Career Center

This externship is at the Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami, Miami, Florida. The emphasis is pediatric audiology combined with the principles of LEND training. The curriculum is as follows:

The curriculum will have six elements that include: 1) didactic and internet presentations on pediatric audiology and interdisciplinary diagnostics/interventions; 2) participation in special clinics including Cleft Palate Clinic, special immunology, Early Steps (IDEA Part C) Clinic, and the Interdisciplinary Diagnostic and Evaluation Service; 3) participation in the hospital-based universal newborn screening program; 4) participation in the outpatient clinical services; and 5) participation in an educational audiology environment in the Debbie Institute; 5) cochlear implant rotation. Specifically, the clinical opportunities will include:

Newborn Hearing Screening:

• Didactic training on early detection and early intervention of hearing loss in infants
• In-hospital newborn screening for both otoacoustic emissions and evoked potentials
• Outpatient follow-up of children who fail the initial screen or have late onset risk factors

Outpatient Clinical Services:

• Didactic training on hearing disorder of childhood, central nervous system anatomy and physiology, auditory processing, and other CNS functions
• Infants and toddlers referred for speech delay, otitis media, and other auditory concerns
• Elementary and high school students referred for central auditory processing
• Infants/toddlers through high school hearing aid services

Inpatient/Outpatient Consultations:

• Hematology/oncology consultations for children with glioblastoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, astrocytoma, and other disorders requiring chemotherapy
• Pulmonology consultations for children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis who are receiving aminoglycoside antibiotic treatment
• Special immunology consultations for children suspected of having hearing loss and/or auditory processing disorders secondary to HIV
• Genetics consultations for children with diagnosed syndromes that may have hearing disorders as co-morbid conditions

Debbie Institute:

• Classroom hearing aid, FM, and cochlear implant monitoring of functions
• Diagnostic audiometric evaluations of classroom children including behavioral testing and evaluation of hearing aid function (behavioral and real ear measurements)
• Participation in IEP meetings
• Hearing aid reprogramming
• Practicum in auditory training

Interdisciplinary Services:

• Cleft Palate Clinic
• Interdisciplinary Diagnostic and Evaluation Service
• Early Steps (IDEA Part C) Clinic

In addition to the clinical opportunities listed above, the following components will also be integral to the training of each audiology student.

Cochlear Implant Rotation

• Didactic, observation, and practicum instruction in cochlear implants at the University of Miami Ear Institute.

Clinical Rotations 

• Mailman Center Outpatient Clinic
• Children's Hearing Program (Otolaryngology)
• Early Steps (IDEA Birth to Three) Program
• Interdisciplinary Diagnostic and Evaluation Service
• Cochlear Implant (Otolaryngology)
• Newborn Hearing Screening (Jackson Memorial Hospital)

Didactic Instruction and leadership activities:

• didactic interdisciplinary course and Understanding the Family-Professional Partnership
• Monthly grand rounds with interdisciplinary topics of interest
• each trainee will develop a presentation on an advocacy topic to present to other trainees and Mailman Center faculty (the topic may be of the student's choice subject to review and approval)
• Genetics conference on various topics of interest audiology
• The center has agreed to participate in the online, web-based seminars that will be available to all LEND trainees and faculty
• Observation of the Florida Department of Health Genetics and Newborn Screening Advisory Council and the EHDI Advisory Committee

Clinical Research:

• Impact of the coronavirus on child development
• Early detection of genetic etiologies of hearing loss

Weekly Audiology Conference:

• Weekly informal conference to discuss interesting cases seen during the previous week

The Mailman Center for Child Development is a federally designated Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. The training curriculum for graduate students of various professional disciplines falls under the program description of Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND). The thrust of the training program is directed toward three goals: Developing clinical, technical skills in pediatric audiology, training in interdisciplinary care for children with complex diagnostic, intervention or therapeutic needs, and management of very complex children within the framework of multiple professional disciplines. The didactic and experiential training in audiology is designed to provide a much broader foundation in managing complex, medically fragile, or diagnostic dilemma children as a single discipline assessment or as part of an interdisciplinary team.

A primary, long-term goal is to develop skills leading to excellent clinical judgment regarding children with hearing and other complex medical or developmental needs.