Rush SLP / Communication Sciences

[rushslpstudent]

Can any other Rush SLP grad students confirm that the experience has not been what they advertised? Most of us chose to come to Rush because we were interested in medical SLP jobs and thought we would get good experience in the medical setting and have externship opportunities at the Rush hospital. 

They talk a big game about everything we do being related to clinical work- but we get less clinical experience than any other program I know of. You have a total of 7 weeks where you get clinical experience in the entire first two semesters. Most other schools have you observing REAL sessions where you learn real skills you need in your career from week 1. At Rush they made us think we would be getting that only to show up and realize the 'clinical practicum' for the first year is almost entirely online. And it's not the kind of online where you at least watch real sessions. It's clicking random buttons over and over again until you get your points. Mind-numbing, time consuming, and 95% useless for getting real world experience. Even after your first semester, half of your practicum for spring and summer is this completely bs online simulation work that makes you want to tear your hair out and teaches you nothing. Every single student who has to do these simulations agrees but the program will claim you're learning even though the whole thing is a ridiculous and frustrating joke. Most of us feel scammed as we were hoping we would be able to connect with real life clinicians and observe the therapy they do.

Don't get me wrong- you DO get to do that eventually, but less than what they make it seem like you will so you may want to consider a cheaper option if you find one. You'll be learning on the fly at a job or desperately trying to find your own information in expensive textbooks or online. Lots of academic information about ideal testing conditions and assessment, next to no guidance for what a real speech therapy session looks like. 

The professors are great and super knowledgable. It's clear that they're very good at what they do. But don't be tricked into thinking you get more practical and/or medical experience here- you may even get less!