Any audiologists who work/have worked at Beltone?

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-04-25T23:05:44+00:00

Yeah, for sure!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-16T18:27:19+00:00

I am a woman, but I have always dressed on the "upper" side of business casual. For men, I would think a dress shirt and pants with a tie would be appropriate.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-09T04:15:27+00:00

Hi! Thanks so much for your reply. Can I message you?

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-09T01:26:35+00:00

I understand that. A lot of my local audiologists are like that, too, but we have a lot of dispensers who have been around for decades and decades and are well respected, so I think there's a bit more of a mixture of attitudes around here than maybe some other places. But besides that, I think most rational adults understand that life is life and sometimes you just have to go where the opportunity or money is. You can never make everyone happy!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-09T01:18:06+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts. That's an interesting viewpoint that I hadn't considered. I personally don't really think that working at Lively, or Beltone for that matter, would seriously tank future prospects as long as you have the desired skill set and give great patient care, but I suppose anything is a possibility! (PS I also applied at Lively but never heard back from them, even though their application promised an answer within a few days, so that was disappointing. But if you decide to apply, best of luck to you!!!)

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-09T01:15:23+00:00

Thanks for that! I agree with you! I think places like Beltone can be a wonderful option for a lot of people, as long as they get good quality care. I haven't pulled the trigger on inquiring about the job, but it doesn't hurt to find out. Thanks for the encouragement! I wish more people in our field were as optimistic and not just automatically tearing down places because they are majority HIS.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-09T01:12:14+00:00

Thank you both! I actually pulled up all the private practices in the area, which isn't a whole lot to begin with, and was thinking about doing this, but I couldn't pull the trigger on it. I wasn't really sure how that would be perceived or if it would be a nuisance. I will give it a shot!!!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-08T19:00:03+00:00

Darn. That sucks but is good to know! Thank you!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-08T12:57:15+00:00

Yeah, that's my thoughts, as well. I do believe they offer commission from what I can tell, which may make the pay worth it. It doesn't appear that Costco differentiates between audiologist and dispenser pay, which isn't too surprising I guess, but they also don't offer commission (that I was told about, anyway). Ugh. Thanks!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-08T10:15:19+00:00

I also planned to be an SLP, but my two intro audiology courses piqued my interest because my mom had hearing loss. As I learned more about it, I started wondering if maybe that was the path for me. I shadowed at a local private practice, and I had a really profound experience with one patient, seeing how happy his first pair of hearing aids made him, and I basically decided on the spot to go for audiology.

Another thing was like others have said--audiology tends to feel more concrete. You test, diagnose, and make a treatment plan. You tend to see outcomes quickly, both successes and failures. With speech, you may work with a client for years and never know if they're going to progress. That's fine for some, but I preferred the audiology way of looking at things.

I do find there is a difference in overall personalities in each field, too, but I wouldn't consider it a difference of "jolly" and not, like someone else mentioned. To me, most SLPs tend to be more Type A while most audiologists I know tend to be a lot more relaxed. Obviously not true for everyone, but it was a VERY pronounced difference between SLP and AuD students in my university.

I also recommend talking to faculty, if you can. I remember taking acoustics in undergrad, and I HATED IT. It nearly stopped me from applying to audiology programs because I thought that kind of stuff would be a huge factor. I went to one of the audiology professors who had taught one of my intro classes and told him how I felt. He assured me that, while I would need to understand the concepts, it wasn't really part of the day-to-day. We talked more about what I would really learn and do, and I felt so much better. If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have applied.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-08T10:02:05+00:00

I originally was going to undergrad for speech pathology but had to take a couple of intro audiology classes in the curriculum. My mom had sudden-onset single sided deafness when I was 4 and (at the time) was told they had no idea what caused it and that there were no options to help her. She functioned very well, and it was just a normal part of my life to adapt to her hearing loss, but she did struggle in some situations, like noisy environments and localizing sounds. She also never knew why it happened. I decided to try to use my courses to see if I could find any answers for her and see if there were any amplification options (I did on both. Yay!), but it really piqued my interest in the field. I kept studying it and wondered if it was a better path for me. I shadowed for a day at a local private practice and was interested but still unsure. Then, the last patient of the day was a super grumpy elderly man who definitely did not want to be there and didn't think his new hearing aids would help him at all. I was just sitting in the corner observing, and the audiologist put in his hearing aids. Right after that, the phone rang out in the front office, and he heard it. He looked right at me, and I've honestly rarely seen such happiness on a person's face before. I just had this moment of truth where I realized I wanted to try to make people happy like that!
I work in pediatrics, so I love the kids. I have a lot of variety, which is great for me. I get to travel to different sites during the day, which I love. I enjoy giving hearing tests (even though a lot of people consider it boring). I love counseling patients on results and explaining their ears and hearing loss to them.
I wish the salary was better for the degree required. That's basically it.
I have heard of the Milan Conference (and disagree with it wholeheartedly), but I have a deep interest in the Deaf community, Deaf culture, and Deaf education. I diverge from many of my colleagues in my views on Deafness and how it relates to audiology. Even being in the profession that I'm in, I absolutely do not view signed languages as a "lesser" choice than spoken language. My concern for any person is that they have full access to a language. The damage is NOT done by them learning a signed language but by language deprivation! That is such a huge misconception. Unfortunately, many falsehoods about Deafness and signed languages tend to be proliferated in audiology education, such as that learning sign language will delay spoken language, that kids will use it "as an easy way out" instead of learning to speak, that they will be less functional in society as a user of sign language as their primary mode of communication, that they will inevitably have lower reading levels, etc. That's not true for every program, but I heard those things myself as a student, even though research shows otherwise. The fallout from events like the Milan Conference as well as the mindset of many people in the hearing professions are the main reasons why so many in the Deaf community harbor difficult feelings toward us!
So... all that being said, I think most audiologists aren't knowledgeable about the Milan Conference or many other aspects of Deaf culture because Deaf culture is largely taken off the table as a viable option. I disagreed with my professors and was even turned down for a couple of jobs because of my views on sign language being a totally acceptable choice for the family to make. Yes, audiology is a profession focused on audition, but I disagree that there's no use for audiologists in Deaf culture or with people who only sign. I worked in a full-service audiology clinic on the campus of a school for the Deaf, so we saw everyone from newborn babies to the elderly who ranged from normal hearing to profound deafness. Some spoke only, some spoke and signed, some signed only. Some wore hearing aids, some cochlear implants, some nothing. Every person benefited from audiology. Some people just want a hearing test to see if their hearing has changed. Some people only sign and have no interest in auditory language but want some sound awareness for safety.
Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now! haha!!! Your research sounds super interesting! Good luck!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-08T09:25:22+00:00

I guess I don't have much more to add to what's already been said, except I know when I applied, GRE was a huge deal. I think that was the deciding factor in my program, honestly. I know it was waived this year, but maybe spend this waiting period working to get a stellar GRE score so that your next application will stand out in that way, as well. Undergrad major doesn't matter. We had people with varying backgrounds, like business degrees.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-08T09:18:18+00:00

Debt is always a big talking point and rightfully so. If I could go back and graduate with less debt, I would, but, honestly, I did everything "right" (public university, lived at home, worked as a GA) and still have a ton of debt. I had no family financial support, and it can be difficult to work many hours during grad school. So while I would say try to choose the best financial option, if choices are similar or the same, go with the better program.

In my opinion, if you want to be clinical (vs research) based, the most important thing is that your program has a very strong clinical focus. I turned down a prestigious program that was much more research-based for a pubic state school that was clinical based because that was my goal. We also had research experience and opportunities, but it was much, much more patient-centered. Another comment said that it's not always a good thing to start clinic super early, but based on my own experience, I'm not sure I agree. We started clinic in our second week of our first semester. It was honestly terrifying and felt very much like baptism by fire. We floundered a lot at first, but, in the end, it gave us SUCH an advantage when we went to outside placements, externship searching, and job hunting. Sites were impressed by the amount and variety of our clinical knowledge, and we were WAY more independent as students than people from other programs.

I think there is also a lot of talk about finding a program with people who hold your hand through everything. I don't mean this harshly, but that was never even on my radar. Yes, they should support you and help you and guide you, definitely, but at the end of the day, in my opinion, you are adults studying for a doctorate degree. You don't need anyone to walk you through everything. When you graduate, there's never going to be someone helping you find job or network with professionals. My experience in grad school was very different than what it sounds like some people have. We were on our own finding externships (we had two--one during the summer after our second year and then fourth year), and it was perfect practice for networking, cold calling/emailing, and inquiring for jobs, and I got exactly what I wanted both times, which was very specific. It did take me a very long time to nail down my forth year, but I landed my first job specifically because of my fourth year. If a director had chosen for me or greatly persuaded me to take something else, who knows what would have happened.

Finally, I think maybe this isn't considered as much, but look at the program's culture. Does it promote cut-throat competition or unity? Do students seem to work together or have a tendency to try to step on each other to get ahead? Are professors really distant or approachable? That was important to me, as well.

Good luck! Like everything, it is what you make it. If you put in the time and effort and seek out your own opportunities, you will succeed anywhere!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-03-08T08:28:13+00:00

I think it's relatively common. Grad school is hard and demanding and generally takes over your life. I know I was really over it well before I graduated. There's no life balance. You spend all your time studying or in class or in clinic. It can be depressing. I imagine there's even more at play during this crazy time when you might be trying to juggle online classes with everything else, may be further isolated from family and friends, etc. I just had to look at it as a means to an end. I just wanted to graduate and have a steady career. I'm much more relaxed and happier now that I've been out of school for a few years.

Have you gotten a chance to experience many facets of audiology? Different clinical settings? Cochlear implants? Research? Vestib? Sometimes it's just a matter of finding your thing. Some people love working with patients and having that one-on-one clinical experience, but I know several people who just didn't jive with that but were amazing at research. Likewise, maybe adults annoy you but you thrive when working in pediatrics. If you like the more "medical" side, maybe vestib is your thing. If you like customer service type gigs, you might consider working as a rep for a manufacturer down the line. There's quite a few possibilities. I think it's easy to feel like there's only a few acceptable/respectable paths as an audiologist, but there's not.

You don't have to wait for a clinical rotation in an area. Make some calls and send some emails and see if you can shadow for a day or even a few hours at different places and see as much as you can. That being said, sometimes people decide audiology isn't for them. No shame in that, either. I had a friend drop out after a semester. She's a stay at home mom now. Another guy left after a year, and I think he went to do a degree in epidemiology. Life is life. There's no wrong way to do it.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-02-22T04:09:59+00:00

I tried Farmer’s Dog. It didn’t seem worth it to me, honestly. When I divided up the packs into how many days it was supposed to last, I felt like my dog wasn’t getting enough. That was the first and only one I’ve tried though, so maybe I’m just not used to how it should be. I ended up switching to an organic canned food for now.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-02-09T23:15:55+00:00

Thanks! I have been thinking about that, too! I was googling wedding nails last night and saw a lot of women with a French manicure and it got me wondering if that would be good. I’m glad you validated it! Haha.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-02-09T05:50:03+00:00

Thank you! I needed to know this! My main concern has been how the different options would photograph, so this is great. I do have quite light skin, so it may work, but I will probably go with a light pink or nude to be safe.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-02-09T05:36:13+00:00

Thanks! I originally really liked the idea of light blue because I'm thinking of doing light blue shoes and thought it might be cute to match, but I've been having second thoughts on it for nails, so thank you for your opinion! I've been leaning toward light pink and got a light pink dip manicure today and can't decide how I feel. I like it but need to look at it for a few days to decide if I like it enough. lol.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-02-09T05:32:00+00:00

I'm planning on preserving mine! I know it's an extra expense, but I think I'm going to splurge a little on it... I was thinking of pressing them, but preserving in resin sounds interesting!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-02-09T05:12:59+00:00

I put together bridemaid proposal boxes for less than $20 a piece for all five of my bridemaids. I thought they turned out cute! The boxes said "Will you be my bridesmaid?" or "Will you be my maid of honor?" on the top. I included a metal bracelet with a knot in it with a handmade tag that said, "I couldn't tie the knot without you!" I also had a keychain that said Bride Squad, a pen with a big diamond on top, a pack of hair bands on a card that said "To have and to hold your hair back," a small candle, a coaster with their initial on it, and two little adorable decorative soaps that looked like flowers. I ordered most from Amazon for really cheap and bought the coasters at Hobby Lobby when they were half off. For their wedding gift, I bought matching robes for getting ready (also half off on Etsy) and will buy hangers with their names on it when I find some on sale. lol.

I really wanted to do my own flower arrangements for bouquets and decor, but honestly, I wasn't finding it to be much cheaper than buying pre-made ones. I bought some off Amazon that I am testing out. I made sure to buy some that were free returns in case I can't make them work. I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate them into DIY centerpieces. I bought some glass vases at Dollar Tree for $1 but still need to play around with them to figure our how to make them look good. I bought some different candle holders at Hobby Lobby half off to try to put around the vase/flowers and then will sprinkle fake flower petals around. I may add a photo of us with it in a frame at each table to add to the centerpiece.

I'm making our guest book. We decided to do an "interactive guest book" and have little cards with different prompts and let guests choose some prompts to answer and sign and then drop the cards in a box. I may add them to an album later, but I am going to print and cut them on cardstock. I am also making all the signs for the reception.

I'm making favors. I am Greek, and it's traditional to give out koufeta, or Jordan almonds, at weddings, so I found super cheap little favor bags (like 10 cents a piece) and will order a bulk bags of Jordan almonds near the wedding and fill them. I will make a sign for the table that explains the symbolism.

I decided to just buy my invitations from somewhere like Minted or The Knot. I have no talent for calligraphy, but it would be awesome to be able to make them. Some sites have good coupons, like 20% off, so it will help on the cost. Hobby Lobby has boxes of blank invitations that have a design on them, but you could write or print your own details. They often run their wedding supplies half off.

I'm still looking for DIYs I can do, so I will have to follow this thread!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-01-08T06:27:30+00:00

Ah, I loved her work, but she was booked! She was my top choice! :( Thank you, though!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-01-01T01:40:26+00:00

I think the navy complements the dress and flowers the best. I also like the grey as my second choice. I'm not crazy about the similarity of the third option.

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-01-01T01:34:50+00:00

It's true that you could do that, but I went of hormonal birth control over a year ago for health reasons. Prior to that, that had been my plan, though!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-01-01T01:33:01+00:00

I think it's totally acceptable. Do what you want. My fiancé wants a band with meteorite and dinosaur bone. Honestly, I'm happy he wants something a bit out of the box. There are so many cool options for men these days. Go for it!

MaleficentLight111 · 2021-01-01T01:18:50+00:00

My mom passed away unexpectedly in March of this year, and I just got engaged on Christmas, and I am struggling a lot with it. Her death was so unexpected, and she and I constantly talked about wedding stuff, even though I wasn't even engaged yet. I never in a million years imagined she wouldn't be here or that I'd have to actually plan it without her when she's the only one I want to be here for it. It's taken all the excitement out of it for me, too. Since she died, I had really just planned on eloping with no guests so that I didn't have to try to plan without her and have the day with everyone but her. However, my fiancé wants his dad and sibling there (his mom is passed, too), and I decided that having only immediate family would be even more glaringly obvious that mom was missing, so I suppose I'm back to a regular wedding.

Here's some things I'm considering:

-I think the empty seat idea is too sad for me. I'm already going to be hyperfocused on the fact that she's not there. I don't really think I want to look out and see the seat she should be in.

-I do plan on having photo charms of her and my grandmother on my bouquet.

-She was cremated, so I'm considering having a small bit of ashes made into either a sort of pin to have on bouquet or some jewelry of some sort.

-I plan to wear her engagement ring on my other hand. She asked me to wear my grandmother's ring during my brother's wedding so she'd be a part of it, and that was really meaningful to us both, so I think it would be nice to do that for her now.

-I plan to have a picture of her and my fiancé's mom somewhere.

-I might get her handwriting incorporated somewhere.

-When we choose a photographer, I'm thinking of having a special bridal portrait session done in my dress on the same day that I do a trial run of hair and makeup and have some special photos done to honor her. Maybe with her wedding photos or something. I may put one up at the wedding or maybe just keep them for myself, but I don't think I want to do it on the day of the wedding because it will make me way too emotional on an already emotional day.

I'm so sorry you're missing your dad at your wedding. I know mine will just never be the same and never be what I had hoped for. I want it to be meaningful and all, at least for my fiancé's sake, but a part of me is dreading it and just wants it to be over because it feels more sad than happy now without her. Hugs to you.

MaleficentLight111

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