What's an Audiologist?

Audiologists are health-care professionals who evaluate, diagnose, treat, and manage hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders in newborn, children, and adults. Audiology is a well-respected and highly recognized profession. Audiology has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the Best Careers in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

• Audiologists
  • prescribe and fit hearing aids
  • assist in cochlear implant programs
  • perform ear- or hearing-related surgical monitoring
  • design and implement hearing conservation programs and newborn hearing screening programs
  • provide hearing rehabilitation training such as
    • auditory training
    • speech reading
    • listening skills improvement
  
  
• While most audiologists earn a doctor of audiology (AuD) degree, there are other doctoral degrees that audiologists can obtain, i.e., PhD, ScD, etc., from accredited universities with special training in the prevention, identification, assessment, and treatment of hearing disorders.
  
  
• Audiologists must be licensed in most states.
  
  
• Audiologists treat all ages and types of hearing loss: adults, teens, children, and infants.
  
  
• Audiologists work in a variety of settings, such as:
  • Hospitals, clinics, private practices, ENT offices, universities, K-12 schools, government, military, and VA hospitals.
  
  
• Almost all types of hearing loss are treatable by an audiologist.
  
  
• Most hearing loss that is caused by nerve damage can be treated by an audiologist with hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and hearing rehabilitation.