SOMERSET, NJ October 3 - More than 150 students representing the next generation of hearing care professionals participated in this year’s Oticon summer camp experiences in Denmark and the US. The two student-oriented knowledge-sharing events combined seminars, discussions and workshops with opportunities to network with leading researchers, experienced practitioners, Oticon staff and other new hearing care professionals.
New audiologists representing 27 countries gathered for the 2014 Eriksholm Summer Camp held the on the grounds of the world renowned Eriksholm Research Centre in Denmark. This is the thirteenth year for the annual educational event sponsored by the Oticon Foundation. In Keystone, Colorado, the 2014 Oticon Summer Camp welcomed audiology graduate students from 41 US universities, the highest number of universities since the first student camp in 1998. The six-day educational program focused on providing students with the insights, technologies and tools needed to personalize the hearing instrument process.
Students participating in the US Oticon Summer Camp.
“At Oticon Summer Camps, we give students and recent graduates an opportunity to enage in the kind of knowledge sharing and professional interaction that they may have limited access to in academic or preceptor settings,” said Don Schum, PhD, Oticon’s Vice President of Audiology and Professional Relations who developed the US summer camp program. ”We offer a broad range of lecture and workshop materials designed to supplement and complement their education from university programs. More importantly, we challenge students to think creatively about how to use their new knowledge and skills to meet the individual needs of every patient.”
Highlights of this year’s Eriksholm summer camp included an introduction to the Research Centre and overview of current areas of research by Senior Director of Eriksholm Research Centre Uwe Andreas Hermann. Thomas Behrens, Head of Clinical Audiology, Oticon A/S presented Oticon’s audiological approach and its link to the development of evidence-based innovation. Participants also enjoyed a look behind-the-scenes at Eriksholm’s research capabilities and at Oticon’s Kongebakken headquarters, learned how researchers, scientists and audiologists use new research to develop innovative hearing solutions.
Students participating in the Eriksholm Oticon Summer Camp.
At the 2014 Oticon Summer Camp, presentations and interactive workshops with expert audiologists, researchers and experienced practitioners introduced students to some of the latest findings in the field including insight into today’s users, new trends in hearing care and audiology, and breakthrough technologies. Experts also shared practical know-how for future professional growth, offering a broad perspective on career opportunities in the field of Audiology and guidence on what it takes to build life-long relationships with the patients.
The Oticon summer camp experiences also create a unique opportunity for participants to begin to establish their own professional networks. “Helping new audiologists appreciate the value of professional collaboration through knowledge-sharing events is one of the many rewarding aspects of the our summer camp programs,” said Schum.
For more information about Oticon Summer Camp programs contact Randi R. Pogash, AuD at rpp@oticonusa.com. For more information about Oticon, please visit www.pro.oticonusa.com or the Oticon Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
