UCSD AuD Clinical Experiences

Preceptorship in Otolaryngology: During Year II, students complete a placement with an ear nose and throat physician in a busy ENT clinic. Often this occurs alongside medical students. The experience includes clinical observation and history taking of pre- and post-surgical patients being evaluated for outer/middle/inner ear disorders and balance disorders including:

· Meniere's Disease

· Cochlear and vestibular hydrops

· Otosclerosis

· Complications of otitis media (e.g. cholesteatoma, mastoiditis)

· Autoimmune inner ear disorders (AIED)

· Sudden sensorineural hearing loss

· Acoustic neuroma

· Tinnitus

· Temporal bone factures

· Medical/legal cases

· Vestibular disorders (labyrinthitis, BPPV)

· Implanted hearing aids (e.g. BAHA)

· Vascular loop compression of the VIII^th cranial nerve

· Eustachian tube dysfunction assessment

· External otitis 

Surgical observations have included:

· Tympanoplasty, stapedectomy, labrynthectomy, endolymphatic shunt, meatalplasty, mastoidectomy, BAHA, exostoses excision, fistula repair, cholesteatoma removal, and cochlear implantation.

Audiology Clinic: Students gain broad experience administering and interpreting the following test procedures on a primarily adult population:

• Puretone audiometry
• Word recognition testing
• Immittance assessment
• Multifrequency/multicomponent tympanometry
• Transient and distortion product otoacoustic emissions
• Auditory brainstem response (ABR)
• Electrocochleography (ECoG)
• Stacked ABR
• Cochlear hydrops masking assessment paradigm (CHAMP)
• Middle latency response
• Evoked cortical responses
• ENG/VNG
• VEMP
• Ototoxic monitoring
• Observations of cochlear implant initial stimulation and followup
• Tinnitus Assessment

Audiological Rehabilitation: AuD students will assist with the prescription/dispensing of amplification devices:

• Amplification using real-ear probe measures to verify fittings
• Hearing aid repairs
• Patient orientation and fittings for BAHA
• Patient and family member counseling re: listening strategies
• Selection of assistive listening devices
• Tinnitus Masking
• Soon to start: Tinnitus Retraining Therapy