Name: Lily Parrish School: University of Washington Program: Medical Speech-Language Pathology Year: First What are your clinical interests? Were they the same when you were an undergraduate student?
What do you enjoy most about UW’s program?
What clinical experiences does your current program have to offer?
How prepared did you feel going into grad school? How do you feel your grades, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, resume, etc. affected you during the application process?
Do you have any cool facts about the program (such as a library dedicated for the program, 24/7 Starbucks, etc) that others might not know about?
What do you miss most about NSSLHA or undergraduate at UF?
Any last tips or comments?
Any suggestions on the next Grad Spotlight? Please email [email protected]!
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Name: Brittany Larson School: University of Florida Program: Audiology Year: First Year
Got any ideas for other spotlights? Please email me at [email protected]!Name: Dara Mauck School: Florida State University Program: Speech-Language Pathology Year: 1st
Got any ideas for other spotlights? Please email me at [email protected]!Name: Shannon O'Donnell School: University of Florida Program: Speech-Language Pathology Year: 2nd What are your clinical interests? Were they the same when you were an undergraduate student? My primary interest is adult dysphagia. This hasn’t really changed since undergrad. However, after being in many different settings, I am more open to other things depending on the job market when I graduate. I wish I could have had more experience in infant dysphagia, so I hope to find some CEU courses in that area after graduation. What do you enjoy most about UF’s program?
What clinical experiences does UF have to offer?
How prepared did you feel going into grad school? How do you feel your grades, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, resume, etc. affected you during the application process?
Do you have any cool facts about the program (such as a library dedicated for the program, 24/7 Starbucks, etc) that others might not know about?
Any last tips or comments?
Got any ideas for other spotlights? Please email me at [email protected]!
Name: Jillian Roberts School: Vanderbilt University Program: Audiology Year: 2nd year What are your clinical interests? Were they the same when you were an undergraduate student?
What clinical experiences does Vanderbilt have to offer?
Do you have any cool facts about the program (such as a library dedicated for the program, 24/7 Starbucks, etc) that others might not know about?
Any last tips or comments?
Got any ideas for other spotlights? Please email me at [email protected]!
Name: Katrina Sanchez School: Florida State University Program: Speech-Language Pathology Year: First What do you enjoy most about FSU's program? I joined the TIES (Traineeship in Interdisciplinary Early Intervention in Severe Disabilities) grant at FSU which focuses on working with families from different cultural backgrounds and doing research/ intervention with them. It really stood out to me and when I was accepted to the program and the grant it was a deal breaker. What clinical experiences does FSU have to offer? All students get clinical experience in our FSU clinic which is conveniently located just downstairs, so right after class if you have a client you just run down and set up. In the clinic we get experience working with both kids and adults in basically every aspect you can think of. Our second year we go out into the community for experience in outpatient rehab clinics, schools, etc. (kids and adults). How prepared did you feel going into grad school? I felt pretty prepared going into the program coming from UF. At first I felt a little intimidated thinking I wouldn't know as much as I should, but we have a big shot program at UF and I ended up knowing more than I thought I would, especially in Audiology (most other students have very little knowledge of audiology stuff). The only thing I would say is that FSU professors know what FSU undergrads have learned so sometimes at the start of the year I felt like I was out of the loop on a few things they'd talk about but you really do catch on quickly so don't worry about that. How do you feel your grades, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, resume, etc. affected you during the application process? Personally my GRE scores were not that great at all, I'm a poor test taker, always have been, so I worked really hard in UF to stand out in areas where I had a lot of interest and knew I could do really well in (volunteering, research, NSSLHA, grades, etc). Sooo I know I didn't get in for my GRE but that just shows that they do look at other areas to make a fair decision. They really look at letters of rec too so get to know your professors and show them how much you care and have an interest/passion for this and you'll do great! Any tips for the application process? For the application process just basically try to stay as organized as you can and request a letter of rec really far in advanced. Professors at UF have a list that they make, and when that list is full they won't accept any other requests for a letter so ask early. Remember to ask professors that really know you, if they don't know you that well it probably won't make for a strong letter. If you can go interview at the school I would suggest that, and do your research on the program online beforehand. I kept looking for professors in each program that I had common interests with and emailed them asking questions and what they think I could do to be a stronger applicant. I figure it's one way to try and get your foot in the door in their program and perhaps they'll put in a good word for you if they would like you in their program/want you to do research with them. What do you wear to class and clinic? We dress professional on days that we have clients (2-3 days a week) which is basically like dress pants closed toe flats and a cute top that won't be revealing if you bend down when working with kids. We do wear scrubs if we have clinic in the hospital/outpatient centers (this semester I wear scrubs in the pediatric outpatient clinic, yay!). What's life like in Tallahassee? Tally takes getting used to, it's definitely not Gainesville, but it's a cool place with lots of outdoors activities and bars and stuff. We try to go out with the girls for drinks to keep our sanity on the weekends but there's a whole lot of undergrad life here so it depends what you're into doing. We do have time to have lives though and some girls even work so if that's something you need to do know that it is possible, even though the professors say you won't have time, you will have time so don't worry. Any last tips or comments? Good luck ladies!!!!! Email me or message me with any questions! Thanks, Katrina! If you have any suggestions for the next Grad School Spotlight, email me at [email protected]! Name: Leslie Settembre School: New York University Program: Speech-Language Pathology Year: First Clinical Interests: I've always thought that I was 100% sure I wanted to work with children, but since coming to NYU I've begun to question the specific population with whom I'd like to work. I do, however, know that I would prefer to be in a hospital or medical setting. I'm particularly interested in dysphagia, motor-speech disorders, and rehab-based speech therapy. What do you enjoy most about NYU’s program? My favorite thing about NYU's program is that students are given the option to start clinical practicum during any semester. Many programs require that students begin clinicals in their first semester, but I feel I've gotten much more out of my time at NYU being able to focus solely on classes for my first two semesters. During my last two clinical experiences, I will be completely done with classes and able to focus 100% of my time on my clients. I also love the strong sense of community within the NYU Communication Sciences and Disorders department. Many classes are discussion based, allowing students to grow and learn from each other. The atmosphere at NYU is extremely accepting and encouraging, and I thoroughly enjoy sharing my thoughts with my professors and fellow speechies. Additionally, the faculty is very warm and supportive, and each faculty member makes it a point to become personally involved in the unique path taken by each of their students. What clinical experiences does NYU have to offer? NYU students go through a course of five clinical practica - each lasting one semester. The first three are done at the NYU Speech Language and Hearing Clinic, which treats clients with a large variety of speech/language problems. The final two practica are at off campus locations. One off campus practicum allows students to work with adults, while the other allows students to work with children. These off campus locations can be anywhere within the five boroughs, and include hospitals, rehab centers, private practices, nursing facilities, schools for children with special needs, and public schools. NYU students also have the option of completing a practicum at Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center, which is a facility that specializes in individuals with Huntington's Disease. How prepared did you feel going into grad school? I completed my undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at an excellent school (University of Florida), so I felt well prepared upon entering NYU. However, NYU advisors go out of their way to make sure that students have all the background knowledge needed to succeed in their courses. Advisors look thoroughly through each student's undergraduate class roster, and require students to take prerequisite CSD courses if they believe they will benefit the student. During my first semester I took an undergraduate Articulation Disorders course, and it has actually been one of my favorite classes thus far. That articulation course precedes a difficult graduate course in advanced phonology, so I'm very thankful that NYU gave me the opportunity to prepare myself as well as possible. How do you feel your grades, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, resume, etc. affected you during the application process? I think each program considers their applicants differently. I had a respectable GPA and high GRE scores, but that alone would not have gotten me into NYU. I think it's very important to provide a personal statement that allows the admissions board to get a true sense of your past experiences and future goals. Strong recommendation letters can also speak volumes on your behalf. I also don't think that a slightly lower GPA/test score will knock you out of the running completely. If you can show that you're a dedicated student who is passionate about the field of speech pathology, you'll have a good chance of being accepted. Any tips for the application process? My biggest tip is to not allow the stress to get the best of you. It's very easy to allow the application process to overwhelm you. When all is said and done, I truly believe that every student ends up in a program in which they can succeed. In a more tangible sense, I would recommend starting the application process early - even earlier than you may think is necessary. It may be cliched advice, but having gone through the process, I personally wish I had started much earlier. Nothing is worse than scrambling to submit an important document with a deadline bearing down on you. Specifically in the case of recommendation letters, be sure to give your potential recommenders AMPLE time to prepare and draft your letter. What do you wear to class and clinic? Class is obviously more casual than clinic. Recently for class I have been wearing a coat, boots, and about 57 layers underneath so that I don't freeze on my walk there! When going to clinic, students generally dress in business casual. Nothing too fancy is required, but it's important to present yourself in a professional manner. What’s life like in New York City? I could not be any happier than I am in New York City. I have made an amazing group of friends in my classes at NYU, and I love having adventures with them in the city. There is an endless (literally - endless) supply of restaurants, shops, bars, and quirky little places to explore. I've been so lucky to experience so many new things this year. I think many students may be a little intimidated to move to such a big city (I know I was), but the transition was surprisingly smooth. It's very easy to find your own niche within the city, especially in such a close knit community like NYU. Once you figure out the subway system (and if you're a Floridian like me, buy a real winter wardrobe), it's smooth sailing. Are you glad that you decided to go out of state? I am so incredibly glad that I chose to leave my home state of Florida. It was an extremely difficult decision choosing between UF (which I absolutely loved during undergrad) and NYU. However, I now know that choosing to go outside my comfort zone was the best decision I could have made. I've grown so much through the experience, and I know that if and when I come back to Florida I will have so many unique experiences to bring to my role as an SLP. Not to mention, having actual seasons for a change is pretty wonderful. Any last tips or comments? Don't get discouraged during the application process! It will be over before you know it, and then you'll be off to start an amazing new chapter of your life as a speechie!! Thank you, Leslie! If you have suggestions for the next Grad School Spotlight, please email me at [email protected]! Name: Aryana Downs School: University of Florida Program: Speech-Language Pathology Year: First Year Clinical Interests: At the moment I am really enjoying my current placement at the former Shands Hospital, now known as UF Health. I get to see a variety of interesting inpatients and outpatients, pediatrics and adults, swallowing, and speech/language. Last semester I was at the schools and I really enjoyed doing that as well, although I got to see some of the struggles that our school based SLP’s have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Basically, what I am saying is I haven’t encountered a clinical setting that I did NOT enjoy, and I still have no idea where I want to end up working. One thing is certain though; I know that this is the field for me! What do you enjoy most about UF’s program? I like that we get placed in a practicum for the first semester. I think most people learn best when placed in a situation where they do not feel wholly comfortable. Getting out of your comfort zone and really being in a sink or swim situation can prepare you more than sitting in a classroom ever will. That being said, most supervisors are extremely helpful and they know you are in your first semester, and usually do all they can to help you feel prepared and at ease. What clinical experiences does UF have to offer? We offer pediatric outpatient, schools, medical, dysphagia, movement disorders, craniofacial, voice disorders, and skilled nursing to name a few. UF has a wide variety of clinical experiences to offer a student clinician. How prepared did you feel going into grad school? I felt pretty prepared, but it was still pretty daunting. Luckily UF’s program offers a 3-day “Bootcamp” that Dr. Troche held where we went through and reviewed a lot of major concepts and material. That allowed us to ease into our courses and also gave us 3 days to bond with the other people in the program. The best piece of advice I can give you is to know your undergrad material, especially the neurology and the anatomy. The professors expect you to know this stuff, and since school is no longer about just getting a grade, you should really know this stuff for practical purposes anyways. How do you feel your grades, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, resume, etc. affected you during the application process? My grades were pretty good, nothing lower than a B+ and my GRE was about the minimum requirement that you needed to get into a program. I strongly believe that my letters of recommendation and resume were the strongest. Three faculty members in the program wrote my letters and I got them by sitting right in front of my professors and answering their questions. I also made a point to talk to them after class had ended. I wouldn’t go as far as to say you should suck up to them, but just talk to them, they cannot get an idea of who you are as a person and not someone on a roll sheet unless you have a chance to show them. As cliché as it sounds, making sure your professors know your name and your face goes a long way in securing a spot if you have the academics to show them that you can pass graduate level courses. In addition to that, having experience with patients in a clinical setting prior to grad school shows them that you will not embarrass the University program in a practicum setting. Just make sure your grades are solid, your GRE score acceptable, get to know the faculty, and have a somewhat strong clinical background and you should be guaranteed a spot in a graduate program at a University. What do you wear to class and clinic? To class I wear whatever I would wear to undergrad class. Some days I look nicer than others. Some days I show up in athletic shorts, a tee shirt, and my hair on top of my head. To clinic, it usually depends on where you are placed. For example, at Magnolia Park you will be on the floor with children, so scrub pants, a tee shirt and tennis shoes are acceptable. At the hospital and other clinics though, dress pants, a nice shirt, a cardigan (it can get cold!), and close toed flats are a staple. At the schools, you can get a little more casual but all in all it really depends on the place, and your supervisor. Some simple rules to follow though, nothing revealing, never heels, avoid flashy jewelry, look professional, clean, and well put together and you should be fine. Have an open communication line with your supervisor, and if ever in doubt, just ask the dress code. Most supervisors will not mind you asking. And if all else fails, just try and follow their lead. Dress similarly to them and you should be fine. Any last tips or comments? Don’t worry. It will all work out and grad school is not as scary as you think. Stay on top of your readings and really learn the material, because most of it comes in handy at clinic. Study together, these girls (and guys) are your tools, you can learn from each others strengths and become better clinicians that way. And expect to spend a long day at clinic for only a few hours of actual clock hours. Good luck! Thank you, Ary! If you have any suggestions for the next Grad School Spotlight, please email me at [email protected]! Name: Abby Lindsley School: University of Central Florida Program: Speech-Language Pathology Year: First Year (began spring 2014) Clinical Interests: My ultimate goal is to become a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) or most of you have probably heard of it being called an Auditory Verbal Therapist (AVT). What is an LSLS exactly? LSLSs work with children and infants who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in order to help with their listening and spoken language skills. The LSLS certification takes 3-5 more years after completing a Masters degree. For the longest time, I was on the fence between Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology; however, once I heard about this program, I found out I could get the best of both worlds! So, if you are someone who is interested in both Audiology and SLP, I would definitely look into this program! What do you enjoy most about UCF’s program? I really like the faculty at UCF. They all have so much experience and I really believe I’m getting a quality education. I also like how UCF's program prepares you to be a clinician in all different types of settings; it isn’t just geared to the working in the schools or a hospital. If you come here, you will be able to learn what it is like to be a clinician in all different settings. What clinical experiences does UCF have to offer? UCF does their program a little differently than most of the other programs. In your first semester, you don’t have a clinical placement because they want you to feel prepared going into clinic by having a strong foundation. I know for your second semester, we will be working with the pediatric population in the Speech and Hearing Clinic on campus so your first semester you learn all about language disorders, speech disorders, voice disorders, etc. in the pediatric population. Other than that, I’m not quite sure yet of what they have to offer, but once I do, I’ll let you know! How prepared did you feel going into grad school? I felt very prepared coming into grad school. At this point in the semester, there has not been anything taught that I haven’t heard before. That being said, I would definitely recommend to try and truly learn the information being taught in your courses. I wouldn’t just try to memorize facts for a test just to get an ‘A’ in the course because it makes grad school that much harder. The professors already expect you to know the information from undergrad and won’t go back to review. In undergrad, I know it is really easy to get caught up in the whole “I just need to get an ‘A’ so I can get into grad school’ mentality; I’m guilty of that as well. Just speaking from experience, try and make your life easier in grad school by learning the basics in undergrad! How do you feel your grades, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, resume, etc. affected you during the application process? I’ll just go ahead and say it: For those of you who aren’t the greatest at standardized tests (like myself), do not panic! I had a low GRE score (below average), and I got into graduate school. Standardized tests are one of the things in the admissions process that I could go on and on about but I won’t. I’ll just say this: There is way more to an application than a GRE score. From the very beginning, I knew my test score would be one of my weakest points in my application so I made sure to have other strong areas in my application to make up for it. My sophomore year, I went to go talk to Dr. Troche about becoming involved with research. This would give me an opportunity to build my resume and to have PERSONAL letters of recommendation. In my opinion, I feel that they weigh letters of rec the most in the application process. This shows the admissions board what a student is really like from an academic standpoint (not like some standardized test). I also had a high GPA and played club sports while at UF. So, if you know that you will be one of those people with a lower GRE school, don’t freak out; just start early on working on other parts of your application to compensate for your score. What do you wear to class and clinic? To class, I wear just regular clothes - jeans, shorts, athletic shorts, etc. Unfortunately for clinic, UCF’s program just implemented a new dress code this semester. They require us to wear a shirt provided by the clinic and black or khaki pants. The department said that too many people were dressing unprofessionally so they had to implement a dress code. When I heard about that, I was a disappointed but I just have to look at the bright side and think that now I won’t have to worry about what to wear on clinic days! J What’s life like in Orlando? Orlando is much busier than Gainesville; the traffic is horrible. But, it is really nice being close to the beach and also, as students, we get discounts on ticket prices to the theme parks which is awesome! I do miss the Swamp though! Any last tips or comments? People always told me graduate school is “an adjustment” but never really told me why. Grad school is an adjustment for a couple different reasons. One, you aren’t trying to just get an ‘A’ anymore; you can’t just go to class and wing a test to pull off an ‘A’. You actually have to learn the information so you can go into clinic and know what you’re talking about. So mentally, it’s kind of a big switch. Two, your average day is super long. Many of the days, I don’t have a lunch because I have class all day, two 3 hour blocks back-to-back. Also, you are constantly running around trying to get things done like reading your textbooks, working on assignments and meeting with your groups for group projects (half of my assignments are group projects so pick your partners carefully!). One last comment I have is don’t forget about the cost of graduate school. It is easy to forget about when you are looking at other aspects of a program such as clinical placements or where you want to live but cost is still really important to think about. One of the main reasons I picked to go to UCF over other schools is because they have a lot of grant and graduate assistantship (GA) opportunities to help out with my finances. As a first semester graduate student, I already got a job at the clinic which will help pay for some of my tuition. Just something to keep in mind! Thank you, Abby! If you have any suggestions for the next grad school spotlight, please email me at [email protected].
Name: Sarah Almaguer School: Vanderbilt University Program: MS-SLP Year: 2nd year Clinical Interests: Medical SLP – Primarily Acute Care and Voice What do you enjoy most about Vanderbilt’s program? Vanderbilt’s program has been so amazing – it’s so hard to pick my favorite part! One aspect that really sets Vanderbilt apart from other schools is the clinical experience. The program ensures a 1:1 student to supervisor pairing every semester. In other words, instead of having to split time between supervising many different students each semester, supervisors are able to devote all of their time to providing one student the feedback and support they need. I really felt that with this structure, I was able to receive a much more personal clinical experience, and supervisors were always available to provide me with whatever I needed, whether it be more experience in a particular area or further information or resources. I also felt that I received the same support and attention from other faculty members within the department. Small class sizes (our class has only 17 students) likely played a huge part in this individualized attention. Everyone really seemed to care about us as students, and professors and other faculty members were always very amenable to providing us with extra support both during class and outside of class. All in all, I feel like I’ve received a phenomenal education from Vanderbilt – both academically and clinically. What clinical experiences does Vanderbilt have to offer? Vanderbilt offers pretty much any clinical experience you could possibly want. Most placements are available within Vanderbilt Medical Center. Our department is housed within one building, and this building is also home to different clinics such as an outpatient pediatric clinic, an outpatient adult rehabilitation clinic, an elementary school for the deaf, a world-renowned voice center, and various research labs. Within a block of this building, other placements are also available such as inpatient acute placements in the adult hospital or the children’s hospital, an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, and a VA hospital. If you are interested, school placements within Nashville are also available, as well as other placements such as in skilled nursing facilities or early intervention programs. Vanderbilt is really great about accommodating any clinical interest you may have and tailoring your experience to meet your individual needs. How prepared did you feel going into grad school? I felt VERY prepared for Vanderbilt’s program. The CSD major at UF provided me with a solid foundation for all of my graduate classes. Vanderbilt’s program has both students with a background (who majored or took post-baccalaureate classes in CSD) and non-backgrounds, and I felt like one of the most prepared students in my program, even among the background students. How do you feel your grades, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, resume, etc. affected you during the application process? Vanderbilt focuses very heavily on GPA, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation. I got the impression that the resume and cover letter weren’t weighted as heavily as the other three, but obviously they are still important. Any tips for the application process? Apply to a bunch of different places. I’d recommend including some out of state options, even if you’re not sure you want to leave Florida. I liked being able to keep my options open with places in different places and with different focuses. I also found it really useful to visit the schools I was applying to during the application process itself. This might be a matter of personal preference, but it just made each school less of an abstract entity to me, and I was better able to describe specific clinics or research labs that I was interested in in my personal statement. I also really liked being able to meet faculty members at each of the schools (something you can also slip in to your personal statement) to ask them questions and get a better idea if that school would be a good fit for you. What do you wear to class and clinic? Clinic attire is business casual, unless you are in a setting where you can wear scrubs. As a result of my clinical interests, I was in settings where I could wear scrubs most semesters, but in other settings I tended to wear dresses with cardigans or pants and a nice top. For class, we can wear whatever we want – much like undergrad. Our building has one floor that we stay on for classes and another that houses most of the research labs and faculty offices. As long as we are on one of those floors, there is no dress code; however if we need to go on any of the clinic floors for any reason we need to be dressed in clinic-appropriate attire. What’s life like in Nashville? Nashville is SUCH an awesome city! It feels like the perfect size for me – it’s a city, but it doesn’t seem too big. There is always something fun going on (oftentimes with live music!) and there are a lot of different parts of the city that have their own personalities. There are a lot of really great restaurants and food trucks all around the city – I haven’t even tried all of the ones on my list after a year and a half! And the weather is really great, too (for the most part…summer is pretty grueling)! Coming from Florida, it was a really nice change to actually have seasons! In case you couldn’t tell, I’m a little obsessed with Nashville – it’s such a cool city! Any last tips or comments? Try not to stress too much during this process – everything will work out in the end! Each school has a lot of different opportunities; no matter where you end up, make sure to explore these opportunities and take advantage of them! |
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February 2018
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