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Hello all!
This is my first time posting on this site and I have many questions on my mind. This post might be long- winded, but I could really use some advice from current students and/or faculty members.
I was in an Au.D. Program for 2 quarters. All in all, it was a great experience. I loved what I was learning and was eager to become more fluent in the clinical setting. The second quarter arrived and everything was going fine until the finals. The first final I took was a totally different format than what that prof usually administered. It was multiple choice with very tricky answers. The third years graded it for us and they could not believe that this prof would give 1st years this type of test. They said it was Praxis type questions. I am not 100% certain, but I believe the average grade of the class was below 70%. That, to me, sounds like the validity of that exam was extremely off. Most of us had A's and B's going into the final, so we should have known the material and not have such a large number of us getting C's. The second final was for HAs 1. It was an essay and this professor's tests are very subjective. If students do not answer according to the template that the prof made, then points were marked off. A question that could have many possible answers has to be narrowed down to one and that response has to follow the template. I had one of the highest grades in the class going into the final. Since it was accumulative, it would be pretty fair to say that once I studied my butt off for it, I would get a rewarding grade. This teacher gave me the worst grade I have gotten on a test in years. That brought my final grade down to a 78%. Most of the class did not pass the final. The third final was based on lab work for HA's 1. I'll admit, I struggled a bit with learning how to operate the equipment, but by the time the final came around, I was confident. The types of questions this prof asked me were types of questions that a new person in the field would not know offhand, but by doing the procedures and working with hearing aids on a daily basis, it would become second nature. Me, along with many of my classmates "passed" but only with a 70%. This brought me down to a 77%. So, all in all, I got a 78%, 77% and a 79.82% and was removed from the program.
I was the only one in my class that was removed, however, a few other classmates got two C's. The rule for this program is if you get one C (79.9999%) or below, you have to repeat the whole year. Since that is a lot of money to spend on classes that students have already taken, and passed, 50% of the class left the program. There were also many integrity issues within the program and this caused the head of the department to leave. One thing that really raises an eyebrow for me is the fact that some people that were still in the program did not even know the basics of clinical work. For example, they could not perform SRT and Word Rec correctly. I knew how to perform these tests the first couple of weeks in school, but they were still in the program and I was not. Now, the dean of the department and other "bigwigs" of the university have a close eye on the Au.D. faculty. The faculty has become much more relaxed in their grading and offering extra points to the new students to make sure they won't give any more C's and have potential dropouts.
This, to me, is unprofessional and unfair. I have worked extremely hard to get into a program and while I was in it, it was the happiest I felt in an a long time. I was eager and excited to learn more about this profession. I believe that my three C's do not accurately show my capabilities in an Au.D. Program. If I did not understand something in class, I immediately went to the prof's office and did not leave until I fully understood the content that "blew over my head." By doing this, I had a good grasp on the information by the end of the quarter.
So now, I am looking into new programs. My application materials are not stellar because of the unfortunate situation, but I do plan on working under an Audiologist for a year or two in order to become fluent in the clinic setting and strengthen my application. I believe that this plan shows dedication and passion to this field. I hope that faculty will focus on my hard work and persistence in my application and not the fact that I was removed from a program from which I felt was unfair.
For my future endeavors, I really want to do research in this field. I am interested in the circuitry of hearing aids and am familiar with many of the components and how they alter and amplify the electric signal and Hz based on my undergrad. I also want to learn more about retro cochlear disorders. People say that there is room for research in enhancing the validity of these tests. I think it would rewarding and fascinating to help make a more concrete solution for these disorders. By taking this approach, I am still enhancing people's quality of life and am faced with challenging and interesting tasks. If anybody agrees that research is less monotonous than basic clinic work, please let me know. I have read in this forum that many people are upset with the amount of work they put into getting an Au.D. and feel they are not challenged enough with their daily tasks. That is something I do not want to have happen to me.
So, I just would like everybody's opinion. Since I have worked hard but have a disadvantage at applying to other schools based on my dismissal, should I push forward in this field or try to find something else? Will faculty focus on my three C's or my dedication, persistence and interest in this field? Is working under an Audiologist for a year or two a good step in strengthening my application, or would my time be better spent getting more SLP courses and under my belt (I have Language Development and Anatomy and Phys of Hearing and Speech) and applying next year?
If anybody has some opinions, I would greatly appreciate them. I am very confused right now and could use the guidance.
Thank you all!
This is my first time posting on this site and I have many questions on my mind. This post might be long- winded, but I could really use some advice from current students and/or faculty members.
I was in an Au.D. Program for 2 quarters. All in all, it was a great experience. I loved what I was learning and was eager to become more fluent in the clinical setting. The second quarter arrived and everything was going fine until the finals. The first final I took was a totally different format than what that prof usually administered. It was multiple choice with very tricky answers. The third years graded it for us and they could not believe that this prof would give 1st years this type of test. They said it was Praxis type questions. I am not 100% certain, but I believe the average grade of the class was below 70%. That, to me, sounds like the validity of that exam was extremely off. Most of us had A's and B's going into the final, so we should have known the material and not have such a large number of us getting C's. The second final was for HAs 1. It was an essay and this professor's tests are very subjective. If students do not answer according to the template that the prof made, then points were marked off. A question that could have many possible answers has to be narrowed down to one and that response has to follow the template. I had one of the highest grades in the class going into the final. Since it was accumulative, it would be pretty fair to say that once I studied my butt off for it, I would get a rewarding grade. This teacher gave me the worst grade I have gotten on a test in years. That brought my final grade down to a 78%. Most of the class did not pass the final. The third final was based on lab work for HA's 1. I'll admit, I struggled a bit with learning how to operate the equipment, but by the time the final came around, I was confident. The types of questions this prof asked me were types of questions that a new person in the field would not know offhand, but by doing the procedures and working with hearing aids on a daily basis, it would become second nature. Me, along with many of my classmates "passed" but only with a 70%. This brought me down to a 77%. So, all in all, I got a 78%, 77% and a 79.82% and was removed from the program.
I was the only one in my class that was removed, however, a few other classmates got two C's. The rule for this program is if you get one C (79.9999%) or below, you have to repeat the whole year. Since that is a lot of money to spend on classes that students have already taken, and passed, 50% of the class left the program. There were also many integrity issues within the program and this caused the head of the department to leave. One thing that really raises an eyebrow for me is the fact that some people that were still in the program did not even know the basics of clinical work. For example, they could not perform SRT and Word Rec correctly. I knew how to perform these tests the first couple of weeks in school, but they were still in the program and I was not. Now, the dean of the department and other "bigwigs" of the university have a close eye on the Au.D. faculty. The faculty has become much more relaxed in their grading and offering extra points to the new students to make sure they won't give any more C's and have potential dropouts.
This, to me, is unprofessional and unfair. I have worked extremely hard to get into a program and while I was in it, it was the happiest I felt in an a long time. I was eager and excited to learn more about this profession. I believe that my three C's do not accurately show my capabilities in an Au.D. Program. If I did not understand something in class, I immediately went to the prof's office and did not leave until I fully understood the content that "blew over my head." By doing this, I had a good grasp on the information by the end of the quarter.
So now, I am looking into new programs. My application materials are not stellar because of the unfortunate situation, but I do plan on working under an Audiologist for a year or two in order to become fluent in the clinic setting and strengthen my application. I believe that this plan shows dedication and passion to this field. I hope that faculty will focus on my hard work and persistence in my application and not the fact that I was removed from a program from which I felt was unfair.
For my future endeavors, I really want to do research in this field. I am interested in the circuitry of hearing aids and am familiar with many of the components and how they alter and amplify the electric signal and Hz based on my undergrad. I also want to learn more about retro cochlear disorders. People say that there is room for research in enhancing the validity of these tests. I think it would rewarding and fascinating to help make a more concrete solution for these disorders. By taking this approach, I am still enhancing people's quality of life and am faced with challenging and interesting tasks. If anybody agrees that research is less monotonous than basic clinic work, please let me know. I have read in this forum that many people are upset with the amount of work they put into getting an Au.D. and feel they are not challenged enough with their daily tasks. That is something I do not want to have happen to me.
So, I just would like everybody's opinion. Since I have worked hard but have a disadvantage at applying to other schools based on my dismissal, should I push forward in this field or try to find something else? Will faculty focus on my three C's or my dedication, persistence and interest in this field? Is working under an Audiologist for a year or two a good step in strengthening my application, or would my time be better spent getting more SLP courses and under my belt (I have Language Development and Anatomy and Phys of Hearing and Speech) and applying next year?
If anybody has some opinions, I would greatly appreciate them. I am very confused right now and could use the guidance.
Thank you all!
