PT or Audiology

[Key88]

I am about to start my sophomore year of college. Up until recently I have been pretty set on pursuing a profession in physical therapy. I even switched my major this last semester from Biology to Kinesiology, specifically Motor Behavior, because the classes are more directed towards the pre-requisites for PT school.
However, recently family has been telling me that they can see me as an audiologist. This is especially emphasized by one of my relatives who is a Speech-language pathologist.

I am torn between the two now and unsure which way to lean.

Would it be very difficult to pursue Audiology if I am on the path towards PT especially since my school does not have a major in Communication Disorders as is typical of Audiology? I'm not even sure how I would go about doing that.

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[marcrusc]

If you are unsure as to which route you would like to go, I would advise that you continue with your pre-PT studies. There are no pre-reqs specific to Audiology. There are, however, pre-reqs specific to PT. Keep all of your options open until you make up your mind. If you end up choosing audiology, your pre-PT training could give you a leg up in vestibular.

 

[audstudent]

I am a 4th year AuD student and my husband is a DPT at a local childrens hospital. Both professions are great AND very different . I would advise you to shadow a PT and an audiologist for several days.

As far as pre-reqs. Each AuD school has different pre-reqs If you continue on the PT path you may have to take some extra courses if you decide to apply to AuD school.

Hope this helps!

 

[RemiJP]

While your family knows your personality fairly well, it's important that you figure out what interests you most. I suggest observing a variety of different professionals (PT, Au.D., and even OT and speech) in different settings.

 

[Dustbug10]

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