Jump to content

ell012

Members
  • Posts

    17
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Application Season
    2015 Fall

Recent Profile Visitors

1,511 profile views

ell012's Achievements

Decaf

Decaf (2/10)

4

Reputation

  1. Your response was very helpful for me on the ‘CFY’ thread! I am currently interning at my school site, begin interning at my medical site in February (which is the setting I actually want to work in), and then I graduate in May. 

     

    I wanted to know (1) when should I start applying for CFY positions, and (2) what are some other questions that you think is important/ wished you had asked during your CFY internship? The questions you posted on the thread were awesome and I want to pick your brain!! I don’t want to feel like I’m stuck at a CF that I hate, or that the CF isn’t a good fit for me because I didn’t ask the right questions! (I’ll be interning at a hospital, and I’d love to work in a hospital as a long-term goal, but I think I want to work in a SNF after a few years for the income!) Any info would be appreciated!

  2. I am an inpatient rehab SLP at a hospital- I completed my CF at a hospital, I also have friends who did their CFs in SNF setting. It’s true that it is more difficult to move from school to medical but it is not impossible. The things I’ve found are most helpful are 1) getting experience in medical during grad school via your externships/rotation 2)making a good impression with your supervisor during that rotation 3)being an independent learner and 4)being willing to work a terrible schedule and constantly filling in and being helpful. During my CF I worked a horrible schedule - I was only part time but was constantly reaching out and seeing if I could help, sometimes I worked 2 weeks straight, I worked every holiday, every weekend. It was a pretty difficult year but eventually I landed a full time job in the hospital. You are more likely to find a FT SNF placement as a CF with no experience- with SNFs just keep in mind that there are good ones and bad ones. Tour the facility before you take a job- does it look and smell clean? Questions to ask during your interview would be re your CF supervisor (how present are they at the facility, have they supervised before, are they ok with you texting them with questions, are they close by if you needed hands on help), also ask about productivity (anything greater than 85% is going to be incredibly difficult), I would also ask about PRN coverage for your vacation days and sick days. Ask about responsiveness by admin if you were to recommend an MBSS, ask if the pt has to go to a hospital for that or if you have mobile MBSS/FEES that can help. As far as moving for your CF- the tough part about moving is the lack of connections. I’m still in the state where I went to grad school mostly just because my connections allowed me to get a hospital CF and eventually a FT hospital job- I’d like to move when I have good experience under my belt that makes me more marketable to other hospitals. Keep in mind that if you want something bad enough and are willing to work for it, you can make it happen. It became clear to me during grad school that a school setting would not be enjoyable for me so I hustled like crazy to get where I am and now I love my job. Best of luck during your CF search!
  3. I was a GA and it helped me tremendously- at my school, GAs got a substantial discount on tuition as well as a paycheck. The time commitment was sometimes difficult- we had to do about 12 hours a week, so sometimes I had to go in on the weekend if things had been too crazy during the week. It wasn't impossible, though. It also exposed me to working in a lab and what goes into research "behind the scenes." I'm super grateful that I managed to obtain a GA position.
  4. Cost is a big consideration but also think about where you ultimately want to begin your career and your CFY. You will be making connections in the area during your grad school career, and sometimes an internship during the program can lead to a CFY offer. Also consider if the program will give you the experience you want (i.e. a medical internship, if you ultimately want to work in a hospital)
  5. I'm in Utah and the school SLP starting pay is pitiful (like around 40k to start), but I think it's probably up there as worst in the nation. They are constantly hiring school SLPs here (gee I wonder why?). Caseload here is also bad but it depends on the district you work in. Also no state support for a caseload max, so you have to be super vocal/sticky wheel if they stick you with a high caseload.
  6. I attended the program at the U- I'm from out of state and not LDS. I'd say my cohort was mostly from Utah but there were a good portion of us that came from out of state. Most of my cohort is Mormon, but for the most part this was a non issue and no one made you feel uncomfortable if you weren't Mormon. I will say the non-Mormons in my cohort grew close, because at times it can feel challenging to live in Utah and be in the minority. SLC is half and half, but the all the politicians here are LDS and as a result the state is conservative. There are some ridiculous laws and there is a perception about Utah -most of my friends from out of state wondered why on earth I applied to go to the U, because the perception is that Utah is a weird and backwards place. The program will keep you very busy but there is plenty to do in Utah, especially if you enjoy the outdoors. There is fabulous hiking very close to the U, and there are fun bars in downtown SLC, and of course skiing. I can't speak to much else just because I didn't get out much while I was in the program, but there were plenty of people in my cohort who had booming social lives, I'm just an introvert/homebody. The inversion is gross but it doesn't last all winter long- just if it's really cold and there's very little moisture to clear it out. Not sure if you have specific questions about the program but I'll share my experience. You don't have your own clients until the spring semester but you have a 2nd year who is your mentor the first semester and you work with their client. If you are really, really dying to have your own client the first semester, just lobby with your supervisor and it could possibly happen. There were some people in my cohort who had their own clients the first semester. The cohorts at the U are big, there were 40+ in mine, but don't let that discourage you. I liked and got along with just about everyone in my cohort and you get plenty of opportunities to collaborate and get to know each other better. The supervisors are for the most part good- some of them are a bit more strict than others as far as SOAP notes and lesson planning/documentation. Anyways, hope that helped and I'm happy to answer any other questions about the U! I remember when I was applying and I couldn't find any first-hand accounts or advice and it drove me crazy!!
  7. I am currently at the U. I'm also out of state, so here's what I know about residency: -you have to have 40 grad credit hours before you can get in state tuition, but your core classes won't get you there before the spring of your second year. So the earliest you can get in state tuition is by spring of your second year, unless you take extra classes prior to that (they must be grad level, no undergrad). Another option is doing an independent study for one of the research professors. We get in state tuition for the summer, so if you take extra classes/independent study and take the steps to establish residency (get your license, etc.), you'll only have to pay out of state tuition for two semesters. It's a drag taking extra classes but there are students in my cohort who are doing it and as far as I know they aren't having nervous breakdowns or anything. -another option is getting a research assistant position with a professor or the department, there are several students in my cohort who are doing this. That means they pay in state tuition and their tuition is also cut by like half. You have to lobby for this early! They don't really advertise the positions. It helps if you are thinking of doing a thesis in a particular professor's area of interest, but it isn't necessary. So that's what I know! I know it's expensive but I am so happy I chose to come here instead of the cheaper options that were available to me.
  8. GRE says the turn around for getting scores to schools is 10-15 days. You might be cutting it kind of close with a late November test date, especially if you are using CSDCAS. They can take a looooong time to process any documentation they receive. If any of your schools are using CSDCAS, be sure to check about how their deadlines work. Some schools just want you to have your documents to CSDCAS by a certain date, others want your documents to have been verified by CSDCAS by a certain date (and the verification process can also take a long time, and even longer if they find any mistakes on your app that you need to correct). That was my experience anyways.
  9. Just have to thank you again, Magpie J! Mine arrived today and it is a really wonderful review. The content is well organized, it's easy to understand. I had been planning to just peruse my old school books before the semester starts but I could see how that would get really overwhelming really quickly. If anyone is on the fence about this book, take the plunge!
  10. Thanks for the tip! I finished my leveling courses a year ago and have been working on other prereqs ever since, so I've been really nervous about how behind I will feel in August. I ordered this yesterday and am really excited for it to come in so I can start reviewing
  11. Thanks for the advice! It was a tough decision, considering the out of state tuition, but I've accepted the spot at Utah! I think the school has such great stuff going on it was too good to pass up- I really feel like we'll be well rounded clinicians by the time it's all said and done. A cursory glance on FB didn't show a group for the 2015-17 cohort so if I don't find one here soon I'll start one up and post the link to the FB thread. Congrats everyone- can't wait to meet you in August!
  12. For the those of you who accepted- any particular reason why you chose Utah? I'm desperately looking for any info or advice as I'm unbelievably torn and there's only a week left before the decision is due! I heard that Utah has a more "medical" field focus, can anyone verify that? Has anyone visited the school? Anything that stood out to you about the program? I live in Colorado and it's just too far for me to make the open house tomorrow... the other issue is the out of state cost is way high, so I'm really looking for anything that might make Utah shine over another, much cheaper program I was accepted to. The other problem is that when I emailed the department, they said assistantships aren't usually decided on until after the 15th. Wow I'm rambling- if anyone can provide any info or impressions I'd so appreciate it... I'm feeling at this point like I'm going to be picking my school from a hat or something, it's too hard!!
  13. Don't stress- it's going to be ok! I moved 1,000 miles away from my friends and family to go to undergrad, and now I'm 2,000 miles away from my family. Just remember it's an adventure, and it doesn't have to be permanent. 2 years is all you have to commit, and then you can look into getting closer to home. You may be surprised how much you love it though! I definitely had homesick moments my first year away, but then I got to know the place I moved and it started to feel more like "home" to me. Like everyone else is saying- your grad program comes with a built in group of people who have the same interests as you, and who know what you've been through to get into grad school.
  14. I had a 3.55 undergrad gpa (I realize that isn't horrible but it's not great), and a really, really bad GRE math score but I still got accepted and waitlisted as well. I only received one rejection. I agree that the experience you bring to the table is so important- volunteer if you can. I volunteered at a hospital, and then volunteered with a literacy program for high risk youth. Highlight your work experience and how it will benefit you in grad school and beyond. I think a really killer SOP can help you stand out as well. I know it can be intimidating on these forums to see people with such great stats, but try not to stress!
  15. I've been accepted to University of Utah as well, and I'm trying to choose between going there or U of Montana. Right now what I'm having a hard time getting over is the cost... I'm out of state and it looks a bit steeper than what I was hoping! The program looks wonderful, though, I'm so torn!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use