by Amanda, IU Peer Coach, Junior double-major in Spanish Linguistics and Speech and Hearing Sciences, Cox Exploratory Scholar
A degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences is designed to prepare student for careers in either speech-language pathology or audiology. I was pretty positive I wanted to be an audiologist, but to be sure, I got an internship this summer in the audiology department at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. I was particularly excited about this placement since I am on the accounting committee for IU Dance Marathon, a huge fundraiser for Riley Hospital! This year’s event is this coming weekend November 10-12th, 2017.
This internship was such a blessing to me in so many ways. As an intern at one of the top children’s research hospitals in the country, I had the chance to see unique cases and cutting-edge technology. I observed several audiologists administering all kinds of assessments—otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response, tympanograms, and many more. These are tests I learned about in the classroom, but it was amazing to see them put into practice. Also, every single audiologist I worked with was SO helpful and friendly. They routinely explained what they were doing, why they were doing it, and why they chose that assessment. They were more than happy to fully answer all of my questions—and I had a lot! It was incredible having the opportunity to get advice from successful clinicians in my field, and I’m extremely grateful for their welcoming and optimistic attitudes.
When I wasn’t observing appointments or interrogating audiologists, I helped the speech and hearing departments with whatever they needed. This included making copies, filing charts, organizing cabinets, and sorting through donations. Obviously the clinicians didn’t have constant appointments back-to-back, so this was a good way for me to occupy my time between appointments. It was also a great way to give back to the hospital as a “thank you” for such an incredible learning experience! Because of this internship, I have definitely decided that audiology is the right path for me.
IU Dance Marathon is a student-lead fundraiser for Riley Hospital for Children. 100% of the donations received through IUDM go straight to the hospital. It’s absolutely incredible to see so many college students coming together for such a great cause!
It really goes to show that everyone can make a difference.
Hello, can you provide information to me on how you applied for your internship? My daughter is also majoring in Speech and Hearing Pathology at Purdue and I would like to pass this on to her. Thank you.
Her internship was through the Riley Volunteer webpage https://www.rileychildrens.org/about/volunteer