Transition

A lot has changed since I last updated. I've fully come to terms with the fact that I won't be attending the University of Canterbury for my graduate program. I'm alright with that. I've found a better school.

The University of Iowa is the home of some of the best minds of my generation and adjacent generations as well. I read Dr Christopher Turner's research on hybrid cochlear implants which use a shorter electrode array than traditional cochlear implants, with the goal of preserving low-frequency residual hearing. When I first picked up the articles, I was still interested in studying under Dr Greg O'Beirne, whose research interested me but not to the point of circumlocution.

I can't really explain what interests me so much in cochlear implants. My dad asked me if my family history has any part to play in my interest in audiology and in cochlear implants and certain hearing aid research, and I replied, "I wish!" Life would be so much easier if I had some sort of pathos like that. Instead, all I have is my arachnophobia, which is a good story but not really connected to audiology.

In any case, I visited the University of Iowa and was a little skeptical. I kind of expected Dr Turner to be the only smartie-pants there and the other people would kind of ignore me and be on their way. Not so. I met with Dr Christopher Turner, Dr Carolyn Brown, Dr Karen Kirk, Dr Lenore Holte, Dr Stephanie Flickenstein, and I got a chance to chat quickly with Dr Shawn Goodman who is doing some fascinating research with otoacoustic emissions. Every single person with whom I visited was doing some kind of research. I was thrilled.

My idea of grad school is admittedly undeveloped, but I had kind of pictured a couple research-oriented professors and then the clinical faculty who look down on the research faculty because they're not actually doing anything "worthwhile." But I didn't get a sense of any of that when I visited. The environment was positive and diverse. The resources available (including the large anechoic chamber) were amazing. The campus is large but the audiology stuff is all in one location, so I won't have to feel overwhelmed.

By the time my day of interviews was over, I was ready to come home. Dr Turner intimated that the two most important numbers on a student's application are GPA and GRE scores. Because of my difficulty during that 18 months when my arachnophobia was its worst, I venture to guess that a 3.5GPA will be what I end up with. That's simply not good enough.

Luckily, my GRE scores are much better. I got a 550V, 710Q and 5.0AWA. That puts me in the 75th, 73rd, and 81st percentiles, respectively. I think that will help balance out my grades. Now I just have to write the perfect personal statement!


So, now on to the reason for this title. I'll be doing some research with one of my favorite professors from last semester, Dr Jeff Brockett. He suggested I post my findings regularly on this blog so that instead of getting several emails from me, he can receive updates via RSS feed. So instead of building a whole new blog, I'm just going to include it in this one so that I won't lose either train of thought. Sound like a plan? It does to me.

Until next time...