BECOMING AN AUDIOLOGIST - Essay Example

The Career as an Audiologist An audiologist is a professional that assesses and corrects a wide range of problems that are related to the ear. This can include hearing degradation, balance, and neural problems associated with the ear. It is a highly specialized field of medicine in which there are currently 12,000 practicing professionals. The regulation for the field of audiologist is at the state level and requirements differ from state to state. There are many career opportunities for the audiologist that can work in clinics, private practice, or research.

Recent advances in medical technology have opened many opportunities for audiologists that wish to pursue an exciting career.To work as an audiologist will require that the person be licensed. All states require a minimum of a masters degree to gain registration in that state. In Alabama, there have been some recent modifications to the requirements. Currently the state requires a doctoral degree and some form of supervised clinical experience. After attaining these credentials the person is allowed to take the state approval examination.

Before 2007, the state required a masters degree, but the enhanced requirements only affect those just entering the field. This is typical of the other states where they have selectively raised the academic requirements. Currently there are 12,000 professionals that work nationally as audiologists. This number is expected to increase to 13,000 by the year 2016. This adds about 100 new professionals per year. This is about the average of all occupations, but the chances of working in the field are increased when the person has a doctoral degree.

Many states require continuing education for re-licensing, and Alabama maintains that requirement for audiology assistants. The median income for an audiologist is about sixty thousand dollars per year. The income is tightly grouped with few audiologists making more than ninety thousand or less than forty thousand dollars per year. The field of audiology has many specialties and a wide range of activities. The audiologist may work in a clinic or private practice that dispenses hearing aids. They may diagnose and teat a variety of problems that are associated with the ear and hearing.

Audiologist also treat a variety of problems associated with the ear that impacts balance. In addition, the audiologist may work with the psychological aspects of losing the hearing and the associated neural problems. There are also positions in the field of education. Audiologists often work with other community health professionals as a part of an integrated team that plans and implements services for children. Audiologists also work in the field of research where the newest technology is utilized to create new treatments and devices.

In conclusion, an audiologist has a wide range of alternatives available to them. They can work in private practice, clinics, education, or research. New and more stringent academic requirements have made the doctoral degree advantageous when working as an audiologist, though in Alabama the requirements only apply to new graduates. Audiology can be a personally as well as economically rewarding field where many people make as much as ninety thousand dollars per year. BibliographyAlabama State: Characteristics of licensure law (2007).

Retrieved January 24, 2008, from http://www.asha.org/about/legislation-advocacy/state/info/AL/licensure.htmAudiologists (2007, December 18). Retrieved January 24, 2008, from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos085.htm#earnings