Alumni story: Akane Takeda

How work-integrated learning helped Akane build an international career in audiology

After completing a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in Western Australia, Akane Takeda was searching for a course that would allow her to build on her interest in human sciences through hands-on experience. That search led her across the country to the University of Melbourne’s Master of Clinical Audiology.

It was a decision that would lead to a rewarding international career helping patients reconnect with the people around them.

A community that feels like home

The University of Melbourne’s global reputation for health research, and the substantial practical component of the audiology course, drove Akane’s decision to move to Melbourne.

While such a big move can be daunting, Akane says her student cohort soon made her feel at home. “The best thing about studying at the University of Melbourne has been building a supportive community around me,” she says. “It was really nice to have that sense of belonging while studying in an unfamiliar location, and that community has stayed strong even after graduation.”

Akane is pictured with fellow student, Nikolia Locke 

Work-integrated learning at Australia's leading clinics

The hands-on opportunities that first drew Akane to the Master of Clinical Audiology proved even more valuable than she had hoped. Throughout her degree, she completed placements at some of the country's best-known audiology providers and hospitals, including the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, the Royal Children’s Hospital and Hearing Australia.

“The placements provided us with opportunities to apply the skills we had learned to the real world with real patients,” she says. “I developed practical skills including conducting the standard audiological test battery, taking ear impressions, fitting hearing aids, as well as research skills.”

Akane encourages future students to ask plenty of questions to make the most of these placements. “The majority of the knowledge I have now stemmed from asking experienced professionals in the field, because in audiology there are a lot of components that can only be learned from experience, not from a textbook,” she says.

A career built on making a difference

Akane started the Master of Clinical Audiology with a clear goal in mind. “I wanted to make a positive impact in people’s lives, and I would say that I have achieved this goal!” she exclaims.

She now works as a Clinical Audiologist at The Listening Lab in Singapore, testing patients, diagnosing hearing loss, prescribing and fitting hearing aids, and providing auditory rehabilitation counselling.

“A proud moment for me has been successfully using the skills that I have learned in my career to help patients hear their loved ones more clearly,” she says. “I remember a patient’s brother lighting up as soon as she could hear him better, and it was a really heartwarming moment.”

Looking ahead, Akane wants to keep growing as a clinician while broadening her scope within the field. “My goals for my career in the future include becoming an experienced clinician, and expanding my horizons into other facets of audiology, such as research.”