Eric Bostwick, AuD, a member of the American Academy of Audiology’s New Professionals Committee interviewed Arielle Spector, AuD. Dr. Spector earned her doctorate of audiology from the University of Texas at Dallas. She is currently employed at the Hearing Diagnostic Center at Dallas Eye and Ear where she manages two clinic locations.

The New Professionals Spotlight is a series developed by the Academy’s New Professionals Committee to feature audiology’s rising stars and some of the amazing work that’s being done in the field.

Eric Bostwick, AuD: Hello, and welcome to our second segment of the American Academy of Audiology’s new professional spotlight, the feature where we highlight some of the rising stars that are making waves in our field.

My name is Eric Bostwick, one of the current members serving on the New Professionals Committee, and today I have the pleasure of being here with Arielle Spector, AuD. Dr. Spector received her bachelor of arts from the University of Maryland at College Park, and her doctoral degree of audiology from the University of Texas at Dallas. She also minored in Spanish. Some of Dr. Spector’s achievements include extensive work in the UT Dallas Student Academy of Audiology chapter. She was also selected to attend the Future Leaders of Audiology Student Conference and has collaborated with three researchers at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

Dr. Spector is currently employed at the Hearing Diagnostic Center of Dallas Eye and Ear, where she manages two clinic locations. From all of us here at the New Professionals Committee, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Spector. Dr. Spector, thank you for joining us here today.

Arielle Spector, AuD: Thank you for having me.

Dr. Bostwick: Dr. Spector, one of the things I think your resume speaks to at length is your unique research experience, and how you’ve worked to kind of extend audiology beyond the walls of the clinic. Can you tell us a little bit more about some of those experiences and how they’ve helped to shape your current position and helped you achieve success?

Dr. Spector: Absolutely. My research project for my third year focused on ear canal residences and measuring those residences and kind of using that as a clinical tool to explain to patients that our ear canals are different. Even our ear canals between ears can be different and you know I use that as a tool to customize hearing healthcare and involve my patient in the appointment and in their care. That’s one of the kinds of reasons that I’ve seen my research as pretty valuable in appointments.

The other research that I would say is relevant is the one I spent working with Dr. Danielson at NASA. We worked on a project together, where we developed a protocol to be able to implement the CUDA wave in space, to be able to track astronauts’ hearing status, and kind of monitor any changes that they may have experienced up there. I actually did work with the developers of that software in South Africa to be able to customize that software and equipment for NASA and the astronauts there.

I have kind of used that knowledge and translated that into my clinic with telehealth, opportunities, and appointments. It kind of feels like if we can do telehealth from the ground up to space, then we can implement that into our clinics as well.

Dr. Bostwick: That’s amazing. How does one get involved with NASA? that That’s a cool element of research that you were able to work on.

Dr. Spector: Yeah, so honestly, I, as a graduate student, wanted to take advantage of any opportunity that I saw available. And I wanted to be very active in the community and in the field of ideology. So, I did take some opportunities with advocacy. And then I also saw this opportunity for research, and I thought it was a very unique opportunity.

And we are always looking for new ways to advance our field and kind of learn from different experiences. And that was a really cool experience for me to work clinically and with research and kind of be able to see both sides of audiology with a new perspective. 

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, that’s great. At your current role, in terms of scope, what are some of the things that you see on a day-to-day basis? And what are some of the current projects that you’re working on?

Dr. Spector: At our clinic, our clinic is Dallas Eye and Ear, so it is set up as a multi-sensory clinic. We have ophthalmology, optometry, and audiology, and I work very closely with ENT as well. We have tried to cover a few of the sensory bases, all in one location and in one place for our patients. It’s kind of a one-stop shop for everything that they would need regarding eyes and ears.

We do medical. I support the medical clinic. We do diagnostics. I do hearing needs. I do vestibular evaluations and also electrophysiology. I just kind of have a little bit of every aspect of audiology here which I love. It keeps every day interesting, and it keeps my skills current. I appreciate that.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah. We were talking about how you currently oversee two locations. What are some of the other projects? Some of the extracurricular activities that you’ve been working on outside of some of the clinical scope?

Dr. Spector: Yeah. I have had the really unique opportunity to become a leader in our clinic so early in my career. So I’ve been working on updating equipment, expanding our referral system, exploring creative marketing campaigns to kind of increase our visibility in both locations where we are, and just thinking about different clinic structures and flows, and different ways that I can increase efficiency…just to name a few examples of other things I’ve been working on.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, that’s great. Can you speak a little bit more as to how you found yourself in that leadership role?

Dr. Spector: Yeah. Most of my peers would describe me as a go-getter, and self-starter. I’m pretty motivated on my own. I like to seek new opportunities. I try to always be a leader wherever I am in any position.

I kind of just saw opportunities in so many different areas and decided ‘Yep, I’m gonna commit to this and I’m just gonna go after those opportunities.’ I’ve kind of just found different areas that I’ve focused on each month and worked on different projects like our website…updating content and database content that kind of thing as well.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, I think a lot of us are sort of at this crossroads where we’ve had a difficult couple of years, and we’ve had to think about the clinic and our workflow and staffing and you know some of the challenges that our field is currently facing. From your perspective and the work that you’ve done, what is one issue that you feel like you’ve seen that we need to look to work on more as we create the future of audiology?

Dr. Spector: I have found a huge opportunity with education, and counseling with my patients.

I have found that the interaction is more meaningful when I give them information that they’re seeking, and kind of involve them in the appointment. I just highly recommend taking advantage of the knowledge that we do have, and all the time that we spent learning in graduate school and just expressing that information in a clear and concise way to patients so that they understand and they have a good take on what’s going on throughout the appointment and what’s going on with their ears as well.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, I definitely agree. I think that the human element is so so important, you know, making that connection so that you’re really promoting that patient-centered care. And we’re treating each patient as an individual. So yeah, I definitely agree.

I think that’s going to be something that’ll be important as we continue to work through the next couple of years, and some of these challenges that we have described. Since becoming a new professional, what do you think has been your most rewarding experience?

Dr. Spector: I’ve had a few rewarding experiences here. One of them being a patient that became my hearing aid patient. She would bring her family to her appointments, and they knew that I was getting married in October, and I started seeing them in like May, and so every appointment after I fit them with the hearing aids, the patient would bring me a wedding gift leading up until my wedding.

They brought one for me. They brought one from my husband that they didn’t even know, and that was just really you know heartwarming to see that they trusted me, and they built that relationship with me so quickly. And they felt it was such a meaningful experience that they felt so inclined to kind of bring me those gifts at appointments.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, that’s great. It sounds like you really made a positive impact for that patient and they felt the need to sort of, you know, repay you back a little bit there. That’s a great story. 

Lastly, we always have to ask, what is your advice to a student or a new professional who is looking to make that positive impact or make those first steps kind of within our field? Is there a takeaway that you’ve learned thus far that’s helped kind of establish yourself in your career, or maybe something that you wish you had known previously that you could share with others?

Dr. Spector: Yes, so like I said, taking advantage of opportunities is important. We participate in the Texas Workforce Mission program, and you know that increases your visibility in other ways that you may not realize. They may have a family member who will need your services later. They may go talk about a positive experience that they had with another person who could benefit from our services.

I’ve also kind of taken it upon myself to learn about other creative ways that we can help patients with hearing protection and kind of expanded into that space as well, depending on the patient’s needs. I would also say something that I’ve learned is to use the resources that are available to you.

I felt like starting out I am in a smaller clinic, so I didn’t work with as many audiologists that I had come from, you know, working in your graduate clinic. I was worried that I was gonna miss that cohesion in the group. Kind of bouncing ideas off of one another, and you know I called some of my hearing aid reps, and some of my old mentors, and so everyone is really happy to help and kind of give you their expertise from learning and what they’ve learned already from being in the field for longer. I really just found that kind of comforting to be able to turn to mentors and ask questions, and for those people to be open to answering any questions.

I would say, seek opportunities that present and use your resources. If you have questions, ask them, and if you don’t know where to ask them, kind of follow the avenues to where you can get your answers.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, I think that’s great advice. I think it speaks to the importance of networking and sort of relying on each other professionally. Those relationships are really important. 

Well, Dr. Spector, your work thus far has been incredible. Keep it up, and we’ll be excited to see where you take your career from here. From all of us here at the New Professionals Committee and the American Academy of Audiology, I want to thank Dr. Spector for joining us here today. For all things audiology, stay tuned to the Academy website at www.audiology.org. Once again, my name is Eric Bostwick, and see you next time.

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Eric Bostwick, AuD, a member of the American Academy of Audiology’s New Professionals Committee interviewed Kaylee Davenport, AuD. Dr. Davenport earned her doctorate of audiology from Louisiana Tech University. She is currently working as a staff audiologist at a VA hospital in Michigan.

The New Professionals Spotlight is a series developed by the Academy’s New Professionals Committee to feature audiology’s rising stars and some of the amazing work that’s being done in the field.

Eric Bostwick, AuD: Hello, and welcome to our very first recorded segment of the American Academy of Audiology’s new professional spotlight. The feature where we highlight our industry’s rising stars, and some of the amazing work that’s being done in our field.

My name is Eric Bostwick, one of the current members serving on the Academy New Professionals Committee, and today I have the pleasure of being here with Dr. Kaylee Davenport. Dr. Davenport earned her degree in audiology, her doctoral degree from the University of Louisiana Tech. She joins us today from the state of Michigan, where she’s currently working as the staff audiologist at the VA hospital. Welcome to our segment, Dr. Davenport.

Kaylee Davenport, AuD: Thank you. I’m happy to be here tonight.

Dr. Bostwick: Thank you so much for joining us. Could you start off by telling us a little bit about your current clinical role, and how you became involved in the veterans administration (VA)? What are some of the things that you see on a day-to-day basis?

Dr. Davenport: Yeah, so I ended up at the Saginaw VA about a year after my first job. So I graduated, spent a year working in private practice ENT, and then I was like looking for something a little bit different. A position came up in Saginaw at the VA. I interviewed and took it. I didn’t think I was gonna like it. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. I absolutely love it. I don’t see myself going anywhere for a really long time. I do a lot of different things at our facility since I’ve been there for the last four and a half years. We’ve grown quite a bit.

When I started, we weren’t doing any type of vestibular testing or no electrophysiology or anything like that. So now we have a vestibular clinic, we have an electrophysiology clinic, and I have my hands in both of those which is pretty exciting, and keeps everything pretty diverse. One thing that I have done, and it’s kind of my baby as far as the audiology projects go, I actually started a tinnitus management group. We meet once a month, virtually, with our Veterans and it’s myself and one of our staff psychologists and so we present a general tinnitus education for our Veterans kind of explaining the ideology of tinnitus, what’s going on with it, and what are some basic management strategies that they can use to help themselves.

It’s been an overwhelming success for the last year, and so I’m really excited to have brought that onto our clinic. I also do a lot with our students. So I kind of work as the student liaison for the university. We see university students every semester and then we’ve also started taking fourth years in the last couple of years. So even since I’ve been at this Saginaw VA, our clinic has grown quite a bit, and have been very proud to be a part of that.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, that sounds like an incredible position and an incredible opportunity. What got you initially excited about working for the VA hospital? Was there any like specific experience that drew you to that clinical setting? Did you have a moment in school where you knew that you wanted to work for the VA?

Dr. Davenport: Nothing in particular. I knew I didn’t want to work in pediatrics after a pediatric rotation. Some people love it. Some people don’t and I’m one of those. And then like I said I did a VA rotation in school and I enjoyed it but like every young student in school, you don’t know, “Oh, everything’s exciting,” you have no idea where you’re going to go in your career. Like I said when I first graduated, I was working in an ENT office, and I didn’t mind it.

I was the only provider at the location but I did find it a little bit boring because the ENTs, I was fortunate to work for some that were wonderful, but they were focused more on their like neck and throat cancer specialties. So I didn’t get a lot of ear-related things and being a new grad, I found that kind of boring so when a position at the VA opened up, I decided to take it. My mentor at the time kind of pushed me towards it. He told me, “you’re not gonna regret it. You have a lot more autonomy there,” “I think that’ll be a good fit for you.” So I took his advice, took a chance, took the job.

Dr. Bostwick: It always takes that initial leap of faith, and I think you know we’re always unsure a little bit of our footing at first but I’m glad to hear that it’s been such a rewarding opportunity. Your scope is pretty wide, it seems like you guys really do see a lot. Sometimes centers are a little bit different and how they’re structured, and how they’re run. Is there any particular aspect of the scope that you have found to be the most rewarding?

Dr. Davenport: I actually enjoy our telehealth clinics. So I mean VA’s been doing telehealth stuff for quite a while, but definitely, with the pandemic stuff, everybody’s jumped on board to that. But the Saginaw, Michigan, we have nine CBOCs or community-based outpatient centers, and we do telehealth and all of that. So we do tele-testing, you know audiology fittings and adjustments, and I find that really rewarding and challenging because it’s clinic.

So the patient or the veteran comes into the other clinic, and there’s a nurse, who most of them I’ve helped train, they’ve been trained by us to kind of know what the equipment is and so, if I tell them, “Hey, I need you to put probe tubes on the oracle,” and you know, “put the collar on the patient”, they know exactly what I’m talking about and it’s been interesting, because, as we know, technology doesn’t always work, working with other people, or explaining to them the procedures or what we’re doing, it doesn’t always work, and also working with people who have hearing loss, computer systems, and speakers and microphones, all of those things, if it can be hard for them to understand what’s going on. So that’s been very rewarding and very challenging.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, I think a lot of audiology practices and just healthcare, in general, can learn from some of the telehealth practices that the VA has been doing for a number of years. I think if the pandemic has taught us anything over the last couple of years, is that patients really value the access and remote capabilities that I think our field is sort of just beginning to get started with, and kind of think about.

So, I really appreciate that the VA is helping kind of be transformative in that way because I really do think, especially for you know, reaching patients that aren’t able to come in all the time or have to make a really long commute, I really do think it provides a great service for them so that is excellent. For those of us who are kind of still learning, still stumbling, maybe on that initial step or you know maybe just shortly thereafter, where you know we’ve kind of jumped into our new profession here or maybe we’re just kind of like I said starting you know thinking about that, what do you find most challenging from transitioning from being a student to being a new professional at an incredibly busy medical practice?

Dr. Davenport: What I found the most challenging is being one of the sole audiologists and going from always having you know a clinical supervisor or preceptor around or resources or other students to be like, “Hey, I don’t quite understand this or can you help me look at these results,” and then, all of a sudden, going to, “Okay, well, I’m the audiologist in this position. There’s technically another audiologist I work with but they’re at another location in another town and they don’t necessarily answer their calls or answer their messages when they’re with patients because the schedule was never the same.”

And so, as a student or a new grad, I say, “all right. So I passed my Praxis and passed the courses. I can do this,” and then being accountable for all of those clinical decision-makings, and when a physician comes up to you asking “can you explain these results to me? What do they mean?” Having the confidence to say “okay, I do know what’s going on here. I can explain this in a way that makes sense,” and like I said a lot of it was just having the confidence and the courage and presence of mind thinking “okay, I can figure this out on my own because I have to and there’s nobody else to really help me.” I found that to be pretty challenging.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, I think we all go through kind of this moment of self-discovery, where you’ve been kind of building up, you know, throughout years of graduate course work to have this moment where you know you’re the one signing off on reports and you know you’re the one that patients are looking up to. But I do feel like it’s kind of a stark transition, right? It’s something that you know once it’s there in front of you, it’s sometimes it’s difficult to kind of wrap your head around the fact that like you know everyone really is looking up to you in a lot of new ways that I just feel like is hard to replicate in any student environment.

Yeah, there, I think there’s a lot of things that are challenging about, you know, kind of bridging that gap from you know being a student to a new professional and I think especially in the current environment, there’s been a lot of external stressors kind of on that process. I think we see a lot of students now jumping into the field after maybe having to have done some remote classwork, maybe some of their clinical time was shortened by the pandemic. So I think that that transition is more stark now or salient in a few more ways than ever thought was possible.

Dr. Davenport: Well, certainly, because I mean when the pandemic happened, especially if you got students coming out of like a three-year program like if they started in the fall of you know 2020 or 2019, they missed like an entire year of like clinical rotations because some places were still seeing patients. I definitely feel for the new grads coming up behind us. It’s interesting for them.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, I think there are a lot of challenges that are currently facing our profession. And now that you know the pandemic is starting to ease, which you know, I hope is more permanent and not seasonal, but are there any specific issues that you feel are really important for us as a profession to address? You know, as we start to roll up our sleeves a little bit and kind of get back in the swing of things, is there anything that stands out to you as something that we need to really kind of work together on?

Dr. Davenport: I would like this to continue working together. I know we’ve done a really good job kind of pushing forward to get that Medicare expansion and look at getting the limited license practitioner status for audiologists. I think if we continue to really dive down into that and to work together and push forward, that will be a big step forward for our profession.

Dr. Bostwick: Yeah, definitely. I think we hinted that earlier, access is just so important for us as providers. But also, ultimately for our patients, the more barriers that we can remove to getting equal access and you know better treatment, I think we’re really going to start to see that make an impact. So I definitely agree with you there. There’s certainly a lot to be done in the profession at large.

But, on a last note, if you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself, or to anyone else who might be thinking about how to get started, or how to make that transition? Or if they’ve made that transition, how do they kind of take that next step, or start to get more involved?

Dr. Davenport: Well, there’s never going to be a perfect time to do it, and you just need to jump in with both feet and get involved. And even if you have no idea what you’re doing…just jump in because there’s always people that are willing to help you out and figure out the way, and that’s kind of how I got involved. I had no idea what I wanted to do but my mentor was like, “You just got to do it. So many people will help you out.” If you don’t know, just ask and I think that goes for both, the Academy or nationally, but definitely at the state organization because you know that’s where a lot of the issues are.

Because the issues for me in Michigan are going to be different from the issues for you in New Jersey and our state licensure, and all of that is different. So if we want to see that change, jumping in and advocating for what’s going on in your state is going to help everything nationally as a whole as we come together.

Dr. Bostwick: I think one thing that I realized is that it’s called continuing education for a reason in that learning doesn’t necessarily stop when you finish graduate school. There are always things that you’re gonna be picking up on the job, maybe special interests that you develop and you want to go further into and I think that’s one of the great things about our profession is that you know you can take things in so many different ways, and I’m always encouraged to hear you know everyone’s individual story because I really feel like there’s you know even though we’re all audiologists, you know everyone’s story is just slightly different. So I think that’s one of the things that keeps audiology great.

Well, Dr. Davenport, from all of us here at the New Professionals Committee, I want to thank you so much for being here with us today. Keep up the good work. To all of our viewers out there, who tuned into our segment, stay up-to-date with all things audiology on the Academy website at www.audiology.org. This is Eric Bostwick, AuD, of the New Professionals Committee. Thanks.

Academy Resources

• Academy Career Resources
• New Audiologist Resources
• Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) Becoming an Audiologist Interview Series

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Skyler Barnes is a Pediatric Audiologist at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Ft Worth, Texas. She received her AuD from the University of North Texas. Her interests include parent advocacy, amplification, and assistive technology.

1. What did you find most challenging about transitioning from student to professional?
I was lucky enough to have incredible experiences and exposure within my fourth year externship. Even with the excellent training I received, there is a very real, yet intangible difference when your name and your license is suddenly on the line. The most challenging aspect of transitioning for me was the quick turn that I make all the clinical decisions by myself. There was no longer a supervisor to check recommendations with. It took quite a few months for me, post graduating, to feel truly comfortable in my skills.

2. What is your most rewarding experience since becoming an independent professional?
Working at a pediatric hospital is full of rewarding experiences almost every day. It’s difficult to pinpoint a certain memory. Overall, being able to identify a newborn baby with a hearing loss and follow with them every step as they grow up has been incredibly rewarding. The relationships and trust that I have gained with my families is the best part of the job, for sure.

3. Why did you get involved in the Academy?
I was President of the UNT SAA Chapter while I was in my AuD program, and I really enjoyed playing a small part in advancing our profession. I was heavily involved while in school and now as a professional, I wanted to continue serving our community.

4. Are you involved in any other state or national activities?
I am a member of our state and national academies. I am a member of the New Professionals Committee and I also volunteer on the Learning Module Subcommittee for the AAA Annual Conference.

5. What is your advice to a student or new professional looking to get involved with the profession of audiology?
Volunteer! Reach out! Make connections! One of the most helpful resources that I had as I transitioned from student clinician to AuD was the wealth of knowledge at my fingertips from colleagues. Having a bank of people you trust to bounce ideas off of, or ask for help is Invaluable.

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1. What did you find most challenging about transitioning from student to professional?
What I found to be challenging as a new professional is having the feeling that you need to “know everything” once graduate school is finished. I graduated with high marks from an excellent program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and had a strong, diverse externship experience with fantastic preceptors at Temple University Hospital, but I continued to feel like there was more I needed to do to feel comfortable in a leadership role. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with transitioning into a new professional. We have many colleagues, clinical support staff, students, and patients that are relying on us. What I have learned as I have become more comfortable and confident over these few years is that with graduation comes entrance into a community of learning and continued education. Our professional community contains a wealth of other highly-skilled clinicians to connect with and learn from. There are also conferences, workshops, and seminars that you can go to for networking (with many offered through AAA). There isn’t an end point for growth and skill acquisition like graduation that signals you need to “know everything.”

2. What is your most rewarding experience since becoming an independent professional?
I think there are many rewarding aspects of our job, and one of the reasons I joined this field is because of the patient success stories. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that our work can make such a positive impact on a patient’s quality of life. I think one of the more unexpected rewarding experiences I have had is working with audiology students. Audiology students really appreciate the dedication and working with them to develop their skills. I have had several fantastic students and externs that I have collaborated with on various projects and research, and have really come to value their passion for the field and the expertise that they bring to the table. I really enjoy clinical teaching and precepting and am excited for our profession’s future.

3. Why did you get involved in the Academy?
Audiology is evolving, and these changes range from small-scale clinical practice changes to larger decisions like legislation that all impact patient care. I feel like the profession is at a crossroads where we need to be engaged in its growth and advocacy so it can continue down the trajectory that others have worked so hard over recent decades to develop. Change can be tough, and there continues to be some negativity in our industry. I got involved with the Academy so that I can work with others to be proactive and make a positive impact.

4. Are you involved in any other state or national activities?
One of my goals for 2020 is to become more within state-level academies and local organizations, but I currently serve on the Academy’s New Professionals Committee, the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) Patient Education Committee, and The Audiology Project: Pennsylvania Cohort. I also serve as an ASHA S.T.E.P. Virtual Mentoring Community Mentor and was recently part of the CH-AP Program Validation Panel.

5. What is your advice to a student or new professional looking to get involved with the profession of audiology?
My advice would be to get involved! Whether it’s on the local level or with a national committee, find something you are passionate about in the field and find ways to network and grow professionally.

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1. What did you find most challenging about transitioning from student to professional?
The thing that I found challenging was becoming my own decision maker in the sense that I was the professional now, I was responsible for doing what was best for my patients without having someone constantly supervise my decisions. It was time to take what I had learned in class and clinic and be confident in my actions, which took some getting used to.

2. What is your most rewarding experience since becoming an independent professional?
I don’t have a specific example in mind, but it has been very rewarding to be able to help my new patients and gain their trust as their doctor. Seeing the difference we make in the lives of hearing impaired individuals completely validates the years of classes and hard work.

3. Why did you get involved in the Academy?
I got involved as a student because I had a professor and mentor in my AuD program who was very passionate about advocacy and volunteering for our profession. I attended a Future Leaders of Audiology Student Conference early on in my AuD program and was able to see how important it is for us to take control of the future of our profession and do what we can to help get us where we need to be.

4. Are you involved in any other state or national activities?
I hold membership in my state and national academies. Having just recently wrapped up my volunteer duties on the student-level, I have not had the chance to get involved or volunteer as a new professional yet.

5. What is your advice to a student or new professional looking to get involved with the profession of audiology?
Anything that you can do to help goes further than you think. We as a profession aren’t going to get where we need to be overnight, and it certainly won’t happen without people like us who are willing to help. Start small, start with your local SAA Chapter, whatever you’re comfortable with. Anything helps!

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Jason Baker, AuD graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in May of 2018 and joined the team at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders. Although he enjoys all aspects of audiology, his current specialties include vestibular disorders, diagnostic testing, and hearing aid dispensing. Over the last few months, Jason has been conducting clinical research to further develop balance services. He also developed an Ear Canal Management (ECM) Clinic to provide services in the community and assist in the clinical teaching of the UT Dallas doctoral students. Jason is currently serving on the AAA New Professionals Committee and plans to join a committee through the Texas Academy of Audiology (TAA). His audiologic goals include providing evidence-based patient care, promoting NIHL prevention, and advocating for and promoting the profession of audiology through professional leadership.

1. What did you find most challenging about transitioning from student to professional?
Initially, I thought the most challenging aspect about transitioning from student to professional would be precepting students. Since I work at a university clinic, I am required to work with students and that presented some doubts in my mind. What if I mess up? What if I don’t know an answer to a question? I am now in my second semester of precepting and I enjoy having students in clinic. Yes, the appointments go slower, a challenge in itself, but having students (and the many questions) keeps me on my toes and holds me accountable. So I’ll say that the students are not a challenge, but understanding insurance and third-party payers sure can be.

2. What is your most rewarding experience since becoming an independent professional?
The most rewarding experience since becoming an independent professional is definitely the ownership of patient care. Realizing that the patient’s healthcare is in your hands can be daunting, but I truly enjoy navigating the appointments and working as an independent professional. However, I do have a team to turn to when faced with more difficult cases.

3. Why did you get involved in the Academy?
Throughout the four years of grad school I became increasingly involved with the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA). I also spent a lot of time with Dr. Jackie Clark, Past President of AAA and she made it clear that in order for our profession to thrive, we must work from within. No one else is going to fight for the profession and advocate for audiology and our patients as much as audiologists. We are responsible for how audiology is viewed and we must lead the profession in the right direction. The best way I can advocate for audiology is through Academy involvement.

4. Are you involved in any other State or National activities?
I am currently a member of TAA and the Dallas Audiology Society. My goals after graduating were to join local, state, and national organizations. I did not want to over commit right away, but now that I have a grasp over my clinical expectations, I plan to volunteer on local and state committees.

5. What is your advice to a student or new professional looking to get involved with the profession of Audiology?
My advice is to not hesitate and reach out. Reach out to your local, state, and national organizations. Someone will respond because I know help is always needed. There are so many different ways to get involved and if you are asking to help out you are already a step in the right direction.

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Since graduating from Arizona State University in 2017, Emily Jo Venskytis, AuD has been working at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. As a young professional, her goal was to see a diverse patient population and use her skills in as many areas of clinical practice as she could. Emily is also currently the audiology liaison to both the Congenital Ear and Cleft-Craniofacial multidisciplinary teams at the hospital.

1. What did you find most challenging about transitioning from student to professional?
The most challenging aspect of the transition was balancing my desire to be a “yes” person and take on new responsibilities and projects while truly learning to manage my own patient caseload. The lesson I learned in this is that if you take on any responsibilities that you can actually handle, it can open doors for new opportunities!

2. What is your most rewarding experience since becoming an independent professional?
I enjoy so many aspects of working as an audiologist at a children’s hospital. If I had to choose, I would say it is the ability to work with patients from diagnosis of hearing loss via ABR through their journey of appropriate audiologic amplification and management. Building relationships with patients and their families and being the coordinator of their hearing healthcare has been a very fulfilling experience.

3. Why did you get involved in the Academy?
I originally became involved with the Academy in my third year of ASU’s program after being involved with my local SAA and wanting to connect with a larger group of audiologists. From there, I was hooked! Being in our relatively small field, it is amazing to have so many opportunities to work closely with the agents of change and have your voice heard.

4. Are you involved in any other State or National activities?
I am a member of my state organization but am working on expanding my horizons to become more involved!

5. What is your advice to a student or new professional looking to get involved with the profession of Audiology?
Definitely go for it! There are so many different options with a range of commitment levels. You can start on a committee for either your state organization or nationally with the Academy. With an abundance of committee types, you’re bound to find something that peaks your interest. Even if you are unsure of what you have to offer, committees always need hands on deck!

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