A "chances" thread...

[UncertainMe24]

Hello everyone. I have never posted in this forum before, but I have lurked and read for a while. I have been in a predicament where I need advice whether or not I should pursue Audiology and perhaps where I would find the best program.

I have recently completed my first year of medical school. I found myself disliking my decision to attend early on in school last year, but I stuck with it hoping for things to change. However, I have become disinterested in the field and nothing can keep me from leaving. I have always had Audiology in the back of my mind as a strong interest and possible career choice as my mom was an audiologist. She ran a private practice working alongside an ENT in our city for over 20 years, and I watched her work quite frequently. I know how hard she worked, how exhaustive it would be, but I also saw how much she loved her patients, how closely she worked with them, and how much they loved her. I know the struggles that accompany the field, but I also know how rewarding it was to her and how valued she was in the community. We lived VERY comfortably but I am aware of compensation and all the issues that are associated with it.

I have recently taken the GREs and scored a 590 in verbal and a 580 in the quantitative. After I left medical school after finishing this summer, I started a masters program this fall so as to defer my loan payments until I decided exactly what my next step is. My undergraduate GPA was slightly low, as I had several issues and burdens that came along with my mom's death in college. Overall, I obtained a 2.9 GPA, but I achieved a very high MCAT score along with extensive extracurriculars including hundreds of hours of volunteer work, four jobs that I kept all four years of undergrad as an undergraduate TA for chemistry and physics, a tutor for the same departments, and a language assistant for the departments helping acclimate and teach the incoming foreign graduate students.

I have only taken one pertinent class in regards to audiology as an undergrad, Communication Diseases and disorders, which I took as an upper level course.

I apologize for such an extensive essay on my life, but I would like to avoid switching careers again or spending hundreds of dollars to no avail if I do not have a decent shot at pursuing an MS in audiology. I hope to go further with my education (beyond an MS), but at the moment I am focused on getting accepted and beginning a rewarding path in audiology.

What are my chances of getting into audiology programs at this time based on your experiences? Thank you to all of those who read this!

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[oddballstar]

You completed medicine year 1 and want to come to Audiology.
Either you are bluffing or really out of your mind.
Check my thread " seriously what a waste" and come face to face with reality

 

[UncertainMe24]

Thank you for your response. I did, however, read your post and I am standing by my post and my choice. While admission standards may be different, I would certainly not place all allopathic or osteopathic doctors ahead of all audiology students intellectually. In fact, I had a fellow student in one of my classes last semester who didn't believe me or our instructor that AIDS was 1. an epidemic 2. outside of the United States. Not all gems.

Furthermore, I would not be so quick to push people into nursing or like professions with the mindset that they are better. I have many friends who are now out of nursing school and have fine jobs (very quickly after graduating and/or relocating), but they also work 80+ hours a week. To make the salaries that you suggested of 90k+ is either after ENORMOUS overtime and/or additional specialization in anesthesiology, etc. Now, my friends absolutely love their jobs and I have complete respect for them and many nurses that I have worked with in the past. However, this is not a field for everyone. I am not a person who enjoys work hours that may start late in the evening and carry on into 7 in the morning. I like to enjoy my days and would find it very difficult to have such a lifestyle with my family. Everyone has their own priorities and passions in life, and as I said previously, nursing is NOT for everyone.

I have had a lot of exposure to audiology and I would not say that all audiologists make 55K a year. Yes, for many that is the starting salary, but 1. we are living in extremely difficult times and you can not expect a more competitive starting salary 2. that is an above average starting salary for most professions. I have met many audiologists whose salary was around what my mom made, between 80-85K. This was after several years of starting their business, I realize, but all medical practices are risks. It takes time to become successful and your worth in the profession and the world does not culminate with your degree.

I am sorry that you do not feel the future is very bright as an audiologist, however, I know over half of my class was feeling disillusioned with medicine and the thought of having over $200,000 in debt, a "starting" salary in residency of a mere $30-50,000 a year (depending on location), and the constant complaint of current doctors who never get paid from medicare and medicaid patients. Let us not forget having to push out an average of $100,000 a year for malpractice insurance for any top specialty.

The grass is not always greener.

 

[EitherWise]

Thank you for your response. I did, however, read your post and I am standing by my post and my choice. While admission standards may be different, I would certainly not place all allopathic or osteopathic doctors ahead of all audiology students intellectually. In fact, I had a fellow student in one of my classes last semester who didn't believe me or our instructor that AIDS was 1. an epidemic 2. outside of the United States. Not all gems.

Furthermore, I would not be so quick to push people into nursing or like professions with the mindset that they are better. I have many friends who are now out of nursing school and have fine jobs (very quickly after graduating and/or relocating), but they also work 80+ hours a week. To make the salaries that you suggested of 90k+ is either after ENORMOUS overtime and/or additional specialization in anesthesiology, etc. Now, my friends absolutely love their jobs and I have complete respect for them and many nurses that I have worked with in the past. However, this is not a field for everyone. I am not a person who enjoys work hours that may start late in the evening and carry on into 7 in the morning. I like to enjoy my days and would find it very difficult to have such a lifestyle with my family. Everyone has their own priorities and passions in life, and as I said previously, nursing is NOT for everyone.

I have had a lot of exposure to audiology and I would not say that all audiologists make 55K a year. Yes, for many that is the starting salary, but 1. we are living in extremely difficult times and you can not expect a more competitive starting salary 2. that is an above average starting salary for most professions. I have met many audiologists whose salary was around what my mom made, between 80-85K. This was after several years of starting their business, I realize, but all medical practices are risks. It takes time to become successful and your worth in the profession and the world does not culminate with your degree.

I am sorry that you do not feel the future is very bright as an audiologist, however, I know over half of my class was feeling disillusioned with medicine and the thought of having over $200,000 in debt, a "starting" salary in residency of a mere $30-50,000 a year (depending on location), and the constant complaint of current doctors who never get paid from medicare and medicaid patients. Let us not forget having to push out an average of $100,000 a year for malpractice insurance for any top specialty.

The grass is not always greener.

thanks for joining this forum and sharing your journey with us. i would think that you should have a competitive application if you are already this articulate in a forum. one of my classmates did not begin to pursue her Au.D. until after about 5 or 6 years of past-bac work with a few years shadowing/observing in an audiology clinic. having grown up and seen your mom working in the clinic will count for something - i especially like how you recognized that your mom loved what she did and the relationships she built with her patients. this part of the clinical experience is what i really love and enjoy and i am but a recent graduate. being able to connect with patients, help them understand something that is quite abstract and make a pretty serious impact in their communication and their overall quality of life is wondrous.

start getting in touch with audiology programs, especially if there is one near where you live. programs do not just look at who you are on paper but take some real consideration with your personal statement. i think you have the conviction and drive to be someone great in audiology.

 

[BigAl]

You completed medicine year 1 and want to come to Audiology.
Either you are bluffing or really out of your mind.
Check my thread " seriously what a waste" and come face to face with reality

oddballstar is the audiology messiah and is here to spread the truth, no matter what your choice is, "it" will show you the true lite

 

[cidanu]

Welcome to this forum UnCertain! Your contributions are particularly interesting given the current discussion of audiology versus other health professions.

I think you will be competitive. Your GPA is a little low but programs look at the whole package. They will look at your coursework too and realize that you were taking very challenging classes. I think programs are trying to recruit students from diverse backgrounds (not just a speech and hearing undergrad education) so I think your application will stand out because of that. There are certain prereq's required to obtain certification in audiology and most programs require you to have them completed before you enter, but I would talk with people to find out if there is any wiggle room in that, or maybe you could take them at the school where you're currently enrolled.

 

[Dustbug10]

Keep the audiology student awakening posts to the original thread.

I am more than certain that several audiology programs will overlook your undergraduate GPA considering your test marks, just as your med school program did. Cidanu is right in that programs are actively accepting students from a variety of educational backgrounds (another debate for another time). A stint in med school will definitely help your cause. Are you willing to relocate? There are a few safety schools that you can toss in if you're concerned about acceptance. Personally, I had a GPA on the lower end, but had strong GRE scores and spent a lot of time building professional references and working on my letter of intent. In your letter, you should make mention of your experiences with your mother and how much her patient interaction effected you. Make it well known that you are passionate about audiology and not simply a spin-off from another field of study that you did not enjoy (there are many, myself included initially). Be creative, and use every possible avenue to boost your application so that the GPA is a little less noticeable.

 

[AUDball2012]

I agree with others. I think with your different background you can bring something else to the table. It was always nice when my peers and I were able to bring in our backgrounds to case presentations or lectures to further each other's knowledge base. I would definitely use your personal experience as well in any letters of intent or interviews. Your GPA is low, but my GPA was the same and I managed to get into 2 schools (Univ. of Arizona and Northern Colorado Univ.). Your GRE scores are good too so that will help. Schools def look into other things other than your GPA.

For me, I was able to set up an interview (me interviewing them) and tour with one of the professors and talk about the program and research opportunities with my top choice school. It was nice because it was one on one and I was able get to know the school and the prof was able to get to know me, so when my name came up on an application he could put a face to the name. I also sent a hand written thank you note to the prof as well, for taking time out of his schedule to talk with me. Just ideas for how to get your name recognized and your application to be looked favorably on if you have a favorite school.

 

[UncertainMe24]

Thank you to everyone for the very helpful and insightful responses. With the overall positive response I have received, I am most certainly going to contact schools in my area and proceed with my applications.

I am still worried about applying broadly to schools, as I feel disadvantaged due to my low GPA. I currently reside in Illinois, and I am aware of the many program options in my state. I am, however, willing to relocate if I were accepted to a strong program elsewhere.

Given my situation, I would definitely be content in attending any audiology program that would offer me acceptance, but I am particularly interested in pediatric audiology and congenital audiological disorders. I have had less of an exposure to this in a clinical setting, but for the few that I have had, they have been some of the most rewarding experiences I have ever encountered. Forgive me if this is a repetitive question in these forums, but are there any particular programs that offer a greater exposure to certain areas such as pediatrics? I would be interested in at least exploring such programs as an option, but my own searches into which programs offer what during clinicals have been unsuccessful.

I believe I can write a strong personal statement, and have had a very decent amount of exposure to audiology and medicine in general. I spent a few years working as a sort of secretary with my mom, scheduling patients, filing charts, filling out hearing aid orders to numerous companies, etc. As far as letters of recommendation, I have a professor (from microbiology), a former supervisor from my job as an undergraduate teaching assistant for international students, and I know I can get another from the ENT with whom my mom worked. I also have two publications from undergraduate research, but they were concerning physical chemistry and molecular dynamics, which is not very relevant I suppose. Is there anything else I can add or do to boost my application at this time?

Thank you again for everyone's help and excellent suggestions! I will definitely use all of the comments that people have made when finishing my applications.

 

[rEliseMe]

I think there have been some incredibly helpful posts so far, so I'll do my best to only cover new stuff. You are clearly articulate, like EitherWise said, and that will go a long way toward building relationships with prospective programs. You can visit asha.org/edfind to search for programs that have pediatrics listed as specializations, but you may just have to do brute-force research on a broad range of programs in various locations.

For instance, it's not really hailed as the mission statement of UIowa, but right next door to the building we have all our classes in is the Center for Disabilities and Development which is an invaluable pediatric and special population experience. Most of the people seen at CDD have cognitive confounds or multiple disabilities, so for someone interested, it would be a fantastic 3rd year placement. That said, the 4th year is up to you. If you end up in a program that doesn't have a strong pediatric or congenital disorder curriculum, search out (or work with your advisor to find) a 4th year placement that will give you plenty of instruction and exposure to what you want. It's said here a lot, that the AuD is what you make of it, and it's so true. It doesn't matter (much) where you go, as long as you put forth the effort to learn as much as you can and make as many connections as possible.

Your research experience will be helpful, especially if grant money is available for research assistants. It will put you to the top of the list, funding-wise. Your volunteer experience and other extracurriculars will speak to your ability to handle what graduate school is all about. Did you pull a good GPA in your first year of med school? That would also help your admissions portfolio a lot. But even if you didn't, don't lose hope. I think programs are starting to wise-up to the fact that the people with the highest GPAs are often the least socially-apt and won't necessarily make better clinicians than their average-GPA counterparts.

Definitely contact programs, and definitely send hand-written thank you notes to anyone who makes time for you. I know that helped me.

If all else fails, do a post-baccalaureate program that would get you your pre-requisites, defer your loans, and better-prepare you for the AuD program! (Oh, and by the way, it is a four-year AuD program by default now. I don't even know if there are any programs in the US who still offer a Master's degree.)

I apologize for the length!

 

[TheEarDoc]

I was in a similar situation as you are in. I had the opportunity to go to medical school and originally wanted to become an ENT. I then really began to realize what I would be undertaking - another 4 years of medical school with no social life, 150K+ in debt more, 7-9 years for an ENT residency at a whopping 50-60k a year all the while paying back my loans.

It was pretty overwhelming. I chose Audiology. I'm awesome at what I do and I love what I do, but I went the other way after getting into this field. I found myself not liking having all this education and making a low salary. I also (because of my ease of becoming bored) find most of my days completely boring and uneventful. It was nice the first couple of years when I was still learning at a rapid pace, but then I feel like I've really reached a plateau. Don't get me wrong I still love working with hearing aid patients, in fact they are what keep me coming to work everyday, but the diagnostics, even the tough ones barely keep me intellectually stimulated anymore. I'm actually in the process of looking at physician assistant programs and fast track RN to nurse practitioner programs in my area because I want to spice things up a bit and increase my skill set and job opportunities. So I will be doing school full time and work full time, but it will be worth it to me in the end.

I'll tell you this much, as a pre-med student with publications like yourself and lots of lab experience (I was a micro geek) you will easily find a program that will pick you up even with your GPA (mine was 3.1 and I got picked up with no funding my first semester, then got funding the rest of the way). Be open and up front in your letter of intent and explain why your GPA is low. Pre-med is lightyears harder than communication sciences. You will need to take a set of pre-reqs in communication sciences, but you might check to see if you can get entered in on a conditional basis if you complete your pre-reqs and you could start working on those until fall 2012 rolls around to begin your AuD program. I will tell you nothing is ever a bad idea if it's what you truly feel will make you happy in the end. Only you know what you want to do with your life. If Audiology is what you want to do with your life then by all means go for it. I'm sure you've heard the cons.

Cons
- Low salary
- Limited scope of practice in a medical setting (no prescription rights, very little sway over path or patient care)
- Little respect from certain other professionals
- Stagnation due to limited scope of practice

Pros
- No on-call
- Great schedule (I work 4 tens and have 3 day weekends every week)
- Plenty of one on one time with patients which is awesome


DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY!

Good luck!