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National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR)

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Audiology Training Program

1 Year Externships 2025-2026

VA Portland Health Care System
Portland, Oregon

The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Service and the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR) at the VA Portland Health Care System offer a joint AuD externship training program funded by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations. Note: These externships are available only to US citizens.

Experiences at the NCRAR will include:

  • Participating in multiple aspects of clinical research such as participant recruitment and testing, adherence to research protocols applying human subject participation regulations, writing of clinical notes and data entry.
  • Conducting a variety of clinical research procedures that may include audiometric testing, hearing aid fitting, central auditory processing testing, electroacoustic testing of hearing aids, tinnitus assessment and treatment and electrophysiological methods (ABR, EPs, OAEs)
  • Attending NCRAR seminars and research meetings, participating in the grant-writing process, preparing publications and conference presentations, and conducting statistical analyses of research data.

Experiences at the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Service will include:

  • All aspects of auditory assessment and treatment management including diagnostic hearing evaluations, hearing aid selection, fitting, counseling, orientation, follow-up care, outcome measures, consult writing, progress note completion, and encounter reporting.
  • Working with a broad range of top tier hearing aid technology (including Bluetooth devices) among largest international hearing aid manufacturers using Noah 4 programming.
  • Experience in auditory processing disorders clinic, OAE assessments, cochlear implant and osseo-integrated hearing aid candidacy assessment, programming and management, vestibular assessment clinic, and tinnitus assessment and management, is available.
  • Experience with VA Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Telehealth.
  • In-house training with major hearing aid manufacturers’ latest products.
  • Collaboration with other health care providers.

The application deadline is September 18, 2024. 

  • Interviews take place between September 23 and October 25, 2024.
  • Offers will be extended starting: Monday, September 23, 2024
  • Offer response deadline: Friday, October 25, 2024 at 4:00 PM PST
  • Subsequent Offers begin: Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 4:00 PM PST
  • Reposting unfilled positions: Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 4:00 PM PST

These dates are in accordance with the Audiology Clinical Education Network (ACEN).

The Externship start date is as early as May 2025.

Application process:

Any student interested in applying should send a brief email to Dr. Sarah Bench, Trainee Coordinator, sarah.bench@va.gov stating their intent to apply.

Applicants should submit a cover letter stating interest and career goals, curriculum vitae, unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation. At least one recommendation should be from an academic professor and one from a clinical instructor. An academic and clinical professor can speak to both areas, if applicable. Letters of recommendation can be emailed to Dr. Bench directly by the professor or can be included in the student’s application. If emailed, “Letter of Recommendation for [Name of Applicant]” should be included in the subject line.

Please concatenate all documents into a single .pdf, and “Save as” as an Adobe Acrobat optimized file type to compress, or use an online .pdf compression program. If you would like to encrypt your application, please request a password from Dr. Bench by sending an email request. Note, the VA server may reject a large file size. As such, please also send a separate, brief email to Dr. Bench stating that the application was sent. Applications should be submitted to sarah.bench@va.gov. (Note, the other VA forms listed on the website: Application for Assoc. Health Trainee, Form 306, and National Rules of Behavior will be required upon selection for an externship.).

Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. 

For more information:

  • If you would like clarification or further information regarding the NCRAR research rotation, please contact Dr. Dawn Konrad-Martin, Associate Director, NCRAR, at 503-220-8262, x52962, or by email, at dawn.martin@va.gov. 
  • If you would like clarification or further information about the clinical rotation, please contact contact Dr. Sarah Bench, Trainee Coordinator, sarah.bench@va.gov.
  • For a list of other VA externship opportunities available, click here.
     

 

 

 

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