Clinical Placements - Auditory Implant Service

We offer clinical placements, for audiologists, at USAIS. This gives the opportunity to work as part of our dynamic multi-disciplinary team, while acquiring clinical skills. These placements, open to UK graduates working in the field of cochlear implants or a related area, are extremely popular and thus competitive.

The placements are 12 weeks long. The trainee is assigned to a mentor and the training includes:

Assessment for cochlear implantation
Tuning and activation of Cochlear devices (both paediatric and adult)
Desk side training in the devices of Cochlear, Advanced Bionics and MED-EL. One primary device is selected, alongside a secondary one.
Opportunities to observe other members of the cochlear implant team
Observation of rehabilitation following implantation
Team decision making about potential candidates
Access to USAIS protocols and procedures
Observation of clinical workshops for patients and team meetings

Completion of the placement does not mean that the trainee is an ‘expert’ in the field, but rather that he/she have had introductory training to the field, unless otherwise specified.

The cost of a 12 week clinical placement is £4250 with a 10% discount for University of Southampton graduates. Prices are subject to change.

A shorter one week placement to observe our team may also be possible at a charge of £500.

For more information, please contact Dr Nicci Campbell (USAIS Academic Coordinator) N.G.Campbell@soton.ac.uk

Meet our most recent clinical placements

Adnan Shehabi (Jerusalem)	My 9-week placement at USAIS was a wonderful and rewarding experience, but equally demanding at times – I learnt a lot! Initially I observed sessions and later, following the training provided, worked as an audiologist on the USAIS team under the supervision of a staff member. USAIS has an exceptional multidisciplinary professional team that includes audiologists, speech therapists and rehabilitationists. The experience has equipped me with the theoretical and clinical skills needed by an audiologist working in the field of cochlear implants, including aspects such as assessment, candidacy decision making, tuning, neural response telemetry and ongoing follow up. The quality of training and support I received from staff members was very good. Prof Nicci Campbell, who oversees the clinical placements and also the MSc auditory implant module, was excellent and very helpful in advising me about further research and study opportunities in the area of cochlear implants. My time at USAIS was very enjoyable.
Manal Alibrahim (Saudi Arabia)	I greatly enjoyed my 12 week clinical placement at the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service. Dr. Nicci Campbell, my mentor, is one of the most inspiring of teachers I’ve ever met. I was very impressed with the amount of information and clinical skills I acquired. By the end of the placement I was able to see patients independently and felt comfortable in my knowledge and skills. This training was challenging, stimulating and inspiring. It was a wonderful opportunity for which I am most grateful.
Luming Duan (Canada)	I had a wonderful time during my clinical placement at the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service. There are many things I love about this clinic. The clinic is part of the University and has a number of staff serving as faculty members. As a result there is always on-going research and we have access to the latest research findings and technological developments. The work dynamic is robust, energetic, professional, and intellectually stimulating. Everyone is eager to help and teach. My clinical supervisor Devyanee has been a joy to work with and her enthusiasm for the field is infectious. I had hands on clinic time almost everyday since my arrival. It was a steep learning curve and cases are not always straight forward but by the end of the 12 weeks I feel confident in assessing, tuning and counselling patients. It has been a lovely experience and I will miss my time here.
Chermaine Teo (Singapore)	I found my clinical placement at USAIS to be one of the most valuable experiences of my audiology studies and further training. USAIS has an excellent patient care service and is a world leader. I learnt so much from the hands-on training offered to me. Observing the interdisciplinary team interactions, monthly meetings as well as the different counselling styles of speech therapists and hearing therapists has been invaluable. My current job requires me to travel to developing parts of South-East Asia where there are no audiologists or speech therapists. Sometimes there is a lack of a proper clinic facilities or the CI technology is old but I am happy to report that I am contributing to developing services and the CI patients outcomes are good. The Ear, Nose and Throat surgeons have been impressed by the way I communicate with patients. They have even joined me in patient appointments to observe how I interact with patients. I can highly recommend a clinical placement at USAIS. I left USAIS a better audiologist – and a grateful, happy and confident person!