Join Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, the chair and program director of the department of Speech-Language Pathology at Salus University, as he moderates a podcast that focuses on the services provided at the Speech-Language Institute. He is joined by an SLI client, a student working with that client and the supervisor overseeing the care of the client.
Vannie Culmer:
Hi everyone, my name is Vannie Culmer. I've been coming to the Speech-Language Institute for four or five years, and it has helped me immensely. I am more aware of my speech when it's going the right way or when I'm nervous, like I am now, that it's going the wrong way. But it's very, very helpful. And it is a motivation for me to do what I need to do to maintain a certain level.
Bob Serianni:
That's so great to hear. Vannie, we know we appreciate you coming to the clinic because you are one of our founding members of the clinic. And tell our audience what it's like to work with the students at Salus?
Vannie Culmer:
It's been very uplifting to work with the students. They have been very cheerful, very helpful and optimistic. And it gives me more enthusiasm about doing what I need to do. And Allie has been great as well.
Bob Serianni:
She absolutely is terrific. If you can tell our listeners a little bit about your history, because I think it's even more important to know why you like working with students. What was your profession?
Vannie Culmer:
I was a kindergarten teacher for 43 years and I was also an assistant principal. That I didn't like. I liked working with the children, the little children. I've been retired for about 15 years.
Bob Serianni:
I know that our students like to work with you because you describe your voice when you get louder as your teacher voice. And I think that that's a really great example of the power of some of the therapy services that you've received at the SLI. Do you have anything else you want to tell us today?
Vannie Culmer:
I just appreciate the Institute and I'm happy that I had a chance to participate. You've helped me a lot, and I enjoyed working with the students. It reminds me of when I had student teachers in my classroom. So it's been rewarding.
Allie Finkelstein:
Vannie, you've also had both individual treatment and group treatment. Do you want to say anything about the group?
Vannie Culmer:
I enjoyed the group sessions and it gives me something to compare myself to other people in the group to see if I'm making progress and or how I'm doing. And I've had Parkinson's for a while, for about 15 years.
Bob Serianni:
I know that we think that you're doing fantastic. Like most of the patients we work with, sometimes the patient is their own worst critic. But we really do appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today and all the time that you give us in the Speech-Language Institute. And your lucky student, Sarah, gets to work with you. Sarah, go ahead and introduce yourself.
Sarah McFadden:
Hi, my name is Sarah. I'm a first-year student in the class of 2022 Speech-Language Pathology program here at Salus. I'm originally from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. It's a small town outside of Philly, West Philly, right in the heart of Delco. I graduated in 2018 from Westchester University with my bachelor's degree in communication, sciences and disorders. I also have a minor in autism and Spanish. And then I actually took two years off before starting Salus. My two years off, I worked at a school and I really got to learn and had some hands-on experience.
Salus really kind of jumped out at me for, I think, the early clinical exposure and the hands-on learning opportunities. I really am someone that learns best from doing things hands-on. So, I think that for me was the biggest selling point for Salus, knowing that I would get that exposure right away. And they are one of the few programs that offer it.
Bob Serianni:
What do you learn by working with the patients? And how has the supervisor sort of enhanced your experience at the SLI?
Sarah McFadden:
It’s my second semester, so I've gotten to work with diverse populations. I've worked with younger kids, older populations, and it's really been great. The patients are amazing. I mean, you guys just met Vannie and you saw for yourself. That whole experience in itself is rewarding. And every session I'm continuously learning from both Vannie and Allie and all the clinical educators.
Bob Serianni:
Thanks so much, Sarah.
Now, I'm going to move over to Allie. I think we've done a couple of these before, but introduce yourself to our listeners.
Allie Finkelstein:
I'm Allie Finkelstein, I'm a clinical educator in the Speech-Language Institute and I've been there since its inception in 2015. My background is adult neurogenics and I have a background in medical, in the medical field in hospitals, acute care and rehab. But I've been at the Speech-Language Institute for the last almost six years. It's just been so rewarding to see the students and to see patients through the students’ eyes as well. I continue to learn every time I'm there. The students love being in the clinic and they've actually adapted really well to telepractice. So they usually have one of each type of client. It's really just been, I think, so rewarding for both the students and the clinical educators.
Bob Serianni:
I'm going to ask you to put your practitioner hat on, and maybe not so much your supervisory hat. As a practitioner, tell us your impressions on what that early clinical exposure does for our students when they come out to the field as externship students, as well as new practitioners?
Allie Finkelstein:
The incoming students are immediately put into the clinic. They're immediately thrown to the wolves as we say, but they really benefit from that. And I think what happens is by the end of the first semester, they are so comfortable, so able to work with a variety of populations even though they get a lot of support from the clinical educators. And I always like to tell my students, I'm there to support you, but I won't be your hammock. They can ask me anything or ask me to demonstrate; I'm always there for them, but they need to really step up and take on the challenge. Having worked in many hospitals and rehab settings and only have, at that time had only worked with second-year students who have done externships, the ones that have worked in a clinic first are so much more prepared in their externship. I think that is probably what makes Salus shine, just because we prepare the students for that externship.
Bob Serianni:
We do have some really extraordinary patients, students and supervisors that get to work for our program.
I don't want Vannie to miss the fact that Allie called you a wolf.
Allie Finkelstein:
Throw them to the wolves, right. She wouldn't mind. She takes it on. The special thing also about Miss Vannie is that she has seen so many different types of students and different approaches to therapy for her, for her Parkinson's. She always just is so compliant and pleasant and smiles through it. I think she has gained a lot from the Institute, but we've gained much more from her. So, we really appreciate that, Vannie.
Vannie also had the opportunity to talk with all types of students about Parkinson's. She did like a little lecture series in the clinic. She also went to a preschool and read to the preschoolers there so that she could practice her speaking skills. We try to give good opportunities for our clients as well.
Bob Serianni:
I think clients like Vannie are a real treasure and it's a pleasure to work with her - all of our clients, really. Because we know not only are they getting quality speech pathology care, but they're really giving back to our students and letting our students learn their craft.
