Why Should I choose a Career in Audiology?
In New Zealand we have over 400 fully qualified, practising audiologists, and a small number of audiometrists, working in a range of settings in the public, private and educational sectors, as well as in research. Audiologists and Audiometrists work closely with Deaf Educators, Speech Language Pathologists, Hearing Therapists and medical specialists in the field of Ear, Nose, and Throat medicine. A deeply rewarding profession, Audiology blends the knowledge and application of science, technology and health care.
Communication is fundamental to health and well-being, and hearing loss is an invisible barrier to communication. It can present as anything from mild to profound in degree and can impact a person on a scale from minimal to catastrophic. Frustration, social isolation and misunderstanding are the hallmarks of hearing impairment. The audiologist and audiometrist work in the middle of these dynamics. Their role is to identify and quantify the hearing impairment, plan a pathway of rehabilitation, and guide the hearing-impaired person to an improved quality of life.
To work with children is to take on many challenges, using all the accumulated skills of the Masters degree training and practical experience by an Audiologist. The audiologist is part of a team of medical and educational professionals, all seeking to maximise the potential of the child from the earliest age and spanning over the entire childhood experience.
Adults present their own varied challenges to the audiologist or audiometrist. To be a good listener is a prerequisite to finding effective solutions. The psycho-social nature of hearing impairment is loaded with denial, embarrassment, and social withdrawal. The rehabilitation pathway includes technology options and counsel and support for the hearing impaired and their loved ones.
Today's audiologist and audiometrist is equipped with knowledge of the physiology of hearing, the psychology of hearing loss, the technology of hearing aids and the qualitative outcome of rehabilitation. They have the privilege of changing lives for the better. Job opportunities abound in New Zealand. Small wonder it is considered a leading career choice in this country and all round the world.