I like ears.

I had a change of pace at work today, as I spent an hour at the end of the day taking an online course. It was super cool! Basically, I was connected to several audiologists all over the world via computer, sort of like a mega MSN. Our presenter had a Powerpoint presentation, and we could hear her speak as she went through her slides. We could text her any questions we had. There were audiologists online from the U.S., New Zealand, Israel, and Canada. We could see a list of people who were online, and I even recognized a few people (it's a small community).

The course was about fitting babies with hearing aids, which are two of my favourite things about audiology. Our presenter was one of the leading researchers on the topic. She was excellent, and the material was concise and clinically related.

Whenever I get the chance to get continuing education, I have such a good time. I think part of it is the joy of learning about a topic I really enjoy. My mind starts to twirl, and I start thinking of other areas of audiology where my knowledge could be expanded. I also start imagining great ideas about how I can do my job and help people. Sometimes I even follow through on my ideas.

The other part I like is being around people who actually understand audiology. We are in limited supply, and it's a very specialized field, so it's hard to strike up a conversation with the average person about your job. Most people I meet don't even know what audiology is. I get a lot of smiling and nodding. And I don't mind explaining it to them, because I can talk forever about it, especially if someone is interested. However, once in a while, it's nice to be with people who just know, no explanation necessary.

I don't post a lot about my work here, mostly because to do so would be a breach in confidentiality, and I really don't want to get fired. However, it is a big part of my life, and I think about it a lot.

Just thought you all would like to know.