PP201 - Analysis of the Audiology Clinical Education Network Externship Timeline

In 2021, the Audiology Clinical Education Network (ACEN) was established to create standardization within and across the AuD externship process. With input from stakeholders, including externship sites, clinical preceptors, academic programs, and students, the ACEN’s initial efforts focused on identifying a common timeline for key components of the externship application process. Dates for an application submission deadline, interviews, and acceptances were established and disseminated.

Data collected from various stages of the 2022 externship application process highlights adherence to, and deviation from, the ACEN timeline across externship sites. Recommendations for further promoting the ACEN common timeline will be presented.

Summary:
In 2021, the Audiology Clinical Education Network (ACEN) was established to create standardization within and across the AuD externship process. Within months of its founding, more than 65 clinical externship sites had joined the network. The initial response to the ACEN timeline appeared to be positive; by late summer 2022, more than 100 externship sites had joined the network

The purpose of this project is to explore and highlight adherence to, and deviation from, the ACEN timeline during the 2022-23 AuD externship application cycle. By analyzing these trends, generalizations regarding acceptance of the ACEN timeline by stakeholders can be made. Based on this data, further recommendations for improving the AuD externship application process can be considered.

Methods:
A basic retrospective analysis of more than 300 online AuD externship position “postings” during the 2022-2023 academic year was conducted to identify key components of each clinical site’s planned timeline. General cohort trends regarding various components of the timeline, including the timing of interviews, position offers, and position acceptances from one AuD program, were also collected and analyzed.

Results:
Data collection and analysis is still ongoing at the time of this proposal submission, but will be completed before February 15, 2023. Early-stage data analysis suggests a majority of externship sites did not adhere to the recommended ACEN timeline for key components of the externship application process, including application deadlines, interviews, offers, and acceptances.