Intensity of Au.D program

[juicy123]

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Hi- I am currently pursuing my undergraduate in Communication Disorders, and I am applying to Au.D programs for Fall 2009. Compared with the level of difficulty in an undergrad in Communication Disorders, how much harder is it to pursue a doctorate in Audiology? I have heard of a couple of horror stories from medical students, and I was wondering how much different it would be form what I'm doing now. If I can get any feedback from current Au.D students (or anyone that knows Au.D students) that would be great. Thank you

 

[chicoborja]

Although I haven't taken any courses in med school, I feel confident that AuD courses would be markedly easier. I think you will find greater variability in the quality/difficulty of AuD programs than you would with MD programs but that is just my opinion. Due to the lack of a natural/biological science background in the majority of CSD students, there is only so much depth that can be obtained in areas such as acoustics and physiology without having a background in physics and biochemistry.

 

[juicy123]

thanks for the reply, just curious, how much free time do you have? How many hours do you put in for class, clinical externship, and study time? Thank you.

 

[DrumHead]

I'm in my second year right now. My first semester was pretty crazy. I'm not what you would call a 'good student'. By that I mean that I didn't study a bunch or take meticulous notes or make all A's in undergrad (biology). My first semester in grad school was very hectic. What I found is that the material isn't necessarily difficult, there is just so much to cover. I spent more time in the library that first semester than I did all of my undergraduate career. That said, it all has to do with time management. In the subsequent semesters I had to change the way I did things and learn how to be a 'good student', at least for me. lol.

As far as free time goes, I had time to work 20-25 hrs a week waiting tables (gotta pay the bills) and play drums in an active local band.

If you already have good study habits and can manage your time well, you should be able to survive without much modification.

 

[teucer]

Good stuff

 

[juicy123]

thanks for the reply......i have heard some pretty tragic stories of dentists loosing thier eye sights and having anxiety attacks while they were in school.......but hopefully it's not as intense as that

 

[Dustbug10]

I'm in my second year right now. My first semester was pretty crazy. I'm not what you would call a 'good student'. By that I mean that I didn't study a bunch or take meticulous notes or make all A's in undergrad (biology). My first semester in grad school was very hectic. What I found is that the material isn't necessarily difficult, there is just so much to cover. I spent more time in the library that first semester than I did all of my undergraduate career. That said, it all has to do with time management. In the subsequent semesters I had to change the way I did things and learn how to be a 'good student', at least for me. lol.

As far as free time goes, I had time to work 20-25 hrs a week waiting tables (gotta pay the bills) and play drums in an active local band.

If you already have good study habits and can manage your time well, you should be able to survive without much modification.

The Hulkster would have made a great audiologist.

 

[SoCalAud]

DrumHead

What classes did you take during your undergraduate studies?

Do Au.D. programs require a masters degree before applying for doctoral? Is sounds like you went directly from undergrads to Au.D?

 

[DrumHead]

I took classes for the Pre-Med track of Biology. I was intending on going to med school, but once I got done with my degree I decided to go another way (research). It eventually led me to audiology. Because audiology is based in the communication sciences, I'm having to take a couple of leveling classes in speech pathology, but there is no master's requirement for AuD at this point.

And the Hulkster would have made a great audiologist. He seems to have a hearing loss so he could sympathize well with his patients. lol

 

[teucer]

Hulkster? I prefer "Hulkamaniac".