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- Aug 29, 2015
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Hello, first time poster, long time reader.
I am currently an AuD student in the Midwest and have recently begun my second year within the program. Classes have been back in session for a week and I've been wrestling with some doubts about audiology and whether audiology is really my calling, the cost vs. benefit of receiving my AuD, and options available to me if I did quit the program. I just wanted to seek some advice, perspective, or thoughts from others about my situation and what I should do.
Some background: I graduated in May 2014 with a BA in communication sciences and disorders from a private Midwest university with a 3.5/4.0 GPA. When I applied to grad schools, I really thought I wanted to study audiology and I was ready to take this next step in my education. However, I had a feeling that I really wasn't ready for grad school and I was feeling burnt out with school in general; I ignored the feeling and took to advice of my family members who told me to power through and not take a gap year for fear that I wouldn't go back to school. I struggled with these feelings of doubt about my personal satisfaction with audiology and some of the aspects of the field that concerned me my whole first year. I fully admit there were long stretches of time that I was really happy and satisfied, but the doubt has always come back in one form or another. Now that I have come back from a short time off between summer and fall classes, these doubts have gotten even stronger, to the point where I have been actively been looking at other things I could do should I decide to quit the program.
There are several things that have bothered me and are contributing to my doubts about the path that I have chosen. The first of these doubts is whether there is enough variety in the day-to-day work as an audiologist to keep boredom at bay or avoid feeling like I'm just reliving the same day each and every day when I go to work. I realize there is some repetitiveness in every job, but I worry that there is not enough variety in this field for me. I'm also worried about some of the professional issues that we have discussed in some of my classes like reimbursement rates for those working with Medicaid, competing with big box stores and online hearing aid/amplification sales, pay vs. time/money spent getting an AuD, how we are respected as allied healthcare providers, etc. I am slightly upset/resentful that I had to get a BA for 4 years and then turn around and spend another 4 years getting and AuD when, realistically, a 5 or 6 year program that allows one to complete a BA and an AuD could be done and makes more sense to do (this was done with the pharmacy program at my undergrad, students were admitted and did 4 semesters of “pre-pharmacy” work and then used the rest of the time in the program working towards their PharmD). How much time this degree takes is really the thing that is currently bothering me the most.
With that said, I’m kind of trying to figure out what my next step(s) should be. I’ve gone back to the career center at my undergrad university and had some career counseling there and it was helpful. Some of the suggestions from that meeting guided me towards other professional careers that would be more suited to my abilities/interests, but I would assume quitting one professional degree program will not look good when applying to another professional degree program. I’ve also considered an accelerated nursing program, but I haven’t taken many science classes and I’m not exactly sure if my GPA would allow me to get into such a program. I would appreciate any insights, advice, and even some “I’ve been theres” from anyone. Thanks!
I am currently an AuD student in the Midwest and have recently begun my second year within the program. Classes have been back in session for a week and I've been wrestling with some doubts about audiology and whether audiology is really my calling, the cost vs. benefit of receiving my AuD, and options available to me if I did quit the program. I just wanted to seek some advice, perspective, or thoughts from others about my situation and what I should do.
Some background: I graduated in May 2014 with a BA in communication sciences and disorders from a private Midwest university with a 3.5/4.0 GPA. When I applied to grad schools, I really thought I wanted to study audiology and I was ready to take this next step in my education. However, I had a feeling that I really wasn't ready for grad school and I was feeling burnt out with school in general; I ignored the feeling and took to advice of my family members who told me to power through and not take a gap year for fear that I wouldn't go back to school. I struggled with these feelings of doubt about my personal satisfaction with audiology and some of the aspects of the field that concerned me my whole first year. I fully admit there were long stretches of time that I was really happy and satisfied, but the doubt has always come back in one form or another. Now that I have come back from a short time off between summer and fall classes, these doubts have gotten even stronger, to the point where I have been actively been looking at other things I could do should I decide to quit the program.
There are several things that have bothered me and are contributing to my doubts about the path that I have chosen. The first of these doubts is whether there is enough variety in the day-to-day work as an audiologist to keep boredom at bay or avoid feeling like I'm just reliving the same day each and every day when I go to work. I realize there is some repetitiveness in every job, but I worry that there is not enough variety in this field for me. I'm also worried about some of the professional issues that we have discussed in some of my classes like reimbursement rates for those working with Medicaid, competing with big box stores and online hearing aid/amplification sales, pay vs. time/money spent getting an AuD, how we are respected as allied healthcare providers, etc. I am slightly upset/resentful that I had to get a BA for 4 years and then turn around and spend another 4 years getting and AuD when, realistically, a 5 or 6 year program that allows one to complete a BA and an AuD could be done and makes more sense to do (this was done with the pharmacy program at my undergrad, students were admitted and did 4 semesters of “pre-pharmacy” work and then used the rest of the time in the program working towards their PharmD). How much time this degree takes is really the thing that is currently bothering me the most.
With that said, I’m kind of trying to figure out what my next step(s) should be. I’ve gone back to the career center at my undergrad university and had some career counseling there and it was helpful. Some of the suggestions from that meeting guided me towards other professional careers that would be more suited to my abilities/interests, but I would assume quitting one professional degree program will not look good when applying to another professional degree program. I’ve also considered an accelerated nursing program, but I haven’t taken many science classes and I’m not exactly sure if my GPA would allow me to get into such a program. I would appreciate any insights, advice, and even some “I’ve been theres” from anyone. Thanks!
