BEING AN AUDIOLOGIST MEANS:
- Practicing in an enriching, constantly evolving field;
- Helping people by assessing their needs in various situations, to provide them with complete and adapted services promoting their ability to hear, communicate, remain independent and be part of society;
- Making a difference in people’s ability to integrate socially, academically or professionally;
- Engaging your scientific mindset and creativity;
- Having the opportunity to work in a variety of settings and contexts, and with various professionals and stakeholders;
- Being interested in the harmful effects of noise on hearing and health by participating in the search for individual and collective solutions.
« Did you know that 6.1% of the world’s population lives with a hearing loss? »
MULTIPLE PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES
Audiologists can work with people of all ages, from newborns to seniors. They may be involved in promotion, prevention, assessment, or rehabilitation related to hearing or vestibular disorders. They can also act as consultants, managers, instructors, counsellors, researchers, teachers or entrepreneurs.
VARIOUS PRACTICE SETTINGS
Audiologists work in a variety of settings within the health and social service systems, mainly in hospitals and rehabilitation centres. They can also practice in the private sector, universities, and research centres, as well as in public and parapublic organizations.
Within all of these work settings, audiologists collaborate with a variety of specialists and professionals such as community organizers, doctors (mainly general practitioners and ENT specialists), educators, hearing aid technicians, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, teachers, speech-language pathologists, pharmacists, patient attendants, psychoeducators, social workers, etc., and, most importantly, clients and their families.
Audiology-related needs are increasing, for example:
- Earlier screening and diagnoses of hearing loss in children increase the need for audiology services.
- An aging population: the needs of seniors susceptible to hearing loss or vestibular disorders and balance problems have increased.
- Growing numbers of workers recognized as having work-related hearing loss, and its effect on their quality of life.
- Increased survival rates: Medical advances have improved the survival rate of premature babies, trauma victims, stroke patients, and cancer survivors who have audiology needs.
A REGULATED PROFESSION
Audiology is a profession with a reserved title and reserved activities. This means that no one may call themselves an audiologist or lead anyone to believe they are an audiologist if they do not hold a valid permit and are not registered on the membership roll of the Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec. Therefore, only registration on the Order membership roll grants a person the right to practice the profession, not the diploma.
EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
To obtain a permit to practice and become an audiologist, graduate-level (Master’s degree) university training is required.
In Québec, a master’s degree in Audiology is offered at two universities:
Video on the equivalence precess for obtaining a practice permit
Consult this informative video to help you in your training or diploma equivalence process. The topics covered are the preparation of the file, the filing and processing of the request, the decision and possible appeals, the available ressources, and more.