Audiologists are professionals who diagnose and treat conditions related to hearing as well as to balance disorders. Hearing and balance are closely related. Audiologists also treat other neural and sensory disorders related to the ear. They treat patients of all ages. While most people think of an audiologist when they need a hearing aid dispensed and properly fit, that is only a portion of the job. Audiologists also council patients in how to deal with their hearing loss, listening strategies and recommend aids to alert the patient to incoming calls, smoke alarms, and doorbells. Additionally they fit cochlear plants and are responsible for programming them. Other audiologists may work at preventing on-the-job hearing loss from noisy equipment. The medical career training you'll need to become an audiologist is easy to get if you enroll in an accredited online college as well as several university settings.
If you’re interested in how to become an audiologist, here are the steps that you need to take:
- Know what it takes to be an ear specialist. An aspiring audiologist should be prepared for years of medical career training, both in the theoretic aspects and the clinical aspects of audiology. They should also have good interpersonal skills, since a big part of their success has something to do with how they communicate with their patients.
Audiologists work in hospitals, long-term health facilities, clinics, state and local health departments, colleges and universities, or engage in private practice. - Start your medical career early. To be equipped for a profession in audiology, it’s ideal that you begin your path towards these jobs as early as high school. Maintain a good GPA, and score well on your SATs; good academic records will help you get into the university of your choice. You should also do well in your science subjects, such as chemistry, biology and physics because many graduate schools will look specifically into your aptitude for the sciences.
- Get an undergraduate degree. You have to have a four-year bachelor’s degree, preferably in the sciences. Some of the most common undergraduate degrees obtained by audiologists include communication sciences, or other hard science subjects such as biochemistry and biology. Make sure that you find out the subjects you have to complete in order to get into the master’s degree program of your choice. For example, some schools accept those who graduate from a variety of fields such as health, social sciences or education, while some have more specific standards to become this health care professional.
- Get a master’s degree. After graduation, you should obtain a master’s degree in audiology. As mentioned, different institutions have different standards in accepting master’s students. Many institutions are very stringent about their grade requirements, so you should make it a point to do very well during your undergraduate degree training. The typical length of time that a master’s degree is completed is two years.
- Get a doctorate degree. Since 2007, aspiring audiologists are required to have a doctorate degree in audiology. In the United States, there are more than 70 audiology doctorate programs being offered. Several schools have a combined master’s or doctoral program. Be sure to research you school choices during your undergraduate program.
- Have supervised experience as an ear doctor. Part of the requirements before you can take the licensure exam as an audiologist is to get 300 to 375 hours of full-time, supervised training in a professional audiology setting, followed by at least nine months of professional clinical experience.
- Take the board exam. Licensing is required in all 50 states regardless of the entry level educational requirements for the profession. Some states also require a Hearing Aid Dispensing license.
- Get continuing education as a hearing doctor. Most states require their audiologists to take continuing education units in order to qualify them for license renewal.
- Get certified. The Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) is granted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The American Board of Audiology also offers certification in Cochlear Implants (CI) and Specialty Certification in Pediatric Audiology (PASC). The American Academy of Audiology also grants “Board Certification” if certain standards are met.
- Expect a decent salary. The median salary for audiologists is around $41,000 to $99,000 annually. Salary will depend upon experience, education level and additional certifications. Specialist salaries tend to be at the higher end of the pay scale.
- Know the job outlook. The need for audiologists will mostly be for those replacing retiring audiologists. Those with Au.D. degrees will be given preferential treatment over those who were grandfathered into the system. For the next ten years or so the growth in this field is expected to be about 20%.
These are the steps toward becoming an audiologist. Although the path is rigorous, you’ll reap the benefits in helping people to regain normalcy in their lives and their hearing.