Seeking advice from a current applicant, prospective, or someone in SLP program

[EyEnStein 07]

Hello All,

Hopefully im posting in the correct place because i do see some SLP info on the Aud forum.

A very close friend of mine is interested in Speech Language Pathology. Im seeking some advice/ information that i can provide her with.
She is currently a freshman and has a 3.7 GPA. Major is undeclared. Her school has a SLP program for undergrads, hat provides a pathway for students interested in SLP. However the program requires that the student be a lingusitics major (i think with a communication science concentration), which is something she does not want to major in. The reason is because she feels if she doesnt get acceptance to an SLP program, that she will have no use for that type of degree...and also the program is one of the hardest to get accepted to internally, at her college.

She is thinking about a math major and perhaps a few others in mind however, can she still major and math (for example) and apply to an SLP program? Her advisor told her she can only take i think its 4 intro courses for the communication sciences, anything after that she needs to declare a major. She already tried to approach the minor but her school does not allow that.

So far ive been helping her look around for programs (NYC area), and we have found quite a few.

I know that you need over a 3.0, 3.5 to be competitive, and GRE scores that are preferably over 1000. Is there anything else? Will it be harder for her to get into one of these programs if she is not the lingusitics major?

Also is an "SLP" the final degree required? I doubt she wants to do a PhD, so are most speech pathologists who have jobs and are titled speech pathologists holding SLP masters? or do they have to have PhD's?

Is there any other info required that i should pass on to her? How difficult is it to keep up in SLP masters program? Also how competitive is it to gain acceptance?

Lastly, are there differences between SLP's? For example Long Island University's, SLP program shows certain type of courses needed (50+ credits i believe, with regular clinicals + courses), whereas NY Medical College, shows more of a "medical approach."


Thanks for any input!

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[RemiJP]

Your friend does not need to major in SLP, many students in graduate SLP programs come from other majors and other careers. Though, some schools are friendlier to students with non-SLP backgrounds than others (MGH Institute and Emerson College are two I'm familiar with, whereas my current program UW-Madison does not have any students currently who did not complete the prereq classes ahead of time). The reason some schools favor one taking the prereq classes is that these classes often involve observing at least 20 hours of therapy, which is a requirement in all programs before logging actual direct client contact hours (we need 400 by the end of grad school).

The SLP Master's degree is all that is needed, though those who are interested research/teaching may choose to go for a PhD. Following completion of a Master's, we have to do a 9 month Clinical Fellowship, consisting of full-time work under close supervision of a licensed SLP. There are some slight differences in programs - though NY Medical is one of the few out there that allow students to focus on med speech pathology.

I'm in my first year of an MS/PhD program now. It's hard, but not impossible. It's certainly a big change from undergrad to be taking classes and seeing clients at the same time. Some programs are more competitive than others. Generally, 1st year grad class sizes range from 25-55 and programs typically receive hundreds of applications.

I would encourage your friend to read as much as she can about the field and to become a member of the National Student Speech, Language, & Hearing Association (NSSLHA). It costs about $60 a year and she can sign up online at www.asha.org. By being a NSSLHA member, she will receive academic journals in the mail and have access to all the speech, language, and hearing journals in full-text online. She should also shadow SLPs working in a variety of settings so she can be sure that this is what she wants to do!

 

[soxfan87]

No, she absolutely doesn't have to be a SLP major. I'm a bio major who applied this year with no prereqs completed and I've had no trouble getting accepted to MA programs. Emerson and MGH condense the prereqs into the summer before matriculation for students from other backgrounds. My other program does not and it's going to add a year, but it shouldn't be a problem. Tell your friend to major in whatever she wants.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

Thank you both for replys.

I assume when you say "MA" and "MS/PHD" you are talking about an MA or MS in Speech Pathology? Am i correct?

I will let her know the details, she seems fairly interested but is not that strong in the sciences. Also she is still early in her undergrad career so she is still browsing options for an actual major.

I advised her before posting however, to shadow some speech pathologists . Would the process to finding a Speech Pathologist to shadow be the same as finding a physician or an optometrist to shadow? Just call up places showing interest?

Also she wants to stay in the NY area, so i was trying to help her with schools in NYC specifically that have this program, which consist of maybe 2-4 schools. I found it a bit confusing that NYMC has a focus on med speech because i didnt see that in other description of programs at other schools.

 

[RemiJP]

Thank you both for replys.

I assume when you say "MA" and "MS/PHD" you are talking about an MA or MS in Speech Pathology? Am i correct?

I will let her know the details, she seems fairly interested but is not that strong in the sciences. Also she is still early in her undergrad career so she is still browsing options for an actual major.

I advised her before posting however, to shadow some speech pathologists . Would the process to finding a Speech Pathologist to shadow be the same as finding a physician or an optometrist to shadow? Just call up places showing interest?

Also she wants to stay in the NY area, so i was trying to help her with schools in NYC specifically that have this program, which consist of maybe 2-4 schools. I found it a bit confusing that NYMC has a focus on med speech because i didnt see that in other description of programs at other schools.

MS and MA in speech pathology are equivalent, they only vary in name, usually depending on which school the SLP department is housed in. A super-strong science background is not really necessary. A typical SLP student could be described as a "people person" who is interested in helping others overcome the challenge of disabilities. We pride ourselves on being strong communicators (both written and oral). SLP coursework does involve a bit of science though, A+P, embryology, physics (for understanding acoustics and speech production).

An MS/PhD track in SLP is different. Typically, MS/PhD students in the field take all the course work and clinical work for the Master's degree in 2 years and then go straight into doctoral studies for 3-4 years. MS/PhD students usually do research in a lab and complete a Master's Thesis in preparation for their doctoral work.

Yes, shadowing an SLP is the same as shadowing any other professional. I recommend that she shadow SLPs working in as many different settings as possible (school, hospital, early intervention, skilled nursing, private practice) in order to best understand the scope of the profession.

While I understand that there aren't many schools right in the NYC area, most people apply to 6-10 schools, so she may want to broaden her search if she wants to improve her chances of being admitted the first time around.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

Thanks, have any of you done EC's that relate to SLP? or was it just shadowing and fulfilling the pre-reqs?

Any opportunities available for undergrads at any hospitals or companies?

 

[RemiJP]

Thanks, have any of you done EC's that relate to SLP? or was it just shadowing and fulfilling the pre-reqs?

Any opportunities available for undergrads at any hospitals or companies?

I was a member of my school's chapter of NSSLHA (most schools with an SLP department have one) and the Communication Disorders Journal Club in undergrad. Sign language clubs, Best Buddies, and Big Brother/Big Sister are also popular clubs among SLP students. There are lots of part-time jobs out there and basically anything that involves health care or education is looked highly upon, with "bonus points" for working with people with communication disorders. Some examples would be clerical/receptionist work in a clinic or nonprofit, newborn hearing screening, assisting on a research project (at a university or hospital), nannying, tutoring, or respite care for adults and kids with disabilities.

 

[soxfan87]

Thanks, have any of you done EC's that relate to SLP? or was it just shadowing and fulfilling the pre-reqs?

Any opportunities available for undergrads at any hospitals or companies?

I shadowed an SLP at a nursing home I was already volunteering at, but it kind of fell into my lap. I'd been there for 2 summers and the volunteer coordinator asked what I was going to be doing after I graduated. When I told her I was thinking about SLP, she set me up to follow the staff speech therapist around. It was a great experience and allowed me to put something more solid into my personal statement as someone coming from a non-SLP major. I'd definitely recommend trying that.

 

[passguy]

really useful platform..........helpful discussion