Information contained in this webpage has been fully updated for the application process for the 2024-2025 training year.

The Audiology Externship functions within the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program. The LEND program promotes leadership, research skills and clinical expertise in graduate level health care professionals who intend to devote their careers to working with children, youth and adults with a variety of health conditions including developmental disabilities.

Audiology externs receive clinical experience and training within the audiology clinics at the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center (CDRC)/Doernbecher Children's Hospital and the OHSU Otolaryngology Outpatient Clinic. Both clinics are on the OHSU Marquam Hill Campus, within walking distance of each other. Externs spend 50% of clinical time in each setting, rotating between each clinic site every two or three months. The Pediatric Audiology program at Doernbecher Children's Hospital provides a wide range of diagnostic services to infants, children and adolescents. Services primarily involve comprehensive diagnostic evaluations including behavioral hearing assessments, otoacoustic emissions, middle ear analysis and auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing. 

Pediatric audiology is also a part of the CDRC interdisciplinary outpatient clinics for children including Cleft Palate/Craniofacial, Genetics, Down syndrome, Autism, Neurodevelopment, Child Development, Turner Syndrome and NICU Follow-up Clinic. The OHSU Audiology Outpatient Clinic operates within the Department of Otolaryngology. A full range of diagnostic and management services are offered both independently and in conjunction with physicians. Services include differential diagnosis, vestibular testing, pediatric and adult cochlear implants, pediatric and adult amplification and bone anchored hearing devices (baha). All supervising audiologists at OHSU have the ASHA CCC-A.

Audiology externs collaborate with other trainees in speech-language pathology, psychology, social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, nursing, health administration, special education and developmental pediatrics. Leadership skills are developed through clinical practicum, continuing education, participation in community organizations, advocacy projects and a mentored clinical research project. The AUCD website as well as the OHSU LEND website have additional information about our program and LEND programs in general.

The externship is 12 months in duration, beginning in June and ending in May and a modest stipend is provided. Parking is limited at OHSU and parking is not provided for externs. Externs will receive a public transit pass.

Please direct any questions to Kristy Knight at gilmerk@ohsu.edu

Application Requirements

The application deadline for externships beginning in June 2025 is September 18, 2024.

We request that applicants submit:

1. Professional CV or resume that includes information in the following areas:

• Clinical experience: Please provide dates and locations of each clinical practicum site and include a description of the practicum setting (community clinic, hospital, university audiology clinic and information about the patient population). Please describe your experiences and responsibilities and list the number of hours per week at each site.
• Education
• Membership in professional societies
• Honors and awards
• Papers published, presented, in press
• Clinical and research interests
• Research experience
• Service
• Major extracurricular interests
• Other relevant experiences

2. References: Please provide three letters of recommendation. At least one should come from your academic program and two from clinical supervisors. We request that letters of recommendation be submitted from the letter writer directly to Kristy Knight at gilmerk@ohsu.edu.
3. An official transcript of your graduate work.
4. A letter of intent/personal statement describing your interests and goals for your audiology externship.

* Persons with disabilities and/or diverse backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply

No participant, employee, student, beneficiary, or potential beneficiary of the Oregon Health & Science University shall be discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion and veteran status, or any other applicable basis in law. Direct inquiries should be sent to ocic@ohsu.edu.

Interested students should submit application materials by email to Kristy Knight at gilmerk@ohsu.edu.

After the application deadline, selected candidates will be invited to an online video interview.

Applicant Qualifications

Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited Au.D. program and must have met all requirements for graduation with the exception of the Clinical Externship.

Requirements when an externship position is offered and accepted:

1. Prior to the externship start date, an affiliation agreement between OHSU and the university must be signed.
2. OHSU provides professional liability insurance covering externs. However, OHSU requires "double coverage". Thus, professional liability insurance must also be provided by either the extern or his/her home institution. Coverage limits must be at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate.
3. Externs are required to provide proof of current vaccinations and if the full panel required by OHSU is not current, then the extern will need to update vaccinations at his or her expense. For more information about required vaccinations, please visit the OHSU Student Health Services website.
4. Externs are required to provide proof of personal medical insurance coverage.
5. Final appointment to the externship position is contingent upon satisfactorily passing a background check that includes, but may not be limited to, criminal offender inquiry. Prior conviction does not necessarily disqualify an applicant. As appropriate, a risk assessment will be made that considers the conviction relative to the essential functions as an extern, the time frame in which the offense occurs and any mitigating circumstances. Applicants concerned about potential issues are welcome to contact the site early in the application review and selection process.
6. Additionally, an extern may be expected to successfully pass a drug screen, completed potentially at the expense of the applicant, prior to final appointment as an extern. Again, this would be completed after a position is offered and accepted.
7. Please check back to this webpage for updated information regarding these and related issues.

Information contained in this webpage has been fully updated for the application process for the 2024-2025 training year.

Audiology internships are provided through the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program.

Audiology interns will receive clinical experience and training within the audiology clinics at the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center (CDRC)/Doernbecher Children's Hospital at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon.. Interns will gain clinical experience in comprehensive diagnostic evaluations of infants, children and adolescents including audiometry, otoacoustic emissions, middle ear analysis, acoustic reflex measurement and auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing. Interns will also work within the CDRC interdisciplinary outpatient clinics for children with developmental disabilities and special health needs.

Please direct any questions to Kristy Knight at gilmerk@ohsu.edu.

The 9-week spring internship begins in February and ends in April.

The 6-week summer internship begins in June and ends in July. 

The specific start and end dates will be determined with the student and university upon acceptance of the internship.

Application deadlines

Spring internship 2025: October 25, 2024

Summer internship 2025: March 7, 2025

Qualifications

Applicants must be in the second or third year of a clinical doctorate of audiology program and must have completed at least one pediatric audiology course and one electrophysiology course before the start of the internship. Applicants should have some clinical experience working with pediatric populations and have an interest in working with children who have developmental disabilities. If all coursework has not been completed by the application deadline, please indicate how the requirements will be met prior to starting the internship if accepted.

OHSU requirements when an internship position is offered and accepted:

1. Prior to the internship start date, an affiliation agreement between OHSU and the university must be signed.
2. OHSU provides professional liability insurance covering interns. However, OHSU requires "double coverage". Thus, professional liability insurance must also be provided by either the intern or his/her home institution. Coverage limits must be at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate.
3. Interns are required to provide proof of current vaccinations and if the full panel required by OHSU is not current, then the extern will need to update vaccinations at his or her expense. For more information about required vaccinations, please visit the OHSU Student Health Services website.
4. Interns are required to provide proof of personal medical insurance coverage.
5. Final appointment to the internship position is contingent upon satisfactorily passing a background check that includes, but may not be limited to, criminal offender inquiry. Prior conviction does not necessarily disqualify an applicant. As appropriate, a risk assessment will be made that considers the conviction relative to the essential functions as an intern, the time frame in which the offense occurs and any mitigating circumstances. Applicants concerned about potential issues are welcome to contact the site early in the application review and selection process.
6. Additionally, an intern may be expected to successfully pass a drug screen, completed potentially at the expense of the applicant, prior to final appointment as an intern. Again, this would be completed after a position is offered and accepted.

Application materials

Please submit all documents to Kristy Knight at gilmerk@ohsu.edu

1. Professional CV or resume that includes information in the following areas:

• Clinical experience: Please provide dates, locations and clinical hours for each clinical practicum site and include a description of the practicum setting (community clinic, hospital, university audiology clinic and information about the patient population). Please describe your experiences and responsibilities.
• Education
• Membership in professional societies
• Honors and awards
• Research experience, papers published, presented etc. (if applicable)
• Service
• Other relevant experiences

2. Personal statement explaining clinical and research interests, why you are interested in the position and how the position would benefit your education/career (maximum 500 words)
3. Two letters of recommendation (one from an academic professor or research mentor, one from a clinical supervisor).
4. Unofficial academic transcripts

* Persons with disabilities and/or diverse backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply

No participant, employee, student, beneficiary, or potential beneficiary of the Oregon Health & Science University shall be discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion and veteran status, or any other applicable basis in law. Direct inquiries should be sent to ocic@ohsu.edu.

Please submit application materials to:

Kristy Knight
LEND Training Coordinator, Audiology
OHSU Institute on Development and Disability
Mailcode: CDRC
707 S.W. Gaines Street
Portland, OR 97239