Audiology Student Stage

The Site Search

2009-11-19T19:48:00Z

Fall quarter is coming to an eagerly-anticipated end, as finals begin this week. That means only 1 quarter left of on-campus classes, and only 1 quarter left before we begin our 3 rd -year externships. I just keep reminding myself that this is my last holiday away from home, and this time next year, I will be celebrating with family. The excitement of what is to come is motivating me to really get my applications in order and start sending them out ASAP! As of now, I still have no idea where I'm...(read more)

All Work and Some Play

2009-11-12T19:20:00Z

Being a working student, there is always a constant, but delicate, balance between work and school. Today is the 2-week anniversary of my re-entering the working world and, oh, how I missed it! Being unemployed for 3 months certainly has a way of helping you appreciate certain things. It was nice at first to only think about school and assignments, but I soon began to get really bored (and broke). I happen to be one of those weird students that love working. For me, I think it's more about being...(read more)

Graduate Ingenuity

2009-11-05T20:17:00Z

My plans to move to the other side of the country in the next several months have put a little shred of fear in my mind. I've been living on my own for quite some time and, like many, I've accumulated a LOT of stuff over the years. With my externship fast approaching, I've been able come up with some different--and profitable (yes, I said profitable)--ways to get rid of some of my things in order to try to get ready for this move. Just in case some of you are having the same problem, hopefully the...(read more)

Waiting is Always the Hardest Part

2009-10-29T13:30:00Z

My third externship is now only 4 months away, so time is really starting to wind down. As of yet, I still have absolutely no idea where I'm going to end up. I've discovered in recent years, that I am quite the "Type A" personality. And other than our itemized, alphabetical, typed, to-do list, we "A" personalities also MUST have a solid plan in order to make moves. As a result, not knowing what my externship will be is, unsurprisingly, making me nervous! There just seems to be so many uncertain factors...(read more)

The Problem with Self Programming

2009-10-22T17:06:00Z

A very disturbing discussion was brought up at my clinical site this week. For all you AuDs specializing in hearing aids, listen up--you might want to hear this! At the risk of starting some controversy, I feel compelled to bring up this subject. It was brought to my attention that there is a company whose main selling point is to give patients the equipment to program their own hearing aids. Yeah, I said it! I may be late on this information, but I found it to be a little disturbing. Whose programming...(read more)

Not So Small Talk

2009-10-15T16:31:00Z

Our third-year class had the unique opportunity to attend an all-day vestibular workshop on our campus. Of course, I was pumped about this! Vestib happens to be right up my alley. The professor in charge of the event happened to know this little nugget of info, so he approached me to say that one of the main speakers was from my home state of South Carolina and he wanted to introduce us. I was excited and nervous about this--I finally was going to be able to meet an audiologist from South Carolina...(read more)

A Welcomed Change in Plans

2009-10-08T12:49:00Z

An announcement was made to our class this week, and it might change the start of my 3 rd -year externship. We were told that our comprehensive exams could be pushed back 2 months earlier, from May to March. How do I feel about this you may ask? I think it's GREAT! It changes everything! OK; I know you may be confused by my reaction, so let me fill you in. In years past, comps traditionally are taken in May. Our 3 rd -year students leave for their externships in March, so that then meant they would...(read more)

The Eyes Have It

2009-10-01T15:16:00Z

It's finally happened! I finally had a chance to see my first vestibular assessment. I had seen one in class, but this was my first true vestib assessment. For those who are not sure what in the world a vestibular assessment is or what it's for, let me share. It is what audiologists use to evaluate dizzy patients. Of course, I could give you the half-a-page definition, but for the purposes of this blog, the short description works just fine. In any case, I've always found it extremely interesting,...(read more)

Aids to Our Success

2009-09-24T14:21:00Z

This week, I thought I would bring up a part of school that is often overlooked--financial aid. If you haven't already, thank the folks in your financial aid office. And if they are anything like the people in the office at my school, invite them to Thanksgiving dinner! Throughout my 2 years of audiology school, I have learned to go to them when I have issues because they have this unique ability to, as one famous rapper says so eloquently, "Make a dollar out of 15 cents." Look, I'm the first to...(read more)

Options Unlimited

2009-09-17T13:45:00Z

This week, I finally got a chance to see my new site and meet my new preceptor. I'm very excited, because I have the opportunity to be working under an audiologist that works in an ENT practice. I know I will be getting my share of just what I've been longing for--weird stuff! And the weirder, the better. As a student, I've been tapping into the brains of other audiologists about working with ENTs. Of course we've all heard the horror stories of not being respected and not being seen as competent...(read more)

Officially in Session

2009-09-10T18:18:00Z

Cheers to a short and sweet first week back! Last week, we were able to meet the first-year students for the first time. A new concept was used this year during the first grand rounds. We were asked to sit beside a first-year and, when it was our turn, introduce them and tell where they were from. I thought this was a pretty cool idea. They got to know us and, in return, we got to know them. I just realized that, starting this quarter, I will only be on campus 2 days a week, and the rest of the days...(read more)

Countdown to the Beginning

2009-09-03T12:33:00Z

It's down to the last free week before the fall quarter begins, and to be honest, I'm kind of ready for school to start. Does that make me weird? I know I'd better enjoy what break I have left now, because by the middle of November, I'm going to be on my knees begging for another break. As the beginning of my third year is drawing ever so close, I've been trying to narrow down what I want (and don't want) to do. I know I don't mind hearing aids, but I don't want to do them day in and day out. I would...(read more)

Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed

2009-08-28T17:15:00Z

My mother use to always tell me that all you needed was faith the size of a mustard seed to get things accomplished. This is week is certainly testing my mother's theory. I'm still on the job hunt and coming up with absolutely nothing, and time is ticking until the next month. They say the recession is starting to recover, but I'm not seeing it at all. I've been unemployed for a month now, and as long as I can remember, I've never been unemployed this long. This is obviously a problem that has effected...(read more)

Unexpected Pleasant Surprises

2009-08-20T17:16:00Z

The job hunt continues and, as of now, nothing solid yet. I applied as a traveling tutor but have no clients yet, so I have to continue pressing on for something else. To be honest, going to people's homes, riding around in 110-degree weather and running my car into the ground is slowly starting to seem unappealing, but at this point I need M-O-N-E-Y. Therefore, I must continue the fight. This weekend was starting off to be quite uneventful until an old friend from college came into town. I soon...(read more)

Knowing My Worth

2009-08-13T13:05:00Z

I finally had the chance to redeem myself and retake my COMPS. Only this time, I had a lot more knowledge and a lot more confidence. I think I blew it out the water! What a wonderful feeling to finally get that over with; now, I can move on. I'm still on the search for another job and still not coming up with much. They are not kidding when they say it's rough out there, even with a college degree. I did have the opportunity to meet with a job coach and go over my résumé. She was able to give me...(read more)