Clinical training

During clinical training in the Medical Speech-Language Pathology Postdoctoral Fellowship, you see a wide variety of disorders. These include common and uncommon medical and communication disorders.

You acquire the skills and experience needed to independently evaluate and treat speech, voice, language, and communication disorders. The Medical Speech-Language Pathology Postdoctoral Fellowship offers a unique team-based approach to managing medical conditions. This approach includes the evaluation and treatment of communication disorders.

After an initial period observing consultants and allied health clinicians in speech pathology, you begin subspecialty rotations. You generally complete at least two one-to two-week rotations in medical subspecialty areas. These may include neurology hospital practice, movement disorders neurology, behavioral neurology, and otorhinolaryngology.

Following or simultaneously with those rotations, you gradually take increasing responsibility for evaluating patients on the Speech Pathology Hospital Service. Ultimately, you respond to all consultations sent to the acute hospital service.

You will also gradually assume responsibility for evaluating outpatients, initially in collaboration with a supervising consultant. The rate at which you assume clinical responsibilities varies with your prior experience and clinical progress.

When appropriate, you may work in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings. You participate in ongoing patient management and other rehabilitation unit responsibilities.

You also work with patients being treated through a number of outpatient interdisciplinary teams or clinics, including:

• Craniofacial/VPI Clinic
• ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) Clinic
• DBS Clinic

When appropriate, you attend team meetings for patient review or discussion of other team activities.

Didactic training

Clinical conferences, seminars, discussion groups, and one-on-one instruction are integral to the fellowship experience. Together, they support your education and professional development.

Grand Rounds in neurology, neurology subspecialty conferences and monthly speech pathology division meetings offer excellent didactic learning experiences. You are encouraged to take advantage of additional lectures and educational opportunities. These may include courses in areas of interest to speech-language pathologists.

Teaching opportunities

As a fellow, you are typically invited to make formal presentations at Speech Pathology division meetings. You may also be asked to participate in other teaching conferences. The fellowship provides frequent opportunities to teach medical students and residents during clinical rotations.

Research training

Although the fellowship emphasizes patient care, numerous research opportunities arise from clinical work. Nearly all fellows complete at least one research project.

Research projects are generally completed in collaboration with a speech pathology consultant. Occasionally, fellows work more closely with physicians in subspecialties such as neurology or ENT.

Evaluation

The Medical Speech-Language Pathology Postdoctoral Fellowship closely monitors your progress throughout training. This ensures you acquire the knowledge and technical skills needed to meet program expectations. You are formally evaluated by supervising faculty members after each clinical rotation. Periodic meetings with the program director provide opportunities to review your evaluations. In addition, you regularly evaluate the faculty to confirm that your educational needs are being met.