Fall 2015 Perspectives

COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES • 15 beginning with a morning briefing that was followed by meetings at various House of Representatives and Senate offices. The congressional meetings were much more person- able than I initially expected, as I had envisioned these staffers as being no-nonsense individuals who had very full agendas. I was pleasantly surprised to see how empathetic the congressional staffers were. In fact, some staffers even shared personal experiences relating to audiology. It was nice to see what we were advocating for had an impact on some of these staffers. This truly was the experience of a lifetime. Advocacy begins and ends with the students, because we are the future of the profession. The more we advocate for audiology and educate our representatives and senators, the better the outcome for our profession in the long run. n The area of vestibular sciences has grown immensely over the past two decades, particularly in regard to vestibular assessment. Many new test procedures have been discovered and fine-tuned to assess areas of the vestibu- lar labyrinth in a clinical setting that previously were very difficult or impossible to test on clinical patients. Related to the rapid growth in this knowledge base, there is an increased demand for students to have the knowledge and skill to assess and treat patients who complain of dizziness and imbalance. All U.S. audiology programs offer some vestibular foundation. However, in many universities, this may be taught by a faculty member who either does not see patients or does not possess a significant interest in the vestibular topic. This year, the college offered a new Vestibular Specialty seminar. The seminar’s goal is to offer students who have an interest in specializing in this area of audiology an opportunity to take a third elective class that will expand on their knowledge foundation to better prepare them for clinical practice. As part of the seminar, students learn in the classroom and in the clinical setting, with an emphasis on evidenced-based clinical practice. Students are eligible to take the seminar if they receive an A or A- in both the introductory and advanced vestibular courses, write a letter of interest, and are in good academic standing in the program. In the seminar’s inaugural year, four third-year students elected to take it. “Taking this vestibular specialization class meant having the chance to really delve into and further explore the realm of vestibular functions,” said audiology student Sarah Daniel. “It provided the opportunity to use and learn from equipment I may not have access to in the near future. In addition, different guest lecturers, combined with interactive learning exercises from various fields of practice, helped put in perspective the comprehensive care needed for patients with dizziness and imbalance. Through Dr. Patricia Gaffney’s guidance, as well as this class, I have gained the knowl- edge to confidently provide care for patients facing vestibular issues.” n From left: Taylor Unger, Jennifer Laws, Patricia Gaffney, Melissa Cordova, and Sarah Daniel Inaugural Vestibular Specialty Seminar BY PATRICIA A. GAFFNEY, AU.D., ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR