now go ask more audiologists. Find our websites and fill out the "contact us" form with your questions. Now do some more. Ask, ask, ask everyone and everywhere. Be informed about audiology, from outside the academic bubble.
On the other hand, I wish I'd done more observations, in a variety of work settings, before I decided to become an audiologist. My experiences, before graduation, were very limited and not informative in this vein.
For the existing and prospective audiology students I've stayed in contact with, none can ever say I didn't warn them that audiology is NOT like what they are told by academic advisors and audiology professors. Please be aware that academic programs are a BUSINESS like every other and YOU are the customer. It is your MONEY they need for their business to succeed.
Things I wish my academic advisor had told me:
You will spend the rest of your life explaining what an audiologist is.
You will spend the rest of your life pretending to laugh, when the person you're explaining this to says, "huh?" and thinks it's hilarious.
You will never make "a lot" of money, no matter what work setting you choose. You will have to be content with job satisfaction. Your advisor will likely not be giving you real-world salary estimates.
There is NOT a shortage of audiologists everywhere.
The medical profession has almost no idea what an audiologist is.......still.
ASHA is a bully, not your friend.
Having a speech pathology school certification is NOT a good backup career plan.
You will most likely be a hearing aid salesperson. Get used to it and get good at it.
Please don't get me wrong, I do love my work in private practice. But, that's not because I was well informed and well prepared by the university. It's because I've come to terms with the reality of audiology. My best advice is talk to as many audiologists as possible. Ask them to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly about audiology. Now go ask more audiologists. Find our websites and fill out the "contact us" form with your questions. Now do some more. Ask, ask, ask everyone and everywhere. Be informed about audiology, from outside the academic bubble.
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Wow, so very insightful. Thank you, 0330.
0330,
Thanks for the insight! You're right I have heard very differing information from my advisors especially regarding need for audiologists and salary. I know these are not the most important factors in choosing a career, and I truly do love my audiology courses and what I have been exposed to so far. However, when investing the money in a program like these facts need to be considered! Thanks again for your help.
Thanks for the insight! You're right I have heard very differing information from my advisors especially regarding need for audiologists and salary. I know these are not the most important factors in choosing a career, and I truly do love my audiology courses and what I have been exposed to so far. However, when investing the money in a program like these facts need to be considered! Thanks again for your help.
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Private practices seem to be the most accommodating for students trying to shadow. I didn't get any calls back from hospital type settings.
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Agreed. Privrate practices are good places to look. Hospitals seem to have more of an issue, due to HIPAA. I had some luck with local audiologists in school districts. But! Some of the grad programs I applied to were really accomodating/helpful and gave me some good contacts in the community. That might be an avenue to explore, but it really just depends on your area and if you've built a rapport with the ADCOM.
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If there is a VA hospital near your school, they might be helpful. I'm from a small area in Southern California, and all of the audiologists know my advisor, which probably helped a lot, but it doesn't hurt to ask. The head of audiology at the VA near my school said that if I was interested in more than a few observations, she'd work on getting me a hospital badge.
If you have an audiologist in your program, or know an SLP who has worked with an audiologist, they can useful resources. As soon as I mentioned my advisor's name, a lot of doors opened.
If you have an audiologist in your program, or know an SLP who has worked with an audiologist, they can useful resources. As soon as I mentioned my advisor's name, a lot of doors opened.
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Unfortunately the closes VA hospital is an hour away.
I did send out an email to the only professor that my program has that is an audiologist to get his advice. Hopefully he will be able to provide me some guidance, if not I will just go out and try to reach some private practices.
I did send out an email to the only professor that my program has that is an audiologist to get his advice. Hopefully he will be able to provide me some guidance, if not I will just go out and try to reach some private practices.
