Wayne State University Affiliation

Henry Ford Health-Wayne State University Doctor of Audiology Program Partnership

In 2011, Henry Ford Health and Wayne State University began an affiliation designed to enhance clinical training of audiology students. Under the direction of Brad Stach, Ph.D. the faculty and staff of the Division of Audiology in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Henry Ford assumed primary responsibility for and oversight of clinical training activities of audiology students in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at WSU. The audiology staff at Henry Ford works in conjunction with their WSU clinical faculty counterpart, Mary Kassa, Au.D. to manage the administrative aspects of the clinical program. Together, the departments support students to provide the best clinical education possible.

• During the first year of study, students are introduced to clinical practice in the Wayne State University Audiology Clinic, which is staffed by audiologists from Henry Ford’s Division of Audiology. Here, students learn clinical skills in a sheltered environment. During non-clinic hours, students utilize the clinical space for laboratory exercises designed to strengthen their knowledge base. Clinical competency examinations are used to determine student preparedness to progress toward more advanced clinical training.
• In the second year students rotate through the four audiology clinics of the Henry Ford Health, serving an economically and culturally diverse population.
• In the third year, while participating in advanced audiology coursework, students rotate through each of three “specialty” facilities, including pediatrics, adult geriatric, and private practice settings. Students spend 20 hours per week at each site per semester.
• The fourth year consists of an immersive, 12-month, full-time clinical externship experience in which the student progresses gradually toward independence under the supervision of a clinical educator.