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Hello you guys! I thought I would provide a little motivation during this season as we are all picking programs and taking the next step of becoming audiologists! Yesterday I officially posted on FB where I will be attending grad school. There were two comments from friends who have personally been impacted by hearing loss that I really wanted to share. "As someone who graduated with you who is diagnosed with genetic hearing issues.... THANK YOU. You are a kind soul and I believe you will do well. Have patience and faith in us." "Phenomenal! There are way too few specialists in this field and such a need. Audiologists are incredible people who change lives everyday for their patients, and I have a great respect for their care, knowledge, and abilities. Very exciting to see you picking up such a great calling." This was such a great reminder that audiology is important and audiologists are valued! We will have a career where we get to serve and care for such a deserving population! I am so excited for all of us as we get ready to begin this new journey! I would love to see some encouragement you all have received that reassured you audiology is where you are meant to be!!

Currently trying to decide between University of Tennessee and ETSU. I see some of y'all are going to ETSU, is anyone planning on going to UTK?

Very well put! Thank you for providing some insight as someone currently in a graduate program. I know several audiology students right now that just rave about their experiences which makes me excited about the future! Like you said, it is not about the salary and more about the service you are providing! I hope you continue to feel valued and respected, because as a future audiologist, you deserve it!

HI! I acknowledge how you mention you have no intention of coming off as negative, however, posting on a forum of aspiring audiologists with nothing but negative thoughts on the field is very much so negative. First off, I have also shadowed several audiologists in several different settings, including ENT. They have all had great relationships with their ENT doctor and enjoy the setting that they are in. Obviously, hearing aids are a big part of the field since we are dealing with patients with hearing loss. While private practice is big on selling, I believe the audiologists I shadow have no problem selling hearing aids because the patients they are seeing are interested in buying them. Many people expect to purchase hearing aids as their hearing deteriorates so of course selling is a big factor of audiology. Also, even though private practice mainly deals with HAs, it is so much more than that. They build relationships with their clients and visit with them regularly. Developing hearing loss can be an emotional burden for people, therefore, counseling and mentorship is also the role an audiologist must take on. While we do have different experiences while shadowing, I think it would be silly for both us to not consider the pros and cons of audiology. It seems I have had more pros while you cons, but I know the cons are there and at the end of the day, I still want to pursue audiology. I know of several audiologists in my area who started out making around 75k their first year. The salary truly depends on your location and setting. The money is out there, you might need to relocate, but it's there. Plus I have seen such a big range in salary, it is hard to say what one will be making starting off. While salary is a big factor, it should not be the only factor. The flexibility, hours, and clientele are a few things that attracted me to the field. Most importantly, the service I provide will be meaningful to my clients. The look on the face of a client when they put their hearing aids on for the first time will be valuable in itself. Not to mention the camaraderie within the field. You even said it yourself that you have a close relationship with your audiologist, somewhere along the line they have taken the time to build a relationship with you and it has impacted you. Therefore, at the end of the day, it's less about the salary and more about how I am serving others. I have a feeling that is how most people pursuing audiology feel. We are aware of the cons but we have decided the pros make it worth it. Thank you for your opinion. I wish you the best of luck in the career you decide to pursue.

Has anyone that has been accepted to LSU heard about funding?

That’s unfortunate. It would have been nice of them to tell everyone way ahead of time so they could have reapplied this year. But I guess people higher up are making the decisions and there’s really no control of that.

Me too! Congratulations!

Last time I talked to the director he said they wanted to do in person or phone interviews at the end of February. I'm assuming that has changed since no one has really heard anything?

Hmm good to know. I wonder if they will be doing formal interviews then. I have heard a lot of things so I’m really confused on their process!

Have you heard anything from ETSU yet? The director said interview decisions should be going out in mid-February but everyone I’ve talked to hasn’t heard anything!

Yeah I remember her saying that but I’m still afraid they’re gonna take it back ? So far it’s my top choice so once I get the official acceptance I’ll feel better!

Have you received anything from University of Louisville yet? I was accepted as well but have yet to receive an official email or letter. I am getting paranoid that they will be like sike and take my verbal acceptance back ?

If anyone else applied to Samford, I just received a check in the mail for the application refund. It was through csdcas so they sent me the $131 fee for the first application.

I received an interview from LSUHSC too, I’m super excited! Have you heard anything from ETSU? They emailed me updates on my application and then as soon as everything was in, I heard nothing.

I applied to Memphis and haven’t heard anything! I don’t think they do interviews so we probably won’t hear from them until March!