Private Practice: The Road Less Traveled for Your Graduates?

May 25, 2017 | Audigy University

Not unlike the lines from the Robert Frost poem, students seeking placement for the final year have choices, and exploring the path of private practice can make all the difference in the world. Autonomy, flexibility, leadership opportunities, and freedom associated with independent private practice are just a few of the benefits of externship within this employment sector. Amazing potential career-launch opportunities are another perk.

Private practices come in all shapes and sizes, with diverse ranges of scope of practice. They’re located in large, metropolitan areas as well as small-town America. No two practices are alike. From smaller single-provider offices to expansive multilocation/multiprovider practices, it’s important to ensure that students not only find the externship experience they are searching for but also identify a satisfying career path following graduation. Students with an entrepreneurial passion flourish in private-practice settings, and preceptors within these venues are able to provide a wide range of customized, hands-on learning opportunities.

Being exposed to the business and administrative components inherent to running a private audiology practice also adds to a student’s externship experience and helps prepare them for professional responsibilities regardless of their employment setting. Confidence in their clinical abilities, patient relationships, and business acumen grows as they navigate the complexities of independent private practice. Additionally, real life day-to-day challenges of marketing, insurance, staffing, team building, and goal setting involved in the private-practice arena are wonderful building blocks for fundamental professional leadership skills.

With over 250 members and over 500 locations around North America, Audigy has a placement program designed to assist Au.D. students wanting to venture out on the path less traveled. Working together with university advisors, we match students with opportunities that meet their goals, positioning them for professional success in their fourth-year placement and beyond.