Capstone projects: Research or specialization track?

[CIAuD]

Good afternoon everyone! I am entering my second year as an AuD student and will be declaring my capstone project in the Winter. We are allowed to do a research project or pursue a specialization track (with approved coursework outside of the department). What are everyone's thoughts on the pro's and con's in terms of which track to tackle? Also, what are some areas or topics to address/explore in audiology which would make a unique specialization or research question?

I am currently debating pediatrics and aural rehabilitation...however, I want to do something unique and new and use it as a foundation or springboard for my career. And as we are the future of audiology, I value this community's input!

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[cidanu]

i admire your enthusiasm.

if i had a choice i would NOT be doing a research project. it's been a giant annoyance, even though my project is creating a much needed aural rehabilitation training tool and will be very useful and beneficial to people once it's done. it's just hard to pull off quality research when it's like the last priority thing i have on my plate in addition to comps, classes, internship, and applying to externships. most of my classmates feel the same way. it feels like a giant tsunami constantly hanging over my head that's about to wash me out to shore but i can't run away from it because i'm standing in quicksand (that would be representing all the classes, comps, etc.).

however .......... some externships WILL be concerned about your ability to conduct clinical research and will want to know about your research project. also it seems like it's very trendy in our field right now to be all gung ho about doing research what with the shortage of PhD's, the push towards EBP, and basically we're fighting to even exist as a field so need to seem as legitimate as possible.

 

[CIAuD]

Thanks! I have been a graduate assistant in a research lab in otolaryngology for the past two years, so I may decide to just "emphasize" that for externship's sake when that time comes to validate my experience in research. Specialization seems, more and more, the way to go for me...

 

[EitherWise]

if i had a choice i would NOT be doing a research project. it's been a giant annoyance, even though my project is creating a much needed aural rehabilitation training tool and will be very useful and beneficial to people once it's done. it's just hard to pull off quality research when it's like the last priority thing i have on my plate in addition to comps, classes, internship, and applying to externships. most of my classmates feel the same way. it feels like a giant tsunami constantly hanging over my head that's about to wash me out to shore but i can't run away from it because i'm standing in quicksand (that would be representing all the classes, comps, etc.).

however .......... some externships WILL be concerned about your ability to conduct clinical research and will want to know about your research project. also it seems like it's very trendy in our field right now to be all gung ho about doing research what with the shortage of PhD's, the push towards EBP, and basically we're fighting to even exist as a field so need to seem as legitimate as possible.

well put and very true - weigh the pros and cons of the research project before jumping into it. i would encourage you to do it, just so that at the end you can at least say that you have gone through the rigorous process of a research project. do your best to establish from the get go how big you want this research project to be and what you want to get out of it academically, professionally and personally. it's ok to be selfish about this because you have to look out for yourself and only you know your own demands and capability.

i am a recent graduate of northwestern's program and i wish i knew or at least was given a better idea of what it means to do a research project. coming into audiology i had no idea what kind of research i wanted to do so it was a lot of fending for myself. the best decision i made was aligning myself with the right professor as my PI for the research project. i hope that there is opportunity for you to do that because i have also heard of programs where there is only one professor to act as the PI for all the students. having gone through the research process with northwestern, it really worked in my favor when i applied for Yale's externship position because they require the extern to do a research project which will be presented at the poster session for AAA and during a resident research day. the resident research day was by far one of the most nerve wracking things i have done - presenting my research in front of other ENT residents, ENT physicians and PhDs in hearing sciences. but i know that having gone through the process while at northwestern, i was better equipped to succeed with this project. and succeed i did and you will too.

i would do it all over again if i had to but i would do it with a higher degree of motivation. after all, we know how important motivation is inside and outside of the clinic