Audiology Student Michael Mains' Career Milestone: Speaking at One of the Biggest Events in His Field
Michael Mains has made the most of his early career, getting to speak at a premier American audiology conference.
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With just a little more than a year of combined preparation in the classroom and clinic, Michael Mains took the stage at the 2026 American Academy of Audiology (AAA) conference.
“I was extremely nervous,” the first-year UMass doctor of audiology (AuD) student said. “I didn't know what kind of group I was going to be speaking in front of, if there were going to be 400 people or if there were going to be 30 people. I was so unsure of what to expect going into it.”
A spot on the AAA panel titled "Top 10 Relationship Killing Mistakes Audiology Assistants Make (And How to Avoid Them) With Veteran Audiology Assistants” was not on Mains’ mind when he landed his first job as an audiology assistant with the Seattle-based clinic Eastside Audiology. At the time, he was looking for a way “to see if [audiology] was really the right fit.”
The answer became increasingly apparent throughout Mains’ year at the clinic. He not only gained rep after rep of first-hand experience helping patients but also built a life-changing bond with Dr. Nichole Kingham, the audiologist running the practice.
“By the time I had to go to UMass, she offered when I graduated that if I wanted to come back, she would make a spot at whatever location. She was sad to see me go.”
It didn’t take long for words to turn into action. The two kept in touch from opposite sides of the country, so it was a “no brainer" when Mains’ mentor invited him to meet in the middle and speak on her scheduled AAA panel in San Antonio, TX.
And much like his intro to the world of audiology, Mains learned from the veterans in the field to overcome any lingering nerves he had about speaking on his first panel.
“I had a good amount of time before I spoke to gauge how other speakers would be speaking and get some tips about public speaking from them,” Mains said. “It was nice to see them talk and see how confident they were. That raised my confidence a little when I was speaking.”
Mains made sure to capitalize on that confidence, drawing on lessons not only gleaned from his stint at the Seattle clinic but also what he’s learned in his short time at UMass to truly demonstrate his expertise to one of the most prestigious audiology conferences in the country.
“Before I got [to UMass] I’d have several different types of appointments, and I would just have a general script. You know the order of the appointment. You know what kind of things you want to include to be transparent.”
“What I’ve learned since being at UMass is that there are other things, especially a patient’s mannerisms and body language, that are big factors in building trust. I’ve learned to gauge how they feel about the appointment and how involved they want to be in the process and include that in my script. I’ve seen a lot of good outcomes since implementing that at the school practice.”
Down the road, Mains aims to own his own audiology practice. He knows his AAA panel experience is a significant milestone in the journey and takes pride in getting this far as fast as he has. His time in San Antonio and the experts he listened to and met there have also inspired him to keep learning as much as he can.
“There were a lot of speakers who came up and spoke about stuff that I had no idea what they were talking about,” Mains said. “It was helpful to understand how far I can climb in this field and how much there is still to learn. I would say that that’s a good thing.”