Name: Alexandra Page
Hometown: Vicksburg, Mich.
Graduation Date: May 2016
Company: Three Rivers Health
Location: Three Rivers, Mich.
Amount of time at internship: September-December 2015
How did you become interested in becoming a speech-language pathologist?
I started my undergraduate career knowing I wanted a career that would allow me to provide services to those in need. My mother is a teacher and she suggested I look into speech pathology, as she felt it would be the perfect fit for me since I enjoy working with children and the elderly. Unfortunately, MSU had discontinued the undergraduate program the year I started. During my second year at MSU, I decided to major in child development, as I adore children and felt it would be a good stepping stone to speech pathology. During this time, I was able to complete all the CSD electives that were offered and got the chance to shadow multiple SLPs. I loved the CSD classes and found that speech pathology was the choice for me.
Tell us about your graduate school journey:
After completing my undergraduate degree at MSU, I felt I was not quite ready to be finished with MSU. I knew I wanted to continue my education at the school I fell in love with and was over the moon when I got accepted to the CSD master's program. The best thing about MSU's program is that you get to gain clinical skills in the real world. I have been able to gain experience in a school setting, a skilled nursing home and an inpatient rehabilitation center. I have been able to interact with a variety of people with various speech and language disorders. MSU has allowed me to build upon my knowledge and skills through coursework and clinical experience in order to prepare me for the field of speech-language pathology.
Describe the clinical setting and population you are working with at your current internship:
My current internship is inpatient rehabilitation at a hospital in Three Rivers, Mich. I mostly work with adults who have dysarthria, dysphagia, aphasia and cognitive deficits. Many of our patients have had strokes or traumatic brain injuries. I have learned a great deal about what it is like to be a speech pathologist working in rehab. I also had the opportunity to work with some patients at the hospital in the acute care setting and the intensive care setting.
How has your internship helped prepare you for your career?
My internship at Three Rivers Health has helped prepare me for my future career by providing me with the knowledge and skills necessary to work with a variety of disorders. My supervisor has been very helpful, providing me with resources and teaching me valuable skills for assessing and treating patients. I have been able to grow as a clinician and gain confidence in my clinical abilities. I am looking forward to applying these skills into future career opportunities.
