For Abigail Possinger, AuD ’21, all it took was one class for her to fall in love with audiology. Originally studying Communication Sciences & Disorders for her undergrad at East Stroudsburg University, it wasn’t until her third year that she took an audiology class that instantly changed her life. She knew from that moment on that it was the profession and career she wanted to do for the rest of her life.
When she started her search for the right audiology graduate school, location was her top priority. She applied to three schools in Pennsylvania but Salus University’s proximity to Philadelphia – and home - made it her top choice. Sharing a love for the arts, Philadelphia’s culture intrigued Possinger and was definitely a draw. Along with the countless opportunities that is holds within the healthcare industry, she also wanted to stay close to her mother who, due to a heart condition, receives treatment at the University of Pennsylvania.
Now, as a second-year student in the University’s Osborne College of Audiology, and completing a clinical rotation at the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI), she feels like she has been given the opportunity to narrow her skills early on and prepare for her career. “These are real patients, these aren’t actors, they’re real people and what you say and what you write in your report effects their lives,” she said.
With an innate passion for volunteerism, she is also always looking for a way to become more involved and make a change in other peoples’ lives. Because of her passion, she feels especially drawn to pediatrics and special populations. Her empathy for children with hearing loss is her driving force to help in any way she can. Her goal is to give children the opportunity to do everything that they might not be able to do if they have a hearing loss – from participating in sports to pursuing a healthcare profession of their own one day.
The thing she loves the most about pediatrics is the ability to connect with people. When talking about the fear that some children have of going to the doctor or getting tests done, she said “I like the opportunity to get to know and make relationships with that patient, than actually get my testing done as quick as possible.” She goes on to explain that establishing a positive relationship between doctors and children creates a future for that child -- who will need care forever -- to never fear a visit to the doctor.