Oticon Audiology Summer Camp Readies Students for Changing World of Hearing Healthcare with Professional Perspectives and Real-World Insights
SOMERSET, NJ August 6– The 2018 Oticon Audiology Summer Camp brought more than 100 graduate students representing a cross-section of US universities to Keystone, Colorado for a week-long series of lectures and workshops focused on “Preparing for YOUR Future.” For more than 21 years, the Oticon Audiology Summer Camp has provided graduate students in audiology with a unique opportunity to learn from and network with leading researchers, experienced practitioners, Oticon staff and other new hearing care professionals. The annual professional development event, the first of many Oticon will offer over the students’ professional careers, is designed to supplement and complement students’ education with relevant, practical professional world knowledge and insights.
Launched in 1997, the curriculum of the Oticon Audiology Summer Camp has continually evolved to reflect the changing hearing healthcare arena. “In our early programs, we educated students on advanced hearing device technology, something that was not covered as comprehensively at universities in the late 1990’s,” says Don Schum, PhD, Vice President of Audiology for Oticon, Inc. who developed the US summer camp program. “Today, the quality of education on hearing device technology at the university level has improved dramatically. That shift has allowed us to focus our camp experience on knowledge and skills that will help students successfully transition to a career in audiology in the changing world of hearing healthcare.”
An expert team of audiologists, hearing industry veterans and practicing professionals from a variety of practice settings joined with Oticon staff to provide professional perspectives and real-world insights. In-depth general sessions focused on counseling challenges, patient retention and the special needs of pediatric and older patients. Future-focused sessions explored the Future of eHealth and the New Wireless World and were complemented with hand-on workshops in complex fittings, modelling, modification and connectivity.
Professional development sessions helped students to anticipate what they might expect in different clinical settings, including job responsibilities, and life in private practice. Students also gained experience to prepare them for a first job search including interviewing and resume preparation.
The Oticon Audiology Summer Camp experience also gives participants an opportunity to begin to establish their own professional networks. “For young professionals, the Oticon Audiology Summer Camp is often the first of many knowledge-sharing events that they will participate in throughout their careers,” said Randi Pogash, AuD, Manager, Clinical Studies for Oticon, Inc. who is responsible for the Oticon university program. “We want this to be a rich and rewarding experience that will equip them to succeed and motivate them to come back to Oticon for continued professional development as they grow in their careers.”
To learn more about Oticon resources for audiology students, visit www.oticon.com/professionals/audiology-students. For information about the Oticon Audiology Summer Camp program, contact Randi R. Pogash, AuD at RPOG@oticon.com.
