Second Draft of SOP!
Thanks everyone for your feedback on my first draft. I have completely changed it and I hope I'm at least on the right track. Again, please be brutally honest if necessary. I'm going to try and post this correctly now....
I saw how important the relationship between a speech-language pathologist and patient was when I witnessed the interaction between a man recovering from a stroke and his SLP. He could hardly manage to utter “yes” and “no”, but through a lot of support and patience, he was able to communicate that he did not like his current physical therapist. It took almost half of the hour long session for the SLP to get a full account of what the man was trying to explain in few words and nods of the head, but once she understood, the relief in the man was apparent. The SLP knew how to make him comfortable and help him to take it slow and enunciate the words he was struggling with. She promised to speak to the therapy administrators about his concerns with his physical therapy. The man’s wife was also noticeably relieved and it was clear that she had been struggling to communicate with him about this matter as well.
An experience such as the one I just described has helped solidify the fact that I want to be a medically based speech-language pathologist. I believe my scientific education and experience working as a Veterinary Assistant provide a solid background for entering this field. Although working in animal healthcare is different than human healthcare, patience and compassion go a long way when dealing with members of the family of your patient, whether the patient is a person or a beloved pet. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology so I have taken extensive biology, chemistry, and math classes during my undergraduate career. I have also taken courses in psychology, sociology, and multicultural studies, which are important for relating to your patients. Since I decided to pursue a career in speech pathology, I have enrolled in communication science courses in order to prepare for graduate school. One of these courses I found particularly interesting was Phonetics. It was a subject I had never before explored, and I related it to learning a new language. I thoroughly enjoyed learning how to transcribe speech and detecting the subtle differences in regional or cultural dialects.
I learned a lot about how closely SLPs work with other health care professionals when observing at FACILITY 1. These patients were primarily severely disabled children who required assistance in all aspects of their lives. Many of the children were in wheelchairs and had no speaking ability at all. The physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists often worked alongside each other during treatment. For example, for a child who could not sit up on her own, the physical therapist helped to support her while the speech pathologist worked on basic communication by helping with a simple craft project. The difference that the therapy team made in the lives of these children was awe-inspiring. I was introduced to Augmentative Alternative Communication Devices with which the child’s eye gaze on a computer screen translated to a way for her to communicate her needs. The SLPs also did swallowing therapy with some of the children that were very low functioning.
I have found that rehabilitation facilities are a particular rewarding area to work, because you are restoring the ability to communicate to someone who has had that ability taken away so abruptly. It is also varied because the patients could be in rehab for inpatient or outpatient treatment, and could have experienced one of many things that had depressed their ability to communicate. Through my observations I have seen patients of all ages being treated for language impairments due to stroke, traumatic brain injuries, or progressive disease.
I was attracted to the Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology Program at AWESOME College because of its comprehensive training in a medical setting. I like that gross anatomy is taught in the same manner that it is taught to medical students, which indicates that students gain extensive knowledge in this area. Clinical rotations include multiple areas including rehabilitation centers, which is my main area of interest. Speech-language pathology combines my love of science and language with my desire to help people improve their lives. I like that it is an integrative field and SLPs work closely with other healthcare professionals, especially physical therapists, audiologists, and sometimes medical doctors. I look forward to continuing my education and beginning a career as a speech pathologist.
I saw how important the relationship between a speech-language pathologist and patient was when I witnessed the interaction between a man recovering from a stroke and his SLP. He could hardly manage to utter “yes” and “no”, but through a lot of support and patience, he was able to communicate that he did not like his current physical therapist. It took almost half of the hour long session for the SLP to get a full account of what the man was trying to explain in few words and nods of the head, but once she understood, the relief in the man was apparent. The SLP knew how to make him comfortable and help him to take it slow and enunciate the words he was struggling with. She promised to speak to the therapy administrators about his concerns with his physical therapy. The man’s wife was also noticeably relieved and it was clear that she had been struggling to communicate with him about this matter as well.
An experience such as the one I just described has helped solidify the fact that I want to be a medically based speech-language pathologist. I believe my scientific education and experience working as a Veterinary Assistant provide a solid background for entering this field. Although working in animal healthcare is different than human healthcare, patience and compassion go a long way when dealing with members of the family of your patient, whether the patient is a person or a beloved pet. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology so I have taken extensive biology, chemistry, and math classes during my undergraduate career. I have also taken courses in psychology, sociology, and multicultural studies, which are important for relating to your patients. Since I decided to pursue a career in speech pathology, I have enrolled in communication science courses in order to prepare for graduate school. One of these courses I found particularly interesting was Phonetics. It was a subject I had never before explored, and I related it to learning a new language. I thoroughly enjoyed learning how to transcribe speech and detecting the subtle differences in regional or cultural dialects.
I learned a lot about how closely SLPs work with other health care professionals when observing at FACILITY 1. These patients were primarily severely disabled children who required assistance in all aspects of their lives. Many of the children were in wheelchairs and had no speaking ability at all. The physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists often worked alongside each other during treatment. For example, for a child who could not sit up on her own, the physical therapist helped to support her while the speech pathologist worked on basic communication by helping with a simple craft project. The difference that the therapy team made in the lives of these children was awe-inspiring. I was introduced to Augmentative Alternative Communication Devices with which the child’s eye gaze on a computer screen translated to a way for her to communicate her needs. The SLPs also did swallowing therapy with some of the children that were very low functioning.
I have found that rehabilitation facilities are a particular rewarding area to work, because you are restoring the ability to communicate to someone who has had that ability taken away so abruptly. It is also varied because the patients could be in rehab for inpatient or outpatient treatment, and could have experienced one of many things that had depressed their ability to communicate. Through my observations I have seen patients of all ages being treated for language impairments due to stroke, traumatic brain injuries, or progressive disease.
I was attracted to the Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology Program at AWESOME College because of its comprehensive training in a medical setting. I like that gross anatomy is taught in the same manner that it is taught to medical students, which indicates that students gain extensive knowledge in this area. Clinical rotations include multiple areas including rehabilitation centers, which is my main area of interest. Speech-language pathology combines my love of science and language with my desire to help people improve their lives. I like that it is an integrative field and SLPs work closely with other healthcare professionals, especially physical therapists, audiologists, and sometimes medical doctors. I look forward to continuing my education and beginning a career as a speech pathologist.