What does an Audiologist do?
An Audiologist typically works in a hospital, clinic, or another public health centre to see patients with hearing issues. Audiologists train to diagnose and treat patients with issues such as hearing loss, ringing in the ears, balance issues, and overproduction of earwax. Audiologists mainly work with patients with hearing loss, so they are able to fit and dispense assistive listening devices, such as hearing aids, alerting systems, captioning devices, and sensory aids. They also counsel and rehabilitate these patients to ensure they can maximize their hearing and communicative functions.
Audiologist skills and qualifications
As an Audiologist is a health professional, they must have necessary medical training. Interpersonal skills are also important as Audiologists work closely with other health professionals and patients. In addition to these skills, a successful Audiologist will have the following skills and qualifications:
- Ability to recognize and treat hearing impairments in people of any age
- Knowledge of specialized equipment, such as hearing aids and captioning devices
- Strong verbal and written communication skills to interact with colleagues and patients
- Ability to multi-task and manage time well
- Critical thinking skills as every patient will be in a unique situation
Audiologist experience requirements
Like other Physicians, Audiologists must go through years of schooling before they can practice medicine. First, an Audiologist must complete a bachelor’s degree so they can go on to obtain their Master of Science degree. A bachelor’s degree typically takes four years and a master’s degree often takes two to three years depending on the program. While working towards their Master’s Degree, Audiologists must complete a minimum of 350 hours of supervised clinical practicum to get hands-on experience. Once their Master’s program is complete, they must register with their province’s regulatory body. No prior work as an Audiologist is necessary, but the schooling and practicum is.
Audiologist education and training requirements
An Audiologist must have a Master of Science in Audiology and register with the regulatory body in their province to practice audiology. For example, an Audiologist in Ontario must register with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario.
Audiologist salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for an Audiologist in Canada is $55,234 per year. Salaries for Audiologists may vary depending on the hiring company, the location of the position, and the candidate’s experience level.
Job description samples for similar positions
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