Site:
Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital

Location:
800 Hospital Drive
Columbia, MO 65201
United States

Description:
The Audiology Service at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, Missouri is offering two 4th year Au.D. externship positions for the 2024-2025 academic year. A stipend is tentative based on final budget approval. The position is a 12 month commitment with an anticipated start date of May 2024. Our main facility is located in Columbia on the campus of the University of Missouri, home of the Mizzou Tigers, and works in coordination with 7 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) providing audiology services throughout a large portion of Missouri.

Number of externship positions:
2

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 approved for one or two funded positions.

Clinical opportunities provided during the externship:

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

Externship site expects the extern to have mastered these skills before they begin their clinical externship:
Basic audiological assessment and hearing aid fitting and follow-up skills. A basic knowledge of advanced testing procedures such as VNG, ABR, and CAPD is helpful but not required.

Externship site expects the extern to learn/demonstrate these skills during their clinical externship:
The goal of our externship program is for the student to develop into an independent clinician. Mastery of audiological evaluations, hearing aid fittings and adjustments/maintenance, vestibular and electrophysiological assessments, CAPD assessments and recommendations, fitting and follow-up of osseo-integrated devices, and Progressive Tinnitus Management are expected of the extern.

Number of audiologists at site:
10

Number of staff at site:
5

Audiologists holding CCC-A certification:
10

Audiologists holding ABA certification:
0

What level of supervision is provided:
Graduated levels of supervision will be provided with less direct observation as the extern masters increasingly complex skills.

Number of patients seen per year:
26500

How many students per year both interns and externs:
5

Continuing Education opportunities:
Externs attend in-house manufacturer trainings and approved time off is available if travel to an off-site training is desired (i.e. AAA, JDVAC).

Travel to satellites required?:
Yes, occasional travel to several Community Based Outpatient Clinics is required.

Are there interdisciplinary opportunities? If so what:
Providing hearing aid services to inpatients within our Community Living Center. Interaction with providers and observation in the Ear, Nose and Throat and Low Vision clinics.

Are there research opportunities? If so what?:
No

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?
The university education coordinator should provide our site with requirements and deadlines so they can be fulfilled in a timely fashion.

Site’s application requirements:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Copy of unofficial transcripts
• At least three signed letters of recommendation including contact information for reference purposes. Two of the three must be from off-campus/non-university affiliated supervisors, if possible.

Steps for the student/university to follow the application process:
Interested students should submit the above materials to the education training coordinator, Dr. Heather Neudecker, at heather.neudecker@va.gov.

Site’s application deadline:
Friday September 22, 2023

Site’s externship contact:
Heather Neudecker, Au.D. at heather.neudecker@va.gov

Anticipated decision date:
October 2023