Ten prospective audiology students from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland arrived on the Elkins Park campus on Thursday, June 7 for a tour and exploration of the University’s Audiology program during the second annual Audiology Learning Experience (ALE). The academic and career-related two-day session created by the University’s Office of Admissions gives prospective students an in-depth look at the audiology profession.
When the group arrived on Thursday morning, they were greeted by the Admissions team for a session on admission tips when applying to Salus. Soon after, they were welcomed and given an overview of the Audiology program here on campus by interim dean in the University’s Osborne College of Audiology, Radhika Aravamudhan PhD, CCC-A. Other activities included a campus tour, lunch and a clinical skills demonstration in the clinical skills labs in addition to a faculty panel. The day concluded at dinner with the Admissions staff at The Cheesecake Factory.
On day two, the prospective students attended a sample lecture, Hearing Technology II, by Victor Bray, PhD, associate professor. Afterward, they toured the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI), which is the program’s on campus clinical facility. There was a brief wrap up in the Admissions conference room to answer any other questions, and to gather feedback on the program before breaking for lunch.
Lindsay Bondurant, PhD, CCC-A, director of PEI and assistant professor, enjoyed this year’s group, and noted that all the students who participated were interested and engaged – with lots of great questions. “It was wonderful to see so many undergraduate students already committed to the career path of audiology,” she said.
ALE is based on the success of the Optometry Learning Experience (OLE) held annually since 1979. Originally conceived as a two-week campus stay with a single institution, OLE has evolved to more than two and a half days of experiences for students from several different institutions.
Chris Speece, assistant director of Admissions, deems this year’s ALE a success. “While the program focuses on the profession and the academic study of audiology, [they] leave with a greater understanding of Salus University and what makes [us] distinctive,” he said.
