In article <3pabef$3a3 at mozo.cc.purdue.edu>, joyce at bilbo.bio.purdue.edu
says...
>>I realize this newsgroup may have posting rules I am unaware of
>so please forgive me if I'm posting an "illegal" message.
Same here! This is my first posting.
>Why did you go into audiology? Why does a Masters degree make
>sense for it? Do you feel like a "technician" (inother words
>"Are you bored?") Are the career prospects as good as I hear
>they are for Speech Pathology?
Joyce, a good place to begin might be to spend a vacation break, a month or
a summer in an audiologist's office. We always hire a student in the summer
to work in our office. They usually have completed their Junior or Senior
year of college and we obtain an "audiology aid" permit so they can actually
participate in some of the things we do. (And we pay them too!) We also
welcome "aspiring audiologists" to visit our practice to observe what we do.
I suspect there is someone that will do the same in your part of the
country.
>I appreciate any input anyone can give me.I feel like Audiology
>been given the short end of the stick and would like to make
>a better informed decision.
In the next 25 years you will see many changes in "audiology," probably all
for the better. These are exciting times! 25 years ago, in 1970, there were
only 14 "audiologists" in my state (Iowa) and what they did was quite
different from what audiologists do today.
I predict one of the next things you will see happen will be the "divorce"
between audiology and speech therapy. A number of years ago we had a speech
clinic in our building with our audiology and hearing aid dispensing
practice. In three years we made one referral to them and they made one
referral to us -- not too good, I'd say. We will always be friends, but we
found we are living in two different worlds with two completely separate
groups of patients. There is nothing "bad" about this. It just illustrates
that it is good that AAA is now replacing ASHA as the "home for
audiologists." (I predict the universities will have real problems
separating these programs - but each does deserve a life of its own and it
will happen!)
Tevye in "Fiddler On The Roof" talks about "Tradition"! Already there is
much "tradition" in audiology and it is holding things back! But, like with
Tevye, it may not all be bad!
Good luck in whatever you do! You are asking the right questions!
Paul Woodard, M.Div. ;-)
(A White Haired Old Man Who Has "Sold" Hearing
Aids Longer Than Anyone Else in Central Iowa!)
HearWHAC at netins.net or
HearPaul at aol.com
