Just curious - so are you advocating a backdoor way of becoming a physician? Why not attend or apply to medical school and become an ENT since it already has the scope of practice you're interested in?
It seems to me the people who typically want reform (in optometry, audiology or whatever mid-level provider field) are those that are unhappy with their current profession and reform through legislation is the easiest way to "advance" their careers.
That's not what I am advocating in the least. As I stated in previous posts prior to the one you pulled my quote from, I am advocating for 2 main things:
1) For patients to have a "streamlined" process and access to a Doctor Network that is already taking care of their Auditory needs without having to be bounced back and forth between Otolaryngologist and Audiologist for each specific problem in the Auditory function.
2) For Audiologists to be the Primary Auditory Professionals in the field; first responders if you will that take care preventive as well as rehabilitative ear care.
I understand that Audiologists are ill equipped to take care of severe medical issues and that is not what I am pushing for, though obviously with the ability to prescribe there would be some minor overlap with an ENT. There are many problems and procedures that Audiologists would not be educated enough, experienced enough, or comfortable enough to accomplish in a competent manner- obviously these would be referred off.
Regarding your question about going to Med. school, I am already a bit older as this will be a second career. In addition to that fact, I want to open a private practice so 4 more years of school, (I am estimating about) 3 years of working under another Audiologist to learn the actual "ins" and "outs" of real world practice, and then trying to open my own practice is a long enough timeline for me. I did not want to go to 4 years of Med. school, Externship, Residency, and then finally start practicing- I would be into my 40's by then and the amount of years I had the ability to work would not cancel out the debt accrued. It would not be worth it to me. Audiology allows me to get into Healthcare, make a difference in someone's life, open a private practice/my own business, and work with a function of the body that I enjoy.
I don't think legislation is an easy way to reform this profession to earn additional capabilities, and in fact, I think it's going to be a long and major uphill battle that I may or may not benefit from during my career. However, I also feel like that is an area that could be and needs to be expanded in order for the profession to continue to not only stay relevant, but move to the forefront of field as the Auditory specialists.