Student Moves Cross-Country to Pursue Audiology Dream

Imagine packing up all your belongings, leaving behind your hometown and moving across the country. That’s exactly what Sam Johnson, an audiology student assigned to his clinical rotation at the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI), decided to do in order to pursue his dream.

Johnson graduated from California State University, Northridge in 2013. During this time a professor piqued his interest in audiology.

“I had a professor who was an audiologist and he would lecture for three hours’ straight while never looking at slides,” Johnson said. “You would think that would be boring but for me, it was really inspiring, and I was always fascinated.”

Soon after graduation, he applied to graduate school but unfortunately did not get accepted. Instead Johnson went onto work as a hearing aid dispenser.

An audiologist is licensed and trained to diagnose, treat and monitor all aspects of the hearing and balance system. While hearing aid dispensers are licensed and trained to perform basic testing with the sole purpose of fitting a person with hearing aid devices.

“As a dispenser, I found that there would be questions that I didn’t have the answer to and I would have to refer patients back to their doctor. Finally, I thought to myself, ‘Why don’t I go back to school and become the doctor,” said Johnson.

Johnson is now a first-year student in Salus University Osborne College of Audiology (OCA). During the first semester, OCA students do observations at PEI. However, by their second semester, they are already practicing hands-on skills and conducting basic tests.

For Johnson, working with patients at PEI has helped reinforce his passion to learn.

“Now I’m able to learn why things are done. As a hearing aid dispenser, I learned how to do things, but I didn’t always understand the why,” he said.

Upon graduation in 2021, Johnson plans to go into private practice as an audiologist.

“As an audiologist, it’s about more than just hearing aids,” he said. “Ultimately I want to be in a position where I can help patients with their complete hearing and balance needs and improve their quality of life.”