Audiology Awareness Campaign Educates High School Seniors About Au.D. and Audiology Services

The Audiology Awareness Campaign arranged for audiologists to speak at 27 meetings in 9 different cities this past June and July at the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine (NYLF) reaching over 10,000 high school seniors. During these 10 day conventions, students, who were nominated by a teacher or their community, came together to learn about different aspects of the medical field. Audiology was a very popular topic among the students and considered one of the "hottest" fields to enter. The AAC distributed free earplugs and "Listen UP America, We Hear You" booklets to the students as well as handouts which included a list of all current Au.D. programs, their addresses, contact persons, and email addresses. The American Academy of Audiology joined the audiology awareness effort and generously donated "What is an Audiologist" brochures, which were also handed out to the students. "I was really impressed by the level of interest and intelligence of these students" says Steve Wolinsky, Au.D. "Insightful questions from this bright group of teens ranged from the use of Q-tips, how earwax is produced, how loud music can damage hearing, to how do audiologists help families decide what communication system is best for their child with hearing loss, technical questions about cochlear implants, and hair cell organization. Some asked how their family can persuade their grandmother to seek hearing help." Not only did most of the students know what an audiologist is and does, they had been to see an audiologist for themselves or with a family member. Many stated audiology sounds like a very interesting career and plan to take some courses in audiology in college.

The Audiology Awareness Campaign acknowledges the audiologists who donated their time and expertise to this awareness effort and helped inspire many students about audiology. They are:

Dr. David Citron, Boston
Dr. Teresa Clark, San Francisco
Dr. Clare Dolter, Chicago
Dr. Kathy Landau Goodman, Philadelphia
Dr. Steven Huart, Phoenix
Dr. Stanton Jones, Los Angeles
Dr. Joe Melcher, New Orleans
Dr. Catina Peoples, New Orleans
Dr. Dion Svihovec, Los Angeles
Col. Nancy Vause, Washington, DC
Dr. Kadyn Williams, Atlanta
Dr. Steven Wolinsky, Chicago.

For information about the Audiology Awareness Campaign visit www.audiologyawareness.com or call Courtney Cantrell at (800)445-8629.