Ella Murphy - Blog Post 1

My first month as a postgraduate student in UCC has been full of new experiences. After just completing my Bsc of Physiology here in Cork, UCC wasn’t a new university I had to make my way around. However, becoming a clinical therapy’s student has introduced me to parts of the college I never ventured, one being the newly built acoustic audio booth in the Brookfield Audiology clinic.

My first day in my masters was very different to most other postgraduate courses in Ireland, because I got to spend it with patients in the Brookfield clinic. The past 5 weeks we have been applying theory from our lectures blending it with our time in the clinic being taught hands on how to use equipment and carry out appointments. What I love most about this masters is the influence that is put on clinical practice and patient centred care. We will all graduate with over 1000 hours experience in clinics and have a chance to work all over Ireland with both adults and paediatric patients during the next 2 years. There are only 12 people in my class, all of us with different backgrounds and we have become a close-knit group already.

I really enjoy being a UCC student because of the beautiful campus seen in the picture below. I consider myself very lucky to be a part of a course so well organised, offering state of the art facilities and modern facilities. On Wednesdays, I attend an Irish Sign Language (ISL) night class organised by the Disability Services in UCC.

I loved my past 4 years living here in Cork. It’s a great city because everywhere is within walking distance. For a small city, it has so much to offer, every side street has something different from artesian coffee shops, live music venues and restaurants, I still haven’t been to all! The best part of Cork is that you can walk into a bustling city and be part of the buzz while also having Fitzgerald’s park and the Lough to relax in when the sun is shining. 

Check out the online propsectus page for MSc in Audiology.

Ella Murphy - Msc Audiology 

Blog Post 2

After just completing my first of six semesters of my Masters of Audiology, I can say that we were truly immersed into life as an Audiologist. Our semester was broken down into 10 weeks of lectures, tutorials and clinics with one week in an off-site placement. This was all arranged around training us in referrals, hearing assessments and creating management plans for patients.

We are very lucky to be in a small class of 12 as it makes our lectures and tutorials very interactive and engaging. We completed 5 modules altogether. One being Psychology, which exposed us to the psychosocial impact of hearing loss and how to be Deaf aware. While others really focused on professionalism, how to carry out audiological exams and of course the physiology and pathophysiology of audiological diseases. Our placement module trained us on how to carry out specific assessments including pure tone audiometry, tympanometry and impression taking. Our facilities in Brookfield are top class and each week we have the opportunity to practice our skills both with our class and eventually with patients under the supervision of our practice educators. We are very fortunate to have dedicated and accommodating lecturers and supervisors that are interested in making sure we are trained to a high standard.

Our month of November was jam-packed with exams, presentations, assignments and placement. Being immersed in work made the theory from lectures blended with practical experience to come together. We carried out 4 group presentations on topics ranging from explaining what a Vestibular Schwannoma is, to how to bring the hearing world and Deaf community together. Each group was different for each presentation which was a great to get to know everyone in the class. I carried out my placement both in Mayo and Galway which gave me the chance to see life as an audiologist in the hospital and community setting. Each day I was welcomed into a new clinic and I got to practice skills and become more familiar with how a clinic runs and different types of appointments.

The semester ended with our written exams and a long stretch off for Christmas to rest and revive for the new year which I am excited to return to.

Check out the online propsectus page for MSc in Audiology.

Ella Murphy - MSc Audiology

Blog Post 3

And just like that, semester two has whizzed passed us quickly with so many things happening.

Just a few short weeks ago I was essentially clueless as to all things hearing aid related! And now here we are, programming up hearings aids and counselling our patients on how to use, care and maintain their shiny new devices. My class and I were thrown into the deep end on our first day back to college in January, with gentle reminders that this day next week we will be expected to programme up someone’s new hearing aids (with supervision of course!).  It was the pressure we needed, and soon we were taking turns to lead the appointments; one of us on computer programming, the other taking charge of the counselling side of things.

Academically, our semester took a step back from the medical approach of the first semester and instead was packed with guest lecturers sharing their expertise on aural rehabilitation, acclimatisation, stages of transition and counselling. We were very lucky to get visits from some of the top hearing aid companies worldwide, such as Starkey and Cochlear, who did not fail to bring us some merch! It was a great blend of psychology to physics from week to week.

A major part of our last few weeks have been consumed with our research proposals. We got to choose any topic that took our fancy in the area of Audiology. I chose to propose a systematic review on “the effective management protocols of somatosensory tinnitus”. This is just a complicated term to explain when someone is “hearing a ringing or buzzing noise in their ears from moving the eyes, jaw or neck”. It is an under-researched area and I hope to complete the systematic review for my dissertation next year.

I was allocated placement for 2 weeks this semester in Cork. It was great to get an opportunity to focus completely on becoming more competent within managing clinical appointments, seeing different patients every hour and putting skills into practices.

We just got the news of our placement allocations for the summer. I am going to Northern Ireland! This is considered an Erasmus since it is outside the Republic of Ireland, so I am delighted to have that experience. It is a fantastic opportunity because I will get a chance to work within the National Health Service (NHS). On top of that, my friend Sandra is also allocated to Co. Antrim, so it is great to have some company. We are currently busy looking for accommodation, filling out placement work forms and revising for our final exam.

I am really excited for the next few months and the new experiences it will bring.

Check out the online prospectus page for MSc Audiology.