Code of Massachusetts Regulations
265 CMR - BOARD OF REGISTRATION OF HEARING INSTRUMENT SPECIALISTS
Title 265 CMR 4.00 - Apprentice Training and Registration Requirements
Section 4.03 - Formal Training Program and Educational Equivalents
Universal Citation: 265 MA Code of Regs 265.4
Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
(1) Home Study Course.
(a) During the period of
apprenticeship, the apprentice shall complete the course entitled,
Distance Learning for Professionals in Hearing Health
Sciences, also referred to as the International Hearing Society Home
Study Course, and shall submit proof of passing the home study course prior to
taking the licensure exam.
(b) If
the apprentice passes the home study course final examination but fails the
Massachusetts licensure exam, he or she will not have to repeat the home study
course prior to the next available Massachusetts licensure
examination.
(c) The Board may
accept home study courses other than the International Hearing Society Course.
If the apprentice enrolls in a home study course other than the International
Hearing Association Course, he or she must submit in writing to the Board a
request to take such home study course. The request must contain a description
of the course including a syllabus and grading criteria. If approved, the
apprentice will be required to submit proof of passing the home study course
prior to taking the licensure exam.
(2) Substitute for Home Study Course.
(a) An apprentice who
has a certificate, an associates degree or a higher degree in audiology or
hearing instrument technology from an accredited college or university and has
received passing grades in every audiology or hearing instrument class may
substitute such certificate or degree for the home study requirement. The
apprentice must submit an official transcript to the Board prior to taking the
licensure exam.
(b) The Board may
accept a college certificate or degree in a discipline other than audiology or
hearing instrument technology as a substitute for the home study program if the
Board determines such degree is significantly related to the field of hearing
instrument technology. The apprentice must submit to the Board a written
request to substitute a certificate or degree in a discipline other than
audiology or hearing instrument technology. Such request must include a copy of
the official transcript.
(3) Practicum.
(a) During the apprenticeship period, the
apprentice shall be required to have at least 150 hours of directly supervised
practicum that shall include the following:
1.
25 hours of pure tone air conduction, bone conduction, and speech audiometry,
recorded and/or live voice;
2. 25
hours of hearing instrument evaluations post fitting;
3. 20 hours of instrument fittings with
actual clients;
4. ten hours of
earmold orientation types, uses, and terminology;
5. 15 hours of earmold impressions and
otoscopic examinations of the ear;
6. 15 hours of troubleshooting of defective
hearing instruments;
7. 20 hours of
case history with actual clients;
8. Ten hours of Massachusetts general laws
and regulations governing the licensing of persons fitting and dispensing
hearing instruments and federal Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade
Commission regulations relating to the fitting and dispensing of hearing
instruments; and
9. Ten hours of
supplemental work in one or more of the above areas.
(b) The specific required hours of practical
instruction as set out in
265
CMR 5.03(3) are to be
provided by the apprentice's supervisor or a designee of the supervisor. If any
training is provided by a designee of the supervisor, such designee must be
licensed in the Commonwealth as a hearing instrument specialist or audiologist
and the Board, as needed may request a copy of such license.
(c) The time spent by apprentices in related
instruction during the regular workday is to be classified as hours of work,
and apprentices are to receive their normal hourly compensation for this time.
Such hours will be counted as part of the term of the apprenticeship. Time
spent by apprentices in related instruction at local educational institutions
outside the regular work hours is not to be classified as hours of work, and
the employer is not required to pay the apprentice their normal hourly
compensation for this time.
(d)
Prior to applying for licensure, an apprentice must submit in writing to the
Board certification from his or her supervisor that all of the specific
required hours of practical training have been successfully
completed.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Massachusetts may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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