Observation Hours !!

[MassSLPwannabe]

Hello all, 

 

So I am planning on applying in Fall 2019 and would ideally like to start in Fall 2020 if accepted somewhere. I am currently working on my perquisites through UMass Amherst online, but I know I need to also start working on observation hours.  I currently work full time Mon-Fri 9-5 so I am not sure how to go about finding or doing the observation hours. I know some people had mentioned they did them online somehow. If anyone has done this, would you mind sharing how and through what sites.

I am an out of field applicant so I don't really know any professors to ask.

Any information helps !

 

Thanks,  

Edited April 4, 2019 by MassSLPwannabe

[mc161921]

21 minutes ago, MassSLPwannabe said:

Hello all, 

 

So I am planning on applying in Fall 2019 and would ideally like to start in Fall 2020 if accepted somewhere. I am currently working on my perquisites through UMass Amherst online, but I know I need to also start working on observation hours.  I currently work full time Mon-Fri 9-5 so I am not sure how to go about finding or doing the observation hours. I know some people had mentioned they did them online somehow. If anyone has done this, would you mind sharing how and through what sites.

I am an out of field applicant so I don't really know any professors to ask.

Any information helps !

 

Thanks,  

You can do them online at a website called master clinician! https://www.masterclinician.org/

[Procaffeination]

45 minutes ago, mc161921 said:

You can do them online at a website called master clinician! https://www.masterclinician.org/

I'd email a professor at your current online school to make sure they'll sign off on your hours. I have heard horror stories where people will use Master Clinician and their professors were unaware and therefore did not sign off. Master Clinician is an excellent site and I have about 15 hours logged right now. (If you want to observe the literal cutest kiddo ever, watch the sessions with client "WL")

[bibliophile222]

I would also recommend looking into observing at private practices, since they sometimes have evening/weekend hours. Master Clinician is pretty cool, but it's also worth sitting in on live sessions to really get a feel for it. Plus, you can ask the SLP about certain techniques, behavior management, etc.

[Emehteg1]

Does anyone know if I can collect observation hours without being enrolled into a school? 

 

[Ggslpa]

My 2 cents....I was under the impression that a lot of schools want them through a school program. I've never heard of master clinician but sounds pretty cool if it's approved. That being said.....the college that I did my pre reqs at didn't offer a class to do observation hours. So when I went to apply to get my SLP assistance license I had to get a form signed by the department head saying they don't offer it so that I could acquire them through a clinic. Then when I tried applying to ENMU, for example, they require the observation hours be done through a class. So to be able to apply to that program and a few others I went ahead and took an online course to get my hours.  It wasn't difficult just time consuming. Hope this helps. I was out of field too when I first started looking at speech but I'm so glad I did. I love it!

[Oxbow]

7 minutes ago, Ggslpa said:

My 2 cents....I was under the impression that a lot of schools want them through a school program. I've never heard of master clinician but sounds pretty cool if it's approved. That being said.....the college that I did my pre reqs at didn't offer a class to do observation hours. So when I went to apply to get my SLP assistance license I had to get a form signed by the department head saying they don't offer it so that I could acquire them through a clinic. Then when I tried applying to ENMU, for example, they require the observation hours be done through a class. So to be able to apply to that program and a few others I went ahead and took an online course to get my hours.  It wasn't difficult just time consuming. Hope this helps. I was out of field too when I first started looking at speech but I'm so glad I did. I love it!

Yup, I’m going to have to do this if I choose to accept one of my offers. I have 25 hours and have been an SLPA but im missing a clinical methods class (where people do the observation hours), so I’ll have to take it online over the summer. If you can start your search early and see if the schools you’re interested in would require this as well, then you can plan accordingly. 

[Toya]

1 hour ago, Emehteg1 said:

Does anyone know if I can collect observation hours without being enrolled into a school? 

 

Most of the schools I applied to required observation hours to completed through a college with a professor signing off on them. In fact, mine was done on my own and I have to redo my hours in grad school.

[MassSLPwannabe]

2 hours ago, Ggslpa said:

My 2 cents....I was under the impression that a lot of schools want them through a school program. I've never heard of master clinician but sounds pretty cool if it's approved. That being said.....the college that I did my pre reqs at didn't offer a class to do observation hours. So when I went to apply to get my SLP assistance license I had to get a form signed by the department head saying they don't offer it so that I could acquire them through a clinic. Then when I tried applying to ENMU, for example, they require the observation hours be done through a class. So to be able to apply to that program and a few others I went ahead and took an online course to get my hours.  It wasn't difficult just time consuming. Hope this helps. I was out of field too when I first started looking at speech but I'm so glad I did. I love it!

Which school did you do the online course through? UMass does not have this option

[slporbust2016]

55 minutes ago, MassSLPwannabe said:

Which school did you do the online course through? UMass does not have this option

Utah State does, and you could use Master Clinican for part of the hours when I took it. 

[samiamslp]

6 hours ago, Emehteg1 said:

Does anyone know if I can collect observation hours without being enrolled into a school? 

 

That depends on the grad school! Most will accept your hours as long as they are documented (dates, disorders observed, treatment approaches, etc) but some require you to have done it so that you’ve received academic credit for your observation. My undergrad didn’t have a CSD program, so I’m lucky that most of the programs I applied to didn’t require observations to be done during my courses. 

[MassSLPwannabe]

13 hours ago, slporbust2016 said:

Utah State does, and you could use Master Clinican for part of the hours when I took it. 

Thanks for the info!

[Ggslpa]

22 hours ago, MassSLPwannabe said:

Which school did you do the online course through? UMass does not have this option

I took it through ENMU.

[lilyslp]

I was able to observe on weekends at skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation centers! Not sure this would work for you but it may be worth checking out