Pay & Benefits Audiology

[Shelley Duncan]

In reply to your message, Laura...

I really feel strongly that adopting a "CFYs aren't worth the money" 
attitude is bad for the profession as a whole.  Once again, I don't EVER 
claim to be as good of an audiologist as someone who's been out in the 
field for any period of time... as knowledge of the real world only comes 
with experience in the real world.  However, I also think that if you are 
so incompetent that you can't go out and do a _quality_ job as a CFY, you 
have no business even getting a degree.  I realize that the CFY is meant 
to be a learning experience, but that doesn't mean that you should get 
paid squat.  I don't think it's very _professional_ to send the message, 
"Well, I'm just out of school, and I don't know very much yet.  So it's 
okay for you to pay me a pittance and work me to death."  That does 
nothing for the image of the profession as a whole.  I think it's wrong 
that medical residents are in the same situation as well.  
And as for people whining and thinking that they _deserve_ something for 
just about nothing... you're going to get that attitude no matter what 
profession you are in.  However, I think most people in a service 
profession like audiology are willing to _work_ for what they get.  And 
while I would never go so far as to assume that I have the same 
experience or am worth as much money as someone with 5 years (or 1 or 2) of clinical experience in the real 
world, I think I'm worth more than a "freebie" or minimum wage and no 
benefits.