Audiology offer diverse career options

Q. I am a student of class 12th and I want to pursue my career in Audiology. Ever since I was a kid, I have seen my grandmother having difficulty in hearing due to her age. I sincerely want to contribute towards this on a much broader level. Are there any career options available in this field? Please guide me.

Sakshi Sinha, New Delhi

A.  As we all know, hearing is an indispensable part of everyone’s life and any impairment thereof is something which can be really complicated at times, especially for the elderly people. As a matter of fact, hearing disability hasn’t been recognised till today as a major disease but for those who face these issues, it is very distressing and at times complicated too.

Because of the common notion of restrictive career options which this field offers, there is a severe dearth of audiologists and hearing aid specialists and therefore a career in this field seems really promising.

Audiology as a branch of studies constitute treatment of hearing impairments and speech related disorders. With the use of advanced technology, audiologists diagnose and evaluate several hearing problems and based on it recommends the usage of various hearing aid equipment for curing the disorders.

The prime work of an Audiologist is to examine the inner and middle ear, cochlea (critical in hearing) and other vestibular regions which is important for balance and spatial orientation. To pursue a career in Audiology, there are a range of courses available ranging from bachelor’s to diploma but to be a specialist in audiology, a master’s course is needed. Furthermore, for national certification a PhD. Course is mandatory.

The career prospects in this field are diverse as audiologists can find employment in both government and private sectors. They sometimes also work with practising physicians, hearing aid manufacturers and various NGOs working for the cause.

There are numerous institutions in India which offer courses in Audiology, such as- All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (Mysore), National institute of speech and hearing (Kerala) and Dr. SRC institute of speech and hearing (Bangalore).

As the cases of hearing impairment are increasing because of the severe noise pollution that mankind is facing, audiology as a course is in great demand today. The earning depends on both qualification and practice and the initial salary may range from Rs. 20,000 to 30,000 a month and with an increase in expertise and skills, the salary increases.

Therefore, if you are keen for a career in this field you should definitely go for it!