Site:
VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System

Location:
1310 24th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
United States

Description:
Our externship is split between three clinics at Nashville, Murfreesboro and Clarksville campuses. Murfreesboro is about 45 minutes south of Nashville and Clarksville is about 45 minutes north. Generally, a student will spend 1/3 of their time at each campus. Between the three campuses, we have 12 full-time and 3 part-time licensed audiologists.

Number of externship positions:
5

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:
provides 1 funded position and up to 4 unfunded positions

Clinical opportunities provided during the externship:

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

Clinical opportunities not listed above:
Vestibular evaluation and pediatric experience is offered through Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center.

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

• Pure tone audiometry (air and bone)
• SRT and Word Recognition testing
• Audiogram interpretation
• Basic counseling skills
• Hearing aid fitting and orientation
• Basic hearing aid repairs
• Otoscopy
• Clinical report writing

Externship site expects the extern to learn/demonstrate these skills during their clinical externship:
Students are expected to develop independence in audiometric evaluation, hearing aid selection, hearing aid fitting and follow up care. Students will learn basic tinnitus management and cochlear implant evaluation and programming.

Number of audiologists at site:
15

Number of staff at site:
8

Audiologists holding CCC-A certification:
15

Audiologists holding ABA certification:
0

What level of supervision is provided:
graduated from over the shoulder to inside the clinic area

Number of patients seen per year:
24000

How many students per year both interns and externs:
12

Continuing Education opportunities:
Students attend on-site (or virtual) hearing aid training provided by the current government contract. Additionally, they are encouraged to attend the VA’s Joint Defense VA Audiology Conference (JDVAC), American Academy of Audiology or other professional conference if desired.

Travel to satellites required?:
yes

Are there interdisciplinary opportunities? If so what:
working with patients in the Visually Impaired Services Team program.

Are there research opportunities? If so what?:
Students may work on a performance improvement project if desired.

Do you have a consortium or collaborative arrangements with other sites that provides additional experience?:
Vestibular evaluation and pediatric experience is offered through Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center.

What communication or other support do you expect or require from university during externship?
University affiliates should communicate program requirements to the point of contact, Linda Auther, linda.auther@va.gov.

Site’s application requirements:
Cover letter, resume and 3 letters of recommendation. Please submit materials to Ms. Sciara Griffin (sciara.griffin@va.gov) and Dr. Erica Wissel (erica.wissel@va.gov). Letters of recommendation should be submitted directly to the VA contacts by the writer.

Steps for the student/university to follow the application process:
Please submit materials to Ms. Sciara Griffin (sciara.griffin@va.gov) and Dr. Erica Wissel (erica.wissel@va.gov). Letters of recommendation should be submitted directly to the VA contacts by the writer. We will follow the ACEN submission timeline.

Site’s application deadline:
Friday, September 22, 2023

Anticipated decision date:
Monday, October 23, 2023