The following is an excerpt from the January issue of magazine. Ray Hull, WSU professor and Doctor of Audiology program coordinator, contributed to the article about WSU's Doctor of Audiology program.
Founded in 1932, WSU's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is one of the oldest in the country, as is its PhD program (f. 1958). This history, combined with an emphasis on "cross educating" and research, as well as some unique local perks, allows WSU to stand out from the crowd.
Ray Hull, PhD, professor and AuD program coordinator, recently discussed the benefits of pursuing audiology education at WSU.
The role of the audiologist is not limited to clinical knowledge. Counseling skills are also a must, as are a firm understanding of research and, if a student is hoping to open their own practice one day, business management know-how. That's why the AuD program at WSU participates in what Dr. Hull calls "cross educating."
"There are some AuD programs through the country where the students take all their courses with AuD faculty, and we just don't feel we know everything that students should know when they get out in the real world as professional audiologists," Dr. Hull says. "You want the students to get their coursework from a person who is a specialist in that area and an expert on that area, not someone who just learned about it."
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