become a speech pathologist

I am now happy to call this one done!

I have been working as a Speech Pathologist for 2 months now.
I marked this goal as “worth it” but, that said, it was a really hard journey!

• helping people with speech/language problems to improve
• spending lots of time playing with kids
• not being “watched” (Clinical Education gets to be a bit like Big Brother!)

• the waiting list- it’s horrible that our waiting list is so long, because it means that lots of kids who need therapy aren’t getting it!
• policies- the policies limit the amount of therapy people are actually able to have- this is hard for me, because it doesn’t give me as much time as I need to help them.
• not having internet access at work. The internet is a source of all kinds of great resources and information, and I can’t get them when I’m at work and I need them.

The worst thing about my job for me right now is that I am a locum, on a contract until January. So, I’m starting to feel settled, but I know I’m going to be leaving soon- and I’ll need to find another job.

I have a job!
And a Staff ID tag which says “Speech Pathologist”.

I work in a Community setting (not a hospital).
It was the 5th job I had applied for.

I started yesterday.
So far I like it there.
The people are very nice.

I haven’t actually seen any clients yet!

Yesterday, I picked up my transcript from the uni.

• qualified to be a Speech Pathologist
• in possession of the paperwork to prove it

That’s a step closer.
But I think I will wait until I have a job to mark this one off. Then I will really be a Speech Pathologist.

Today I found out, after a long wait, that my mark for my final subject is a pass! (Well, actually, it’s a “satisfied requirements”, which is how they tell you that you passed a pass fail subject).

Yay! Now I have completed 100% of the course!
Now the next step is to fill in an “Application for Conferral of Award” form, so that I can become a “graduand”. (A Graduand is a person who has met the requirements to be awarded the degree, but has not yet attended their graduation ceremony to be presented with the degree.)

The next step towards becoming a Speech Pathologist is to get a job. Then I will tick this goal off, and decide whether or not it was “worth it”.

Today marks day 13 of 24 of my placement.
I’m getting close to finishing uni!
Tommorrow I have to do my mid-placement assessment… (which I am not looking forward to- but it has to be done!)

So, I am now probably something like 97% of the way there…

Today I’ve done something really freaky-
I have ‘enquired’ about 4 different jobs!
I rang up for an information package from a community based early intervention service.
I emailed to get an application kit for 2 different community health jobs (both paediatric).
I downloaded the information package for a DADHC job.

There are more jobs than that available, but I don’t want the other ones- they’re too far away, or with adults (I want to work with children).

In 1 month, 2 weeks and 1 day (see the “ticker” at the top of my blog), I will be going to the snow.

More exciting is the fact that by the time that day comes, I should be finished uni!!! Then I will be a Speech Pathologist!

Today we worked out that I should finish my placement on June 22th.
This is a week later than originally thought, but it’s just the way it has to be! It’s because my supervisor isn’t available some days, so I get to have those days off.
So, all in all, I will still do my 24 days, but over 7 weeks (it’s meant to be 4 days per week, over 6 weeks).

Today marks 6 days down, 18 days to go!
I have completed 95% of the course!
I’m praying that I will stay motivated, and complete that final 5% without any hiccups!

I am 15/16ths of the way towards achieving my goal of becoming a Speech Pathologist! Yay for me!

Today I finished my child placement, at Hornsby.
All I have left is an adult placement (still waiting for them to confirm where that will be), and a portfolio to do.

The portfolio is a bit of a pain in the bum. I have to find a whole pile of documents to prove that I am competent in all of the different areas and aspects of speech pathology, according to the CBOS (Competency Based Occupational Standards, Speech Pathology Australia, 2001). I have already started though, so it shouldn’t be too hard.

I decided when I was in high school that I wanted to be a Speech Pathologist. This goal has proved to be a bit more elusive than I though.
So far I have:

1. Got the mark in my Higher School Certificate (HSC) to get into the course in 2000.
2. Enrolled at Sydney University in the undergraduate course in 2001.
3. Finished all of my academic subjects with a credit average (yay) in mid 2004.

All I have left to do is gain my 300(+) hours of clinical experience, and I can graduate!