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Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Otolaryngology
  1. Department of Otolaryngology
  2. Education & Training
  3. Joint Doctoral Program in Audiology
  4. Clinical Experiences at UC San Diego

Clinical Experiences at UC San Diego

Second year AuD students at UC San Diego participate in a busy neurotology clinic to varying degrees in a variety of clinical experiences. Students can follow patients from initial assessments, to diagnosis, to surgery and follow-up treatment during the course of the year. They interact with neurotologists, nurse practitioners, medical students, residents and fellows, and professionals in interdisciplinary healthcare teams. With 100% supervision, each student rotates through a variety of clinics where they learn to take thorough case histories; administer and interpret tests of hearing and balance; formulate treatment plans; advise, educate and counsel patients; and provide treatment for a primarily adult population.

Each student is assigned to an Audiology Clinic each quarter with one preceptor. Each student rotates through additional clinical clinics including Balance, and Preceptorship in Neurotology. Typical experiences include:

Audiology Clinic Experiences

  • Comprehensive audiologic assessments:
    • Puretone audiometry
    • Speech recognition threshold
    • Word recognition testing
    • Immittance testing
    • Multifrequency/multicomponent tympanometry
    • Tests of malingering
    • Otoacoustic emission measurements
    • Eustachian Tube Function Testing
  • Ototoxic Monitoring
  • Audiologic Rehabilitation
    • Assist with prescription/dispensing of hearing aids using real-ear verification
    • Troubleshoot and make hearing aid repairs
    • Patient orientation and fittings for osseointegrated hearing systems (eg Ponto, Baha, Osia)
    • Patient and family member counseling re: listening strategies
    • Selection of assistive listening devices
    • Tinnitus evaluations and treatments
    • Provision of noise protection and musician earphones

Evoked Potentials Clinic Rotation

  • Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER)
  • Electrocochleography (EcoG)
  • Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP)
  • Auditory Steady State Responses (ASSR)

Cochlear Implant Clinic Rotation

  • Cochlear implant evaluation adults up to 90+ year olds
  • Cochlear implant activations
  • Cochlear Implant remapping/programming
  • Bimodal/hybrid management
  • Assistive listening device recommendations, fittings, training.

 Balance Clinic Rotation

  • Videonystagmography
  • Vestibular rehabilitation
  • Video Head Impulse Test

Preceptorship in Otolaryngology

  • All students complete a 10-week rotation with a neurotologist in a busy clinic alongside medical students, residents, and fellows. The experience includes clinical observation of pre- and post-surgical patients being evaluated and treated for outer/middle/inner ear disorders and balance disorders and treatments. Students observe ear surgeries such as stapedectomies, mastoidectomies, tympanoplasties, tumor removal, inner ear 3rd window repairs and cochlear and auditory brainstem implantations.

Additional Opportunities

  • UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project, in partnership with the community, provides accessible, quality healthcare for the underserved in a respectful environment in which students, health professionals, patients, and community members learn from one another.
  • Participation in data collection for various interdepartmental research projects.