4th Year Externship

The James H. Quillen VA Medical Center ("Mountain Home") is now accepting applications for one Audiology Externship for the year. The position is full-time, not-to-exceed 12 months (2080 hours), and is open to Au.D. candidates in their final year of their training programs.

Located in beautiful northeast Tennessee (Johnson City), the James H. Quillen VAMC consists of 240-acres including over 50 buildings, a beautiful pond, and a National Cemetery. The medical center is a teaching hospital providing a full range of patient care services with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research. East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is located across the street from the VAMC and the latest in medical technology enhances the James H. Quillen's VAMC's reputation as a true tertiary care center.

The James H. Quillen VA Medical Center Audiology Clinic is made up of 12 audiologists, 5 speech-language pathologists and support staff. Several staff members teach Audiology courses at ETSU and there is a large number of clinicians who received their clinical training with the VA. Our clinical services include hearing evaluations, hearing aid fitting and orientation, hearing aid follow-up/troubleshooting, aural rehabilitation, cochlear implant candidacy evaluations and mapping, bone anchored hearing systems, auditory evoked potentials, tinnitus assessment and treatment, vestibular assessment and management and cerumen management. Strong externs may have the opportunity to work in the Mountain Home Hearing and Balance Research Program on funded and unfunded research studies. The externship also allows for interdisciplinary training opportunities throughout the hospital, including rotations through our Community Living Center (CLC), polytrauma clinic, low vision clinic and vestibular rehabilitation in Physical Therapy.

Must be a U.S. citizen

Must have COVID-19 vaccination

Must be from an ASHA accredited university

Externship Information: Primary Practice Setting: Hospital
VA medical center
Number of Audiologists at the site:
1 FTE Masters Degree
7 FTE Au.D.
4 FTE Ph.D.
0 FTE Other Doctorate (ScD)
1 FTE professional support staff (technicians/audiometric assistants)
2 FTE Clerical Support Staff
Number of Audiology Students each year:
4 1st year AuD Clinical Rotations
4 2nd year
2 3rd year
1 4th year Externships Financial arrangements: Stipend
Benefits
One unpaid position Will interview travel be compensated? No
Vacation Days: 4 hrs per pay period
Continuing education opportunities? Yes
Externs are required to attend our monthly case conference conducted with East Tennessee State University. You will be asked to present at least once during the year. Externs may also attend ASHA, AAA and/or JDVAC conferences as well as on-site and virtual hearing aid manufacturer training. Start Date: Mid to late May 2025
Expected hours/days a week: 40 hours per week
Travel to satellite centers required? Yes
Externs will have the opportunity to visit the Knoxville Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) at least once during the externship. Local students preferred: No
Does the externship site provide orientation to relevant clinical policies and procedures? Yes Does the externship site provide instructions about patient's rights and providing patient education? Yes Does the externship site provide orientation to quality assessment, quality assurance and quality improvement? Yes
Externship site expects the extern to have mastered these skills before they begin their clinical externship: Externs are expected to be able to perform a hearing evaluation and perform basic hearing aid fittings. Our clinic is looking for externs with strong diagnostic skills, good interpersonal skills and motivation to learn. Externship site expects the extern to learn/demonstrate these skills during their clinical externship: Externs should be able to independently perform diagnostic hearing evaluations, hearing aid programming and verification, vestibular evaluation, and auditory evoked potentials. Externs should be proficient in cochlear implant evaluation and mapping and tinnitus assessment and treatment. Clinical opportunities that will be given to the extern:
Never Hearing Screenings Never Pediatric evaluations: infant/toddler Never Pediatric evaluations: school-age Everyday Adult hearing evaluations Everyday Tympanometry Everyday Acoustic Reflexes Rarely Auditory processing evaluations Never Hearing Screenings Regularly Evoked potential assessments Never Intra-operative monitoring cases Rarely Otoacoustic emissions Rarely Industrial/hearing conservation Regularly Vestibular assessments Regularly Vestibular rehabilitation Everyday Hearing aids dispensed Everyday Hearing aid selection/fitting Regularly Audiologic rehabilitation (group or individualized) Regularly Cochlear implant evaluations Regularly Cochlear implant rehabilitation Regularly Tinnitus assessments Regularly Tinnitus rehabilitation Regularly Cerumen management Research opportunities? Yes
Strong externs may be considered for participation in the auditory and vestibular research labs. Consortium or collaborative arrangements with other sites? Yes
The AuD program at East Tennessee State Univeristy (ETSU) is a joint program between ETSU and the VA Medical Center and consists of faculty from both institutions. The VA audiology clinic serves as a clinic site for the Au.D. program. How frequently will the externship site communicate with the university during the externship? As Needed Communication or other support do expected or required from the university during the externship: Evaluation forms and deadlines per semester from the university clinic coordinator. Application Deadline: September 1, Application Requirements: Other
Letter of Intent
CV or Resume
3 Letters of Recommendation (two should address clinical skills)
Transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) Steps for the student/university to follow in the application process: All materials must be submitted in one email, however, letters of recommendation may be delivered separately. Do not submit any application materials or questions through the website. All materials should be submitted to Jennifer Sears, Au.D., Anticipated date of offers ~ 9/20/2024, however, the position will remain open until filled. Contact Person:
(preceptor, supervisor or extern coordinator) Jennifer Sears, Au.D. - Clinical Education Coordinator, Audiology - Are all externs supervised? Yes

Must be a U.S. citizen

Must have COVID-19 vaccination

Must be from an ASHA accredited university

---