What other careers/professions is an AuD qualified for?

[Lord of the Ear]

With technological advances, hearing aid techs, etc., I am concerned that audiology may not be around long enough or high enough in demand to support the debt students end up in. Regardless, what are some other careers an AuD could pursue? Preferably one that could support a family.

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[eardocsavvy]

With technological advances, hearing aid techs, etc., I am concerned that audiology may not be around long enough or high enough in demand to support the debt students end up in. Regardless, what are some other careers an AuD could pursue? Preferably one that could support a family.

Deaf studies?
Deaf education?

 

[SoCalAud]

Audiology will be around for quite awhile! Even though people may not know what audiology is now, but they will later on.

With only an AuD degree, you cannot get hired as a teacher for the deaf or speech pathologist because those positions require certain qualifications.

 

[Vesti]

I don't think you should worry about Audiology not being around, job outlook is really good, especially since the baby boomers are gettin old!

 

[SandyChelsey]

.Hi all,.
.I am ..Sandy Chelsey. I am newbie here. I do agree with vesti that ..you should worry about Audio logy not being around, job outlook is really good..

 

[rEliseMe]

With technological advances, hearing aid techs, etc., I am concerned that audiology may not be around long enough or high enough in demand to support the debt students end up in. Regardless, what are some other careers an AuD could pursue? Preferably one that could support a family.

I agree with everyone else; I think the job outlook is very positive. However, if you're concerned, you might consider getting your teaching certificate and possibly broadening your horizons past "simple" clinical AuD work.

For example, I don't plan to be a clinical audiologist. My heart is in research. So instead of just an AuD, I'm also pursuing my PhD. Then I'll have three options: practice, teaching, and research.

You may find that a PhD alone will cover you and that you could still get certified that way. If so, I'd recommend it. That way, you're qualified for pretty much whatever.

But like I said, I don't have any doubts about being able to find a well-paying job. Hearing aid techs will never be able to diagnose and treat like we will.

 

[chicoborja]

I don't think any of the major health professions are going to disappear anytime soon. This includes audiology. I'm not sure which technological advances you believe are making audiologists obsolete but I assure you that none have come to fruition and for those that do (e.g., hybrid cochlear implants) audiologists will be needed in some capacity or another.


In terms of doing something else other than audiology with an AuD degree.....only a couple things come to mind. Work as a rep for a hearing aid or cochlear implant company. Alternatively, get into intraoperative monitoring.


If you are willing to relocate after graduation you will be fine. If not, I would be slightly more concerned.

 

[rEliseMe]

In terms of doing something else other than audiology with an AuD degree.....only a couple things come to mind. Work as a rep for a hearing aid or cochlear implant company. Alternatively, get into intraoperative monitoring.

Oh, yes! If I wasn't so interested in research, I would definitely look into intraoperative monitoring. There's bank-money in that!

 

[SoCalAud]

rEliseMe, where are you collecting research articles at? I have a subscription to ASHA's Journal of Audiology. AHHH-mazing!!!! GREAT RESOURCE! I get an email from them with four new articles each week. Just thought I'd share since you're interested with research.

 

[rEliseMe]

rEliseMe, where are you collecting research articles at? I have a subscription to ASHA's Journal of Audiology. AHHH-mazing!!!! GREAT RESOURCE! I get an email from them with four new articles each week. Just thought I'd share since you're interested with research.

Oh my gosh! How did you swing that? I thought journals were like $900 to subscribe to. I would love to subscribe to that.

Since I don't have much extra cash, I've just been searching EBSCO/CINAHL/ProQuest Central/JSTOR for anything and everything I can find. I've amassed quite a library, but only the outdated stuff! I think my latest stuff is from 2005ish, save for the occasional article offered through various professors' CVitae.

 

[AudioEngineer]

With technological advances, hearing aid techs, etc., I am concerned that audiology may not be around long enough or high enough in demand to support the debt students end up in. Regardless, what are some other careers an AuD could pursue? Preferably one that could support a family.

Your question is valid. However, what is difficult to understand, unless you understand the depth of the technology and its advancements, is that these systems are getting more complex to manage. As they add technologies like speech recognition, noise reduction, feedback isolation, and so on, the requirements increase for evaluation, diagnostic, and calibration. These systems cannot maintain themselves.

When the bifocal was added to a pair of glasses, it did not eliminate the optometrist. When cars were invented, wagon maintenance did not cease, it evolved. The more advanced computers become, the more people required to administrate them.

More than ever, audiologists will see an increase in demands as well as public awareness. The trouble with increased technology and "maintenance-free" systems is they have a point of failure. Every system we have today, no matter how simple you may think it is, has someone required to maintain it. That is because of two reasons:
1 - Entropy is always trying to create chaos from order (I.E. tires wear out).
2 - There is always a point of failure where there is human interaction (I.E. your computer gets a virus).

As long as there are humans associated with hearing systems, audiologists will need to continue to integrate the two. Every hearing situation is different. Every listener is different. As people chage, their needs change too. They need someone who can professionally interpret their desires and needs and communicate that to the device intended to help them. You can think of it as marriage counseling for the person and their device.

We, as audiologists, aren't going away. We are gaining technologies and stretching our scope of practice.

 

[SoCalAud]

Oh my gosh! How did you swing that? I thought journals were like $900 to subscribe to. I would love to subscribe to that.

Since I don't have much extra cash, I've just been searching EBSCO/CINAHL/ProQuest Central/JSTOR for anything and everything I can find. I've amassed quite a library, but only the outdated stuff! I think my latest stuff is from 2005ish, save for the occasional article offered through various professors' CVitae.

I am a member of national NSSLHA (National Student Speech Language Hearing Association). I have free online access to American Speech-Language-Hearing Association journals as a benefit of membership. When you get the chance, check out nsslha.org and asha.org.

Oh! By the way, when searching for AuD programs did you check out published research articles by AuD professors? For example, ASU's AuD program website shows pages of research articles published by faculty members and I google'd them. I was able to have free access to some of those articles.

 

[rEliseMe]

I am a member of national NSSLHA (National Student Speech Language Hearing Association). I have free online access to American Speech-Language-Hearing Association journals as a benefit of membership. When you get the chance, check out nsslha.org and asha.org.

Oh! By the way, when searching for AuD programs did you check out published research articles by AuD professors? For example, ASU's AuD program website shows pages of research articles published by faculty members and I google'd them. I was able to have free access to some of those articles.

Oh, good point, I need to get my memberships for this year. I elected not to last year because I missed the deadline to apply through my school. Thanks for the heads up!

I actually found my top choice school backwards. I saw the articles first then decided I would love to study with the author and that's how I found the program. I've found the same thing, too, that there are lots of free articles that way.

I'm also working on going through the archives on the Etymotic Research website.