ie.slp

I was in a similar situation as you- interested in the medical field and deciding between going to medical school versus going the SLP route. I am also a very caring and empathetic person so I knew I wanted to go into a field where I could really make an impact and use those qualities. I ultimately decided to go into the speech field because I think SLPs have more of an impact on their patients than doctors or nurses do (and probably have to be more empathetic). Especially when working with adults, you have the ability to help them gain back their communication (which contributes to so many aspects of everyday activities and quality of life) and most patients are so grateful when they see even a little bit of progress, and you are able to build a strong connection with them. I know this might not be as true in hospital settings since patients are constantly coming and going, but the speech field is so cool because you can work with any population in many settings (clinics, schools, hospitals, outpatient centers, etc.)- although I know you mentioned wanting to work in a school setting, you could also work elsewhere and I've heard it's pretty easy to switch between them too! But either way, both fields are great

Thanks! This is very helpful! Do you know if most of the students in the program live together? And would you say that most of your class is primarily interested in medSLP? Also do you think that going to MGH helps with placement in medical settings?

Exactly!! Hope that the open house will provide some clarity!

I was fortunate enough to be accepted to all of these great programs but am now facing the dilemma of having to choose between them. They're all ridiculously expensive and unfortunately I haven't received any scholarships so I'm already prepared to go into debt, which I already expected, but I believe that going to one of these programs will help me in the long run, or even just the beginning of my career, despite people saying that the ranking doesn't matter. I used to be pre-med but switched to the speech track because I truly enjoyed the material more. That being said, I'm definitely interested in med SLP and aphasia but don't know if I want to do that forever because I am also really interested in voice disorders, transgender voicing, and accent modification. I also definitely want to be a part of some sort of research in grad school, but as of right now I'm not sure if I will pursue writing a thesis. I feel like I'm already leaning towards BU vs. MGH just because I really love the Boston area, but I know that UPitt also has a really good program. However, I've only visited BU for the interview and really loved the campus and how it was right in the city as opposed to MGH, but hopefully I'll be able to attend the open house to get a better sense of MGH as well. Do students going to MGH live in the city or near the school? And how would that work for transportation with early classes/staying late on campus? I'm also worried about the fact that I heard you only work mainly with peds your first year at MGH and I want to get some experience with adults as well. Another thing is that MGH has an extra semester so I heard it is harder to get a CF because of that. Has anyone been in this position choosing between any of these schools?? If so, how did you make the decision? Any and all info from current/past grad students would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! You too!

I was planning on wearing dress pants, blouse, blazer, and flats! I also overthink everything and am debating about what to bring. If anyone who's interviewed before can weigh in as well- should I bring my resume or a notebook? I was going to bring a small tote bag to carry all of that but now might be leaning towards a crossbody if I don't need to bring those.