Site:
VA Central Western Massachusetts (VACWM)

Location:
Main Campus:
421 North Main St
Leeds, MA 01053

Worcester Outpatient Clinic:
Biotech 4, 3^rd Floor
377 Plantation Street
Worcester, MA 01605

Description:
Our Audiology staff includes 10 audiologists and 2 health technicians split between our Northampton (Leeds) and Worcester (Plantation Street VA Clinic) locations.  The Worcester clinic is in Central Massachusetts on the UMASS Chan Medical School Campus, about an hour west of Boston and an hour east of our main campus in Northampton.  We are looking for an Extern with strong desire to immerse in a full clinical and educational experience learning not just what it takes to be a highly skilled clinician in all areas of Audiology, but what it means to be part of a High Reliability Organization who implements services from a Whole Health approach to care.

In addition to performing hearing evaluations and hearing aid fittings/adjustments, the audiology extern will have the opportunity to participate in the following clinical experiences:

• Vestibular evaluations and treatment
• Progressive Tinnitus Management program
• Cochlear implant evaluations and follow up mapping
• Electrophysiological evaluations
• Auditory processing disorder evaluations and treatment
• Interdisciplinary Polytrauma/TBI team

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: This will be our first funded externship position.  A funded position also includes vacation and sick leave, paid federal holidays, health benefits and will count towards federal time in service for any future employment.

Clinical opportunities provided during the externship:

• Audiologic evaluation
• Immittance measures
• Otoacoustic emissions
• Hearing aid selection
• Real Ear Measures
• Hearing aid fitting
• Assistive listening devices
• Vestibular evaluation
• Electrophysiology evaluation
• Tinnitus evaluation
• Tinnitus management
• Cochlear Implant evaluation
• Cochlear Implant programming
• Auditory Processing evaluation
• Cerumen Management
• Telehealth program
• ENT clinic
• Aural Rehabilitation
• Remote Fine Tuning

 Clinical opportunities not listed above:

• Hearing conservation program
• Clinical care of Community Living Center (CLC) veterans
• Inter-disciplinary education and co-treatment with Vestibular Physical Therapy SME for assessment and vestibular rehabilitation

Externship site expects the extern to have mastered these skills before they begin their clinical externship:
VACWM views the externship as an educational experience and the extern should come with knowledge and skills for:

• Basic audiometry including masking
• Hearing aid selection and fittings, earmold impressions and follow up care
• Knowledge of hearing aid software and programming skills
• Good report writing skills with attention to detail

Throughout the externship year, we expect these skills will be refined and mastered.  We expect that any extern that applies to VACWM is ready to:

• Come with a growth mind set ready to learn from their supervisor/s
• Be a reliable and professional team player.

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

• Vestibular Assessment and treatment
• Identify patients with bothersome tinnitus and/or Sound Tolerance conditions and implement appropriate services following the Progressive Tinnitus Management protocol
• Cochlear Implant evaluations, mapping, and troubleshooting
• Refine critical thinking and counseling skills, interpersonal skills, and approaching Audiology care as part of the Whole person
• Growth in clinical and professional confidence

Number of audiologists at site:
10

Number of staff at site:
14

Audiologists holding CCC-A certification:
8

Audiologists holding ABA certification:
0

What level of supervision is provided:
Externs will be provided 1 to 1 supervision and given increased independence with experience and demonstrated skill.  Extern’s supervisor/s will always be available as needed and will provide timely and appropriate feedback.

How many students per year both interns and externs:
3-7

Continuing Education opportunities:
On-site and off-site hearing aid vendor trainings, regional and national conferences

Travel to satellites required?: 
VACWM has 2 Audiology clinics that the extern could travel to: Main Campus located in Leeds, MA and Worcester Plantation Street, Worcester, MA and are approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes apart.

Are there interdisciplinary opportunities? If so what:
Yes. We have regular interaction/collaboration for patient management with the following disciplines:

• Primary Care
• Speech Language Pathology
• ENT
• Physical Therapy for vestibular evaluations and rehab
• Polytrauma Team
• VIST/BROS team for our dual sensory impaired veterans

Are there research opportunities? If so, what?:
No formal research opportunities, but the extern will be encouraged and supported in developing an independent study or project in an area of interest.

Do you have a consortium or collaborative arrangements with other sites that provides additional experience?
Potential for on-site observation of regional cochlear implant surgical team and regional Blind Rehabilitation Center.

What communication or other support do you expect or require from university during externship?
We anticipate regular communication with the affiliate throughout the externship year on expectations and deadlines for evaluation and to collaborate if any concerns arise for either VACWM or the extern.

Site’s application requirements:
Cover letter
Resume
3 letters of recommendation – at least 2 from clinical placements/VA clinic (if applicable)
Transcript (unofficial is okay)

Steps for the student/university to follow the application process:
All submissions should be electronic to Jill Hawley, AuD: Jill.Hawley@va.gov and Cheri Ribbe, AuD: Cheri.Ribbe@va.gov

Site’s application deadline:
September 17, 2024 – We will not be following ACEN timeline.

Site’s externship contact:
Cheri Ribbe, AuD CCC-A, Cheri.Ribbe@va.gov

Anticipated decision date:
No later than October 30, 2024