Thursday, March 27

    Today was my last day at the hospital. This morning, I shadowed a doctor in the clinic. He specializes in noses, so I saw a lot of deviated septums and nasal congestion issues. The appointments were very similar to the ones I saw yesterday.  In the afternoon, I shadowed an audiologist. Audiologists specialize in hearing and ear health. I observed three hearing tests, each done slightly differently depending on the patient's age. The goal of a hearing test is to determine if a patient can hear different pitches at different decibel levels. A hearing test may be conducted if a patient has hearing aids, trouble hearing, or has recently had a severe ear infection. During a hearing test, the audiologist puts the patient in a soundproof room and measures their response to different beeps. For really young kids, a picture lights up on one side of the room while a sound is played to get them to turn their heads. Slightly older children hold a block and place it in a bucket when they hear the sound. Finally, the oldest children have headphones and either raise their hands or click a button in response to the sound. The results of the test are on an audiogram, which is a chart that shows the highest decibel level at which the patient can hear each pitch. Based on this, the audiologist can determine if the patient has any hearing loss. The audiologist also showed me different hearing aids and a hearing loss simulator.

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Wednesday, March 26

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