Audiologist

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

I work as an Adult Audiologist within the NHS and have done so since graduating from university in 2023. My role involves assessing hearing function, diagnosing hearing loss, and providing relevant hearing care to our patients. This includes fitting and programming hearing aids, providing advice and rehabilitation, and undertaking maintenance of hearing aids. 

I always knew I wanted to work in science or healthcare, but I wasn’t sure which field appealed to me, and with so many options it was overwhelming at first. When I was a college student, I spent some time researching various career pathways and after some thought, I volunteered to observe clinics in my local audiology department for a few hours each week – and I loved it! Something clicked when I first saw a hearing aid being fitted and I knew I wanted to help people in that way. So, after college, I applied for only one university course – Audiology at Swansea University. My careers advisor at college told me that having no second-choice courses was a poor decision, but I think studying something without being passionate about it would have been difficult. The passion that I developed for audiology was almost immediate, and so I knew it was the only course I was interested in.  

It’s easy to take your hearing for granted, but working as an audiologist has shown me just how much of an impact that even a mild hearing loss can have on someone’s quality of life. Being able to program a hearing aid to match each patient’s specific hearing loss is amazing, and my skills as a clinician have only grown as I gain more experience. A large part of my day-to-day is ensuring patients are comfortable with the sound and fit of their hearing aids, and that they grow in confidence with using them. Seeing the differences that hearing aids have made on their lives during follow up appointments is the most rewarding part of my role! 

Audiology is a very active field for women and progression and development is always encouraged. To other women or girls looking to get into audiology, I would recommend doing prior research into the subject and getting some hands-on clinical experience if you can!  

This year, I am starting a CPD module with the University of Manchester on dementia, to help me to provide better care for the high volume of our patients who are affected by dementia. My goal for my career in the future is to continue to learn and develop, grow in my love for this job, and spread awareness for women and girls in science!