Student Briefs

Greer Bailey

Canton, Ohio
Doctoral Student in Audiology

For some CEHS students, choosing between the speech-language pathology and audiology programs can be a hard decision, but for Greer Bailey, it wasn’t.

“I felt like a rare bird because I always knew that I wanted to pursue audiology, compared to others in the program who always seemed to go back and forth between the two,” Bailey said.

Bailey’s younger brother was diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder so he worked with an audiologist often while growing up — and that became her motivation.

Now in the third year of her doctor of audiology program, WVU has become Bailey’s home away from home. The Canton, Ohio, native has studied at CEHS for seven years.

Bailey hasn’t taken her time here for granted, though. She has become involved in research opportunities and clinical experiences that have allowed her to work with new technology to help clients with hearing loss.

One of Bailey’s most rewarding experiences took place in the Hearing Clinic this past spring.

A 45-year-old woman, who had gone deaf at the age of 10, came in looking for new options after never having any hearing aids or implants.

The woman only read lips, which Bailey referred to as an “unspoken myth,” something that is rarely seen in clinics today.

“I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to have not been able to hear for 35 years of your life, and your only way of communicating is lip-reading,” Bailey said. “It was phenomenal. She didn’t ask for clarification more than once.”

Last year, Bailey and Dr. Vishakha Rawool of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders received a travel award to attend the Research Symposium of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association in Philadelphia.

There, they presented their research that examined the relationship between hearing sensitivity and exercise. Attending the conference gave Bailey the opportunity to learn about trends in the field and to see things from other researchers’ perspectives.

“It was a really good experience and the conference included all the upcoming information about audiology,” said Bailey.

Bailey’s next steps include applying to residency programs and externships for the fourth year of her program. Some are as far away as Texas, Illinois and Georgia.

“Most of them are at hospitals and are pretty fast-paced,” Bailey said. “I will be able to get information about new and upcoming technology. This allows me to get a comprehensive learning experience instead of specializing and limiting myself.”

As a seasoned CEHS student, Bailey advises other students that pushing their limits will help them to find their true passion.

“Make sure that you see everything,” Bailey said. “Anything that you’re interested in, just go for it. When you limit yourself, you only see what you want to see. When you’re open and broaden your horizons to new things, that’s when you find your niche.”