Salman Chatta

As a prospective BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology) student, Leeds was my first choice because of its reputation as a university but also the experience I had on the open days/interviews. I felt genuinely welcomed at the open day and the feedback current students gave was all incredibly positive. The friendly nature of the staff helped to make the thought of going to university here a comfortable one which I think is important for students. Having the tour around the city on the same day also gave me a taste of what a great city Leeds is. There is always something interesting and exciting going on around the city which adds to your student experience.

The combination of placement and lectures makes the BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology) course special for me. It is fulfilling to be able to apply the theory and knowledge we get from lectures when we’re dealing with real patients throughout the course. This also means that I go to work in different parts of Yorkshire within different departments and meet so many different people. Every year on this course has been a unique experience and that’s make it enjoyable.

Placement has been the highlight of the course for me. The amount of time on placement builds up slowly throughout the time on course and it was easy for me to see how I was progressing in terms of ability. I’ve worked across several departments and staff have been encouraging and welcoming in each one. Being able to make new friends and work outside of university provides a great balance. The university itself has also been supportive with travel and accommodation which was helpful.

My placement at Amplifon gave me a great insight into the private sector. The technology and software used in their clinics was completely different to what I had seen in my NHS departments. It was also interesting to see the marketing and selling side of things which changes the appointment structures and conversations you have. The staff were also very open and I was able to freely ask anything that I was curious about which made it a great learning experience. As a third year student, it was very useful to help me make my future career choices by giving me a taste of what working in the private sector is like.

My placement at Amplifon included going to 3 different clinics and was incredibly different to my NHS placement. I really enjoyed changing things up and working in an environment where the equipment and appointments are all different to what I was used to. It was a refreshing challenge that gave me skills that I could even apply on my regular placements. The whole process of selling hearing aids seemed less daunting after spending 3 weeks with Amplifon and I had a great time being able to work in towns and cities I hadn’t been to before.