What do you guys think/have heard about Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions

[speechie2b]

I got accepted here, but I'm unsure about the program.. I'm interested to know what you have heard or know about the program !

[mbf]

I was also accepted, and am excited about the program. As of now, it's the only program that I'm accepted to, so I'm swallowing how much it will be (VERY expensive) and hoping for the best when it comes to paying off the loans I'll have to take out.

The fact that it is a new program could be a little scary, but I am not worried about that. Dr. Linda Spencer has been a program director for at least one other M.S. SLP program, so I feel that she has experience to lead a faculty. They already have a PhD program, so they already have SLP faculty. And they've been awarded candidacy, so if you graduate from their program, you will be eligible to earn your CCCs regardless of what happens after the five years of "pre-accreditation" are up.

Just from my interview with Dr. Spencer, I felt like it would be a good program for me. She had lived in Wisconsin and gave off the midwesterner vibe that I've grown up around, so that gives me the thought that she and the program will care about their students, not just getting them in and out and graduated.

I liked that the 2nd-5th semesters end 4-5 weeks early so you can be completely immersed in your practicum. I like that the onsite clinic will be free to patients, but will have mock-billing for students. RMU has many other master/doctoral programs in the health professions and will have a seminar where you practice interdisciplinary teamwork. I also like that she said RMU has connections all throughout the United States for placements in the 6th semester, and that they will work with you to find all practicum placements. I know it doesn't really matter if you have a medical focus in your masters or not, but I think that will really help me decide if I can handle working in a hospital setting or if I should just stick with schools. They have a cadaver class, so I'm excited for the neurology class lol

So it's new, it's really expensive, but from the interview and my independent research, I think that the school is a good choice for me. I'm going into this without any doubts about the program, outside of the cost.

[maurmaur]

1 hour ago, mbf said:

I was also accepted, and am excited about the program. As of now, it's the only program that I'm accepted to, so I'm swallowing how much it will be (VERY expensive) and hoping for the best when it comes to paying off the loans I'll have to take out.

The fact that it is a new program could be a little scary, but I am not worried about that. Dr. Linda Spencer has been a program director for at least one other M.S. SLP program, so I feel that she has experience to lead a faculty. They already have a PhD program, so they already have SLP faculty. And they've been awarded candidacy, so if you graduate from their program, you will be eligible to earn your CCCs regardless of what happens after the five years of "pre-accreditation" are up.

Just from my interview with Dr. Spencer, I felt like it would be a good program for me. She had lived in Wisconsin and gave off the midwesterner vibe that I've grown up around, so that gives me the thought that she and the program will care about their students, not just getting them in and out and graduated.

I liked that the 2nd-5th semesters end 4-5 weeks early so you can be completely immersed in your practicum. I like that the onsite clinic will be free to patients, but will have mock-billing for students. RMU has many other master/doctoral programs in the health professions and will have a seminar where you practice interdisciplinary teamwork. I also like that she said RMU has connections all throughout the United States for placements in the 6th semester, and that they will work with you to find all practicum placements. I know it doesn't really matter if you have a medical focus in your masters or not, but I think that will really help me decide if I can handle working in a hospital setting or if I should just stick with schools. They have a cadaver class, so I'm excited for the neurology class lol

So it's new, it's really expensive, but from the interview and my independent research, I think that the school is a good choice for me. I'm going into this without any doubts about the program, outside of the cost.

This is how I feel! Cost is really my biggest worry (since it seems on the higher end)

[mbf]

3 hours ago, maurmaur said:

This is how I feel! Cost is really my biggest worry (since it seems on the higher end)

I think that it could potentially be doable. I'm lucky in that I don't have undergraduate debt, and I feel as if medical settings pay more than educational settings. So the medical focus helps in that, even though I understand people from programs without the med focus have just as good a chance. 

I'm not really relying on loan forgiveness as it looks like it is going to shit for the people who played by the rules the last 5/10 years. 

But once I graduate, my main goal will be to pay off my debt. If that means picking up a part time after-hours job, that's worth it for me. I currently hold a full time job and a part time job so I know that I can do it to get myself debt free.

Edited April 6, 2017 by mbf
Typo

[maurmaur]

1 minute ago, mbf said:

I think that it could potentially be doable. I'm lucky in that I don't have undergraduate debt, and I feel as if medical settings pay more than educational settings. So the medical focus helps in that, even though I understand people from programs without the med focus have just a good chance. 

I'm not really relying on loan forgiveness as it looks like it is going to shit for the people who played by the rules the last 5/10 years. 

But once I graduate, my main goal will be to pay off my debt. If that means picking up a part time after-hours job, that's worth it for me. I currently hold a full time job and a part time job so I know that I can do it to get myself debt free.

Yeah, same! I will be working towards that as well! I really do like that medical focus but I know you can make your program work for you no matter really where you go so I don't know!

[tvl]

2 hours ago, mbf said:

I think that it could potentially be doable. I'm lucky in that I don't have undergraduate debt, and I feel as if medical settings pay more than educational settings. So the medical focus helps in that, even though I understand people from programs without the med focus have just as good a chance. 

I'm not really relying on loan forgiveness as it looks like it is going to shit for the people who played by the rules the last 5/10 years. 

But once I graduate, my main goal will be to pay off my debt. If that means picking up a part time after-hours job, that's worth it for me. I currently hold a full time job and a part time job so I know that I can do it to get myself debt free.

Hey @mbf what do you mean by loan forgiveness going to shit? My best friend has a ton of debt and has been trying to pay it off for years now. I suggested she look into that. Do you think its a waste of time?

[mbf]

11 hours ago, tvl said:

Hey @mbf what do you mean by loan forgiveness going to shit? My best friend has a ton of debt and has been trying to pay it off for years now. I suggested she look into that. Do you think its a waste of time?

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/05/522575533/teachers-lawyers-and-others-worry-about-the-fate-of-student-debt-forgiveness

I just think that I have other viable options, so I'm not going to put all of my eggs in the loan forgiveness basket. It very well may work for people still, but I would hate to follow the rules for 10 years and get slapped with a big "sorry"

 

That NPR link is just a small sample, and the people who basically had their chance at loan forgiveness recinded were all attorneys that didn't *technically* work at a nonprofit, but the first "payout" from this particular loan forgiveness is coming this fall, so we'll see how it goes down soon. It was started by Bush, and I know Obama capped it to $50k and odd dollars, and there is now talks that Trump may do away with it entirely or just lower the cap again.

Edited April 6, 2017 by mbf
more info

[SLP1719]

1 hour ago, mbf said:

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/05/522575533/teachers-lawyers-and-others-worry-about-the-fate-of-student-debt-forgiveness

I just think that I have other viable options, so I'm not going to put all of my eggs in the loan forgiveness basket. It very well may work for people still, but I would hate to follow the rules for 10 years and get slapped with a big "sorry"

 

That NPR link is just a small sample, and the people who basically had their chance at loan forgiveness recinded were all attorneys that didn't *technically* work at a nonprofit, but the first "payout" from this particular loan forgiveness is coming this fall, so we'll see how it goes down soon. It was started by Bush, and I know Obama capped it to $50k and odd dollars, and there is now talks that Trump may do away with it entirely or just lower the cap again.

Was going to share the same article, I read it this morning.

I was banking on PSLF when I first was interested in changing careers to SLP in 2015, but that's no longer the case. I was accepted to two programs so far, waitlisted at one, rejected from two, and still waiting to hear from two. Of the two that I was accepted to, one is a much closer commute (thinking about gas, toll, mileage expenses for two years!), and $20k+ in tuition less than the other program. I accepted the offer to that program (NYMC) right away. It's still more expensive than the RMUoHP tuition that I just googled, but it is in the NYC area so everything here is more expensive to begin with. 

When I talked to a few of my SLP coworkers about prospects for loan repayment, one of them told me to start looking for per-diem or part time hours at a SNF or hospital as soon as I get my C's. She said that the income from one or two per-diem shifts per week at a hospital ten minutes from her house is more than enough to make her loan payment each month. She also picks up more hours there during paid breaks from the full time job to earn even more towards paying the loans off faster. This was a relief to hear! 

[mbf]

16 minutes ago, SLP1719 said:

Was going to share the same article, I read it this morning.

I was banking on PSLF when I first was interested in changing careers to SLP in 2015, but that's no longer the case. I was accepted to two programs so far, waitlisted at one, rejected from two, and still waiting to hear from two. Of the two that I was accepted to, one is a much closer commute (thinking about gas, toll, mileage expenses for two years!), and $20k+ in tuition less than the other program. I accepted the offer to that program (NYMC) right away. It's still more expensive than the RMUoHP tuition that I just googled, but it is in the NYC area so everything here is more expensive to begin with. 

When I talked to a few of my SLP coworkers about prospects for loan repayment, one of them told me to start looking for per-diem or part time hours at a SNF or hospital as soon as I get my C's. She said that the income from one or two per-diem shifts per week at a hospital ten minutes from her house is more than enough to make her loan payment each month. She also picks up more hours there during paid breaks from the full time job to earn even more towards paying the loans off faster. This was a relief to hear! 

That is awesome, I would much rather do some per diem SLP work than pick up a waitressing job, and I literally never thought of that. Thanks!! And even though your tuition is more expensive than RMUoHP, it makes me feel a little better that people from other schools are in the same boat. A lot of my friends got in-state tuition and are paying a fraction of what my tuition will be, so it was a little disappointing.

The higher education price tag sucks.

[SLP1719]

6 minutes ago, mbf said:

That is awesome, I would much rather do some per diem SLP work than pick up a waitressing job, and I literally never thought of that. Thanks!! And even though your tuition is more expensive than RMUoHP, it makes me feel a little better that people from other schools are in the same boat. A lot of my friends got in-state tuition and are paying a fraction of what my tuition will be, so it was a little disappointing.

The higher education price tag sucks.

The same coworker also told me that she continues to get phone calls from other agencies/facilities looking for people to pick up per-diem or temporary home health care shifts for SLPs, but she has to keep turning them down because there aren't enough hours in the day for her to do all of it, lol. She basically said that if you want to make extra money in this field, and have some medical experience, the hourly type shifts are always available once you start looking for them. It's not a full time job with benefits, but if you already have a full time job with health insurance, etc., it's a nice way to make extra money towards paying hefty loans off. 

[SLPsingballs]

2 hours ago, mbf said:

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/05/522575533/teachers-lawyers-and-others-worry-about-the-fate-of-student-debt-forgiveness

I just think that I have other viable options, so I'm not going to put all of my eggs in the loan forgiveness basket. It very well may work for people still, but I would hate to follow the rules for 10 years and get slapped with a big "sorry"

 

That NPR link is just a small sample, and the people who basically had their chance at loan forgiveness recinded were all attorneys that didn't *technically* work at a nonprofit, but the first "payout" from this particular loan forgiveness is coming this fall, so we'll see how it goes down soon. It was started by Bush, and I know Obama capped it to $50k and odd dollars, and there is now talks that Trump may do away with it entirely or just lower the cap again.

This is scaring me out of moving my family across country (that alone would require a fat loan on top of out of state tuition prices).  Loan forgiveness is just unpredictable at this point.  

[kelminak]

I would highly avoid this program unless it's absolutely your last choice. There's literally no reason to go across the country for a program that has never graduated a class before if you can go *anywhere* else. When I talked to one of the faculty on the phone, it was almost as if they were reading off cue cards about what they were supposed to sell the program on, but just like any new program it's going to have a ton of issues. The inexperience, exorbitant cost (I mean duh, for profit), and region should be enough to scare anyone away from a brand new program like this. Let them take the scraps of applicants who didn't get into another program. For the sake of your future, you should aim to get into any school that has already demonstrated their competency rather than gambling on this school. I got accepted here and declined it the moment I got into another program. It's too much of a gamble to come to this school and honestly would be worth taking another year to bolster an application rather than going to RM (especially so if you're going to uproot your entire family to do so).

[SLPsingballs]

15 minutes ago, kelminak said:

I would highly avoid this program unless it's absolutely your last choice. There's literally no reason to go across the country for a program that has never graduated a class before if you can go *anywhere* else. When I talked to one of the faculty on the phone, it was almost as if they were reading off cue cards about what they were supposed to sell the program on, but just like any new program it's going to have a ton of issues. The inexperience, exorbitant cost (I mean duh, for profit), and region should be enough to scare anyone away from a brand new program like this. Let them take the scraps of applicants who didn't get into another program. For the sake of your future, you should aim to get into any school that has already demonstrated their competency rather than gambling on this school. I got accepted here and declined it the moment I got into another program. It's too much of a gamble to come to this school and honestly would be worth taking another year to bolster an application rather than going to RM (especially so if you're going to uproot your entire family to do so).

Thanks for your thoughts there.  I haven't heard back from them yet, so I am assuming I didn't get in (I had already come to the conclusion about the price of RMU  being too high for my own personal situation before my interview).  I was only referring to a potential move to another state for another school.  The whole "loan forgiveness being potentially not honored" thing should be taken under very serious consideration.  Sorry for the confusion, it was after reading about the loan forgiveness part of this thread, not RMU.  

[_courtney]

Hoping that someone will respond almost a year later. I have an interview next week with RMUoHP. What should I be expecting? Is it just a get to know you? Is it more of situational questions? This is the first school I’ve ever had to interview for so I’m a little nervous. Thanks!

[ButtercupTacobell_SLP]

@SLP_classof2020 Hi! Hope your interview went well. I'm actually going to be interviewed this Friday for the same cohort as yourself. Any advice regarding what to expect to be asked would be really appreciated. Good luck with your final decisions!

[cclBo2020]

52 minutes ago, ButtercupTacobell_SLP said:

@SLP_classof2020 Hi! Hope your interview went well. I'm actually going to be interviewed this Friday for the same cohort as yourself. Any advice regarding what to expect to be asked would be really appreciated. Good luck with your final decisions!

I'm interviewing this week too! Mine should be Thursday, so I can let you know how it goes if you don't hear from someone sooner.

I've also been checking out their program info online (again) just to be prepared.

[_courtney]

1 hour ago, ButtercupTacobell_SLP said:

@SLP_classof2020 Hi! Hope your interview went well. I'm actually going to be interviewed this Friday for the same cohort as yourself. Any advice regarding what to expect to be asked would be really appreciated. Good luck with your final decisions!

 

11 minutes ago, mirrorcat43 said:

I'm interviewing this week too! Mine should be Thursday, so I can let you know how it goes if you don't hear from someone sooner.

I've also been checking out their program info online (again) just to be prepared.

Hey guys! I decided to withdraw my interview because I got into a cheaper program and although I'm really interested in the medical side of the profession, I just can't justify the tuition. I heard back from someone when I was trying to get insight into the interview. The person told me that the interviewer makes you feel super comfortable, they got asked 3 questions: why did you choose SLP, how you overcame an obstacle in your life, and what is your biggest accomplishment. This was only from one person so I'm not sure if they ask different questions or what. Anyways, I wish you nothing but the best. I'm sure you'll do great! GOOD LUCK!

[cclBo2020]

On 4/10/2018 at 8:19 PM, ButtercupTacobell_SLP said:

@SLP_classof2020 Hi! Hope your interview went well. I'm actually going to be interviewed this Friday for the same cohort as yourself. Any advice regarding what to expect to be asked would be really appreciated. Good luck with your final decisions!

 

On 4/10/2018 at 9:18 PM, SLP_classof2020 said:

 

Hey guys! I decided to withdraw my interview because I got into a cheaper program and although I'm really interested in the medical side of the profession, I just can't justify the tuition. I heard back from someone when I was trying to get insight into the interview. The person told me that the interviewer makes you feel super comfortable, they got asked 3 questions: why did you choose SLP, how you overcame an obstacle in your life, and what is your biggest accomplishment. This was only from one person so I'm not sure if they ask different questions or what. Anyways, I wish you nothing but the best. I'm sure you'll do great! GOOD LUCK!

Thank you @SLP_classof2020!

I had my interview today, and they asked 5 questions. They asked specifically about why we wanted to go to Rocky Mountain (not just about being an SLP), talked about medical advancements/trends in Speech Pathology, and about a time you took initiative (in addition to the others mentioned before. They may have different ones for each person, but that's what I was asked. There was also an opportunity for me to ask program questions; I didn't know who I was interviewing with ahead of time, so I stuck with questions about the program.

I did unfortunately have an issue with my phone though; I was in an area with unreliable service (I was on my campus and thought I was in a good spot) and missed the initial call. After about 15 minutes I decided to call the university and they were able to connect me. They wete very pleasant about it, but just to be safe make sure you have STRONG service if you're relying on a cell phone, as wifi didn't work for me.

[ButtercupTacobell_SLP]

Thank you both @SLP_classof2020 and @mirrorcat43 I really appreciate your help. Thanks for the cell phone reception advice as well. That must have been nerve-wracking! Good luck with the remainder of your applications.

[Timbrr]

I have worked as a speech-language pathologist in the medical field and as clinical faculty at a graduate institution ranked in the top 20%. I later applied to a clinical faculty position at RMUoHP without knowing much about the program. After they displayed interest in me as an applicant,  I investigated the program more heavily. As a medical SLP, I thought the curriculum appeared to be well thought-out and focused on preparing students to work in a medical setting. The curriculum was a step up from what I had known. After the phone interview, RM flew me to campus for an on-site interview and I became impressed with the faculty on a number of levels. The program director/chair is an Iowa grad and the clinic director attended Northwestern. The RM clinic director was formerly the clinic director at U.Conn., which is currently tied for #30 (of over 250 grad programs) according to US News and World Report. I received an offer for this position, but I was also later offered a clinical instructor position at one of the very top institutions in the country. I took the offer at RMUoHP for a few reasons. One reason was how impressed I became with RM's faculty during my interview (I was particularly impressed with their attitudes and mindset). I am currently working in my second semester as clinical faculty at RM, and I love it. The faculty are incredibly interested in and invested in your success. They are some of the best colleagues I have worked with. The faculty is intelligent, open-minded but without the all-too-common pretentious aura in academia. The administration is also competent and supportive.
Of note, some posts here have highlighted that the RM MS-SLP program is new, which brings challenges. This is true; but in my opinion, the challenges are heavily outweighed by the opportunity to be a part of a program that is being built from the ground up by such intelligent, caring, and creative professionals. Best luck to you in with your applications and decisions.

[FutureSLP2025]

Those of you that are currently in the program, how do you like it so far?