AuD students' perceptions and influences regarding careers in independent practice.

Purpose: Independent practice (IP) may be important for the financial stability and autonomy of audiology. The authors sought to identify variables that affect doctor of audiology (AuD) students’ decisions to enter IP or another practice setting.

Method: The authors sent a survey link electronically to 1,430 members of the Student Academy of Audiology; 300 returned completed surveys.

Results: Nearly 24% of AuD student participants plan to choose IP immediately upon graduation. Men were more likely than women to choose IP as were those who had an IP rotation and were in the 3rd or 4th year of their AuD program. Important predictors included the survey items “job satisfaction among IP practitioners” and “attractiveness of other specialties”; the “patient contact” perception factor; the “overall job satisfaction” influence factor; and the student age (over 30) demographic variable.

Conclusions: It appears likely that audiology IP rates will remain steady at levels that lag behind the IP rates of other doctoring professions. The authors report some of the variables that appear to have driven current AuD students’ career setting choices regarding IP.