Recently, I joined my classmates Olivia Bologna ‘20 AUD, Anthony Oliveti ’20 AUD, and Jenny Rajan, AuD, CCC-A, FAAA, assistant professor in the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA), to participate in OCA’s first international clinical rotation at the National Institute of Speech & Hearing (NISH), in Trivandrum, India for five days.
During our time in Trivandrum, our days were packed from the moment we left the hotel in the morning to when we got back in the evening. During our stay, we had an exchange of both clinical and cultural experiences. Our hosts at NISH were wonderful, and provided us with three “buddies” to accompany us throughout the week and answer any questions we had. After clinical hours, our buddies even gave us a tour around Trivandrum, introducing us to local sights and cuisines.
During our time at NISH, we had the opportunity to both observe and participate in a variety of clinical experiences. To provide some background, NISH, much like Salus, houses both clinical and academic facilities. Academic programs at NISH include three bachelor’s programs in Computer Science, Fine Arts and Commerce and two post baccalaureate diploma programs in Early Childhood Special Education and Indian Sign Language Interpretation. The three bachelor’s programs are unique in that they are specifically designed for students with hearing impairments. In addition to these programs, NISH has a bachelor’s and master’s program for both Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. This program is vastly different from our path of education here at home. In India, an aspiring audiologist must complete their bachelor’s degree in both Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Students then have the option to enter the workforce, or continue their education. Next, they can complete a master’s degree, which is known as MASLP. Students interested in audiology will be dually certified in both Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, and practice both simultaneously as there are currently no programs separating the professions. We were all very impressed by the sheer depth of knowledge of all the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology (ASLP) faculty and students.
We were exposed to a variety of clinical appointments, which included: auditory brainstem responses (some of which were sedated), tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions (OAE)s, conditioned play audiometry, cochlear Implants and amplification, newborn hearing screenings and traditional comprehensive audiometry. We also had the opportunity to learn about the other clinical departments at NISH including the Early Intervention Unit, Physical Therapy Unit, Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) Unit, and Psychology Unit, to name just a few. Patients can truly receive comprehensive care for any communicative or rehabilitative service they might need. We were all impressed by the interdisciplinary setting, and how much shared knowledge of other professions the ASLP students had.
Another highlight of our visit was our time in the Earmold Lab. Since there are relatively few audiology clinics in the country, NISH has its own earmold lab with two staff members to process and make all earmolds. At home (in the United States), we take the mold and immediately send it out to be manufactured. In Trivandrum, all the work is done at NISH itself. With the sheer volume of patients at the clinic, and a staff of only two members, an earmold can take up to two weeks to make. We were fortunate enough to have our own custom earmolds made so we could see the entire process start to finish.
After our trip to Trivandrum, we were able to spend three days exploring the sights and culture of Northern India, making stops in Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi. It was a whirlwind trip with long days and lots to see. Some sightseeing highlights were our elephant ride at Amer Fort, our visits to the “Pink Palace” in Jaipur, and of course, the Taj Mahal. All in all, the trip seemed to fly by, but we are excited to be back, and share the knowledge and experiences we gained.
A final note by Jenny Rajan, AuD, CCC-A, FAAA, assistant professor, Osborne College of Audiology
As this was our first pilot trip, there were a lot of the unknowns. From gathering information to logistics of the trip to whether this would be a positive learning experience for our students. I am so happy to say that I couldn’t have asked for a better pilot cohort of students. Each was flexible, adaptable and open-minded throughout the trip. The students learned a lot about audiological care as Elisa as highlighted, but most importantly they experienced the holistic approach to patient-care through interdisciplinary practices at NISH. This aligns beautifully with the core principles we hold here at Salus University.
I would like to thank NISH for their impeccable hospitality throughout our visit. We are excited to continue this new partnership for future AuD students.
