On the Ear Ep 45
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[00:00:00] Dakota Sharp: You're listening to On The Ear, an audiology podcast sponsored by SpeechTherapyPD. com. I'm your host, Dr. Dakota Sharp, AuD, CCC-A, audiologist, clinical professor, and lifelong learner. While I primarily work with pediatric cochlear implants and hearing aids, I am absolutely intrigued by the many areas of audiology and communication in general.

[00:00:35] Dakota Sharp: This podcast aims to explore the science of hearing, balance, and communication with a variety of experts in hopes of equipping you with the skills. To better serve your patients, colleagues, and students. So let's go. We are on the ear brought to you by speechtherapypd. [00:01:00] com.

[00:01:01] Dakota Sharp: One of my favorite things about On the Ear is the in depth conversations we get to have with guests who shape our profession through their work in clinical research. These scientists dedicate themselves to improving practice and understanding more about the auditory and vestibular system we work with.

[00:01:16] Dakota Sharp: And while we oftentimes discuss the work and its clinical implications, it's time we peel back the curtain and spend some time discussing the research Process as well from study design to recruitment to publication. And for those of you who I had some people reach out, we're hoping for an episode that talked a little bit about conference planning and tips, you know, insights into what goes on and, you know, presenting at a conference, our guest has you covered there as well.

[00:01:39] Dakota Sharp: Dr. Amanda Sloop, AuD, is a research assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. She is a research Cochlear Implant Clinical Research Lab on a team dedicated to investigating the effectiveness of CI use for new patient populations and individualized mapping techniques for CI patients.

[00:01:58] Dakota Sharp: Among many things, Dr. Sloop is [00:02:00] passionate about providing high caliber audiologic care to the adult CI population. Thank you. intersections of audiology and social health, and finding creative community based approaches to dismantling barriers to accessible audiologic care in areas facing healthcare inequities.

[00:02:14] Dakota Sharp: I recently had the pleasure of attending one of Dr. Sloop's talks at the American Cochlear Implant Alliance Conference in Vancouver, and I am so glad you have joined me today, Amanda. Thanks so much for coming on. 

[00:02:25] Amanda Sloop: Thanks for having me. I'm really looking forward to our chat. 

[00:02:28] Dakota Sharp: So in the past, I've had only a couple other AuDs, you know, clinical audiologists who now are in, you know, research roles.

[00:02:37] Dakota Sharp: And I think it's such an interesting process because it is something we definitely touch on in most AuD programs, right? You have like some research methods classes and statistics, potentially some statistics classes, if you're, if you're unlucky. And then I always wonder about the friends and the colleagues who say like, you know what?

[00:02:53] Dakota Sharp: Yeah. I like the clinic, but I'd rather be doing research. So could you tell me a little bit more about like, what was that process like [00:03:00] for you to reach this point? 

[00:03:02] Amanda Sloop: Sure, sure. I mean, I think it's A little bit of a cop out answer in the sense that I get to do clinical research. So I do get the benefit of both seeing patients clinically, but getting to still ask the really fun research questions and kind of investigating how folks are doing.

[00:03:18] Amanda Sloop: And we can spend a lot of time together, really get some nitty gritty of scientific questions with them and. The joy in that also is that they are super excited to learn alongside us. So it's, it's a real treat to kind of participate alongside them in that sense that we get to learn together and investigate cochlear implant outcomes all, all as one big group.

[00:03:38] Amanda Sloop: But it's definitely not something I started out thinking about in my first year of the AUD program. So it's something that kind of happened along the way when I got introduced to Dr. Dylan and her team and really realized that I fit in with that group as far as the curiosity and just a hunger for being able to individualize patient care.

[00:03:57] Amanda Sloop: Beyond the scope of what we're already doing. [00:04:00] So it's a good time. 

[00:04:01] Dakota Sharp: It's a great, it's a great group you're with and y'all definitely do like the coolest. Stuff. You know what I mean? It's not like, I feel like some, some researchers might get a bad rap for like, just imagining them in a boring, like empty laboratory with mice or something, not to, not to talk down on our, my fellow, you know, our mice researchers, but what you guys do is so much more hands on you're like working with kids and adults.

[00:04:22] Dakota Sharp: You're like coming up with creative new mapping techniques and like things that are so outside of the box and awesome. It's definitely outside of what I would, what, like the most traditional form of like what being a researcher is, right? 

[00:04:35] Amanda Sloop: Sure. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's so much fun. Every day is so different and there's always more questions to be answered.

[00:04:40] Amanda Sloop: So I really, really enjoy getting to exercise that part of my mind in my day to day job. 

[00:04:45] Dakota Sharp: Awesome. So what was that progression? Like, so were you kind of in your clinical doctorate and then you were in a lab setting and you're like, actually, I think I like this better. Like, how did that all play out? 

[00:04:54] Amanda Sloop: So, I, Started in the A. D. Program kind of just as [00:05:00] a really a student who was coming from like a really small town. And even further back. I mean, I started in the doctor of audiology program, like, both students, you know, feeling like. A little overwhelmed by all the things that you learn in first year, but really excited by it.

[00:05:15] Amanda Sloop: And kind of found that I had just constantly questions to ask in relation to the material I was learning. So just really curious about how it all worked. And then during my first year, I got the privilege of starting to work in the cochlear implant clinical research lab as a graduate research assistant.

[00:05:32] Amanda Sloop: Where I got to learn kind of these new advanced mapping techniques that we were investigating as a team and really got to Just see those questions play out in action and get to explore some of those together So I started learning as a student in that space and realized that I really liked That interaction and the way that patients also get excited about learning more Both about their own hearing health care and the difference that they can make for others by participating in research So I think that spark continued to kind of reignite [00:06:00] for me as I moved through the AuD program and ultimately externship and the job search.

[00:06:06] Amanda Sloop: So I always came back to wanting to learn more about audiology and continue to learn or ask questions, I guess. 

[00:06:13] Dakota Sharp: Cool. So then how, so what do you, what do you do then? I guess you, you graduate and now you have a job where you're in a research role and now you're not like, you know, it's not as much like jumping.

[00:06:23] Dakota Sharp: I'm sure it is a lot of still, it's a lot of collaborating and like being a part of projects you were already a part of, but now it's like, all right, Amanda, you've got to start generating those ideas of your own, right? Like where, where did those, where did those come from? What is it, what led to some of your, your like early questions, I guess, like what intrigued you the most?

[00:06:39] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, yeah, that's a great question. I mean, thankfully, I've been well supported by several mentors kind of moving through this process from student to now clinician and researcher in that sense. But a lot of the topic areas that we investigate. So, just kind of ongoing projects in our lab are mainly looking at investigating expanded indications for cochlear [00:07:00] implantation assessing outcomes of individualized mapping procedures for those recipients using their imaging.

[00:07:06] Amanda Sloop: And I feel like we always come back to this like common motif of individualizing patient care. So I feel like my space and that becomes how can we improve access to audiology and really specifically in my domain, cochlear implants. For folks across the state of North Carolina, and ultimately, how can we continue this conversation to expand access to those who need it and just improve the utilization rate of cochlear implants kind of across the nation.

[00:07:33] Amanda Sloop: So, really just kind of. Finding ways to integrate my personal passions of expanding access to care into some of our broader lab goals. And I think it's a conversation we all have as a team and something we all think pretty, pretty critically about. So I've been supported by mentors and kind of learning how to navigate that space and do that type of research in our practice here in North Carolina. 

[00:07:56] Dakota Sharp: Awesome. Awesome. So I know you're a couple [00:08:00] years and that might be okay. I might be getting ahead of myself too, too. Okay. So I know we're a couple of years in. So when you, so you start to have these questions, you've got models of what other projects you guys are working on and you start to, you know, establish, okay, I'm really interested in this access to care. So then what does it look like building that first study? Like how, what does the, the origins of study design look like for those who haven't been a part of that kind of project before? 

[00:08:27] Amanda Sloop: Sure. Yeah. So I feel like the work that I'm doing right now and alongside our team of people looking at this topic is really looking retrospectively at what we've I've been able to accomplish so far.

[00:08:38] Amanda Sloop: So our principal investigator and really lab director, Dr Magdalene, she's the one who comes up with study designs for our participants to actually participate in and in doing so, I think it's taken a very intentional approach to, like, the recruitment methods and really the inclusion criteria of who can participate in research.

[00:08:56] Amanda Sloop: So. We keep it very broad with the ultimate goal of [00:09:00] having a sample. That's pretty representative of our broader clinical population. So, from there, I'm a big believer in, you know, you need to investigate your goals to make sure you're meeting them. So we've. Taken in a retrospective look at some of our trends and research participation over the last several years to see, are we actually recruiting a sample?

[00:09:22] Amanda Sloop: That's truly representative of that clinical population and that's work. That was completed this year alongside Dr next. He's 1 of our residents. So we investigated some socio demographic representation of research participants and compared that directly to clinical folks or clinical cochlear implant recipients who did not choose to participate in research to see are we recruiting a sample that is reflective?

[00:09:48] Amanda Sloop: And the short answer to that question is yes. We looked at age at implantation, biological sex, race, ethnicity drive time to the clinic, Rural versus urban environment and then [00:10:00] socioeconomic position. So quite a gamut of socio demographic variables there to see. And we didn't see any significant differences between the research participant population and the clinical population.

[00:10:11] Amanda Sloop: So we felt encouraged by the fact that we are able to recruit a sample that's reflective of our clinical population. However, we wanted to take that a step further and investigate that looking at our, our state population. So how does that whole group there compare to the demographics of our state?

[00:10:28] Amanda Sloop: And that's an area where we've seen, we may need to continue to do some work. I know it's a topic that's frequently discussed by our team and determining how we can better reach folks across the state. But we did still see some significant differences between those sociodemographic factors on that level so more work to be done. 

[00:10:47] Dakota Sharp: Interesting. So the, the, I guess the basis of the study is very meta, right? It's like the research of the research that we do, right. We're like investigating our investigation. Like, are we, you know, we representing people well in the work that we [00:11:00] do. That's so interesting. So where do you feel like what is, I mean, if you had to take.

[00:11:04] Dakota Sharp: Just some random guesses like what leads to those discrepancies between what you see because it sounds like research and clinical wise we're in agreement But what's what's happening at the state level that you think is so different? 

[00:11:16] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, I mean, that's quite a large question and certainly one worse We're all still trying to unpack is how can we better improve access to cochlear implant services?

[00:11:24] Amanda Sloop: and I feel like part of it is, you know, provider standpoint of making sure that providers across the state in various disciplines, maybe not audiology or even even broader disciplines who may serve as referral networks that they know about cochlear implants as an option for folks, especially as expanded indications for cochlear implants have changed a lot over time.

[00:11:48] Amanda Sloop: So really trying to do the work of continuing to make sure people are informed about that as an option for their patients. But also just working to kind of rectify some access [00:12:00] issues to clinical spaces. I mean, we're in a very metropolitan area where, I mean, it's quite a, quite a hub we have here in the triangle, and so recognizing that that is a barrier to care for some people, and trying to use some creative models to get around that on an individual basis. 

[00:12:18] Dakota Sharp: Interesting. So then now that you, you have this information and you feel like it's like, okay, it's good. So far, our, our population we're using for research purposes is representative. We've got to hope that we can start to expand the net and get, and get the people outside of that group that I guess better represent the state.

[00:12:34] Dakota Sharp: How does that start to change what the next study looks like in the next study after that? Right? So how does your study design. become more like strategic in how you approach these kinds of things? 

[00:12:47] Amanda Sloop: Sure. Yeah. So I feel like for me on a research side we've started investigating looking or we've started investigating.

[00:12:54] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, we've recruited a sample that's representative of our clinical [00:13:00] population, but we want to make sure that we're maintaining that sample. So once folks choose to participate in research that there aren't actual barriers that are popping up along the research participant journey, so to speak, because it is a multi visit study that we're looking at here.

[00:13:16] Amanda Sloop: And we do try to align those visits with clinical visits so that we use their. burden on participation, but it is still an extra time expense. So we just want to make sure that we're not creating any barriers or perpetuating any barriers that may already exist for participating in research. That's the big thing that we're looking at right now on the research side.

[00:13:37] Amanda Sloop: But I think also moving into kind of future studies and just discussions, surely that we're having amongst our team of, You know, maybe it looks like we have research options at different clinical sites, or maybe we have other ways for folks to participate in research that may just be easier on an individual basis.

[00:13:56] Dakota Sharp: Interesting. Okay. So who then do you [00:14:00] need? for that to be the reality? Like, I think maybe, I guess your situation is a little bit different. You're fortunate you have like a lot of clinical centers that are connected directly with the research that you're doing, right? So there's like, there's ways in for patients that way.

[00:14:12] Dakota Sharp: But what if you were in, you know, a research center without such a direct line to some of these potential subjects who are current, like, clinical patients? What do you, like, what does that look like? Like, what kind of people do you need to connect with? And, you know, what, where does the networking start in that situation?

[00:14:27] Amanda Sloop: That's a great question. I feel like really aligning yourself well with local groups that could be referral sources is 1 strategy that somebody in that situation could utilize. I also don't claim to be an expert in recruiting this type of sample. I mean, there's so many. Brilliant people who have done this work and who are doing active community based participatory research.

[00:14:52] Amanda Sloop: I learned a lot from Dr Bush at my time in Kentucky. And I think, you know, aligning yourself with mentors in these spaces who can help [00:15:00] kind of assess the situation, but also really have the language and kind of some of the solutions or the beginnings of solutions to start to strategically intervene at this level. Yeah. 

[00:15:12] Dakota Sharp: Yeah, I had him on a few episodes ago and we were kind of talking about some of these things and one of the things he said that stuck out to me was like, you can't, and we were talking more on like clinical efforts, right? But it's similar in a way to like research recruitment, right? Either way, you need buy in from the people in a community that you might not really be connected to.

[00:15:30] Dakota Sharp: And he talked about how you really have to like, you know, connect with that community either through its leaders or whoever and just find that's how you can get buy in. Like you really need to have that from, you know, the community at large. So, yeah, I think that's, that's a good point. So then with the, so you have this, you know, this research of the research that says, okay, we're doing a good job so far pulling from our patient population.

[00:15:50] Dakota Sharp: We definitely could do better about, Like working with people or finding more people from the state. How then does like literal recruitment change, right? Is it still [00:16:00] mostly based on people who are already in the clinical population, or do you start to branch out from there? And then what does that look like?

[00:16:06] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, I think that's pretty specific to study design. I mean, the way that our study is set up is meant to be quite collaborative and interdisciplinary. So we do work closely with our clinical audiologists or the clinical audiologists at our space. And ENT physicians that would be performing cochlear implant surgery.

[00:16:25] Amanda Sloop: So, I think that is the model right now that's been working well for us is to kind of catch people when they're already in that space. But I think certainly if you start to open up study design to prior to implantation, then maybe you start to have a very different conversation about what your referral sources are and how to better inform those people about options for not only cochlear implantation, but also research participation as well. 

[00:16:51] Dakota Sharp: Gotcha. Interesting. Okay. So then once we've gotten, we started to, you know, pull in a group of subjects recruitment's going well, you [00:17:00] ha I, my assumption is, are you establishing a lot of what your statistical analysis of the data will look like?

[00:17:07] Dakota Sharp: prior to even obtaining that data? Is that all locked in or is it more like, okay, we actually have all of these variables. We need to consider X, Y, Z. Like, where do, where do the scary, scary statistics come in, Amanda? 

[00:17:19] Amanda Sloop: Oh, well, they don't come on in on my plate. I think there's a lot of learning. So certainly you come up with your methodology and your, your study design ahead of, ahead of time.

[00:17:32] Amanda Sloop: So that you're being intentional about those methods and really being sure that you're strategic and how you're planning them ahead. But certainly there's room to kind of learn along the way. So, I mean, I think just collecting the variables ahead of time and my recommendation is always to collect more than you think that you need.

[00:17:49] Amanda Sloop: And so, when you start to look at how all those things interplay, then you can really break down your statistical. Analysis to include several different perspectives. I [00:18:00] think several of our studies that we're working on right now. There's been certainly things that have surprised us and statistical analysis of things that were significant that maybe we weren't expecting to be.

[00:18:10] Amanda Sloop: But when we start to look at the sample as a whole, it becomes. you know, a little less clear, but it's so exciting because that's the joy of doing, you know, clinical research with people, you know, they're also dynamic and getting to learn in that space requires thinking creatively. That's for sure.

[00:18:27] Dakota Sharp: Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. So then if, if you, if you have all of the statistics set out beforehand, you've finished collecting all of your data. What is, what is that process then? Like, are you working with a statistician or are you just kind of figuring out some of these computer programs as you go.

[00:18:46] Dakota Sharp: I mean, I, I can't, I can't imagine it's, it's an easy task to look at, you know, all of the different, like you mentioned, there's so many different factors. There's so many pieces of data in each subject. I feel like it would get overwhelming really quickly. 

[00:18:59] Amanda Sloop: I think that's [00:19:00] a fair, fair assessment of the situation. I mean, I, I think having any sort of basic stats, statistical knowledge is really helpful. It's not something that I came in with a super strong background. And so I've been very fortunate to have some mentors kind of guide me along the way. And certainly I'm still pretty early in my statistical analysis journey.

[00:19:23] Amanda Sloop: But it's, it's been nice to be in a space where you can have those tools at your disposal and have people who know how to use them with willingness to kind of teach you and guide you along the way. So that's been my experience so far is just kind of a little bit of both, you know, you, you work with the team around you.

[00:19:39] Amanda Sloop: So we at UNC are really fortunate to have biostatisticians available as a resource for us. I know that's not the case at every, every institution or really even smaller clinics who may be. Are doing their own type of research. But we do have a network of folks that we fortunately can work with here.

[00:19:57] Amanda Sloop: And then, of course, like, brilliant [00:20:00] investigators who do have that statistical knowledge and can share their expertise. It's definitely a journey. And I think. My advice to anyone who's interested in trying it is just don't be afraid to, to learn and kind of learn as you go and use the resources that you have.

[00:20:14] Amanda Sloop: Certainly a lot of it is kind of try, fail, try, fail, fail, like 47 more times. And then you learn along the way. And I think that's just the, the messy joy of research. 

[00:20:28] Dakota Sharp: The messy joy of research. That sounds like a presentation title. Maybe the title of this episode. Okay, so now that you've got some statistical analysis, you've got your data, you've learned some things, right?

[00:20:41] Dakota Sharp: But, It doesn't matter if you've learned it, if you can't communicate it to the people who need, who also need to learn it, right? So, what does that step look like for you personally? Like, once you've taken the data through the analysis standpoint, and you have some, some numbers and some figures, where do you start to dive in?

[00:20:58] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, I [00:21:00] think conventionally speaking, I mean, there's, there's what you think of when you think about research, you know, there's sharing data at these big conferences or writing up a manuscript and publishing attempting to get it published in a journal. And I think those are really valuable scientific schools and certainly constant endeavors of myself and, you know, folks in our research space.

[00:21:21] Amanda Sloop: However, I think we've also started to think pretty critically about how can we reach a broader audience? And so how can we make this big, scary world of research a little more accessible for folks? So that's on a provider side and really on how can we empower patients who participate in research or.

[00:21:39] Amanda Sloop: We're just curious about cochlear implants in general. How can we give them tools to better understand the work that we're doing in these spaces? So certainly, while we're still trying to present at conferences and publish data in journals, we've also taken different approaches to sharing data and disseminating data.

[00:21:56] Amanda Sloop: Looking at using social media as a tool, which I know is something that [00:22:00] you're quite passionate about as well. And really condensing some of our findings into just little bite sizes that can be approachable if you're a really busy clinician who doesn't have time to sit down and read a whole scientific article.

[00:22:12] Amanda Sloop: How can we synthesize that and make it meaningful for clinical practice? And then also targeting things like trade journals or other avenues of publishing research that may not be the traditional journal, you know. 

[00:22:28] Dakota Sharp: I think it's really cool because it's like right now. Yeah. It's, it's a similar principle to what you're trying to do with your research.

[00:22:34] Dakota Sharp: You know, your subject population, you want subject, subject population, you want them to be a good representative. You want to make that accessible, right? Like being basically participating in research to be accessible, but also on the second half of things you want the. work that you do and the findings that you have to also be accessible to the people who would benefit from it.

[00:22:51] Dakota Sharp: So I think that's, that's a cool, it's approaching it from both sides. I think that's probably very effective. 

[00:22:57] Amanda Sloop: Yeah. Yeah. I think about it a lot. And I think maybe this [00:23:00] even like loops back to why I feel like I got excited about this space in the first place. You know, I grew up in a really small town.

[00:23:07] Amanda Sloop: There was no access or limited access, I should say, to like specialized medicine, certainly audiology or cochlear implants. And so when I went to Chapel Hill, I thought this was a big city, you know, and it's, it's a college town I've come to learn. But I think going back to those roots of, you know, how can I help someone who may not have regular exposure to this type of material?

[00:23:30] Amanda Sloop: How can I synthesize that? How can I present this in a way that my dad would know what I was talking about or my, anyone, anyone in my community would know what walk away and with these research findings and say, yeah, I, I understand that. And I feel confident in interpreting that. 

[00:23:48] Dakota Sharp: Awesome. So if we're, if we're peeling back the curtain then and we're looking into like your process, let's say you are in the manuscript phase I mean, what, what does that look like?

[00:23:58] Dakota Sharp: Is it, is it, does this take a super [00:24:00] long time? Is it like, is that the easy part is finally writing up what you've learned or how would you describe that? 

[00:24:06] Amanda Sloop: It does involve a lot of coffee. I should feel like I should disclose that at least yeah, yeah, I think it's, it's a, it's a process, you know, and I, I think I'm still learning a lot in that space as well from mentors of, you know, what's the best way to approach this big daunting blank word document.

[00:24:23] Amanda Sloop: How do I start synthesizing these findings into a manuscript? Some pretty excellent advice I was given is, you know, if you're designing a study, or if you're designing any sort of review is just to write your methods as you're in that design phase. So you've got that section ready to go. And then I think, like, not being afraid to revisit material and to continue to workshop things like, I am very guilty of saying.

[00:24:49] Amanda Sloop: Or feeling as though the first draft of a manuscript has to be so perfect and I will spend so long on just like one sentence or one paragraph and just really trying to make it perfect. [00:25:00] But I think I've learned with some time that it's it's easier to, you know. Start the writing process, get your thoughts out, and then go back and refine it alongside mentors who've done this time and time again and so they can really give you some valuable perspective of, oh, maybe this sentence isn't quite landing the way you wanted it to, or, yeah, we've thought about this finding and how to interpret that in the discussion, but what about this variable, you know?

[00:25:23] Amanda Sloop: I think it's a very iterative process. It seems, 

[00:25:27] Dakota Sharp: it seems like you, I mean, you've mentioned multiple times, like how, how so much of your success is based on that connection with a mentor and this kind of, you know, role. I feel like in clinical audiology, we talk about how mentorship is important, but a lot of people can be siloed so quickly, especially people in private practice, you know, they might not have access to a mentor, you know, in their daily context.

[00:25:50] Dakota Sharp: Even though it's still super important, but it sounds like in the research space, especially there's just so much that you don't know, you don't know. And having that person who can be a part of that process with you is really, [00:26:00] really important. 

[00:26:01] Amanda Sloop: Yeah. And I think recognizing that that person can be anyone, that person can be so many different people and it does not like, It has to be the same person all the time.

[00:26:11] Amanda Sloop: There's certainly, I think there's value in creating a, a long term mentor mentee relationship and I'm blessed to have those. But I also think I've learned a lot along the way from people, but just by asking questions. So like, I think one of my first introductions to this space of like, this type of research was via this podcast.

[00:26:30] Amanda Sloop: I mean, hearing the expertise from Dr. Melanie Morris on, you know, expanding access to care. I think it was one of your first episodes. 

[00:26:37] Dakota Sharp: It was, I think it was like literally the first one. 

[00:26:41] Amanda Sloop: Yes. A long time fan. But just, I, I think especially as a student, you know, Being brave and taking that leap to kind of reach out to folks that you admire and say, Hey, I really, I just want to learn more about this work in this space.

[00:26:55] Amanda Sloop: And I found so many times that like. Folks are so open [00:27:00] to that and so willing to share their expertise. And I, I continue to be in that space and to learn from people in this field, even though I'm actively a researcher, you know, there's always something to learn and there's always someone to learn from.

[00:27:14] Amanda Sloop: So I do think it's pretty critical to like have a solid mentorship relationship. But also it's been really nice to just recognize that. In the research space and I'd say this probably rings true for clinical teams as well, you know It's a little bit of we're all in this together and we can all learn from each other 

[00:27:32] Dakota Sharp: True, I love that about the space that I work in You know as as a colleague of yours when I see you guys come into clinic for the day I'm, like, oh we're about to get like some kind of nugget today Like there's going to be something we did not know and now we know thanks to them being in clinic today That's always really exciting.

[00:27:46] Dakota Sharp: So question kind of based on what you just said about the the mentorship and kind of the people that you connect with and the people you learn from, I guess, in that process. Have there been any surprising crossovers into either other like disciplines or other professionals that you [00:28:00] maybe wouldn't have expected you would be working with or be collaborating with in your experience so far?

[00:28:07] Amanda Sloop: I think a little bit, so I, I've had a lot of fortune in connecting with folks who are in the epidemiology space or public health space, just by nature of the research topic that I'm really interested in. But I think that even goes back to kind of being willing to ask questions about people who are doing.

[00:28:26] Amanda Sloop: The type of work that you're interested in. So willing to kind of step outside your field and learn from folks who may have a very different perspective on this type of research or any type of research that you're interested in. 

[00:28:38] Dakota Sharp: Sure. 

[00:28:39] Amanda Sloop: I love interdisciplinary team, and I feel very fortunate kind of, as you mentioned that we, we get to work on 1 day today. So I get a lot of that in the operations of day to day practice. But it's been really fun to kind of learn from folks who are outside of that bubble as well. 

[00:28:57] Dakota Sharp: I can, I make, I can definitely make the connection in that kind of [00:29:00] general public health space, right? And how, what we do, especially when your goal is like expanding access.

[00:29:06] Dakota Sharp: I mean, that's like, that's their bread and butter, right? Is like trying to figure out how we make, you know, public health more accessible for everybody. So that's, that's awesome. So, rewinding, we're back to the manuscript. We've got, as you mentioned, tons of coffee, so much. And so then you, like you said, you try not to, you know, harp too much on small things.

[00:29:26] Dakota Sharp: Definitely get. Your mentors involved. You mentioned it's an iterative process, right? You have to kind of keep coming back to it. In your experience so far, and you probably haven't had too many manuscripts at this point, but, in that process, like, what's an average amount of time? Are we talking like, college essay that you crank out in like a week?

[00:29:44] Dakota Sharp: Are we talking like this is like a months long writing endeavor? Like, what's a timeline you feel on average? 

[00:29:52] Amanda Sloop: Oh, goodness. I feel like most every, every project is a little bit different in the sense that like, maybe you find an [00:30:00] unexpected finding. And so now you're kind of revisiting your data analysis.

[00:30:04] Amanda Sloop: And of course, that all takes time. And I mean, I think there are many scripts that take time. Months to produce and it's just kind of wanting to get a solid product out the door. But then there are also some that are, you know, pretty time sensitive and you want that material out quickly. And so it becomes much more of a expedited process.

[00:30:22] Amanda Sloop: I don't even know if I could give you a good sense of what's an average amount of time just changes so much. And I think. A benefit that we. As a team approach writing, or it is a benefit, I should say that we approach writing as very like team based activity in our space where you know, there's several authors that are listed on a manuscript.

[00:30:43] Amanda Sloop: Each person's contributing in a different way. And, you know, I think. Recognizing that everyone is going to look at it a little bit differently. And so there's certainly some time with kind of learning alongside each other of how we want to. Represent these findings [00:31:00] so to answer your question, I don't know that there's a great.

[00:31:03] Dakota Sharp: No, there's no, I don't think it's 

[00:31:04] Amanda Sloop: weeks. I don't think it's weeks, but I do think, it can take longer than you're expecting. That's probably almost always the case. 

[00:31:12] Dakota Sharp: Yeah, and you mentioned like the time sensitive nature, right? So I feel like you're, you're right. Like there's gotta be some findings where you're like, Oh my gosh, like people, we gotta be able to know about this ASAP.

[00:31:23] Dakota Sharp: And maybe some things where it's more like, this is more of like a general, maybe change to, you know, Best practice, you know, some kind of standard of care that we do so I feel like that kind of element is very interesting too that sometimes you might have to think of it as like We need to really get this out the door versus we can really take our time and like refine this and make sure it is Accepted on the first try which is sort of like a transition into my next question is like, okay Now we have this written thing.

[00:31:47] Dakota Sharp: I assume your goal would be to publish this kind of thing. So If it's this, we got to get it out the door, does that look like a really different process of trying to get published versus, hey, we've got our, we've got time, like, let's, let's slow down and [00:32:00] refine this thing. 

[00:32:02] Amanda Sloop: I think the goal is, as always, of course, to, you know, put out reliable science and things that we know are accurate, and of course, taking the time to make sure we've done things right.

[00:32:11] Amanda Sloop: Correctly and and well, I should say. So, in that sense, there, there does take a little bit of slowness and making sure that we're coming through every single little detail and, you know, making those edits and asking other people's perspective on their edits that they may have to for the manuscript.

[00:32:26] Amanda Sloop: But after the submission process, it becomes a little bit of a waiting situation just based on journal processes and their review timeline. And the thing I love so much about writing is you're getting feedback, sure, from your immediate team or folks that are on the manuscript directly, but you also get feedback from reviewers who are maybe related to the field, but outside of your bubble.

[00:32:54] Amanda Sloop: And so you do get, I love like peer reviewed science, basically to have them, you know, look at [00:33:00] the work that you're doing and make sure with a really critical eye and just make sure that there's no errors or nothing that needs to be reconsidered. And I've always found that to be a really valuable point in the learning process.

[00:33:11] Amanda Sloop: So, of course, it's becomes iterative in that way as well, where, you know, you receive your edits and then you start to incorporate those and maybe the manuscript changes a little from what you've expected. So.

[00:33:22] Dakota Sharp: So what's that, what's that like? Is it, is it a humbling experience when the comments roll in or is it normally exciting?

[00:33:30] Dakota Sharp: How do you, how do you manage those? 

[00:33:32] Amanda Sloop: Oh, it's a little bit of both. I mean, certainly there's a, like I said earlier, there's always more to learn. And I think, you know, recognizing that. This is a person who's taking their time out of their professional day and it's really just a service that they provide to the discipline to review something critically and to value the perspective that they can give you.

[00:33:53] Amanda Sloop: So I try to be humble on that. And I mean. I think we all do as a team try to approach that with [00:34:00] just an open mind and a willingness to kind of learn from somebody who may be looking at this totally differently. And ultimately, like, those are largely the folks who are going to be reading work published in a scientific journal is not some, well, surely your colleagues will also read your work, but it's going to be people external to your, your situation as well.

[00:34:18] Amanda Sloop: And so recognizing that they may not have all the context and that's pretty important when you're reading a scientific manuscript to know how it's going to be interpreted when you don't have the inside scoop context.

[00:34:33] Dakota Sharp: Have there ever been comments where you were like, nah, like, I disagree, like, there's no way. I mean, I can't imagine it's such an anonymous process. There's got to be sometimes where people just totally misread what you're trying to say. 

[00:34:46] Amanda Sloop: I think if there have ever been instances that way, it becomes more of like a, Then you get to really back up your rationale, you know, you get to say, well, this is why we chose to do this.

[00:34:56] Amanda Sloop: And this is the decision making process and how [00:35:00] we interpreted these findings or whatever the situation may be. So I think you kind of learn and grow in that space as well, that you get to stand up for. How you interpreted things in that review process, but I don't think it's ever met with just a outright. No, you know, you get to, you get to solidify how you're representing that as well. So there's some dialogue there for sure. 

[00:35:23] Dakota Sharp: Cool. Cool. Yeah. I have to imagine that's one of the trickier parts of the process is just kind of navigating, you know, this, this anonymous feedback and figuring out exactly. Yeah.

[00:35:32] Dakota Sharp: You know, Better understanding your own rationale, but also like, oh, I, I might need to address some things. These are perspectives I hadn't considered or encountered in that process. Cool. Okay. So then what's the, what's usually the timeline for that then? Right? So you've taken all this time to collect data and to analyze data and to write it all up.

[00:35:48] Dakota Sharp: And then you're getting comments back and forth and it's iterative and it's round and round we go. And then finally you get the email, like accepted. For submission or whatever they have to say there. What, how [00:36:00] long about, again, it might be hard to say, cause this is not very like is a bit variable is maybe fair to say.

[00:36:07] Dakota Sharp: But how much time do you think that process would have taken you on, on a project you've worked on? 

[00:36:12] Amanda Sloop: I would say probably several weeks. That's my, like, general answer and certainly recognizing that it varies just journal to journal and it varies submission to submission. Even sometimes we have things that are originally accepted with minor edits right out of the gate.

[00:36:27] Amanda Sloop: And oftentimes it's more, you know, kind of that iterative process where you're. Receiving feedback and interpret or interpreting that and including that in your revisions. And then it's a little bit more back and forth. So, I think that process changes each time, but certainly is never without, you know. It changes every time is the short answer there. 

[00:36:51] Dakota Sharp: I think that's fair. That's fair. And I guess these projects are so different, right? Like, sometimes you might have a very different number of subjects or a different number of [00:37:00] variables that you're looking at. And so there's so much more you'd have to explain in one versus the other.

[00:37:03] Dakota Sharp: And I can see that definitely making things very, very different. Okay. So you're, you've been accepted for publication. And then when is like the next time you see this paper? Like, is it pretty soon after, or are you going to have to wait like a year for the, the, you know, the journal that it's when, when it's ready for?

[00:37:20] Amanda Sloop: Yeah. I've, I've found that in our experience, it's been, you know, journals are pretty quick to move. Science into publication. I mean, they are excited about that work as well. And so they want to see that move pretty quickly. So the next thing that happens is just getting proofs. So you, as an author, get to Review any changes they may have made grammatically or any changes they may have made to the actual layout of the article.

[00:37:45] Amanda Sloop: So you'll get proofs to review as a team. And then once those are accepted, it's a pretty quick turnaround typically between receiving proofs approving those and then seeing that. Article and publication either online. [00:38:00] I'm sure certainly print copies take a little bit longer Out of logistics, but like the online access ones are usually a pretty quick turnaround.

[00:38:08] Dakota Sharp: That's really cool And then what about other avenues for that? so other than publication when you're starting to look into other things like There's, Ash has got a magazine, right? There's like all kinds of ways that information can be put out there. When do you start to consider what other avenues you want to go down?

[00:38:27] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, I think we as a team we'll discuss, you know, like, where do we want to see this content? And how can we reach a broader audience? Like, what avenues would be most appropriate? Whether that's, you know, And Asha magazine, or whether that's something that's targeted more towards ENT physicians. Like you start to think about who could benefit from being able to see this content in a pretty expedited way.

[00:38:51] Amanda Sloop: So I think that's where we've started to embrace some of these like summary articles where we're just accruing findings over time and presenting them to [00:39:00] the trade journals that are accessible for practitioners and letting, A lot of that is kind of fielding their interest as well of what they want, the content that they want to put out as an organization.

[00:39:13] Amanda Sloop: And so kind of moving through that process, but I feel like that also moves relatively quickly. 

[00:39:19] Dakota Sharp: Gotcha. Interesting. Interesting. So yeah, I feel like it all moves a lot faster than I expected is kind of how I'm interpreting it. Because sometimes I feel like I'll read an article and either the Like, the type of technology, like if it's around a hearing aid, you know, it might be using a type of technology that isn't even the new one anymore per that brand, right?

[00:39:36] Dakota Sharp: And I'm like, how, how long ago were they working on this? Like, this process seems like it can definitely take some time. So I guess it's just so variable, right? 

[00:39:44] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, I think a lot of that is, you know, if you're looking at from a data collection standpoint, like, you want to get a reliable sample size, and that takes time.

[00:39:53] Amanda Sloop: It takes energy from participants. And so recognizing that, yeah, sometimes maybe they're investigating a [00:40:00] piece of technology that seems a little older, but it's probably from the standpoint of it took that that time to recruit a sample size and you can't really start analyzing that data until you've collected all of it. So it, the whole process, I would say it takes a while, but the writing process can be, you know, expedited based on team involvement and 

[00:40:21] Dakota Sharp: interesting. So really what slows you down is that ability to get the subjects that you need for the data in the first place, right? The data collection is the, is the slowdown.

[00:40:29] Dakota Sharp: Interesting. Or I guess it can be sometimes.

[00:40:31] Amanda Sloop: Yeah. 

[00:40:32] Dakota Sharp: So then when it comes to trying to present this information in for a conference, for example, would you, would you personally prefer to wait until you've gone through publication of that data or how do you decide, okay, now we are worked up to getting, we've peer reviewed this basically, at least this journal is in agreement. This is worthwhile and sharing with, you know, the scientific community at large. When do you then take that to a conference or into the public space to make it accessible that [00:41:00] way?

[00:41:00] Amanda Sloop: I think sometimes that happens ahead of publication. Sometimes it's alongside the writing process, you know, maybe you're writing this data into a manuscript, but you want to start to present some of your preliminary findings.

[00:41:14] Amanda Sloop: Certainly that can occur ahead of manuscript publication. So I feel like in some avenues as well, that's also a great way to get feedback from people who are external to your organization. So something I always really enjoy about attending conferences and presenting at conferences is that it is an opportunity to network with folks and kind of learn from them and alongside them about other things that are going on in the field.

[00:41:38] Amanda Sloop: And so maybe that changes the way that you might approach. some discussion or some of your data analysis. It's just being able to see how other folks are doing it. So I think the short answer is it happens ahead of the manuscript writing process sometimes, but sometimes you're sharing things retrospectively as well.

[00:41:55] Dakota Sharp: Interesting. Interesting. Have there been any, like, no, hold on. I'm going to save that one for the end. [00:42:00] When, when I had originally reached out to you to see if you would be willing to join me for an episode, we had just like just seen each other at a conference. And I had kind of reached out to the audience at large and said, okay, podcast is coming back.

[00:42:11] Dakota Sharp: What are some subjects you want to hear about? And two different people were like prepping for a conference or like going to a conference, just like conferences in general. And it's such a fair point because you definitely in an AUD program, do not learn like, what am I supposed to do at a conference?

[00:42:26] Dakota Sharp: You just are expected to go and figure it out. So what's been just to kind of like switch gears away, we're going to circle back to like bringing your own like, research into a conference, but what, what's been your experience conference wise? I've never been able to just. Like get into that kind of a conversation in the podcast space before.

[00:42:43] Dakota Sharp: What, what was your first academic or, you know, profession specific conference you went to? 

[00:42:48] Amanda Sloop: Sure. Yeah. I, I think I have a pretty interesting perspective on it. So I was in a grad student during the COVID 19 pandemic. And so conferences had to rapidly switch [00:43:00] gears on how they were. So, I think, I mean, certainly I think my.

[00:43:05] Amanda Sloop: 1st conference experience was at the state North Carolina State Audiologic Association conference, which I love attending and being able to plug in on that local level has always been really powerful, but then very switchly very quickly switch gears into like a virtual conference model, which, was interesting, because, you know, it's a very different type of presentation that you attend, but also meant that you don't have the financial burden of having to travel for these conferences.

[00:43:32] Amanda Sloop: And so it was a little more feasible to attend more during that time. And so that was when I really started to learn. How to kind of engage with content at conferences, you know, I think a lot of them are set up to maximize how much information they're going to share in the period of time that they have.

[00:43:51] Amanda Sloop: So a lot of these sessions are pretty rapid fire. And, you know, I think you learned very quickly to kind of, like, strategize what sessions you're going to go to, [00:44:00] or take, take pictures of slides when they're up so you can engage with that content or find that presenter afterwards. So that's been at least my experience as a student was really just, how can I get all of this content and how can I take it back and how can I use it in my clinical practice?

[00:44:16] Amanda Sloop: It's exhausting, but it's so, so much fun to kind of go and network and learn alongside everybody, everybody. So. I feel like we as a team also leave conferences feeling so excited and rejuvenated of energy and science. So I think that is also kind of a, a fun byproduct of attending a conference.

[00:44:38] Dakota Sharp: Yeah, exactly. And it's, they're, of the ones I've been to, I mean, each one is very different. Like, formatting is different. Session types are different. Some have more, like, lecture style. I mean, of course, you'll see posters there. Some are more, there's, there's tons of Q& A, tons of questions, almost debate. I was at a talk at ASHA.

[00:44:59] Dakota Sharp: [00:45:00] Two years ago, and I mean, it was like a heated question and answer. I was like, what is going on? And it went on forever. Right. And then I went to ACIA this year and it was the talks are very, very short. And they're all back to back to back to back to back. And then with a question and answer. But the talks are all organized in a way where they're pretty much.

[00:45:16] Dakota Sharp: Pretty related to one another where you kind of get a good amount of info But if you wanted to see one part of one talk in another room, that's a different eight minute talk You kind of have to cut out. So I mean, it's it's a lot to navigate. So i'm with you I would say my my advice would be like Definitely plan ahead don't get there and then look at the program look at the program before you're on the plane because you definitely need to be able to plan things out even at a conference with longer, you know You Sessions where you will have more time to get from point a to point b You might not realize point a is in a different convention center than point b and it's like a way bigger walk than you thought It was going to be so also definitely figure out where where are those free breakfasts at right?

[00:45:54] Dakota Sharp: Like where do I gotta go to get some to get a croissant? That's a big part of it, too [00:46:00] 

[00:46:00] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, I think i've taken a little bit of an old school model At least right now, just to kind of like prep myself on it before I go to a conference where I'll print out the whole program and highlighting. Yeah, it's, it's, they're multi color highlighters.

[00:46:14] Amanda Sloop: It's quite a process, but I feel like that's what you have to do. You know, you want to know the content that's going to be there ahead of time. And Find the, the folks that you might want to network with during other events and you know, everybody's so busy and everybody's coming in with similar goals.

[00:46:28] Amanda Sloop: So I think planning ahead for sure. Your advice is great there. Just really scoping out the scene before you get there. 

[00:46:35] Dakota Sharp: Yeah. And you're right. It is such like, It's a, it's like a cliche to be like, Oh, like it's a good place to network. Right. But like, where else are you going to meet like your audiology heroes?

[00:46:46] Dakota Sharp: Like, this is the place that you're going to brush shoulders with them and talk to them and introduce yourself and, you know, learn more about them personally and about kind of what drove them to the things they do that now shapes. Your clinical practice, right? So I'm totally with you that that aspect of [00:47:00] conferences is so important.

[00:47:01] Dakota Sharp: And like, to me, one of the, my favorite things about going is just the ability to like, Oh my gosh, do you know that? You know, that's the first time I met Ryan McCreary. That was what I was thinking. 

[00:47:12] Dakota Sharp: Should I say hi? So just, there's so many like cool opportunities like that. That I totally agree with you. It's, it's something you can't, you shouldn't, and definitely shouldn't skip out on. 

[00:47:21] Amanda Sloop: Oh, yeah, and I think that thing I've started to learn and attending conferences as a student, and I'm still a very young professional, but what I've noticed is, you know, the people, the audiology field is really small. And so every year, every conference, people, the same people are coming to these events.

[00:47:39] Amanda Sloop: And so you start to make those connections and. You start to really look forward to seeing people of like, Oh, I know I'm going to see so and so at this conference this year. And then you get to kind of connect with them and learn what their last year is about. So it becomes like a, a reunion of sorts.

[00:47:52] Amanda Sloop: And I get to watch that energy of teammates who have been in the field longer than I have. And I've been beginning to kind of [00:48:00] create some of those relationships myself of just really looking forward to conferences because it's, I get to see, you know, professionals from across the field and friends that I, we have all made kind of as we've moved along this space 

[00:48:12] Dakota Sharp: awesome. Yeah, that's really cool And those are your opportunities to actually like check out the city that it's based in because why have a conference in a cool city? If you're not even gonna like see what's in that city like take that audiology hero and say hey Let's grab a coffee at this place over here Um if you if you can find the time outside of your highlighted schedule though Which is definitely a hard part of conferences. They really cram it in there I mean it is like every minute has something going on 

[00:48:35] Amanda Sloop: Oh yeah, oh yeah, that's for sure. 

[00:48:37] Dakota Sharp: So then, okay, so it's one thing to be an attendee and trying to organize your schedule around, you know, I want to hit this session and talk to this person. But what if you're going as a presenter?

[00:48:45] Dakota Sharp: What has that looked like for you? How different, how differently did you approach attending a conference once you knew you were going to have to present? 

[00:48:53] Amanda Sloop: Thankfully, so find out, Typically find out information out pretty early on and so you have time to, you know, prepare [00:49:00] your materials. And I think even that answer varies a little bit if whether it's a poster session or whether it's a podium presentation.

[00:49:07] Amanda Sloop: And I think. My advice is always to kind of stay ahead of those deadlines and kind of work on things earlier than you think because certainly to get that editor of feedback and kind of the same way you would a paper, you know, a presentation will change over time. So I think starting that preparation process pretty early is helpful especially in the experience that I've had.

[00:49:29] Amanda Sloop: But also recognizing that, you know, to be completely candid, it's nerve wracking, you know, it's, it's a, a different conference experience to know that you're also going to be up there talking and sharing findings. And I, I always get really nervous before presenting, but also I feel very fortunate to remember that, like, I have a very supportive team in the audience and I know that those are friendly faces I can look for, but also that people who are attending conferences generally are just really excited about learning and then.

[00:49:57] Amanda Sloop: Even if I say, [00:50:00] even if your data isn't received well, or even if people do ask you questions, it's always out of a place of curiosity, I feel like almost always out of a place of curiosity. And then you get to learn more in that experience as well. So I think going into it with that perspective has really changed kind of, at least the jitters a little bit.

[00:50:17] Amanda Sloop: I mean, I think I'm always going to be a little nervous to present, but I think it's, It's at least reframed it in a more positive light. 

[00:50:24] Dakota Sharp: That's totally fair. So what's, what's better than presenting at the beginning of the conference so you get it over with, you don't have to worry about it anymore or presenting at the end of the last day.

[00:50:33] Dakota Sharp: So hopefully there's less people there and you don't have to stress about who's going to be in the audience. 

[00:50:38] Amanda Sloop: I don't know. I personally, I prefer presenting in the beginning because then I can kind of, you know, take that edge off a little bit and then enjoy content from everyone else. But I also think there there's beauty and kind of watching everybody.

[00:50:51] Amanda Sloop: Go ahead if you're going to present and kind of having time to really think about how you're going to present your content as well. So I'm sure both can be nice, [00:51:00] but for me personally, I prefer the beginning. 

[00:51:02] Dakota Sharp: Awesome. When when we were at ACIA this year While so I was on stage moderating and were you I don't know if you're in the room for this But there was under the stage we couldn't see it from on it, but my friends who were in the audience could like a mouse that was Like running around the stage. So that was the first time that was that was That was the first is having animal interactions, with the presentation 

[00:51:27] Amanda Sloop: I I will say I mean i've been to a limited number of conferences, but I don't think i've had that experience 

[00:51:32] Dakota Sharp: Yeah, and you know like Like we're saying, we're just trying to make this information accessible to everybody, including little critters.

[00:51:39] Dakota Sharp: Okay, so circling back into the making it accessible talk. And I know we're kind of, we're coming close to the end of our time here. So just talking through, we both definitely have an interest in making information accessible via social media, right? Because that's where so many students. And young parents and young patients are engaging with information.

[00:51:59] Dakota Sharp: I'm [00:52:00] curious what led you into that kind of space as a, as a researcher as well. 

[00:52:04] Amanda Sloop: Sure. I mean, I think part of it goes back to kind of the shared goal we have of making that information accessible and digestible in a really quick format. Also, a little bit of it is I really enjoy being creative and being able to, to like create content and share things in that sense.

[00:52:22] Amanda Sloop: Like, a lot of the work that we do in that space, you know, you're trying to be intentional about your design and your color choices and your work choices. And I think it's just a different part of my brain that I get to exercise, but I think the ultimate goal is to A help providers who may be interacting with that content feel like they can approach research and be able to utilize the tools that we're investigating, but also like allowing a patient or a participant in research to really understand.

[00:52:50] Amanda Sloop: You know, what, what it is that we do when we spend time together, like what what are my energy or what is my energy and effort going towards? And so I think social media is [00:53:00] just a different way to share that and maybe inspire some excitement of folks who are participating, but also find some folks who would be interested in participating in the future.

[00:53:09] Dakota Sharp: Yeah, that's, that's great. And like you said earlier, you were mentioning like, how do I, how would I word this so that like my dad could understand that, you know, somebody who's never been in this space. And I think that's such a true limitation and also benefit of trying to share this information on social media is like, now it's like, how do I share this in like 30 words or less than 30?

[00:53:26] Dakota Sharp: Or how do I share this in like a graphic? Like, how do I represent this idea? And you know, a two inch by two inch form that somebody is going to be interested in and want. To show somebody else, you don't want to explain or that's going to help them explain it to somebody else. So, it definitely leads to some creative problem solving for sure.

[00:53:44] Amanda Sloop: Yeah. Yeah. I'm sure you also share this perspective of it's really difficult. It's so much more difficult than you would 

[00:53:50] Dakota Sharp: think. It's so hard. I'm like not even having fun. fun, but I'm, I'm so with you there. I also have this creative itch. At undergrad, I studied some graphic design. So it's like something I still want to [00:54:00] be in that world a little bit, but Oh my gosh, can you get so stumped and just feel like, what am I making here?

[00:54:05] Dakota Sharp: Like, this is not going to be useful, but then you might get the feedback that it was very useful to somebody. And you're like, Oh, geez. Okay. Then I don't know what I'm saying then. 

[00:54:13] Amanda Sloop: Yeah. Yeah. I feel. Really, it's really fortunate that I get to do it and I feel very excited that I was trusted with the opportunity to do it because I think it's in some ways made me think pretty critically about my word choices in other avenues.

[00:54:26] Amanda Sloop: So whether that's writing or presenting, you know, like in social media, you have such a confined amount of space to express a point. And so you have to learn how to be clear. So I feel like in some ways it's shaped the way I think about the language that I use all the time. 

[00:54:42] Dakota Sharp: Sure. 

[00:54:42] Amanda Sloop: The learning, but it is difficult.

[00:54:45] Dakota Sharp: Have there been any interactions in, like, in that space, whether it's with subjects or clinicians, you know, the people who are kind of taking in that information that have surprised you or been interesting to you? 

[00:54:57] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, I would say so. I mean, I think just the [00:55:00] level of excitement and engagement we've gotten, and it's something, you know, We've had social media for a while but I think we've really expanded it in the last year or so and hearing just how much is discussed among colleagues or among students, like you mentioned before I think it is just surprised me the level of impact that it's had, you know, I thought this was something that we would do and it would be really fun and exciting.

[00:55:23] Amanda Sloop: Kind of do that all together. But I think just the level of engagement we've had with it has been really, really exciting. And I think we've started to kind of integrate our social media more into like presentations where we say, Hey, here's our QR code, or here's how you can connect with us in a different way, and we've just been able to reach a broader audience in a, a pretty.

[00:55:45] Amanda Sloop: cool way. Yeah. 

[00:55:47] Dakota Sharp: Yeah. I totally agree. And I mean, it's one thing, all of the things we've talked about tonight with like dissemination, like publications and conferences. I mean, like our patients aren't going to those places. Our patients, families aren't [00:56:00] going to those places. And a lot, sometimes a lot of the research that we do would definitely benefit them to know as well, right?

[00:56:06] Dakota Sharp: It's not always like just audiologist or clinician specific information for just their eyes only. So, yeah, I've, I've been totally blown away by the amount of like family and student engagement. In social media spaces around information. And it just makes things so much more public. So quickly, like it's so easy, it's so easy to share that.

[00:56:27] Dakota Sharp: It's so hard for me to like, if I can't log in and find the article, then I got to like go to the library version of it. And then the library needs my login. And then, and like, just to like get a quote from an article can take like many, many steps. Whereas if. if a lab has condensed that into something much more digestible and it's like, Hey, check out this interesting thing.

[00:56:47] Dakota Sharp: And I can send that to a colleague or somebody like, look at the work that we're doing here. It's just so much faster. It's so much more accessible. And it's so much easier for them to then take that information to the next person than it would have been in a lot of these other contexts. So not to [00:57:00] say that those aren't valuable.

[00:57:00] Dakota Sharp: Of course, they're extremely valuable. That's where so much good conversations happens amongst the people in that space. But I don't know. I just feel like it's It's more valuable than maybe we give it credit for because I feel like social media definitely gets a bad rap and it has a lot of bad sides to you.

[00:57:13] Dakota Sharp: I'm like, don't get me wrong. There's things I hate about it sometimes, but man, if it hasn't been such a great opportunity to connect with patients and like, especially students, students are using Instagram to learn about audiology stuff. Like it's happening out there, whether you realize it or not. 

[00:57:26] Amanda Sloop: Yeah. And I think the, like the sooner institutions can embrace that and kind of. use that to their advantage, it becomes a very different conversation of like, we have so much more information available to us and more equitably available from a provider, from a patient, from a student standpoint. And so just using all the tools that we have to take advantage of that.

[00:57:49] Dakota Sharp: So what is, what is the next step then? How are you turning your research into TikToks? 

[00:57:54] Amanda Sloop: I do not have a TikTok account yet. I think that one will have to be cleared with the [00:58:00] higher ups, but no, I think we are, we're camping out on Instagram for now Facebook for sure. And then Twitter or X, I guess is as folks are calling it.

[00:58:09] Amanda Sloop: So I think those are our key ones, but I won't hold my breath on TikTok just yet. I don't know if that's quite my creative journey. 

[00:58:17] Dakota Sharp: What is the, what is the best or I guess, what are the, what are the apps? Where can people find the, the research that y'all are doing? 

[00:58:23] Amanda Sloop: Sure, so, Instagram and X or Twitter are at UNC.

[00:58:29] Amanda Sloop: Dash underscore, or sorry, underscore CI research. And then Facebook is just the UNC cochlear implant research. 

[00:58:37] Dakota Sharp: Awesome. All right. So we're almost out of time. We're just about out of time, but before we go, I got to ask you, if you had a piece of advice for a student out there who is maybe in their first or second year listening to this, and they've had a similar experience to you where they were in a lab setting and they're like, Oh wow, there's like a lot of appeal here.

[00:58:54] Dakota Sharp: But so much of their curriculum, so much of their time in clinic is, clinic time, right? It's not this like [00:59:00] direct hands on research that you've been a part of. What would your advice be to them? What kind of what would you, I guess it's almost like, what would you say to yourself in your first year if you were looking for some advice?

[00:59:10] Amanda Sloop: Yeah, I would say, you know, be brave, ask for the opportunity and then be willing to learn when you're in those spaces, you know, like I think so often, especially as students, we won't, don't want to be a bother. We don't want to intrude on these spaces that are clearly being so productive. And I just think now that being in that space, it's, it's fun to realize that, you know, like students have also a very valuable perspective and we get to learn with them as well.

[00:59:36] Amanda Sloop: And we get to grow in mentorships. And so I think at least in the spaces I've been in, it's a very welcoming atmosphere. It's just sometimes can feel really intimidating as especially a younger student to kind of ask for that opportunity. So I would just say, you know, be brave the worst thing that can happen to somebody say, hey, we don't really have the bandwidth for that right now, but maybe circle back with us in a [01:00:00] year or 2 and then, you If that doesn't work out, seek out another opportunity.

[01:00:07] Dakota Sharp: Yeah, exactly. And I mean, you, you are like just living proof of the fact that like, you're going to get there someday. So don't be afraid to ask those questions and connect with those people because eventually somebody is going to be asking you for the help and the connections and those kinds of things.

[01:00:21] Dakota Sharp: So, awesome. Well, Amanda, it's been so much fun talking to you. This has been such a great little peek behind the curtain of the clinical research you're working on. And I loved our Our conference chit chat and our little conference discussions. What, what are you working on? Where, where can people maybe see you presenting soon or any, any big talks coming up where people can find you?

[01:00:41] Amanda Sloop: Well, I will be at the Children's Cochlear Implant Center here and now conference. Hey o! Fall. So sharing some research findings there. So I think that's a great place to start, but certainly always accessible via email. So that's amanda underscore sloop, S L O O P at med. [01:01:00] unc. edu. So happy to connect and learn in this space together.

[01:01:04] Dakota Sharp: Awesome. Thanks so much, Amanda, for joining me. It's been great. 

[01:01:07] Amanda Sloop: Thanks for having me.

[01:01:12] Dakota Sharp: Do you enjoy listening to On The Ear, but wish you could earn ASHA CEUs for it? Uh, start today! SpeechTherapyPD. com has over 175 hours of audio courses on demand, with an average of 19 new audio courses released each month. And here's the best part, each episode earns you ASHA Continuing Ed credits! Oh, no wait, this is the best part.

[01:01:32] Dakota Sharp: As a listener of On The Ear, you can receive 20 off an annual subscription when you use code ear21. Just head to SpeechTherapyPD. com to sign up. And use code EAR21, E A R 2 1, for 20 off your annual subscription.

[01:01:46] Dakota Sharp: And that's all for today. Thank you so much for listening, subscribing, and rating. This podcast is part of an audio course offered for continuing education through Speech Therapy PD. Check out the website if you'd like to learn more [01:02:00] about the CEU opportunities available for this episode, as well as archived episodes.

[01:02:04] Dakota Sharp: Just head to speechtherapypd. com slash ear. That's speechtherapypd. com slash e a r.