Audiology Careers

Why study Audiology?

Audiology is a challenging and expanding field. As a healthcare profession, audiology also involves assessment, management and therapeutic rehabilitation of people with hearing and balance problems, and associated disorders. Individuals with an interest in biological sciences, psychology, physics and electronics, as well as speech and language development, may find that audiology has a lot to offer them.

A desire to work with and help people is essential and forms an important component of both training and the job. Other qualities an audiologist requires include:

Ability to communicate well with all types of people
Good problem solving skills
Ability to work as part of a team
A caring and understanding attitude
Good manual dexterity
Analytical skills

Audiologists work with patients of all ages, from newborn babies and children to working adults and elderly people, and often in multidisciplinary teams, frequently liaising with medical, education and research professionals.

In this area of healthcare science, you could work in areas including:

Paediatrics
Adult assessment and rehabilitation
Special needs groups
Research and development
Teaching

Focussing on hearing assessment and using patient centred care approach, management of hearing loss including rehabilitation, living with hearing loss, assessment and management of patient with dizziness and imbalance.

Learn more about these areas of work: Audiology | Health Careers

Day to day as an audiologist you might:

See NHS and private clients in clinics, retail settings or in their own homes
Assess hearing using different tests
Fit, test or repair hearing aids
Advise on ear health and hygiene or remove ear wax
Keep customer records and administration up to date

With experience you could specialise in an area like:

Cochlear implants
Managing tinnitus
Working with deafblind people
Assisting people with learning disabilities

You could also develop your skills to enable you to:

Lead a clinical team, manage a unit or move into a general management position in healthcare
Become a director of your own retail stores
Move into research or become a higher education lecturer at a university

A national study of hearing showed that approximately 16% of the population have a significant hearing loss, indicating that working in this field is an important area of healthcare science. Employment opportunities are available both in the NHS and the private sector.

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