The Orlando VA Healthcare System is a Complexity 1A VA facility and offers audiological services at 6 sites of care in Central Florida. We also have clinics in Daytona Beach, Viera, Tavares, and Deltona. We have a total of 30.8 audiologists and 10 health technicians on staff. In addition to diagnostic and hearing instrument services, we offer cerumen management, virtual tinnitus management classes, auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing, comprehensive vestibular evaluation (including rotary chair, VEMPS, vHIT, and in-clinic BPPV management), and telehealth audiology visits.
Time spent training with us will count towards federal service. Basic healthcare will be offered as a benefit. Start date will be June 2025.
Number of externship positions:
3
Funding is assigned by the Office of Academic Affairs and may not have been determined by the application deadline. OAA funding is announced nationally at the same time which should allow sites to know funding at approximately the same time. Historically, our site: has been awarded 3 funded 4th year traineeships each year.
Clinical opportunities provided during the externship:
- Audiologic evaluation
- Immittance measures
- Otoacoustic emissions
- Hearing aid selection
- Hearing aid fitting
- Assistive listening devices
- Vestibular evaluation
- Vestibular rehabilitation
- Electrophysiology evaluation
- Tinnitus evaluation
- Tinnitus management
- Cochlear Implant management
- Auditory Processing management
- Cerumen Management
- Telehealth program
- ENT clinic
Clinical opportunities not listed above:
Virtual/remote hearing aid care, virtual tinnitus program, professional development activities, audiology phone clinic, hearing aid drop-off clinic, access to MedSim Lab
Externship site expects the extern to have mastered these skills before they begin their clinical externship:
Solid foundation and skills in the following areas: otoscopic examination, comprehensive audiological evaluation, hearing aid fitting, hearing aid verification measurements, hearing aid follow-up & trouble shooting, auditory ABR testing, vestibular testing, tinnitus counseling, aural rehabilitation, interpersonal communication, and professionalism. Proficient professional writing and grammar skills are preferred. Trainees will continue to develop and master these skills throughout the year.
Externship site expects the extern to learn/demonstrate these skills during their clinical externship:
- Comprehensive audiological evaluation
- Comprehensive vestibular evaluation
- Cerumen management
- Hearing aid fitting & orientation
- Hearing aid verification measurement
- Hearing aid & accessory programming, follow-up, and repair
- Counseling & aural rehabilitation
- Comprehensive vestibular evaluation
- Tinnitus counseling & management
- ABR testing
- Telehealth & virtual/remote hearing aid care
- Flexibility
- Ability to take and apply feedback from preceptors
- Interpersonal skills
- Professionalism
- Professional writing skills