BU vs. MGH IHP

[Speech.Hello]

Hi everyone, I have been accepted in BU and MGH. They both sound like great schools. I was wondering what everyone's opinions are about each school (program, research, location, student life)?? 

Edited March 7, 2019 by Speech.Hello

[SpeechGal1234]

I can't really speak for BU, but went to open house. It felt very similar to IHP with a bigger focus on research. It is so hard to tell the differences without talking to students! I am an IHP students and I can tell you about the program: 

- Program: You graduate with more hours than most programs (69-72 hours), which can give you leverage in future jobs. I really like all the electives that are offered, which other schools don't have. I also like the concentration options, which give you a guaranteed placement in your area of interest, a group of students who are interested in a specific area, and great connections with a faculty member. IHP does have a big literacy focus during year 1, as well as a pediatric focus. I know other programs have adult & peds in the in-house clinic, but IHP has almost exclusively peds. You always have 1 client with a reading problem (usually dyslexia) and one with something lang/speech. The focus on literacy can be good or bad, depending on your interests. If you are interested in working with adults, working with pediatric population for a whole year can be beneficial because you certainly learn a lot, but is is also frustrating. Another difference is size of the program. IHP has 60 students in the cohort, which can also be seen as good (more opportunity for friends, more professors to connect with) and bad (large classes, must reach out to make connections with professors). If you are interested in aphasia specifically, IHP has an Aphasia Center, but I think BU also has an aphasia clinic so that might be the same.

- Research: From what I hear, BU has more opportunities. However, there is DEFINITELY plenty of opportunities at IHP. I would look at professors in your specific area of interest and see if their research matches with your interests. Private message me for more specific guidance on this. 

- Location: BU is more centrally located and easier to get to, although both are really close to downtown. BU is more "college campus" feeling- closer to bars, cheap apartments, etc. IHP is completely different. Charlestown is a nice, quiet neighborhood and IHP is a very small campus (only about 1500 students total). IHP isn't near many restaurants, which is annoying if you want to hang out with friends, but only a 15 minute walk to the best Italian food ever. Also, IHP is a 15 minute walk or shuttle ride to the T (at North Station). BU has it's own stop on the T. 

- Student Life: I would say this just depends. You have to find your "people" in your cohort. You will find those who go out every night, or stay in, or those who like to explore the city. There are all types of people! I feel like IHP accepts a wide range of ages and people from a wide range of backgrounds, which I really liked. 

Let me know if you have any more specific questions!

 

[Music&SLP]

Speechgal, I’d love some more of your insight into MGH as a current student. MGH is my first choice, as I’m interested in voice disorders and medical slp. I don’t think I’m interested in working in schools or exclusively with kids, though I have an open mind. At MGH, I’m considering the voice disorders track, and I would be interested in professional work with singers, medical slp, and transgender voice and communication. 

The only issue is the cost. MGH is so much more expensive than Emerson with the offer I received that I’m hesitating. Working SLPs and others on this forum keep saying that it doesn’t matter what school you attend, which makes me nervous to pay 3x the money to attend MGH.  However I don’t want to make a choice based on finances alone when I worked this hard to get into MGH  

As an MGH student, do you feel you are building connections to the Partners hospital network and/or others that would make it feasible to begin a career in a medical setting right out of school? Would you say the faculty, clinical placements, and electives offering specialized focus are worth the added cost of the program?

[waffles19]

I actually have the same exact question as the poster above ^. I’m not convinced that all degrees are as equal as everyone makes them out to be. I want to be a good medical SLP at a good hospital. Do you think a successful MGH student would be more likely to get a competitive medical CF than a successful student from let’s say a small school-focused state school? (I’m trying to decide between Northeastern, MGH, Penn State, and Kent State)

Edited March 10, 2019 by cakcak

[SpeechGal1234]

It is so hard to weigh the costs when deciding on a school. I remember being in the same position! A lot of people will argue that the university doesn't matter as much as just getting the degree. My experience is that MGH IHP is a lesser known school around the country, but when speaking to those in Boston, I do get a look of "wow you are a strong candidate" when I say I went to Mass General Hospital. All of my supervisors have made comments that MGH IHP students are very well prepared for future careers and are more professional that other students. Consider where you want to end up after graduate school because I would consider IHP a smaller school outside of New England. 

Here are some other things to think about: 

- I can't stress enough the benefit of MGH IHP electives. Look at the curriculums for the various schools you are considering. I know IHP has a required voice class & then a Voice II elective, where the students were able to observe vocal fold surgery on a cadaver! SO COOL! IHP also offers 2 different medical SLP electives, and other electives that are beneficial for students interested in medical/voice (e.g., alaryngeal speech elective). Speak to other programs and see what they offer. You won't learn everything, and during your CFY year you learn so much, but those electives look really good on a resume and make you stand out. Lot's of Boston graduates will be competing for the job in the medical field and you have to stand out. 

- IHP also offers concentrations. If you are accepted into a concentration, you are guaranteed a placement in that field. There are concentrations in medical field and voice. Now, that being said, I think other programs try very hard to also get you those placements. Most of my IHP placements also have students from other schools. The opportunities are available in all the schools. I think medical placements are available in all programs, so this shouldn't be a deciding factor. 

- I was surprised to find out that the reason for the "MGH" in the name of the program is JUST because MGH funded the school when it first opened. There aren't necessarily more ties to Partners hospitals compared to other Boston programs. Again, placements have a variety of students from all programs. It all depends on the faculty in the program, really. IHP does have a strong relationship with the MGH Voice Center, and a placement there is common if you are interested in voice. Our voice professor practices there. They are amazing! I don't know if other programs have that specific connection. I would call other programs and ask. 

- Cakcak, if you are looking at other states, I would consider looking at the Massachusetts CFY law. Unfortunately, it can be hard to get a CFY in MA working in certain settings. MA is one of few states that currently does not grant provisional licensure to CFs. Insurance companies, like Medicaid and Medicare, require that SLPs have licensure in order to bill for services. As a result, CFs can't work with any patients who are billing under Medicaid & Medicare, which means employers aren't hiring CFs. Without provisional licensure, CFs require up to 100% supervision to bill for services and some insurances do not allow unlicensed CFs to bill at all. You can read more at Massachusetts Speech Language Hearing Association (MSHA) and/or research S137: An Act Providing for Provisional Licensure for Speech-Language Pathologists. Most CFs in MA are working in schools or have found a way to work with private pay or different insurance clients, but most are in schools because of the lack of a provisional licensure bill, even though they want a medical setting. This may change in the 2 years before you graduate, but many classmates wish they knew this before choosing IHP. Boston isn't the best location to be if you want a medical placement straight out of grad school. 

I can't really say it if is worth the extra money. It really depends how much extra you are considering paying. Ultimately, I think the "extras" that IHP has to offer will help in the short term getting first jobs because they look good on a resume, but once you get through 1-2 years experience, I don't think it really matters anymore. Is it worth paying 3x as much for that first year? Not in my opinion, because year 1 & 2 you get what you get and you gain experience to get the dream job. But that's a personal opinion! 

[samiamslp]

4 hours ago, SpeechGal1234 said:

It is so hard to weigh the costs when deciding on a school. I remember being in the same position! A lot of people will argue that the university doesn't matter as much as just getting the degree. My experience is that MGH IHP is a lesser known school around the country, but when speaking to those in Boston, I do get a look of "wow you are a strong candidate" when I say I went to Mass General Hospital. All of my supervisors have made comments that MGH IHP students are very well prepared for future careers and are more professional that other students. Consider where you want to end up after graduate school because I would consider IHP a smaller school outside of New England. 

Here are some other things to think about: 

- I can't stress enough the benefit of MGH IHP electives. Look at the curriculums for the various schools you are considering. I know IHP has a required voice class & then a Voice II elective, where the students were able to observe vocal fold surgery on a cadaver! SO COOL! IHP also offers 2 different medical SLP electives, and other electives that are beneficial for students interested in medical/voice (e.g., alaryngeal speech elective). Speak to other programs and see what they offer. You won't learn everything, and during your CFY year you learn so much, but those electives look really good on a resume and make you stand out. Lot's of Boston graduates will be competing for the job in the medical field and you have to stand out. 

- IHP also offers concentrations. If you are accepted into a concentration, you are guaranteed a placement in that field. There are concentrations in medical field and voice. Now, that being said, I think other programs try very hard to also get you those placements. Most of my IHP placements also have students from other schools. The opportunities are available in all the schools. I think medical placements are available in all programs, so this shouldn't be a deciding factor. 

- I was surprised to find out that the reason for the "MGH" in the name of the program is JUST because MGH funded the school when it first opened. There aren't necessarily more ties to Partners hospitals compared to other Boston programs. Again, placements have a variety of students from all programs. It all depends on the faculty in the program, really. IHP does have a strong relationship with the MGH Voice Center, and a placement there is common if you are interested in voice. Our voice professor practices there. They are amazing! I don't know if other programs have that specific connection. I would call other programs and ask. 

- Cakcak, if you are looking at other states, I would consider looking at the Massachusetts CFY law. Unfortunately, it can be hard to get a CFY in MA working in certain settings. MA is one of few states that currently does not grant provisional licensure to CFs. Insurance companies, like Medicaid and Medicare, require that SLPs have licensure in order to bill for services. As a result, CFs can't work with any patients who are billing under Medicaid & Medicare, which means employers aren't hiring CFs. Without provisional licensure, CFs require up to 100% supervision to bill for services and some insurances do not allow unlicensed CFs to bill at all. You can read more at Massachusetts Speech Language Hearing Association (MSHA) and/or research S137: An Act Providing for Provisional Licensure for Speech-Language Pathologists. Most CFs in MA are working in schools or have found a way to work with private pay or different insurance clients, but most are in schools because of the lack of a provisional licensure bill, even though they want a medical setting. This may change in the 2 years before you graduate, but many classmates wish they knew this before choosing IHP. Boston isn't the best location to be if you want a medical placement straight out of grad school. 

I can't really say it if is worth the extra money. It really depends how much extra you are considering paying. Ultimately, I think the "extras" that IHP has to offer will help in the short term getting first jobs because they look good on a resume, but once you get through 1-2 years experience, I don't think it really matters anymore. Is it worth paying 3x as much for that first year? Not in my opinion, because year 1 & 2 you get what you get and you gain experience to get the dream job. But that's a personal opinion! 

Thanks for the information! How did you feel about IHP having an extra summer? Does that make it more difficult to find a CF?

[SpeechGal1234]

On 3/17/2019 at 7:17 PM, samiamslp said:

Thanks for the information! How did you feel about IHP having an extra summer? Does that make it more difficult to find a CF?

Yes and no. It is really hard to predict whether you will be affected by that summer semester. I don't think it makes it more difficult for most people to find a CF, but it may limit your options. The last semester of the IHP is usually a very light load of classes. You may only be taking 4 credits of class. If you are done with classes early, you can easily start a job early (July or August) because you don't have your diploma, but you have finished all classes and you can get a letter from the institute stating that you have completed coursework and will receive your diploma in September. But it is possible that you cannot apply to some specific CF positions that may start July 1, as some "dedicated" CF positions will start early because most programs end in May. Also, there's no guarantee that you will be done with classes & outplacement by July, so you may have obligations well into August. If you want to move and work in a school system outside of New England, that could be a problem. In the end, everyone does find a CF, but that extra summer can limit your options. 

[sarah189]

@SpeechGal1234

Hey! Do I have to do my CFY in MA? Do you how credentials transfer over for other states?

[SLP97]

Did anyone go to BU's open house? 

[SpeechGal1234]

On 3/25/2019 at 11:01 PM, sarah189 said:

@SpeechGal1234

Hey! Do I have to do my CFY in MA? Do you how credentials transfer over for other states?

No! You definitely don't need to do your CF in MA!! It is very very easy to do your CF in any other state. I have heard specifically that moving to North Carolina is difficult after IHP because NC requires certain hours in each category, which IHP does not require. Also, if you want to move to NY & work at a school, you have to take some minor extra online "courses" (I wouldn't even call them courses, more like professional development), but it is easy to do as long as you plan in advanced. Many of the students at IHP get CF's around the country without a problem!