SLP and the Great Dysphagia Search

It's back to class time and today I start my dysphagia class. Since I am leaning more towards the medical side of SLP, this is a key class and I can't wait to learn more about it. We have to track down a VFSS (videofluoroscopic swallow study) observation site and I've already hit the ground running with about 7 emails sent out so far, phone calls are next.

I saw a VFSS during my post-bacc SLP job shadowing and it was pretty interesting. Too bad I wasn't closer to that observation site or I'd just go back there!

Here's to hoping I can pin down a site... let another search begin! :)

**UPDATE

The above SLP I observed a VFSS with (and who also graduated from EMU) just emailed me a contact who is willing to let me observe! She is a ROCKSTAR!!

Phew! Looking Back Winter '13

Winter semester (otherwise know as the semester of a million group projects) was a busy one! I think the hardest thing this semester has been coordinating everyone's schedules to meet and get things get done.

Favorite things this semester:

Audiometrics -
*Presenting hearing conservation and ear anatomy to a 1st grade class. They were AWESOME!! I loved this experience so much and the kids loved it too.

Aphasia -
*Ummm... pretty much the whole darn class, but if I had to pick a couple of favorites I'd go with the aphasia observation that I did in Royal Oak and the AAC assignment I did at the Apple Store. I can't rave enough about this class. The prof of this class is a great teacher and I've learned a lot in this class. This is definitely emerging as an area of interest. :)

Diagnostics -
*Though scheduling has been a big issue with our clinic diagnostic, I really enjoyed this experience a lot. It was great to finally get some hands-on experience with standardized tests and work with a client!
*My observation at the Autism Collaborative Center - the SLP there is a graduate of EMU's SLP grad program and it was great to observe another alumni from my school out in the field. (First EMU alum I observed was up in the U.P. at Marquette General Hospital for some of my 25 hours of observation for my post-bacc.)

Early Intervention Language Disorders -
*This class has spent a lot of time on the back burner and has felt like a lot of review, but I've enjoyed some of the discussions in the class. Not my area of interest at the moment, but it was good to have a class this semester that was not as demanding as the others!

Overall, it's been another great semester and definitely much more intense than last semester. I'm really looking forward to diving into my Spring/Summer classes, but to be perfectly honest I am really looking forward to just working (and maybe a little bit of traveling - ROAD TRIP!!) during the second half of summer. No classes from June 18th - Sept. 3rd!

I've been in a odd place the last couple of weeks of this semester... I'm tired, burnt out, and there's been a little self-doubt starting to creep in. I know I want to be an SLP and I know it will take time to feel confident in what I am doing but right now it's kind of hard to remember that. Just got to remember to breathe, take it all in, and enjoy the crazy-wild-stress-filled ride that is SLP grad school.

It will be good to recharge this summer to help me to get back on track.

I am where I want to be.

"Little by little, the container is filled."

Summer '13 and Fall '13

Signed up for classes today and I'm already excited to dive into all new stuff!! The first half of Summer I am taking Dysphagia and Motor Speech Disorders. In the Fall I'm taking Acquired Neurogenic Communication Disorders and Fluency Disorders.

I am also supposed to take Clinic I over the whole Summer semester, but now it looks like I will be taking it in the Fall instead. It's the only class I haven't signed up for yet and I will find out for sure on Monday if I am taking it this Summer or if I am taking it in the Fall. Taking it in the Fall won't affect my graduation date and though I can't wait to dive right into clinic and get a client (or two!), at the same time it would be soooo nice to have half of the summer off. Kind of a last big break before pushing through to the end. **UPDATE - I'm definitely taking Clinic I in the Fall so that means I will have the second half of the summer OFF! I will be working, but I hope to take a couple of road-trips this summer too. :)

Just over a month left this semester!

Random bits and pieces -
I passed the CRT (clinical readiness test) with flying colors! Woot!

My first audiometrics exam, however, definitely was not a grade to be proud of but I can recover from it.

The day I observed an aphasia treatment session in Royal Oak, I also observed a diagnostic at the Autism Collaborative Center (ACC) at Eastern Mich. That was a GREAT day. :)

I found out that I could possibly get a client at the ACC and complete some of my clinic hours there during Clinic I and II. I will find out more about this on Monday.

Also this coming Monday I (as well as 2 classmates) will be going about an hour north of Ypsi to a first grade class to give a presentation on hearing conservation. This will either be really, really fun or... ?!!

What If...

I was looking at the stats of my blog today and saw this under search keywords: "what if I don't get into slp grad school". Well, it's that time of year again and I've seen many "what if... " posts on facebook and I wanted to explore what you can do if you don't get into SLP grad school this time around.

I remember obsessing thinking about this a lot around this time last year. I had 3 grad school apps in and the waiting game was killing me. I thought a lot about what I was going to do if I didn't get in... there were so many "what if's" zooming around in my head!

So, what do you do if you don't get in this year? First off, don't give up!! If this is what you really want to do with your life, you should not give up on it just yet. There so are many things you can do!

You could start with looking into programs that offer spring admissions. Cohorts tend to be smaller, but it may be less competitive because most apply for the Fall. Eastern Michigan University is one such school and here are a few others: University of Colorado - Boulder, California State University - Fullerton, University of Central Florida, The College of Saint Rose. There are more universities out there with spring admissions and even a few with summer, EdFind is a good place to start looking for others.

Then there's the GRE. Yeah, that test sucked and should be abolished, but apparently many grad schools believe that if you do well on the GRE you will do will in grad school (and of course it's the deciding factor between two very similar applicants). If your scores are not up to at least the minimum standards of the schools you want to apply to, then it might be a good idea to retake that dreadful test. I took the GRE twice (the old version and then the new, current version) and I'm glad I did. I don't think I would have gotten into grad school with my first test scores.

You could also look for schools that don't require the GRE or will accept the MAT in its place. Here is a list I found on the Speech and Language Pathology Live Journal board.

Other things you could do to strengthen your application for next year is to retake any classes with lower grades either through your undergrad program or look into a post-bacc program like USU and La Salle University. There is no reason you shouldn't retake classes to raise your gpa. Both of the old and new grades will show up on your transcripts, but this can show the admissions committee that you are trying to do everything possible to improve your grades.

Look into post-bacc programs and certificates or see if you can take graduate classes as a non-matriculated student in areas that complement SLP. I was looking at Central Michigan University's graduate certificate in gerontology as one of my back-up plans.

Become a volunteer and get involved in community service. There is so much you can do here to strengthen your application: volunteer at a day care, youth home, adult day care, an SNF or nursing home, hospital; get involved with a reading and literacy program; become an English tutor for ESL students or just become involved with other types of tutoring; become a mentor, a Big Brother or a Big Sister... there are so many possibilities and opportunities for volunteering and community service that can be related to SLP and look great on a grad school application.

There's also job shadowing and observing. Scope out the SLPs and AuDs in your community who are willing to let you job shadow them for a day or two. Most of us had to complete 25 hours of job shadowing as undergrads, but why not gain more observation opportunities in as many different settings as possible. See if you can sit in and observe different support groups (double check to make sure that this is okay first!!), like an aphasia support group or a stuttering group. These are great experiences to write about in your SOP.

Try to find an SLPA job and gain some hands-on experience in the field. One of the people in my cohort worked as an SLPA in the Indiana school system for a year before reapplying to grad school. Arizona, Colorado, and Minnesota are some other states that use SLPAs. You can go on ASHA to see if your state uses support personnel like SLPAs and what the requirements are.

You can find a job in a field that is somewhat related to SLP. Work in a day care, a preschool, be a teacher's aid/para-pro, babysit. Become a CNA (certified nursing assistant) in a SNF. Many CNA programs only take a month or two to complete.

Go overseas and teach English! There are a few people in my cohort who did this. One of my classmates taught in South Korea for a year, another spent some time Chile, and another one in Mexico. I taught English for 5 years in South Korea and I loved it! This was of course before I discovered my love for speech-language pathology. If you do go this route, do your research!! Talk to current teachers, find out which recruiters to use (my advice, if you have to pay for a recruiter, don't use them), and again research, research, research. A great place to start is with the job and message boards on Dave's ESL Cafe. Here are the direct links to the international job forums and the Korean job forums. Teaching English in another country is a great experience and it looks great on an application.

Apply to more schools next time. I only applied to 3 schools and in the midst of my "ZOMG I'm not going to get into grad school, why did I only apply to 3 schools whatwasIthinking?!!" multiple panic attacks, I knew that if I had to reapply I was going to apply to at least a dozen the second time around! If you can afford it and you are flexible on locations, apply far and wide. Look closely at the stats of each school and see if your stats match up or are at least close.

Also, apply to online programs. This is a good option if you don't have many SLP grad schools near you and you can't move because of other commitments. You could also mix applications to online grad programs with traditional programs to help broaden your chances.

You could apply to schools overseas! ASHA's Mutual Recognition Agreement recognizes the certification programs of speech-language pathology in five countries: Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

It ain't over 'til it's over and only you can decide when that is.

I posted this question on a couple of SLP facebook groups and here are some of the responses I got:

I applied TWICE to the same school where I received my undergrad degree because I didn't want to go out of state or have to travel far from my home. Didn't get in either time because it was "implied" that they like to diversify their program with candidates from other programs. But I was accepted to an AWESOME online program that turned out to be the perfect fit for me, so it all worked out.

I didn't get into grad school the first time so I took a year to work as an SLP-A before re-applying. I think this strengthened my application significantly and gave me valuable experience now as a grad student!

I applied for I think it was 4 years.. The second last year, I tried an american university (all previous years I tried canadian ones, of which there are only 6 english speaking, 2 of which were 3-year programmes). They messed up my application so accepted me for the following year. If I'd known I could have gotten straight into it, I would have just done that! Was nice to get the work experience as a CDA (like an SLPA but more training and for both SLP and audiology) for 2 years. To further my application, I took more courses that were prerequisites for more of the canadian programmes so I could apply to more of them, as well as getting my CDA certificate and working as a CDA in both audiology and SLP.

I didn't get into grad school the first time. I only applied to two schools the first time and only one the second time and luckily got in. I retook my GREs and I think that made the difference because I already had a 3.9 GPA!

I wasn't accepted to my first choice school and was put on the wait list at the school where I received my undergrad. Was told that I didn't spend enough extra time in the clinic and it was seen as my not being serious about my degree. Didn't matter that I also worked 30 hours a week while taking classes. I later was accepted to a program and the state education department paid for many of my grad classes.

I took graduate classes as a non-matriculated student for a year then applied and was accepted into an AWESOME online program.

I took my elective grad class as non matric student and studied like crazy to bump up my GRE's and got in second time around!

I applied twice and didn't get it. It was very disappointing however I didn't give up, I just applied to Australia. There are so many internationals studying Speech-Language Pathology here b/c it's easy for us to get in.

I applied to graduate school three semesters in a row. The first time I applied it was sort of rushed because I was graduating with my Bachelor's in 3 years, which I thought would show schools I was more motivated and determined to get into graduate school. That backfired. Then, I applied in the Spring semester and at least got an interview! I thought for sure I would be admitted after the interview, unfortunately, I was wrong again. After that, I had considered changing my major, I was absolutely devastated. But, with the support from my family and friends, I changed my statement of purpose, researched schools that I actually had a chance of getting into, and applied a third time. I received an interview, but it was over the phone due to distance and short notice. It really worried me that it would skew my chances of getting in. But, I FINALLY got in! It was the best feeling in the world and it made me realize that if I hadn't applied again, I would be so unhappy with that decision. I am in my second semester of graduate school now, and in my first clinical experience and I can't see myself doing anything else. The application process was long and stressful, but my motivation paid off in the end! 

A last piece of advice for those who are still waiting to hear from schools, follow up on your applications! Email, call, and let them know that you are interested! I am really glad I did, because I was about to be put on the rejection pile at Eastern due to my poor gpa from my first undergrad. I played a bit of phone tag with the head of the department, but finally she left a message for me to email her and explain my 1st gpa. I sent off an impassioned explanation for that gpa and I emphasized my life experiences, my USU post-bacc gpa, and my love for SLP. I was put on the waiting list and then a month later, I was accepted to Eastern Michigan University.

                                                                            

#springbreak13

So it's my spring break... it officially started Thursday night after work at 1pm and so far it's involved a lot of sleeping in, netflix and retail therapy, but that's about to change. Starting today, this is my opportunity to get a crapload of stuff done! I am continuing my crazy busy February into a crazy busy March, but things will slow down again after the 13th. The week after spring break is ridiculous: 2 exams, 1 group presentation, possible retake of the clinical readiness test, 2nd half of my group diagnostic with report write-ups and assessment scorings that go along with it. After the 13th I can breath again.

First up this week, I have two exams to study for that will happen the Monday and Tuesday after we get back from break (thank you professors!) and I have twelve chapters to read for one of those exams... yikes! Quizlets and study guides will be my friends this week.

This week I am also going to Royal Oak for an aphasia observation. It's an aphasia group that has 2 clients with fluent aphasia and 2 with nonfluent aphasia. I only need to observe a fluent aphasia but I am very happy that I will also have the opportunity to observe a nonfluent one as well. I'm really cutting it close with this observation date since the write up is due the Tuesday after spring break. Fingers crossed that the weather cooperates!

I am part of three group projects this semester: hearing conservation group, an in-service presentation group (on an audiology related topic), and a conduction aphasia group so this week we are starting to research our topics and organize the information. First up is my hearing conservation group's presentation to our class on the Tuesday after spring break. This is pretty much our practice run-through where we will get feedback from our classmates before we go to a 1st grade elementary class in Ypsilanti and educate them on hearing safety. I love that we get to present to a 1st grade class. :) 

For the in-service presentation, my partner and I are hoping to write and present on unilateral hearing loss in children and educational outcomes. We've found tons of journal articles already but don't want to go any further until the topic is approved by our prof. We have an outline set and ready to be emailed after we get back from spring break. Here's to hoping it gets approved quickly. 

My last group project/presentation is on conduction aphasia. When we were told that we needed to find aphasia observation sites, we were also told that we should try to find a site with our specific aphasia... conduction aphasia is a very rare aphasia in the rare category of fluent aphasias. Thank goodness we were also told that if we could not find our specific aphasia to observe, that we could observe any aphasia in the same category as our assigned aphasia (fluent vs nonfluent). I knew conduction aphasia would be pretty hard to find, but I didn't realize that fluent aphasia is pretty rare in comparison to nonfluent aphasia. I found about a half dozen nonfluent sites to observe at quickly, but it took me much longer to pin down a fluent one. Again, fingers crossed that the weather is nice this Thursday! 

Anyway, back to the group project/presentation on conduction aphasia - we have to come up with a brochure/handout on our specific aphasia that would be useful to educate a specific group (healthcare professionals, family members, caregivers, etc.) that includes communication strategies, treatment plan, and activities. We then have to present to our class in a mock educational session that also involves answering the questions of our target population. Even though I am still not comfortable presenting in front of my classmates, I am excited to work on this project.  

So, as if I wasn't busy enough this spring break, I also picked up two shifts at work. Spring break at the Children's Institute is an optional week and I am poor, so off to work I go on Monday and Tuesday this week. 

I'm glad I lazed about these past couple of days, but it's been hard to resist diving in and tackling all of the above. Today is go day and I'm not stopping much until the 13th... I do have to say that though I am much busier this semester, I am loving all that I am learning and I'm glad to be an slp2b. :)

   

Full Speed Ahead!!

February has been BUSY so far and it doesn't look like it will slow down for a long while yet. Just had my first exam in aphasia and though it was a bit challenging, I think (I hope!!) I rocked it. Will find out for sure on Tuesday. This is definitely my favorite class this semester and I'm learning a lot. I'll have another exam in aphasia at the end of this month... only 2 weeks of lecture on that one!   

Next up is my clinical readiness test (CRT) on Monday, which is a test I need to pass with an 85% or above in order to take clinic this summer. It's offered twice, so if I don't pass it the first time I have a chance to re-take it again next month. Here's to hoping I pass it the first time! I've been studying for it over the past couple of days and have been neglecting studying for my 1st audiometrics exam which is the day after I take the CRT. I will be power cramming for that exam after I take the CRT... can I do it?! I can dooo it! Also this month in audiometrics, I will get to bring in J and practice a hearing screening on him as well as immitance testing and an otoscopic exam. He will be my first hearing screen "victim"!   

Also working on my first diagnostic over the next couple of weeks. I'm in a group of two other students and we have to come up with a diagnostic plan and carry it out under the supervision of a faculty member. I'm really excited about this as well as nervous. This will be my first real hands-on experience! We have to come up with a diagnostic plan by this Weds., meet with our faculty supervisor on Friday to go over our plan, and will be assessing our client on the 22nd of this month. It will be interesting to see how it will all go especially since there will be three of us participating in addition to the client.  

I'm still working on setting up observations for both my aphasia class and my diagnostics class, though I think I have a location set for aphasia at U of M... I just have to confirm it at the end of the month. I'm planning on setting up my observations for my spring break because between work and school, spring break will be the only time I will have to schedule things! May try to squeeze in some shadowing one day over spring break at the Ann Arbor VA if the SLP is willing to let me. Gotta schedule the observations for my classes first before scheduling a shadow time. 

I'm hoping that by the time I come back from spring break that I can start volunteering with the SLP at the Autism Collaborative Center on campus. I turned in my paperwork last week, but since they just hired the SLP, she will need some time to "settle in" before taking on a volunteer. Maybe things will be a bit more settled down for me as well. Either way, I am looking forward to volunteering and learning while doing so. 

So yeah, pretty busy at the moment and not looking like it will slow down much until... I don't know when! Until then, full speed ahead. :)   

On the Path to Awesome!

You've just been pepped-talked. :)

SLP and the Great Aphasia Search

I'm taking aphasia this semester and it has captured my attention completely. One of our class assignments is to complete an observation of either a treatment session (individual or group) or attend a meeting of an aphasia support group. I love that we have to do this and have begun the process of tracking down SLPs in my general vicinity who work with clients who have aphasia. A great resource I'm starting off with is Find a Professional with ASHA's ProSearch. I've already sent off about 6 emails today and I've heard back from 4 SLPs, though no sites secured as of yet... just one possibility (no patients with aphasia on her caseload atm but keeping my contact info and will let me know if that changes) and a lead from an SLP to a site that she observed at when she took this class (Emich alum!). I still have a bit of time and I can expand my search area, but I'm off to a good start!

Questions About USU?

This is just a side note on USU and their online post-bacc in comm dis and deaf education... if you happen to stumble upon this blog while doing a search on USU and you are looking into attending their program, feel free to contact me in the comments section with questions or info about the program.  All comments are moderated before they are posted and can be kept anonymous.  If you'd like me to contact you directly, just leave your email address and your questions/comments and I will email you within a couple of days (I will not publish your posting if it has an email to protect your privacy.).  :)

Related post by @SLP_Echo: The SLP Post-baccalaureate Plunge. She has compiled a list of other post-bacc programs, so there are more options to explore besides USU!

First Week - Finished!

It's Tuesday night and I am finished for classes for the week.  Yep, you read that right... I have one class on Mondays, three classes on Tuesday and then I am finished for the week.  Good thing though, is that almost all of my classes have a few outside of class components besides homework and studying for exams.

For my diagnostics class, we are being broken up into pairs and will be matched with a faculty member to perform a diagnostic in our university clinic.  We also have to set up an observation with a local SLP to observe (or participate in - if the SLP is comfortable with that) a speech and language evaluation of either a child or an adult.  For our aphasia class, we have to set up an observation of a treatment session (either individual or group) or attend a meeting of an aphasia support group.  Then for our audiometric disorders class, we are putting together a hearing conservation project, then going out into the community to a class (1st grade classroom or a middle school classroom, etc.) teach them about the anatomy and physiology of the ear, the loudness scale, hair cells damage, and hearing conservation.

There are also a lot more presentations this semester in comparison to last semester... I definitely need practice with public speaking so I am glad we will have many opportunities to do so.  My goal is to not use note cards at all since I tend to over-rely on them.  This semester I'm also going to set up some volunteer hours with the SLP at the Autism Collaborative Center on campus.  It's definitely going to be much busier this semester compared to last!

Overall I am really excited about this semester.  I love that we will go out into the community to observe and to teach.  Going off of first impressions of first days in classes, my favorite so far is diagnostics and aphasia as a close second!
     
Oh! Another cool thing about today - I met someone who also did the Utah State University online post bachelor's in communicative disorders and deaf education!  We overlapped by three semesters so we probably had a class or two together but didn't know each other then.  She's in two of my classes this semester and happened to mention that she attended USU online.  I've only "met" my former classmates online and not in person, so it was great to finally meet someone IRL.  Definitely made my day!