Cleveland Clinic Section of Audiology offers a 52-week externship experience that begins mid-May, commencing with a half-week orientation and onboarding process.  Pending funding, a small stipend is awarded and disbursed to the extern by their academic institution. The externship experience includes approximately five clinical rotations, including rotations at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus as well as at a number of the seven Family Health Centers (satellite clinics) in the Cleveland area. Externs gain experience with a variety of clinical services at both our Main Campus and Family Health Center locations. This multi-site externship program offers not only a wealth of clinical experiences: it also provides exposure to diverse patient populations, opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary clinics, and collaboration with multiple preceptors over the course of the year. Clinical practicum experiences will include:

• Adult and pediatric audiologic behavioral assessment
• Adult and pediatric audiologic management, including hearing aid services and assistive listening/FM technologies;
• Adult and pediatric hearing implant services, including cochlear implants and osseointegrated implants
• Electrophysiology across the lifespan in clinic and the OR, including newborn diagnostics (ABR, ASSR, DPOAEs), electrocochleography, VEMPs, NRT/I, and potentially exposure to intraoperative monitoring;
• Vestibular assessment (videonystagmography, rotational chair, head impulse testing, functional measures) and vestibular therapy;
• Auditory based therapy
• Tinnitus management
• Ototoxicity monitoring
• Clinical and surgical observations with neurotology
• Participation in multidisciplinary clinics and shared medical appointments

Externs may prepare and present several presentations throughout the year in the form of Journal Clubs, Lectures, Grand Rounds, and/or Evidence-Based Projects.  The specific projects vary from year to year.

Constructive feedback will be provided to the extern during each rotation on a frequent basis determined by the preceptor and extern.  An informal evaluation occurs mid-rotation with a written formative evaluation conducted at the end of each clinical rotation.

Externs are provided with personal time off in addition to six national holidays.