This roundtable is part of an ongoing podcast series about the Speech-Language Pathology program at Salus University.
Thanks for joining us for our podcast series, talking to students about graduate school. Join Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, the chair and program director of the department of Speech-Language Pathology at Salus University as he speaks with our newest students on campus, the class of 2022. Learn more about the program as representatives talk about how they transitioned from their undergraduate programs to a graduate program, and specifically how they're making out at Salus's program.
To start us off, the students introduced themselves and stated their undergraduate program and what they looked forward to doing in the field of speech pathology:
Courtney Bernhardt
Hi, I'm Courtney. I went to Temple University for undergrad. And going into grad school, I was really interested in working with the adult population, specifically with brain injuries, but now after working with a child client, I'm kind of at a standstill. I don't know what I want to do anymore, but that's okay because I am figuring it out.
Alyssa Boemer
Hi everyone, I'm Alyssa. I went to West Chester University for my undergrad. Just like Courtney, I kind of came into grad school not really knowing which way I wanted to go, but after working with adults this semester, I have become more interested in working with adults and neurological disorders.
Courtney Johnson
Hi. I also went to West Chester University. I came into Salus wanting to work just with kids. I didn't really have a big interest with adults, but now that I've interacted with clients, I'm actually really interested in working with adults who have fluency disorders.
Grace Granahan
Hi everyone, I'm Grace Granahan. I went to Temple University for undergrad as well. When I started at Salus, I was interested in working with children with complex communication needs who use AAC. And then after working with adult clients in the clinic at Salus, I'm now interested in working with adults with AAC as well.
Jessica McMullen
I also went to West Chester University before coming to Salus. I am primarily interested in working in a hospital and clinical setting. That hasn't really changed. I came in really wanting to work with only adults, but now I'm really just interested in working with any age, specifying in neurological disorders and voice and swallowing disorders.
Adva Zafrani
Hi, I'm Adva Zafrani. I went to Queens College in New York. I started off graduate school being interested in adults, and primarily a hospital setting specifically with brain injuries. And it hasn't really changed. I worked with adults now in my clinical, so I love it. And I think that's still what I want to do.
Bob Serianni
Thanks all for sharing. I want you all to know that it isn't our job to change your minds necessarily. My practice area is adults in healthcare, and I promise the ones I meet that want to work with pediatrics that I'm not necessarily interested in changing their mind, but want to make sure that you really get a diverse experience so that you can either reinforce those premonitions you had before you started graduate school, or open the doors to different experiences that go, "Gosh, I didn't even know I could do that." Or maybe you're really interested in a hospital setting, but then you get to do a little bit in rehab and you think, "Oh, maybe that's the slice of the pie that I really want to try."
I'm just interested, and I'm sure that our listeners are interested, in understanding why you chose Salus's program. So if we could hear from each of you again, maybe narrow it down to one of the major reasons why you picked Salus. How about we give CJ a shot this time to start off?
Courtney Johnson
So the main reason that I ended up deciding to choose Salus was because of the clinical experience you get right away. I researched it and I was hearing from upperclassmen that I actually got to talk to that you start off right away in the clinic, and it gives you such a great experience. And that's kind of what sold me.
Bob Serianni
Is it as frightening as you thought it would be?
Courtney Johnson
No, definitely not. But like the first few days, just before, I definitely was having mini panic attacks about it. But it's great. I love it now and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Alyssa Boemer
I love the immediate clinical experience. And same thing, I was horrified at first, but once you're actually in the clinic and are doing it, it just comes naturally. So that was the one thing I really liked about Salus.
Adva Zafrani
So right away when I started the application process and when we got to interviews, I was able to compare among other graduate schools and Salus. I felt Salus's interview was so warm and so friendly. They weren't trying to be scary, weren't trying to be intimidating. I really felt a warmth that they just want to help you be a good clinician, but definitely felt that they were here for us.
Bob Serianni
Do you remember who you interviewed with?
Adva Zafrani
Yes, Beth Davidoff. She was wonderful.
Grace Granahan
I actually had one of the same main reasons. When I interviewed at Salus, I was really pleasantly surprised by the kindness and the collaboration within the faculty. All of them are always there to help you learn and grow, which I think is a really important quality to have in a supervisor. Like Adva said too, I was comparing it to other schools and it was... at Salus it's more, we work together and we're all clinicians together. And I really loved that about it.
Courtney Bernhardt
What initially drove me to Salus was how they took a holistic approach to choosing their students. It wasn't just a GRE score and your GPA, it was more of everything that made you, you. And I think that's really important when choosing a program. And I also like how Salus is a smaller campus than the other universities. It's just a graduate program. Unlike other universities they have undergrad programs as well. That's something that really made me want to come to Salus.
Bob Serianni
I don't know if you've heard, but we've changed our admissions process a little bit differently and we've actually eliminated the GRE requirement from the admissions. Does that make you happy or not?
Courtney Johnson
No way.
Alyssa Boemer
That makes me angry.
Bob Serianni
You missed it, you missed it.
Jessica McMullen
Always how it is.
Bob Serianni
We really do take that holistic approach to interviewing and meeting with our potential students really, and looking at who they are on paper and then face-to-face in the interview. And we felt like, from previous classes, that the GRE seemed to be the hangup, not just for the students, but for us also. Was that really reflective of the kind of student that we wanted to see in our program? So maybe it comes back in later cycles, but we're going to give it a shot this cycle. So tell a friend if they're interested. And I think last but not least, we have Jessica.
Jessica McMullen
Salus again, pretty much to kind of reiterate what's been being said, really wowed me with their interview process. I really loved my virtual interviews as well. And I really enjoyed the ability to jump right into the clinic and practice that way while you're also given all of these resources to kind of see what you might want to specialize in as an SLP. They actually jumped up to number one on my list after the interview.
Bob Serianni
Great. Thanks so much for that feedback. I think that students that might be listening to our podcast really want to know, what was it like to transition from an undergraduate program, especially for you all who sort of left your undergraduate programs maybe in an online environment in the outbreak of the pandemic, but then you showed up in graduate school. What has been, maybe a few of you can chime in, what has been one of the best aspects from that transition from undergraduate to graduate school?
Adva Zafrani
Well, I think that undergrad is very competitive because you're all trying to get into graduate school and you're all kind of working really hard on your GRE, that thank God now Salus does doesn't require, which is incredible. I wish I was applying from last year. For this coming year, sorry. But I feel like with Salus, one of the first things you guys told us in orientation is, "We're not trying to weed you out. We're rooting for you. We want every single person to get to the finish line." And you guys really encouraged us to help each other. And it's not a competitive feeling, it's not a competitive environment. So I'm really happy that me and my friends can support each other instead of feeling like we're butting against each other to get to the end.
Grace Granahan
I think it still rings with like the same theme about how the faculty at Salus really just demonstrates that they're always there to support you and encourage you. They just want you to become an effective and a knowledgeable speech-language pathologist. So they're always just collaborating with you and treating you as a professional, and they really want the best for you. And they show that just in the way that they support you.
Courtney Johnson
Going from undergraduate to graduate school, you kind of feel a lot more encouragement and appreciation for all of your hard work. And Salus does an incredible job of reminding us that what we're doing is important work and what we're working for really actually matters. And I think that's one of the biggest differences for me is being constantly recognized for continuing to do all this hard work. And especially given all the circumstances that we're doing graduate school under, which is really great. You just kind of feel a sense of assurance in what you're doing is good and it will positively impact your life and other people's lives. So I think that was one of the best aspects coming into graduate school, especially here at Salus.
Bob Serianni
Wow. So I kind of get the impression that graduate school has been a walk in the park. It's so easy for you all.
Courtney Johnson
Oh, we didn't say that.
Bob Serianni
Maybe I'm confused. So I'm wondering if a few of you can share some of the more difficult aspects or something that's really surprised you in the transition as you've gotten going in graduate school.
Grace Granahan
Yeah, I can start off with that one. So I was really surprised at how having the early clinical exposure will quickly push you and really challenge you to develop your clinical skills right from the start of graduate school. Once you began creating those treatment plans for your clients, doing the research, and actively putting your skills into practice, it's really amazing how much it helps solidify and grow on your academic knowledge.
Alyssa Boemer
It definitely makes you push yourself makes you feel more comfortable with the clinical experience.
Jessica McMullen
The clinical experience really surprised me as well, with planning out your academics as well as doing your clinical plans. I thought I was an over-planner in undergrad, and it actually ended up being really beneficial to the balance of the workload, which it is manageable, but it's definitely more than undergrad as they do say, but it's totally worth it because coming out of clinic, for me at least, the first few times was really exhilarating. And I just felt like I was really in the right place. It was very heartwarming, I guess. Exciting.
Bob Serianni
Great, thank you. So I really appreciate your insights. I know that the struggle has been real for students that have joined our program this year. It hasn't been under ideal circumstances, but you all have done such an amazing job. We are really impressed with the way that you can take the classroom or the didactic work and balance it with the clinical work, whether our clients are face-to-face or online. I know that we've asked you to sort of jump through a lot of hoops, run the gauntlet, as they say.
And it's been really interesting watching you all sort of like stick your little toe in the water and then maybe a couple more toes in, and then your whole foot. And getting used to the pace and the requirements of being on time in clinic and getting all your coursework in, plus all the things that are going on in our world. I'm surprised every day that you all are doing as well as you are doing.
I want to leave our listeners this evening with some thoughts and suggestions from you all about what do you think you could tell them as a hint or a suggestion when they're applying to our program, or really any program. So maybe you could share your perspective with us about what's going to be the one thing you want them to take home as they go through their application processes. Grace, how about you start us off.
Grace Granahan
I would definitely say just try to maximize your strengths and your areas of interest in the field. Volunteer, observe in a setting other than the population that you're normally comfortable with. And always keep an open mind about working with different populations. Research our program beforehand, because we have a lot of supervisors with very diverse backgrounds and we offer many different support groups that cover a lot of different topic areas. So do your research and figure out what supervisors and what groups would best fit your interests because there's something out there for everyone.
Courtney Bernhardt
I would definitely say, do your research. Don't just apply to programs to apply. CSDCAS can get expensive when applying. So do your research. Although all the programs you apply to are SLP programs, they're going to be really different from each other. So thinking about what's important to you, whether that's location, size of school, if you start clinic right away, just doing your research. Take a look at the faculty and their backgrounds because these are going to be your mentors. So really just look into the programs you're applying to and see what's important to you, because if you're not going to go to the program you get accepted to, you're not going to be happy if you just choose one that you applied to.
Adva Zafrani
I think it's really important to think about what you want out of graduate school. So what is your goal? Salus offers small classes, so you really do get that one-on-one attention, you really do get a mentor that has time for you. So that's really important. And you have to think about how you study, how you work. Do you work in a setting where you need that one-on-one attention? Do you work in a setting where you need a bigger class? So just like Courtney was saying, doing your research, ask the schools a lot of questions. No questions are stupid, so feel comfortable. And I definitely felt comfortable asking Salus every question I had on my mind. And I called probably a hundred times.
Jessica McMullen
I completely agree. I think that the importance of mentors is actually greater than you might originally think in the application process. Like, you are going to be with these people for the entirety of your graduate education and they have a really important role. So going somewhere that they're going to be encouraging you and reminding you that you're here for a reason is something that I found really important. And just try not to form your opinion before you walk in the door for that tour, the interview, because you might be pleasantly surprised.
Alyssa Boemer
Definitely keep an open mind when applying. There were many different schools that I had applied to that kind of focused more on the pediatric side. And then here I come to Salus and my intentions have changed to more the adult realm. So definitely just have an open mind and definitely look into universities that have clinical experience at an early stage because that's definitely been a huge help.
Courtney Johnson
I would just say, take advantage of all the opportunities that these programs are offering you. I know with Salus I was getting emails like endlessly, have opportunities to talk with the faculty and just show you more of what the program has to offer. And I know these seem just like silly sponsoring emails, but really look into them because you get to find out a lot more about the programs individually and what they can offer you. And like everyone else was saying, if you do your research, you'll ultimately find the program that's going to benefit you the most, because you're going to graduate school for yourself because you want to pursue a career in this profession. So you should know the background of it. And I think that's what helped me ultimately in deciding to choose Salus. So, keep an open mind also because you never know where you might end up.
Bob Serianni
Well, we're sure glad you all end up with us. I really appreciate your time talking with me and sharing your insights. I think it's really important for prospective students to hear from you all because you're living it and they could really learn to follow your examples. I have to say, the class of 2022 is raising the bar. So the class of 2023 and beyond is really going to have to work hard to impress us because, man, you guys are doing a great job.
