Pursuing Medical SLP: stay cheap and local or go to MGH?

[ladyinwaiting23]

Hey guys!

 

It's such a relief to see people in the same boat as me - welcome aboard! Isn't it crazy that we have all this stress about where to go, when a few months ago we were submitting applications and praying for at least one acceptance somewhere? (I mean, I was already trying to come up with a contingency plan if I didn't get in ANYWHERE...)

 

Anyway, i was accepted to MGH and Emerson, and I'm definitely attending the MGH admitted students event.  I visited a couple years ago and absolutely fell in love with it.  I live about an hour outside of Boston, and I've become pretty well acquainted with the Boston medical scene rather unfortunately due to some of my sister's health complications.  I can say that that Boston is an absolute hub of medical and scientific research.  I know I'm pretty much preaching to the choir here - but having personally spent a lot of time in Boston Children's Hospital and MGH (the hospital itself, not the IHP), it has never grown old or ceased to amaze me.  I actually did some audiology observation a couple days ago at Mass Eye and Ear with MGH's aural rehab professor, and it was absolutely amazing.  ...so anyway - YAY BOSTON!  My point is that it is a GREAT place to be if you want to get involved in a scientific and clinical community.

 

I love hearing from people who are in the same situation as I am!  Makes me feel less alone.  We all worked so hard to get here and we're in a great place to be with these choices but it's more difficult than I ever would have imagined to come to a decision, especially since a year ago I was certain that I'd be rejected everywhere and I'd be working at McDonalds (no offense if anyone works/worked there haha).  I have a BA in psych too; my school didn't offer CSD and so my friends don't know about what we all have to go through to get to school in this field and how difficult it is to choose a school among such great options.  (Sidenote--everyone seems to come from Linguistics and I'm jealous that my undergraduate university didn't offer that as a major either!  Sounds like it would have been really interesting).  Anyway, I love Boston as well. I can't say enough about this place and there is nowhere I'd rather be in terms of my future career as an SLP.  I do have to say you guys are all making a strong case for MGH--I'm really going to have to take a closer look when the admitted students day comes around because it is going to be hard to say no to what this school has to offer.  I hope I find you guys when I get to the info session so we can go out for drinks when it's over for a debrief!

 

@Nala, first of all, you have a great attitude.  I wish I was that calm and collected about this decision and I'm going to take a leaf from your book.  I'm going through the same thing myself regarding the decision to choose a more expensive school over a cheaper option.  I feel like I might regret it if I chose a school that doesn't have the resources that a more expensive and well-connected school can provide.  I applied to Worcester State as my cheap local school and (even though I don't know if I've even been accepted yet), I don't think I can seriously consider it anymore given the resources at BU and MGH.  Also, I really hope you come to Boston!!!  If you regret anything, I promise it won't be your time spent in this amazing city

[ladyinwaiting23]

Hi AMKersh and Nala!! Good to meet you guys here.

Ahhhhhh, last night when I went to bed I was 80% sure I wanted to go to Emerson and this morning after rereading my pro/con list and you guys' posts, I'm starting to feel unsure again!!!

Seriously I can't believe this. I've never been this indecisive before. I usually know exactly what I want, and I'm the kind of person who is determined and will go her way no matter what - even if other people tell me not to. lol The fact that I'm having such a hard time deciding shows how great of programs they both are, and it means I'll probably be very happy and satisfied whichever I choose. If this much of logical thinking isn't helping me, I'm starting to think that it'll come down to how I "feel" at the accepted students events. Like, do I feel good here? Do I get along with other accepted students? etc.

I guess I'm lucky I'll be able to attend both of the events! Looking forward to seeing you guys there

 

@shuca SAME I'm normally so good at making decisions!  And now I'm flip flopping all over the place like I don't even know which way is up haha

[lisa19]

It's a huge decision we have to make! I feel like it's so different than when I was choosing where to go for undergrad. At the admitted students event I need to find out more about the reason and benefits of taking additional credits, then I can make a more informed decision about where to go. I'm also still waiting on Emerson - ugh!!

 

And I am so down for debriefing drinks afterwards haha

[speechb14]

Hi everyone! I'm about 95% sure I will be attending MGH in the fall. I've been speaking with a first-year student about the program, and she loves the program and has great things to say. Even though the class size is ~60, she said a lot of classes involve small group work and discussions, so they don't feel too big. Also, keep in mind that MGH does not have undergrads, so the faculty is completely committed to the graduate students. A lot of people on these forums have said they're worried about how intense the program is, but the student said the work itself isn't hard as long as you have good time management. It seems like students who struggle with the academics struggle because of time management, because they've been out of school for a while, or because their undergrad programs were easy and they haven't had to work hard before. Classes the first year are spread out during the week, but most classes during the second year are all on one day. Most importantly, the faculty and students are super helpful and collaborative with each other. Students aren't competitive with each other, and professors and supervisors constantly ask the students for feedback to improve the program and facilities. This is all from the perspective of just one student, but I hope some of this will be helpful in your decision making!

[Nala]

@shuca Hi! I've been lurking this thread for awhile so I finally decided to say something 

 

@ladyinwaiting23 aw thank you! Yeah, it was my first time visiting Boston for my BU interview and I fell in love. I could totally see myself spending a chunk of my 20's there. Great vibes, and one little thing I was amazed at- even the advertisements on the subway were all medical/academic related! And I can't believe you thought you wouldn't get in anywhere a year ago- look at all of your amazing options now. We're often our own toughest critics, which isn't always such a bad thing I guess... 

 

I can't wait to hear everyone's experiences/input after the open house 

[Nala]

and @speechb14, thanks for your inside feedback! I completely agree about the time management part. I'm not a grad student yet, but I've figured out that success often comes down to time management. If we've made it this far I'm sure we want it bad enough and we'll put in the work necessary.

[LuxAurorae]

Hi all! So nice to hear from people in the same dilemma as me, and I get the feeling I'll be seeing some of you at mgh! I'm about 95% sure now too. After telling people the pros and cons for different school, it's clear to me that mgh is still my first choice. It's been my first choice since I applied. I'm sorry if I unfairly convinced you guys to go to mgh if you were planning to go somewhere else. Keep in mind that my responses are bias cuz I've wanted to go to mgh since I heard about it. It was just the cost of the program that started scaring me. And the fact that the people at emerson were just so awesome- it was almost like I was looking for more of a reason to go to emerson because of how much I liked the environment there.

I agree with speechb14. I've heard similar things from the students there. It's manageable if you have good time management. I guess I'm also a little intimidated because I'm not sure how good my time management would be after moving to a new city!

@shuca My preference for mgh over emerson is for the same reasons that AMKersh made...it's a great program but it doesn't fit as well for my interests. Especially if they have difficulty getting medical placements.

@AMKersh do you prefer to stay in boston because you're already so close? Is it because you want to work in boston in the future, as opposed to New York? Mgh, like I said, has been my first choice. But it would require me to relocate and I want to work in ny someday. I'm hoping that MGH's reputation can bring me back to New York. I'm potentially giving up a ny connection I could be making at my clinical externships if I went to nymc.

I'm so glad to be hearing from so many people who got accepted into mgh too! It'd be cool if we all ended up being classmates! Haha...I think after a few more posts from all of us, we'll end up convincing each other to go Will anyone be looking for roommates for apartments in boston? We can convert this topic into one about finding apartments near mgh. Haha

[AMKersh]

I am SO down for drinks after the info session!!  We're going to have to find a way to identify each other - that should be exciting.

 

@LuxAurorae - Part of the reason I want to stay in Boston is probably because I have community ties here that I missed out on strengthening/establishing better when I was an undergrad at Binghamton.  (Basically, I missed this city a lot and I love it here, and I want a chance to actually have the Boston life as a student.)  I also want to stick around for family reasons - I was pretty far away before and I think it's probably a good idea for me to be able to get home pretty quickly should the need arise.  However, I also loved the MGH IHP when I visited and the curriculum is definitely the kind of thing I'm looking for.  In other words - the city of Boston is certainly not the only motivator.  I haven't heard back from NYMC yet, but I have a feeling that if I were accepted, my rankings (in terms of preference, financial considerations aside) would be MGH, then NYMC, then Emerson. 

 

I could definitely see a case for you going to either, and I bet that the housing situation would be a lot easier for you if you attended NYMC.  If you want my fully honest opinion - I don't think you can go wrong with either of those.  They both have strong medSLP programs that seem prepare you wonderfully for a career in any sort of setting.  I have this feeling that more people have heard of MGH, but that could also be from living in Massachusetts - of course more Bostonians have heard of MGH than NYMC.  It could be that potential future employers/collaborators in NY view both programs as being of equal caliber. (tl;dr - I don't think you can go wrong here.  NYMC looks awesome, and I could see myself being extremely happy there as well!)

 

Hope this is helpful!

[LuxAurorae]

Haha I'm excited to meet all of you! It'll be like a game trying to figure you guys out. Maybe we can all wear headbands or something. Or wear red/blue/ any specific color accessories. Something that won't be strange or super obvious to other people.

@AMKersh hearing you talk about how you missed boston and missed the chance to strengthen/establish ties makes me just the tiniest bit hesitant about leaving New York. I bet that's what I'll be feeling like once I'm gone. Still, I think I'm pretty sure about mgh at this point. It doesn't feel real though! I can't imagine not being here in 5-6 months.

@the flipfloppers- ladyinwaitng23 and shuca...how about a pros and cons list?

Isn't it nice to have choices though? Lol right before I was invited to my first interview, I was reading through old forums about how people weren't being accepted even with perfect scores and tons of experience...I was convinced I was going to get rejected everywhere. I was already thinking about what my family would say...I had left PT school for SLP. I already had a year's worth of volunteering, observations and research planned for if I couldn't make it this year. And actually...I almost didn't even apply to any of the boston programs (particularly mgh) because I thought no one would take me! So glad I got my application in.

[lisa19]

I agree with what LuxAurorae is saying - we all have different factors and interests so it's good we're talking things out but it's important we make decisions for ourselves. However, it sounds like everyone has amazing programs to choose from and will get a top notch education no matter what. It is also nice knowing that if we all chose MGH we already have a supportive network right here!

 

Also for the people who want drinks after lol.. maybe it'll be easiest to just pick a bar nearby and agree to meet there afterwards? I imagine we'd all stay til the end anyway - right? We should discuss location over message though since these forums are public haha

[NCAR823]

I want in on this!!! I've also been looking into housing and if we get a group together it will obviously be cheaper, not to mention being in the same program will assure reinforcement of what we know!

I have decided for MGH. My family is all there and nearby, and the program offers the research I am looking for and the strong, versatile education that makes getting a job in any setting possible.

I'm a bit hesitant about the cost. I'm meeting with my dad for lunch while I'm on the east coast for the Info Sesh... We had agreed if I got accepted to a top 25 school, they'd be my funding . Now it comes down to whether I want it or want to do it Independently. I just can't imagine how steep the Interest will be.... 100k at 7-8% is 7-8k in interest alone each year... But it's worth it! I think I'm going to start a Facebook group for those going to the session? Ill post a link when I do

[GandalfTheGrey]

If you are deciding between $20k of debt and $100k of debt, make sure you check out the loan repayment calculator first! https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/mobile/repayment/repaymentEstimator.action

 

Is 10 years of paying over $1200 per month to Uncle Sam worth going to your dream school? Maybe it is, but I'm at an expensive school right now and I know a lot of my classmates are regretting their choice after realizing that job prospects are still pretty good no matter where you go. It might take a couple extra years to work your way into the ideal hospital job if you go to a local cheap school instead of MGH, but going to the local cheap school might mean that when you do get your ideal job 2-3 years after graduating, you're already practically debt-free...

Edited March 16, 2014 by GandalfTheGrey

[LuxAurorae]

That's true, and you're estimation is really accurate actually. That'd be the kind of difference I'm talking about. But I'm not sure if I can even get a hospital job going to a local program. The job prospects for medical slp aren't as great as it is for school settings. I think it would depend on the placements I get while I'm in grad schools which may depend on the program that I'm in. Hospital placements are notoriously difficult to get. The other option is NYMC which would end up costing less than MGH because of living expenses.

[Yancey]

Hey everyone. I was wondering if anyone received any financial aid packet from them yet that sates the total cost of attendance and types/amount of loans for the program. I know they already discussed scholarships, but I was wondering when we would hear about the rest of our financial aid options. Thanks.

[LuxAurorae]

I don't know but they'll probably provide more information during the accepted student's open house. 

 

BTW, something I thought I should mention in case people are reading this and not actually posting...While MGH does have great affiliations, many of those affiliations can also be found in other Boston schools. It's not that those affiliations are exclusive to MGH, in case you guys are getting the wrong idea. Also, MGH is not as medically focused as many might think but they offer a specialty track in medical slp. Just like they offer specialty tracks in voice, autism, among others.

[GandalfTheGrey]

I don't know but they'll probably provide more information during the accepted student's open house. 

 

BTW, something I thought I should mention in case people are reading this and not actually posting...While MGH does have great affiliations, many of those affiliations can also be found in other Boston schools. It's not that those affiliations are exclusive to MGH, in case you guys are getting the wrong idea. Also, MGH is not as medically focused as many might think but they offer a specialty track in medical slp. Just like they offer specialty tracks in voice, autism, among others.

So true! I was considering Emerson for a while and I learned that they actually have access to the same placements as MGH and the other boston schools. Even though Emerson might not have a "medical focus", most of your learning happens on your placements anyway. Plus Emerson has a very supportive environment, and most people learn better in supportive environments.

[vickster15]

Hi Everyone!

 

I'm trying to decide between MGH and Emerson as well - I soooo appreciate all your input on the pros/cons of each, its super helpful!  I know that Emerson would be an excellent fit for me because of the supportive atmosphere.  But, I love MGH and feel like it would be sort of stupid for me not go there considering everything that MGH offers.  I'm just having confidence issues - I feel like it'll be too difficult and competitive for my liking.  I come from an undergrad program that went above and beyond in preparing me for graduate level work but that is LESS than supportive (i.e. telling people not to even apply to programs because they'll never get in - brutal) so I was hoping to have a different environment in graduate school.  Hopefully attending MGH's Admitted Students Event will help me work through these concerns.

 

I have a couple of questions: 

 

1). Does anyone know when Emerson is planning on releasing their fellowship decisions?  

 

2). For those attending MGH's Accepted Students Event: what are your thoughts on bringing parents?  The invitation said that parents and others are welcome and my parents really want to come see the school, but I don't want to come across as unprofessional.  I feel like a jerk telling my parents not to come but I just don't know, what do you think?

[lisa19]

I didn't get into Emerson but I totally felt that supportive vibe when I was interviewed last month. I also felt a supportive vibe when I visited MGH. I was just having a one on one tour with Dr. Nicholas, but at the end she knocked on the offices of about 5-6 faculty members and I chatted with each of them for a few minutes (so nerve-racking as a prospective student!) This was on a random Friday in July, and I figured if they have the time to chat with a prospective student - they must have even more time for current students. Their availability and willingness to answer my questions meant a lot to me. Emerson is known for their supportiveness, but MGH has a supportive environment as well!

 

And to answer your question, I think it's totally fine to bring your parents. I wish mine could attend but they are unable to. My parents financially support me, and I also take into consideration their opinions when making big decisions like this. I see where you're coming from though - I specifically asked my parents not to join me at an open house last year, but since MGH included it in the invitation you have nothing to worry about! I'm sure a lot of parents, significant others, etc. will be there.

[SLPlovin]

I was also wondering about the parent thing, but to a couple other schools I'm attending open houses to, when I RSVPs, they emailed me back specifically asking if anyone would accompany me. That made it seem that more people would be bringing people than not. Also, I feel that a lot of people going to MGH's are coming from a quite a distance, and possibly making a weekend trip of it (I am) with someone joining them....so why not bring them along to help you decide!

[shuca]

I've been having a really hard time deciding between Emerson and MGH too, but I think I'm pretty much set on Emerson now! I'm really excited For those of you struggling to make a decision, here's what helped me: Making a "who's the winner" list, rather than a regular pro/con list for each school.

 

This is what I did: (1) Make a list of factors you need to consider in order to make the decision (tuition, external placement sites, job prospect, classes offered, special interest, research opportunities, particular professor you want to work with, etc.) (2) Arrange the factors in the order of importance to you. (3) Decide which school is the winner in each category. (4) Look over the list and see which school wins in more categories, especially in the categories that are placed at the top (=more important factors to you).

 

I think those of us who are having a difficult time deciding are struggling because we're lucky enough to have options that all seem great to you, but none of the programs is a clear winner in EVERY aspect (let's face it - if there's a school that is perfect in every way, we would not be thinking this hard). So comparing pro/con list didn't really help me, because whenever I'm looking at School A's pro, School A will look appealing to me. But then if I start looking at the pro of School B and then glance at School A's cons, suddenly School B will start looking like a better choice.

 

It's great to hear other people's opinions and share our thoughts, but you need to figure out what matters to YOU the most, and which school is better in each of those factors.

 

This worked for me (at least) and I'm pretty confident about my decision now. I'll probably be accepting the offer at Emerson within the next few days .

 

Good luck!!

Edited March 19, 2014 by shuca

[chitchat2016]

Hi Everyone!

 

I'm trying to decide between MGH and Emerson as well - I soooo appreciate all your input on the pros/cons of each, its super helpful!  I know that Emerson would be an excellent fit for me because of the supportive atmosphere.  But, I love MGH and feel like it would be sort of stupid for me not go there considering everything that MGH offers.  I'm just having confidence issues - I feel like it'll be too difficult and competitive for my liking.  I come from an undergrad program that went above and beyond in preparing me for graduate level work but that is LESS than supportive (i.e. telling people not to even apply to programs because they'll never get in - brutal) so I was hoping to have a different environment in graduate school.  Hopefully attending MGH's Admitted Students Event will help me work through these concerns.

 

I have a couple of questions: 

1). Does anyone know when Emerson is planning on releasing their fellowship decisions?  

 

2). For those attending MGH's Accepted Students Event: what are your thoughts on bringing parents?  The invitation said that parents and others are welcome and my parents really want to come see the school, but I don't want to come across as unprofessional.  I feel like a jerk telling my parents not to come but I just don't know, what do you think?

Hi! Its really interesting reading this thread and everyone's thought processes. I'm deciding between Emerson and another equally ranked school - I'm as indecisive as all of you!

Anyhow to answer your question, apparently people were offered funding last week. I called to ask about it and that's what I was told. So, no funding for me They did say that maybe funds will be reallocated if those offered fellowships choose other schools....so there's that.

I'm having a hard time making a decision because between my two options the tuition is similar, but housing in Boston is SO much more expensive!!! Like others have said, I am incredibly grateful to have options but the back and forth is agonizing haha!

[ladyinwaiting23]

I've been having a really hard time deciding between Emerson and MGH too, but I think I'm pretty much set on Emerson now! I'm really excited For those of you struggling to make a decision, here's what helped me: Making a "who's the winner" list, rather than a regular pro/con list for each school.

 

This is what I did: (1) Make a list of factors you need to consider in order to make the decision (tuition, external placement sites, job prospect, classes offered, special interest, research opportunities, particular professor you want to work with, etc.) (2) Arrange the factors in the order of importance to you. (3) Decide which school is the winner in each category. (4) Look over the list and see which school wins in more categories, especially in the categories that are placed at the top (=more important factors to you).

 

I think those of us who are having a difficult time deciding are struggling because we're lucky enough to have options that all seem great to you, but none of the programs is a clear winner in EVERY aspect (let's face it - if there's a school that is perfect in every way, we would not be thinking this hard). So comparing pro/con list didn't really help me, because whenever I'm looking at School A's pro, School A will look appealing to me. But then if I start looking at the pro of School B and then glance at School A's cons, suddenly School B will start looking like a better choice.

 

It's great to hear other people's opinions and share our thoughts, but you need to figure out what matters to YOU the most, and which school is better in each of those factors.

 

This worked for me (at least) and I'm pretty confident about my decision now. I'll probably be accepting the offer at Emerson within the next few days .

 

Good luck!!

 

 

It's funny because I was having a hard time with the pro/con list too because of that same issue! Also some of my pros and cons were not of equal importance so it wasn't like I could look at the list and say that one was better because it had the best pro/con ratio.   My solution was to make a weighted pro/con list so that each item also factors in the probability that it will occur and it's importance.  Then the pros and cons can be compared to one another for each school.  It seems complicated but it's in excel so I don't need to calculate out the math.  If anyone wants one PM me and I can send you a copy of the file!

[vickster15]

Hi! Its really interesting reading this thread and everyone's thought processes. I'm deciding between Emerson and another equally ranked school - I'm as indecisive as all of you!

Anyhow to answer your question, apparently people were offered funding last week. I called to ask about it and that's what I was told. So, no funding for me They did say that maybe funds will be reallocated if those offered fellowships choose other schools....so there's that.

I'm having a hard time making a decision because between my two options the tuition is similar, but housing in Boston is SO much more expensive!!! Like others have said, I am incredibly grateful to have options but the back and forth is agonizing haha!

 

Aw boo, nothing here either!  Oh well, thanks for letting me know! Good luck making your decision :)

[lisa19]

Making a pro/con list is so difficult. I know I'd be happy and get an excellent education at both of my options. Where I'd get one opportunity at MGH, I'd get another equally great opportunity at NYU. Can't seem to think of cons for either program. Does anyone have any cons about going to MGH besides cost or personal factors (ex: being away from family)? I know MGH will be a lot more credits than NYU, but I can't even decide if that's a pro or con. I'm just hoping that when I visit the schools I'll "know" which is the right one.

[shuca]

Hey lisa19! The cons that come to my mind for MGH are:

 

* big class size (about 60 people in each class)

* heavy literacy focus (obviously this depends on your interest and could be a pro too, but it seems like a lot of people going into MGH are expecting more medical focus and are often turned down by literacy focus in the first year).

* longer (6 semester) program, so you don't get summers off. (Some program have summers off, which allows students to do external practicum in cities - or even countries - outside of Boston).

 

Are you interested in medical SLP?? If so, MGH might seem very appealing, and yes, it IS a great program as far as the medical SLP goes. But you have to keep in mind that getting education/experience at MGH definitely doesn't guarantee a medical SLP job upon graduation. Medical jobs are hard to land even if you graduate from MGH too, so you'd have to be willing to relocate, or be willing to work at SNF rather than hospitals. If that's the route you are willing to take, then the education/experience you get elsewhere may very well be enough to land a medical job too. If you want to get the specialized education that MGH offers regardless of the job prospect, then yes MGH would be a great choice for you.

Edited March 19, 2014 by shuca