I Chose Salus
Audiology
My name is Abigail Possinger and I am a third-year audiology student. My days are normally pretty different depending on the day of the week. Therefore, I will give you a synopsis of a day of my classes which are on Mondays and Fridays, and a synopsis of a day of clinic, which I have Tuesdays through Thursdays.
Part 1: Class Days AKA Mondays and Fridays
I normally wake up and head to out to my class around 7:30 a.m. Most classes tend to start around 8:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. I will consume approximately four cups of coffee throughout the span of the day (not joking). This semester I have Educational Audiology, Introduction to Clinical Research, Medical Co-Management of Auditory Diseases, Personal & Professional Development 6, Praxis Exam Prep, and Vestibular Rehabilitation. My class schedule is normally pretty scattered and I will have different classes at different times on Mondays and Fridays. Praxis Exam Prep is an optional course that is held during lunch. I normally either pack an egg salad sandwich or buy an egg salad sandwich from the café. I am a vegetarian but mostly just eat egg salad because it is the best. I also try to fit an hour of going to the Hafter Student Community Center once a day into my schedule so I can continue working towards a faster pace for my next 5K.
After classes, I have a number of options.
I work as a work-study student for multiple offices on campus (The Eye Institute, Continued Education, Admissions, the Hafter Student Community Center, and as a practice patient for optometry students).
I could also possibly have a student council meeting or another organization meeting on campus. I am the president of the Sexuality And Gender Alliance at Salus (SAGAS) and we are involved with bake sales, LGBT+ pride events in Philadelphia, and other community events on campus. I am also the secretary of the Audiology class of 2021 and must take notes and send out e-mails to keep my cohort in “the know” about everything happening on campus.
I am a volunteering addict and possibly volunteered for something after classes. In the past I have volunteered for the Special Olympics at Villanova, wellness expos, open houses, health fairs, and many other events.
I am meeting up with my mentee, my friends, or my family for dinner or some other event.
I actually have no plans and get to go home and take a nap or watch scary movies with my girlfriend, Brittany, and my cats, Danielle and Alice (we call her “String Bean”).
Part 2: Clinic Days AKA Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
I have a placement this semester at an ENT in Bethlehem, PA. Since this placement is about two hours from my home in Philadelphia, I have been staying with a friend near Easton, Pa. (she also has a cat and he is the cutest) or at my Grandma and Aunt’s house in Stroudsburg, Pa. My placement was originally just Wednesdays and Thursdays so I was able to go to Roller Derby practice on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. I am the worst skater but I have a ton of fun and even learned to skate backwards recently.
Now that my placement is 3 days a week, I attend practices on Sundays. I have to be at clinic at 8:00 a.m. My normal morning routine is grabbing a coffee at Starbucks or making one at clinic (the ENTs always keep the k-cups stocked!) and then taking a look at my preceptor’s schedule. This ENT sees a variety of patients with a variety of needs. We normally perform tympanometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, audiometry (possibly visual reinforcement or conditioned play depending on the patient’s age and abilities), speech testing, hearing aid checks, hearing aid evaluations, and much more all within one day. My preceptor is great and super experienced which helps her to keep me on the right path for success in all my patient interactions. I also have two other audiologists, recent graduates, who help me and act as my mentors. My Mother’s office is right around the corner so I normally grab lunch with her (she will almost 100% of the time want to go to Chipotle). It’s great to have lunch with my Mom because she is so encouraging and even if I’m having a bad day or a patient outcome didn’t turn out the way I hoped, she always keeps me motivated to go back after lunch and try again, normally by letting me keep the extra chips and guac. If she isn’t available, I have lunch with my preceptor and the other doctors and staff members at the ENT. This practice is sort of like a family and I love spending time laughing about internet videos or running to Barnes & Noble with them to grab cookies and coffee. After the day is over I head back to my friend’s house or my Grandma and Aunt’s house for dinner. I like to do dinners once a week with my Dad as well. This normally includes a stop at our favorite record stores in the area. It has been a great experience to have a placement so close to home. I can see my family more than once a week and get together with old friends from high school and undergrad.
So that summarizes my “Day in the Life”. I drink a lot of coffee and get things done! I am excited and saddened that I am more than halfway through my program at Salus University. I have learned so much and am excited for what still lies ahead.
