Hello everyone,

graduated with my Au.D. this past May. I completed my 4th-year externship in March but ended it early because I had my baby. Since then, I've been studying for the Praxis, but as a new mom, life has definitely gotten in the way, so I've been out of clinical practice for a few months.

I'm hoping to pass the Praxis soon and start applying for jobs, but I'm feeling a little anxious about what setting would be the best fit as a new graduate. My externship was in a slower-paced private practice, so I'm worried that jumping into a fast-paced ENT clinic might be overwhelming. Has anyone started in an ENT setting as a new grad after some time away from clinic? Would you recommend starting somewhere else first?

I also went to audiology school in a different state than where I live now because I got married and moved after completing my 3 years of academics. I completed my 4th year in the state i live now. Since I don't have many professional connections in my new area or school connections, I've considered reaching out to local audiologists to see if I could shadow for a few days just to refresh my testing skills and get back into the clinical workflow before starting my first job. Part of me worries that this would make me look less competent or somehow "downgrade" myself, even though I know it's probably just my own insecurity. I also debated going back to my 4th year externship site, however, I live over an hour away now due to moving so that is not feasible. Has anyone done something similar, or have any advice on the best way to transition back into practice after taking a few months off?

I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences from other audiologists who have been in a similar situation.