It's official. I have a high-frequency hearing loss. According to an online hearing test, that is. My highest threshold to date measured in the sound booth is a whopping 5 dB, which certainly indicates normal hearing sensitivity. Perhaps it is not my place yet to speak on this topic as a student, but I have a hard time believing that a movement ...

I have officially started my new practicum placement at the VA hospital in North Little Rock. This placement also doubles as my assistantship, allowing for hourly pay and, more importantly, more practicum hours. In any given week, I may log 16-20 hours of practicum, which is solid for a third-year student. I was told that I would get more ...

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) issued a news release this week stressing the importance of consumers seeing a hearing health practitioner before purchasing hearing aids. Noting the increasing availability of options for purchasing hearing aids online, the state agency cautioned that hearing aids are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug ...

The Better Hearing Institute issued a news release this week warning consumers of the inherent risks associated with purchasing over-the-counter, one-size-fits-all hearing aids instead of consulting a hearing healthcare professional. BHI supports this claim by stating that hearing loss is sometimes a symptom of a serious underlying medical ...

Early last week, I spent some time in the student room working on my directed research project and caught the tail end of a conversation some of the first-year students were having. A few made disparaging remarks regarding their stress level and each of them seemed weary. I could not help but grin a bit on the inside like a grizzled veteran who ...

Earlier this week we launched our newest specialty site, specifically focused on the products and services that help you to provide excellent patient care and operate a profitable practice. As one might expect, we're calling it the Hearing Practice Management Products & Services Resource Center. At the top of the Products & Services site ...

Our most recent feature story (''In the Loop,'' by Rob Senior) profiles Ed Ogiba, the president of the Hearing Loss Association of Sarasota, and his effort to create an expansive network of hearing loops in public places. In reading this article, I was fascinated by Mr. Ogiba's passion for the cause and how uniquely positioned he ...

In the span of two weeks, I am already back in school for the summer semester. The course roster for this term includes Professional Issues, Clinical Lab and, of course, Clinical Practicum. For practicum, I was accepted back at the medical center. I did receive my final review from the med center for Spring 2011. The major improvement I have ...

The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) issued a statement this week separating themselves from claims that they support a ''comprehensive audiology Medicare benefit'' plan proposed by ASHA. A press release regarding the statement offers that the organizations (ADA and AAA) ''wholeheartedly'' support ...

I have been told in the past that attending Audiology NOW! is motivating to the point where it can spur you right out of burnout and back into overachiever mode, even in the dog days leading up to finals. Those sources were correct. The conference was everything I expected it to be in terms of learning, networking and entertainment. I made the ...