NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
AUDIOLOGIST
Summary
An audiologist is one of the professions included among the various Allied Medical Sciences disciplines that study hearing and balance-related disorders. They diagnose and treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent the related damage. As healthcare professionals, audiologists are specialised in identifying, diagnosing, treating, and monitoring auditory and vestibular systems disorders. They are trained to diagnose, control and treat hearing, or balance difficulties.
The term "Audiology" was born of interdisciplinary collaboration due to the substantial prevalence of hearing loss in veterans of World War II. After World War II, the people who had hearing loss spurred the formulation of the field of audiology. By extending assistance to the World Health Organization's endeavours towards addressing the necessities of the hearing impaired and deaf community, and through the publication of the scientific peer-reviewed International Journal of Audiology, the International Society of Audiology was established in the early 1950s. Promotion of interactions among associations, national societies, and between the organisations having similar beliefs, was also facilitated.
By employing various testing strategies, audiologists invariably aim to determine whether someone has normal sensitivity to sounds or not. The list of the tests includes electrophysiologic analyses, otoacoustic emission measurements, and behavioural hearing tests. Computers, audiometers, and other devices are used to test patients hearing ability and balance. Audiologists measure the loudness and frequency at which a person starts to hear sounds and the person's capacity to differentiate between sounds and recognise speech. If an audiologist identifies the hearing loss, they determine which portions of hearing, i.e. high, middle, or low frequencies, are affected and work on finding out the degree of the severity of the loss.
Moreover, the injury or wound causing the hearing loss is found out, which could possibly be in the auditory nerve, inner ear, middle ear, outer ear, and the central nervous system. If they determine that a vestibular abnormality or hearing loss is present, they will recommend rehabilitation such as cochlear implants, hearing aids, and other appropriate medical referrals. Cochlear implants are the tiny devices that are installed under the epidermis near the ear and send electrical pulses directly to the auditory nerve in the brain. Audiologists can diagnose audiological and vestibular pathologies and provide hearing health care from birth to end-of-life. Audiologists can also specialise in the rehabilitation of hyperacusis, tinnitus, auditory processing disorders, hearing aid use and cochlear implant use. They also counsel patients on other measures to cope with serious hearing impairment, such as lip reading or using technology.
World Health Organization has formulated some simple strategies for prevention from hearing loss in children, teenage girls and women of reproductive age are: immunising them against diseases including measles, meningitis, mumps, rubella and syphilis, including advancement in perinatal and antenatal care, and progression of safe delivery of a child. Moreover, suggesting the families having high-risk factors such as those with a family history of deafness, sending their babies for hearing assessment followed by the prompt diagnosis as per the requirement. Most importantly, reducing exposure to loud noises by creating awareness, and using personal protective devices, and developing and implementing appropriate legislation.
Many audiologists work as acoustic or auditory scientists in a research role. In addition, audiologists also help in designing and implementing personal and industrial hearing safety programs, including making special or custom-fitted earplugs, and other hearing protection devices to help prevent hearing loss. They also conduct multiple schools and infant hearing screening programs to help a patient suffering from vertigo or other balance problems.
The work setting of audiologists includes offices of physicians, occupational and speech therapists and audiologists, government/private Hospitals or educational institutions. They work closely with nurses, audiology/medical assistants, and other healthcare workers; some travel between multiple facilities.
Career Opportunities in Audiologist
After studying audiology, candidates may find a variety of jobs. They can find employment in government-owned and privately owned hospitals, private clinics, educational institutions and healthcare facilities. Working with doctors, hearing aid manufacturers and NGOs could also be a possible option.
Some of the common Audiologists job profiles are:
Health professionals who diagnose and treat hearing, balance and other hearing disorders. They help people with dysfunctions to communicate adequately and connect with the world around them.
Carry out clinical practices for patients engaged in speech & hearing testing, dispensing hearing aids and listening aids.
They are responsible for diagnoses of children and adults for treating cognitive communication and speech therapy.
They work under the supervision of certified or licensed audiologists and provide administrative support to them.
They carry out a range of tests on children and adults to learn the presence, nature and degree of hearing loss and balance disorders.
Audiologists can work as an instructor in hearing loss prevention courses for construction workers, mining operations and other industries where hearing protection is required also become instructors at local community or career colleges etc. where they teach to technologists and technicians.
How to Pursue a Career in Audiology
| Stream | Graduation | After Graduation | After Post Graduation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Path 1 | Class 12 with Science Stream | Pursue Bachelors in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (4 years) | M.Sc. in Speech-Language Pathology(MASLP) (2 Years) | PhD in Audiology |
| Path 2 | Class 12 with PCM/B | Pursue B.Sc. Audiology. | M.Sc.in Audiology (2 Years) | PhD in Speech-Language Pathology |
| Path 3 | Class 12 with PCM/B | Pursue Diploma in (Audiology and Speech ) (1-2 Years) | M.Sc. in Audiology and Speech Rehabilitation(MASLP) (2 Years) | PhD in Audiology |
Note
●Most colleges have eligibility criteria of a minimum of 50-60% aggregate marks in Class 12.
●Must have cleared class 12th examination with at least 50% marks including English.
●Some colleges also have an age limit (17 on 31st December of the year of admission).
Important Courses Covered
Courses covered for Bachelor’s in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (BASLP)
- Introduction to Human Communication
- Introduction to Hearing & Hearing Sciences
- Speech-Language Development & Disorders
- Introduction to Audiology & Auditory Tests
- Speech-Language Diagnostics and Therapeutics
- Psychology-related to Speech & Hearing
- Basic Medical Sciences related to Speech & Hearing
- Management of the Hearing Impaired
- Articulation & Phonological Disorders
- Voice & Laryngectomy
- Maxillofacial Anomalies
- Motor Speech Disorders in Children
- Diagnostic Audiology: Part 1
- Diagnostic Audiology: Part 2
- Rehabilitative Audiology
- Neurogenic Language Disorders in Adults
- Motor Speech Disorders in Adults
- Noise Measurements & Hearing Conservation
- Technology & Amplification Devices for Persons with Hearing Impairment
- Basic Statistics
- Scientific Enquiry in Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology
- Professional Practices in Speech, Language & Hearing including Community Work
- Clinical Practicum: a)Speech-Language Pathology
b)Audiology
Leading Institutes
Top Audiologist Institutes in India
| College | Location | Website | Entrance Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| All India Institute of Speech and Hearing | Bangalore | http://www.aiishmysore.in/en/academic_course9.html | AIISHEE |
| University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital Shahdara | Delhi | http://www.ucms.ac.in/ | NEET |
| Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) | Mumbai | http://www.hbni.ac.in/ | NEET |
| Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Punjab University | Chandigarh | http://pgimer.edu.in/ | PGIMER |
| Christian Medical College, Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University | Vellore | http://www.cmch-vellore.edu/ | MGREEE |
| Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University | Manglore | http://manipal.edu/kmc-manipal.html | MET |
| Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi | Delhi | http://www.mamc.ac.in/ | NEET |
| Armed Forces Medical College | Pune | http://www.afmc.nic.in/ | NEET |
Top Audiologist Institutes Abroad
| College | Location | Website | Entrance Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington | Washington,U.S.A | http://www.washington.edu/students/ | IELTS, CPE, TOEFL |
| University of Southampthom | U.K. | http://www.southampton.ac.uk/ | IELTS, CPE, TOEFL |
| University of Manchester | U.S.A | http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/ | IELTS, CPE, TOEFL |
| Aston University | U.K. | http://www.aston.ac.uk/ | IELTS, CPE, TOEFL |
| Middlesex University London | United Kingdom | http://www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/healthcare-science-audiology | IELTS, CPE, TOEFL |
| De Montfort University | England | http://www.dmu.ac.uk/home.aspx | IELTS, CPE, TOEFL |
| Swansea University | U.K | http://www.swansea.ac.uk/ | IELTS, CPE, TOEFL |
Entrance Exams
| Institute | Tentative Date | Important Subjects Covered | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIISHEE | September | Physics Chemistry Biology Mathematics | https://aiishmysore.in/en/ |
| PGIMER | November & July | English Language, Quantitative aptitude & General Knowledge | https://pgimer.edu.in/ |
| NEET | September | Physics, Chemistry, Maths | https://neet.nta.nic.in/webinfo/Page/Page?PageId=8&LangId=P |
| MGREEE | May | General Studies and Engineering Aptitude | https://www.drmgrdu.ac.in/inner.php?page=Admissions |
| MET | June | Physics, Chemistry, Maths | https://manipal.edu/mu/admission/indian-students/online-entrance-exam-overview.html |
Job Description
Job description of Audiologists
●Examine patients who have hearing, balance, or related ear problems
● Provide treatment to the patients suffering from the ear-related disease
● Check for issues of hearing, balance and tinnitus problems
● Assess the results of the examination and diagnose problems
● Prescribe appropriate medication and treatment such as wax cleaning, hearing aids, cochlear implantation, etc.
● Fit and dispense hearing aids
● Help the clients in coping up with profound hearing loss through lip-reading and sign language
● Educate patients on ways to prevent hearing loss
● Be aware of the techniques and working of different hearing aids/machines
● Checking on the patients and their conditions regularly
● Manage records of the patients in accordance with their progress
● Remain updated with new research work and discoveries
● Research the causes and treatment of hearing and balance disorders
●Perform duties in line with the ethical standards
●Examine patients who have hearing, balance, or related ear problems
● Provide treatment to the patients suffering from the ear-related disease
● Check for issues of hearing, balance and tinnitus problems
● Assess the results of the examination and diagnose problems
● Prescribe appropriate medication and treatment such as wax cleaning, hearing aids, cochlear implantation, etc.
● Fit and dispense hearing aids
● Help the clients in coping up with profound hearing loss through lip-reading and sign language
● Educate patients on ways to prevent hearing loss
● Be aware of the techniques and working of different hearing aids/machines
● Checking on the patients and their conditions regularly
● Manage records of the patients in accordance with their progress
● Remain updated with new research work and discoveries
● Research the causes and treatment of hearing and balance disorders
●Perform duties in line with the ethical standards
Top Hiring Companies
-
Top Companies Hiring an Audiologist
Artemis Hospital
Artemis Hospital is spread across 9 acres, has a 400 plus bed and is a state-of-the-art multi-speciality hospital located in Gurgaon, India. Established in 2007, Artemis Hospital is also the first NABH and JCI accredited hospital in Gurgaon.
Artemis provides a depth of expertise in the spectrum of advanced medical & surgical interventions and a comprehensive mix of services, as it is counted as one of the most advanced hospitals in India. It has put modern technology in the hands of renowned doctors from across the countries, to set new standards in healthcare. The research-oriented medical practices and procedures are followed in the hospital and benchmarked against the best in the world.
Aditya Hospital
Aditya Hospital is a 200 plus bed super speciality hospital. It is geared to implement high-end super speciality services in Cardiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Urology, Surgical Gastroenterology, Orthopedic Surgery, Nephrology, Plastic Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgeries and Polytrauma & Critical Care, High-Risk Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
Bharati Hospital
BHARATI HOSPITAL is a 150-bed multispecialty hospital at Saraipali which is an important business centre in Chhattisgarh. It is next to Raipur and well connected by Air, Road and Railway. It is the only tertiary care hospital serving more than ten lakh people in a radius of 50 km. The hospital is designed by a top-ranking architect on 7 acres of lush green campus and is furnished with modern facilities and excellent faculties.
Medanta Hospital
Medanta is set up with the only task of offering world-class, holistic and less expensive healthcare and constructing a dynamic organisation that specialises in developing humans and new knowledge.
Medanta’s large 2.1 million sq. ft. campus offers 1,600+ beds and home centres for over 22+ super-specialities, all beneath one roof. Every floor is devoted to specialisation to ensure that they function as independent hospitals within a hospital and yet have the comfort of cooperating on complex cases. Patients are provided with multiple choices for treatment, the most suitable of which is arrived at through a cross-function, cross-specialisation committee such as the Tumor board that decides the best plan of action.
AIIMS
All-India Institute of Medical Sciences was established as an establishment of national importance by the Associate in Nursing Act of Parliament with the objects to develop patterns of teaching in undergrad and Post-graduate Medical Education altogether its branches to demonstrate a high customary of Medical Education in India; to gather in one place academic facilities of the best order for the training of personnel in all vital branches of health activity, and to achieve independence in Post-graduate Medical Education. AIIMS conjointly runs a school of Nursing and trains students for B.Sc.(Hons.) degrees. As provided within the Act, both for undergrad and post-graduate students, the Institute has comprehensive facilities for teaching, research and patient care, and it conducts teaching programs in medical and para-medical disciplines. Teaching and analysis are conducted in forty-two disciplines. In medical research, AIIMS is that the lead, having over 600 research publications by its college and researchers during a year.
Fortis Hospital
Fortis Healthcare Limited – an IHH Healthcare Berhad Company – is India's leading incorporated healthcare offerings provider. It is undoubtedly considered one of the most critical healthcare businesses in the country, with 36 healthcare facilities (which incorporates duties underneath development), 4000 operational beds, and over four hundred diagnostics centres, which incorporates JVs. Fortis is located in India, United Arab Emirates (UAE) & Sri Lanka. Brand Fortis was modified into setting up in 1996 with the vision 'to create a world-elegance covered healthcare delivery tool in India, entailing the best medical competencies combined with compassionate affected individual care.' Fortis Healthcare is the country's 'fastest-growing healthcare group. We have grown from the number one health centre at Mohali (Chandigarh), which opened in 2001, to forty-three healthcare facilities (which incorporates obligations under development) as of today. These consist of the world-well-known Escorts Heart Institute and the erstwhile Wockhardt facilities. From North to South, East to West, Fortis has India protected the frontier town of Amritsar, to Ludhiana, Mohali, the National Capital Region, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai, Kolkata, and lots of greater locations are all domestic to Fortis facilities. Fortis occupies an area of delight in India's healthcare shipp
Aster Hospital
Aster Hospitals is one of the top healthcare companies in India. The hospitals are renowned for their medical infrastructure and knowledge as they have got a number of the best medical doctors in the country, supported through ultra-cutting-edge technologies, research-based care in a warm & comforting environment. They relied on medical doctors and a group of professionals to work carefully collectively to offer excellent healthcare. As a leader in the healthcare industry, the hospitals are authorised through the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare (NABH), and our high-tech laboratory offerings are NABL endorsed. Two of the hospital's Aster Medcity, Cochin & Aster Ramesh, Guntur, are approved with the JCI (Joint Commission International), considering the gold well-known in worldwide health care.
FAQs
What does an Audiologist do?
An audiologist is one of the professions included among the various Allied Medical Sciences disciplines studying hearing and balance-related disorders. They diagnose and treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent the related damage. As healthcare professionals, audiologists are specialised in identifying, diagnosing, treating, and monitoring auditory and vestibular systems disorders. They are trained to diagnose, control and treat hearing or balance difficulties.What are Audiologist courses?
After finishing high school, one can join UG courses or Diploma Based on their preferences and further proceed to PG and PhD courses.Diploma in Audiology and Speech Rehabilitation
UG courses Include:
Bachelor’s in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
B.Sc. Audiology
PG Courses Includes:
M.Sc. in Speech-Language Pathology(MASLP)
M.Sc. Audiology
M.Sc. in Audiology and Speech Rehabilitation
PhD Courses Includes:
PhD in Audiology
PhD in Speech-Language Pathology
What are the requirements for taking an Audiologists degree?
Most colleges have eligibility criteria of a minimum of 50-60% aggregate marks in Class 12. Must have cleared class 12th examination with at least 50% marks, including English. Some colleges also have an age limit (17 on 31st December of the year of admission).What are the skills you need for an Audiologist?
Allied health professionals can incorporate many skills as the students should develop good critical thinking ability and research skills to analyse and interpret data and take decisions. The ability to persevere in adverse conditions and good physical stamina are essential requirements for this career field.What are the options for the Audiologists degree?
Graduation:Pursue Bachelor’s in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
Pursue B.Sc. Audiology
Pursue Diploma in (Audiology and Speech Rehabilitation)
What are some good universities for Audiologists?
A Few of the more popular colleges for your Audiology courses:All India Institute of Speech and Hearing
University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital Shahdara
Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI)
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Punjab University
Armed Forces Medical College, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences
Christian Medical College, Tamil Nadu Dr M.G.R. Medical University
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University
Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi
What is the average salary of an Audiologist?
Employees as Audiologists earn an average of ₹23.1lakhs, mostly ranging from ₹15.5lakhs to ₹33.8lakhs based on four profiles.
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