Working With The Science of Balance, Hearing And Related Disorders: Audiology
Are you interested in a career in the medical field and would like to help those suffering from hearing and balance problems? Would you like to use a combination of medical science and technology to aid in the rehabilitation and treatment of people of all ages? If so the field of audiology would be a perfect fit for you. However, in order to become an audiologist, you first need a degree from an accredited university. Hearing and balance disorders can have a serious impact on a person’s quality of life, which makes the services provided by audiologists invaluable. Audiology can be a challenging field to enter because of the high requirements, but it is worth it if you truly care about helping other people.
Audiology Degree Information
Doctor of Audiology
Currently the Doctor of Audiology is the minimum degree required for employment as an audiologist. A masters degree is required for enrollment in this type of program and most students opt for one in speech and hearing science in preparation for the Doctor of Audiology degree. The Doctor of Audiology degree typically takes about four years to earn although students often have up to eight years to do so. Course topics may include Basic Diagnostic Audiology, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, Amplification, Genetics of Hearing Loss, Auditory Processing, Pediatric Audiology, and more.
Audiology Degree FAQ
Is It Possible To earn An Audiology Degree Online?
Audiology degree programs are available online at a master’s level, which is the minimum requirement in order to practice as an audiologists. The online degree is aimed at working professionals who do not have the ability to follow a rigid campus based schedule. Online programs are also available for audiologists who need the credential to transition their master’s level audiologist degree to a doctoral-level one. In addition to being more flexible, online degrees in audiology also tend to be more cost effective than campus based ones.
Licenses
In addition to a degree, all states in America also require audiologists to be licensed. However, the requirements for licensure may differ between states, so be sure to get in touch with the licensing board for audiologists in your state for all the information. Certain states may also require certification, which can be obtained by passing a standardized exam after graduating from an accredited program. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association offers a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology for Audiologist and it is also possible to be credential through the American Board of Audiology.
Who Is An Ideal Candidate To Study For An Audiology Degree?
Since a large portion of your time working as an audiologist may be spent interacting with people who have hearing difficulties, it is important that you are not only patient, but also have good communication skills. Often there is a lot of information that must be relayed to patients and it is very important that you are able to communicate what options and treatments are available to your patients. Your communication skills will also come in handy when interacting with other healthcare providers. Coping with hearing issues can be very frustrating or upsetting to people, so showing compassion and being empathetic are also very important character traits for an audiologist. Since the job also requires you to perform test and select the best treatments, you’ll benefit from good problem-solving skills.
What Type of Career Options Might Be Available With A Degree In Audiology?
The primary reason why people complete their audiology degree is to work as audiologists. Most audiologists work in the offices of physicians, while a large number are also self-employed. In addition, audiologist may also find employment at state, local or private hospitals as well as educational services. It is also not unusual for some audiologists to travel between multiple facilities in order to perform their work when employed on a contract basis.
What Are The Primary Duties of Someone Who Is Employed As An Audiologist?
Most of your work as an audiologist will be related to the diagnosis of issues related to the hearing or balance of your patients. Once diagnosed, you will typically also deal with managing or treating these problems. Audiologists make use of a number of devices in order to test the balance as well as hearing ability of patients. Identifying the underlying cause of any problems as well as how much damage has already been done will also be your responsibility. In addition to providing patients with treatments, such as fitting a hearing aid, audiologists must also educate their patients on how to decrease the risk of hearing loss. Audiologists work with people of all ages, although it is also possible to specialize in only working with children or the elderly. If you choose to become self-employed you might have additional responsibilities related to operating your own business.
How Much Can I Potentially Earn When Working In The Field of Audiology?
Your potential salary when working as an audiologist will depend on the type of industry where you are employed. Typically, hospitals tend to pay more than offices of physicians or educational services. According to the 2016 data provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for this profession is $75,980. While salaries can be as low as $50,490 for audiologists, there are also those in the highest ten percent that earned in excess of $113,540. Of course, your geographical location can also play a major role in how much you potentially earn as some areas have higher average salaries than others. The job outlook for audiologists is also very possible as a projected growth of 21 percent until 2026 is estimated, which is much faster than the average for all other occupations. This need for more audiologists will be fueled by the aging population who experiences more issues related to hearing loss and balance.
What Are The Other Advantages To Completing This Type of Degree Program?
Losing any one of the five senses can seriously impact the quality of one’s life, but hearing loss is not always as obvious as fading eyesight. This is why the work performed by audiologists is so important and can have a major influence on people. Being able to assist someone with either preventing hearing loss or treating their condition to improve the quality of their life is immensely rewarding. It is a great field if you enjoy working with people and helping them, but also want to make use of cutting edge science on a daily basis.
