Site:
St. Cloud VA Medical Center

Location:
4801 Veterans Drive
St. Cloud, MN 56303

Description:
The St. Cloud VA Medical Center is pleased to offer one paid audiology externship for 2026-2027. The St. Cloud VA is a Level 3A medical facility providing primary care, mental health care, surgical and specialty care, urgent care, acute psychiatric care, extended care and rehabilitation, telemedicine, imaging, laboratory, and pharmacy services. The audiology externship will be at our main location in St. Cloud, which is in central Minnesota approximately one hour northwest of Minneapolis. The extern will work alongside our 10 audiologists and 2 health technicians. We also provide audiology telehealth services to patients at our CBOCs in Alexandria, Brainerd, and Montevideo, as well as cochlear implant telehealth services with the Minneapolis VA.

Number of externship positions:
1

Funding is assigned by the Office of Academic Affairs and may not have been determined by the application deadline. OAA funding is announced nationally at the same time which should allow sites to know funding at approximately the same time. Historically, our site:
Has been awarded one OAA funded externship

Clinical opportunities provided during the externship:

• Audiologic evaluation
• Immittance measures
• Otoacoustic emissions
• Hearing aid selection
• Hearing aid fitting
• Assistive listening devices
• Electrophysiology evaluation
• Tinnitus evaluation
• Tinnitus management
• Cochlear Implant evaluation
• Cochlear Implant management
• Cerumen Management
• Telehealth program
• ENT clinic
• Industrial/hearing conservation

Clinical opportunities not listed above:

• Osseointegrated devices
• Auditory processing disorder evaluation and treatment
• Inpatient/CLC bedside hearing aid repairs

Externship site expects the extern to have mastered these skills before they begin their clinical externship:

• Otoscopy
• Pure tone air and bone conduction audiometry, including masking
• Speech audiometry (SRT and WRS)
• Tympanometry and acoustic reflexes
• Interpretation of findings/audiogram
• Ear impressions
• Basic hearing aid selection, fitting/programming, troubleshooting/repairs
• Real Ear Measurements
• Basic report writing
• Basic counseling skills
• Positive and professional demeanor with patients and colleagues
• Willingness/ability to learn and apply feedback and constructive criticism

Externship site expects the extern to learn/demonstrate these skills during their clinical externship:

• Increased proficiency in audiologic testing and interpretation of results
• Increased proficiency in hearing aid selection, programming, and troubleshooting
• Increased confidence in making independent clinical decisions
• Continued refinement of interpersonal and communication skills, including patient rapport/counseling and report writing
• Increased knowledge and skill level in specialty areas including cochlear implants, vestibular testing, telehealth, and tinnitus management
• Knowledge of billing/coding procedures

Number of audiologists at site:
10

Audiologists holding CCC-A certification:
2

What level of supervision is provided:
Extern’s level of independence increases as the year and their skills progress. Supervisor will always be available; students do not have their own schedules.

Number of patients seen per year:
~8000

How many students per year both interns and externs:
1

Continuing Education opportunities:
The extern will join all in-house manufacturer trainings as well as any other vendor, equipment, and/or facility trainings that may be scheduled throughout the year. The extern will also be encouraged to attend conferences such as JDVAC, AAA, etc.

Travel to satellites required?:
No

Are there interdisciplinary opportunities? If so what:
The extern will join Surgical and Specialty Care provider meetings throughout the year. The extern will also be able to join Interdisciplinary Dizziness and Balance Team meetings, which include providers from Audiology, ENT, Physical Therapy, Optometry, and TBI clinic/physiatry.

Are there research opportunities? If so what?:
We do not require research but are open to exploring research opportunities on an individual basis.

Do you have a consortium or collaborative arrangements with other sites that provides additional experience?:
No

What communication or other support do you expect or require from university during externship?
Frequent email/phone communication as necessary prior to start of externship, then email communication as necessary throughout the year and during evaluation periods to ensure that expectations and deadlines are understood and met.

Site’s application requirements:

• Letter of intent
• Resume/CV
• Three letters of recommendation
• Transcript (can be unofficial)

Steps for the student/university to follow the application process:
Please submit all applications materials in one email to Dr. Julie Golding (julie.golding@va.gov), with all attachments in PDF format. Letters of recommendation may be submitted separately if necessary. Interviews will be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams.

Site’s application deadline:
Friday, September 19, 2025

Site’s externship contact:
Dr. Julie Golding (julie.golding@va.gov)

Anticipated decision date:
Friday, October 24, 2025