New School Year, New Opportunities

I was walking through Target with my husband last week when suddenly he groaned and said, “oh I hated to see that when I was a kid.” The focus of his dismay was the back-to-school display filled with folders, notebooks, and pencils. I laughed, partly because he’s a bit past school age and partly because I always loved going back to school. As the child of two public school teachers, I was raised as a lifetime learner. I have been an Academy Scholar several times, continuing education has never been a burden for me, but instead an opportunity to seek out new or unfamiliar areas of audiology and spend an hour or two learning something new.  

The ABA now has new back-to-school opportunities for audiologists looking to learn more and establish themselves as experts in their field. The Vestibular Audiology Specialty Certification (VASC) beta exam is currently being administered August 8–August 18. The test scores will be used to set the passing score and the standard for future exams. ABA will be announcing the first Board Certified in Vestibular Audiology (BC-VA) group in late September. Just in time for the start of the new school year, the Certificate Holder-Educational Audiology (CH-EdAuD) is also nearing completion and the full program will be ready for registration in mid-August. This new specialty certification and certificate join the current ABA portfolio of credentials encouraging professionals to expand their knowledge base and providing support for audiologists to practice at the top of their scope.

Finally, as we enjoy the last days of summer, I am excited to provide an update on the most recent undertaking of the ABA, a Board Certified Audiologist (BC-A) credential. This proposed board certification would be awarded to audiologists who demonstrate expertise in the assessment, diagnosis, and rehabilitative management of auditory disorders across the adult lifespan. This new board certification will require passing a rigorous examination that validates knowledge and clinical proficiency in adult audiologic care. In July, the Academy Board of Directors reviewed and approved this ABA project. Next steps will be to develop a budget and timeline as well as exam domains based on a 2022 practice analysis for this new board certification program.

The mission of the ABA is to: create, administer, and promote rigorous credentialing programs to elevate the professional practice of audiology and advance patient care. I hope you’ll take a moment to review the existing and new opportunities the ABA has that can help you reach your full potential as an audiologist and maybe even inspire you to head back to school!

Carrie Meyer, AuD
American Board of Audiology Certified