Doctor of Audiology students receive hands-on patient experience in first weeks of program at the country’s only hospital-operated facility

Doctor of Audiology student Lily Fischer surveyed the new patient carefully and listened to the history - and the problem.

“I just feel like I'm not hearing well,” said Hala Jadallah, who had surgery on her ear decades earlier. “Maybe it’s just people talking low or something. I don't know. Do I need to change these hearing aids or update them?”

Jadallah came to the Mass Eye and Ear’s new clinic at the MGH Institute’s Sanders IMPACT Practice Center to have her hearing tested. And Fischer, a first-year student in the doctoral program, was there helping examine Jadallah’s ears under the supervision of Dr. Anita Mepani, Senior Audiologist with Mass Eye and Ear.

“We’re going to start by putting this headband on, OK?” said Mepani, who made sure the equipment was comfortably affixed to Jadallah’s head. “You’re going to hear some soft beeps. Just raise your hand each time, even if you barely hear them.”

Fischer and Dr. Mepani went into the next room of the testing suite and watched Jadalla’s responses through a wall window. In front of them was the assessment equipment allowing the clinicians to gauge just how damaged their patient’s hearing was.

It’s the kind of interaction students don’t usually see during their first year of audiology training, never mind their first two weeks. Then again, the new program is hands on, early on, thanks to Mass Eye and Ear’s in-house clinic.

Under the program, collaboration means the IHP can use the audiology equipment and resources at Mass Eye and Ear as an instructional lab at night while Mass Eye and Ear will use the school’s facilities as a clinical satellite on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Mass Eye and Ear has added 15 minutes to its appointments at the IPC to slow the pace down and allow students to learn. 

Woman uses an instrument to look in ear of a woman
Lily Fischer, a first-year doctor of audiology student, examines the ears of Halla Jadallah, who is suffering from hearing loss. Thanks to the collaboration with Mass Eye and Ear, students like Fischer will get firsthand experience with patients much earlier.

Mass Eye and Ear has been generous enough to give us extended appointment times,” said Emily Venskytis, Director of Clinical Education for the IHP and a clinician at Mass Eye and Ear. “So, we have that steady stream of patients from MEE, but we have the extra time to work with the students and get their initial firsthand training in a high-volume, real-world environment with a little bit more control.”

The entry-level requirement for becoming an audiologist is the completion of a  Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree. The graduate programs need to be accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) or the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) to ensure that graduates meet the necessary standards of education.

Of the 80 doctoral audiology programs in the country, the IHP’s is unique. Programs either have close relationships with hospital providers and send students into high-pressure clinical situations right away, or they have a campus clinic run by the school where the range of patients seen is limited because they need to be recruited. A crucial component of audiology education is the clinical placement and external practicum training. The hands-on clinical experiences allow students to apply their knowledge learned in classrooms to real-world settings, working directly with patients under the supervision of experienced audiologists. Externships provide exposure to various aspects of audiology that would further improve the clinical competency of the students.

The wide variety of adult and child patients who utilize the MEE clinic receive the full range of diagnostic tests and technology needed to help determine the solutions best suited to their needs. Children and adults receive care from specially trained audiologists and IHP audiology students under professional supervision.

The partnership between the two entities is mutually beneficial: IHP students are able to ramp up their skillsets much faster, while Mass Eye and Ear receives highly capable students during clinical rotations. 

“Because students can get so many high-quality clinical hours through this partnership, they'll be able to take on that independence faster at Mass Eye and Ear and other facilities,” said Venskytis. “With the old school model of the in-house, on-campus clinic, sometimes students only see adult participants or more classic hearing losses. Having this relationship with Mass Eye and Ear allows us to see medically complex patients and the wide range of ages.”

Being able to work with one of the top audiology hospitals in the country as part of her doctoral study was a game changer for Fischer. Having the MEE clinic on campus was a bonus. 

“One of the biggest pulls was the connection with Mass Eye and Ear because right away, you’re working with top-notch audiologists,” said Fischer. “Having the skill sets developed early on is important because obviously there are a lot faster paced places. We only have these two rooms, so there are fewer patients and more time for students to learn these skills at a slower pace. Learning these skills here so that we're able to transition into a faster environment is super valuable.”

Back at the testing suite, Jadallah’s examination was complete, and it was clear her hearing in the left ear was worse than the right. Next steps – analysis and a proposed remedy. Jadallah will be back. So will Fischer. 

“I’ve learned a lot today, now that theory is in practice,” said Fischer. “It’s been great.”