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Students

Students

Students

Student Profiles

Past Graduate                        

 

I graduated as a speech and language therapist (SLT) from UCC in June 2009. Looking back, before I started the course I really didn’t know a lot about speech and language therapy, but did have a brief experience in a local community clinic, which made me think that this would be a career that suited me. The course had a good balance of theoretical and practical aspects, as we had regular blocks of varied clinical placements. When all of those placements and final year projects came to an end I decided to move to London and practice as a therapist here. Following the rather lengthy process of registration to work as a therapist in the UK, I was lucky enough to find a great first SLT job. I worked as a therapist in a primary school in South-East London, which had a language resource base attached. It was a great opportunity to work intensively with children with a variety of communication needs and in close collaboration with their teaching staff. In order to expand my clinical knowledge and skills, I then worked as a SLT for Lewisham Healthcare NHS trust. During this time, I worked as part of a large team of experienced therapists and was based in both schools and clinics in the Lewisham area. The need for change then struck again, which prompted me to book flights to Sydney and start yet another process of registration…this time with Speech Pathology Australia. Luckily the registration process didn’t prove too grueling and was certainly worth it, as I am currently working for a great private practice in North-West Sydney. It has been very interesting to see both similarities and differences in SLT practice from one hemisphere to another and I certainly hope to take all I have learned back home with me to Cork one day!

 

Student Bio

 

Third Year Undergraduate Student

I have just completed my third year of the Speech and Language Therapy course in UCC. So far, I have really enjoyed the course and the social life that comes with college life.

 

How I came to study Speech and Language Therapy in UCC: 

I first became interested in studying Speech and Language Therapy when I spent time in COPE during my Transition Year at school. I wanted to enter a profession that enabled me to spend my days working closely with people in a caring setting. Therefore, I decided to pursue a career as a Speech and Language Therapist.

 

What I like about the course: 

There are many reasons why I enjoy this course. Firstly, I enjoy heading out on clinical placement each year. I really look forward to this because it gives me the opportunity to get ‘hands-on’ experience working as a Speech and Language Therapist. Clinical placement has enabled me to work with a wide variety of people in different settings over the last three years including school aged children, adults in an acute hospital setting and adults with an intellectual disability. Placement also helps you to put the theory that you learn throughout the year into practise.

 

I also enjoy the wide range of interesting subjects that are taught in this course. It also helps that there is always plenty of staff available to help and encourage if you are finding a topic particularly difficult.

 

Finally, the small class size has ensured that we have all made some really close friends and have time to enjoy the great college life that comes with studying at UCC, including class parties, mystery tours and college balls.

 

Video Clip

A student's perspective of the Speech & Language Therapy course in UCC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G6nF00GkGE&feature=youtu.be

Clinical Therapies Society

Speech and Language Therapy students at UCC are involved in the clinical therapies society, with their Occupational Therapy colleagues. This society provides a social forum for students to meet, and organises events such as an annual ball and mystery tours.

IASLT Student Committee

Speech and Language Therapy Students at the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences represent UCC on the National Student Committee of the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists (IASLT). In this capacity they help students from UCC link to SLT students throughout Ireland. Part of this involves organising an annual student conference which has both socialising and learning opportunities!

Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences

Eolaíochtaí Urlabhra agus Éisteachta

1st Floor, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, U.C.C., College Road, Cork.

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