So What?

I have a coworker that I love working with. They are very detail oriented and passionate about the mission of our team, dedicated to evidence-based practice and highly analytical. One of my favorite things they do when we’re in collaboration and working hard on a problem is they ask: “So what?” This is not meant to be rude or dismissive, instead they are asking why? Why is this change important, what difference will this change make, and why is it relevant to our goals and mission? As the ABA credentials portfolio continues to expand with the addition of the Vestibular Audiology Specialty Certification (VASC) and the General Audiology Board Certification (GABC) more attention is being given to professional credentials in audiology. There has been an uptick in conversations and even debate regarding the need for and value of these new credentials. I believe deeply that Board Certification is important and has the potential to move audiology forward as a profession. But what I am hearing is: So what?

While the Academy and the ABA have worked to educate the audiology community on the rationale, design, and professional value of General Audiology Board Certification, many audiologists continue to ask, so what? As current ABA chair, I have the unique privilege of sharing my answer to this important question. Board Certification matters because after almost three decades as a doctoral level profession, most consumers still don’t know who we are or what we do. Many audiologists are still tied to a commercial product (a hearing aid) rather than to the far more complex diagnostic, management, and treatment skills we are educated and trained to perform. Most consumers still assume that ENTs treat hearing loss and hearing instrument specialists fit hearing aids. To add to the confusion, hearing instrument specialists have had Board Certification since 1980 (BC-HID).

Specialty Board Certification in pediatric and vestibular audiology and General Audiology Board Certification clearly delineates the depth of expertise and skills within audiology unrelated to hearing aids. Board Certification moves audiology forward as a health care profession to more closely match the credentials held by our physical therapy, occupational therapy, optometry, and pharmacist peers. This improved parity should, over the course of time, improve advancement in rank and increase salaries. Hospitals, school systems, and federal agencies (e.g., VA Hospitals) use advanced credentials, including board certification, as a basis for merit pay increases and professional advancement.

Most importantly, Board Certification contributes to the medicalization of audiology. If we, as audiologists, want to be perceived as highly skilled health care providers, that is, as a doctoring profession, we must have the credentials that make this visible to our patients, consumers of our care. Exam-based Board Certification matters to patients, with consumer research commissioned by the American Board of Medical Specialties showing that up to 95 percent of consumers rate Board Certification as an important factor when choosing a health care provider. It acts as a trusted indicator of a provider’s knowledge, commitment to high standards, and dedication to better patient care, often ranking second only to insurance coverage in importance1.

Critical thought and spirited debate are the core of a healthy professional organization. I am encouraged and, frankly, grateful that attention is being paid to these new ABA credentials and that audiologists are asking about the value and necessity for Board Certification. To this important question, so what, I respond: because audiology matters, and audiologists should have the opportunity and the tools to validate their expertise with credentials that elevate our skills and amplify our value to our patients, our colleagues, and our profession.

1. American Board of Medical Specialties. (2025, October 20). Board Certification Remains Important to Consumers. https://www.abms.org/newsroom/board-certification-remains-important-to-consumers/   

Carrie Meyer, AuD, DFAAA
American Board of Audiology Certified