Audiologist
On this page
- What's it like to be an Audiologist?
- How to become an Audiologist
- Latest Audiologist jobs
- Top skills and experience for Audiologists
What's it like to be an Audiologist?
Audiologists are medical professionals who work with patients with hearing loss or ear problems. They identify and measure hearing, diagnose problems related to hearing and the ear, help rehabilitate patients suffering from hearing loss, and prescribe and fit hearing aids when required. Audiologists may work in hospitals, medical practices and clinics, in research settings within universities, and with companies that produce hearing technology, such as hearing aids. Audiologists often work with children who exhibit early problems with hearing, as well as older people who experience progressive hearing loss. They are most likely to work standard working hours as they are medical specialists rather than emergency clinicians.
Tasks and duties
- Administering hearing tests.
- Analysing test results and identifying root causes of hearing problems.
- Prescribing and testing appropriate hearing aids and cochlear implants.
- Educating patients on the proper use of hearing aids.
- Recording patient consultations.
- Making referrals to other medical practitioners where specialist care is required.
- Assessing hearing levels of workers in occupations that carry higher risks of hearing damage.
How to become an Audiologist
To work as an Audiologist in New Zealand you need to complete postgraduate study.
Complete a relevant bachelor degree, such as a Bachelor of Science majoring in biology or biomedical science. This typically takes three years of full-time study at a university.
Complete a Master of Audiology. This takes two years of full-time study.
Register with the New Zealand Audiological Society, which oversees this profession in New Zealand.
