FW: [Dysphagia] Qualifications

[kgoertz at paphr.sk.ca (Clarke-Goertz, Kim (PAPHR))]

I would agree with Heidi's 'regrettable' statement regarding the vast
content that is attempted to be crammed in to our education.  I think we are
comparable to the field of OT in that regard, any OT's out there on the
listserv care to comment?
Also do any of the OT's on the list feel you're getting a comparable or
perhaps superior basis in your university programs to be practicing
dysphagia? 
While I believe Irene has a history which prepares her for this discussion
and the need to make comparisons, I'm wondering what clinicians feel from
other fields (OT, dietician) as to how 'prepared' they are upon leaving
university.
I think the biggest issue for our area of study, while I believe in the
value of coursework, is clinical practicum experience.  I just don't see how
one could practice in this field without some mentoring, continuing
education aside and assumed.
Kim

-----Original Message-----
From: Bassani, Heidi D Ms WRAMC-Wash DC
[mailto:Heidi.Bassani@amedd.army.mil]
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 14:17
To: HAL9600@aol.com; LOBSTERPAM@aol.com; LLORTEAU@sbgh.mb.ca
Cc: dysphagia@b9.com
Subject: RE: [Dysphagia] Qualifications

I personally think that Speech Pathology needs to be a bit more
compartmentalized than it is currently in this country.  The fact that
Masters programs are teaching a huge amount of info in a short period of
time is regrettable given the undeniable fact that many people come into the
field with a specialty (at least in terms of adult vs. peds) in mind.  I
hope that as we look toward a PhD (or an ScD) in SLP as audiology has done,
this will help the matter.  

However, as a relatively new clinician in who has had the chance to work
with several wonderful people who came up in programs, back in the
day;-)that did not offer dysphagia courses, I would like to say that we are
currently trying (as a field) to better this aspect of speech path.
However, all the book-learnin' in the world will NOT teach you the clinical
skills that you need to make these decisions.  

First and foremost, many people can pass courses and simply do not have the
basic clinical skills to integrate that info into the real world of "case
studies".  And no academic program will prepare you for all the information
that you will need to practice.  They are not designed for that.  The
purpose of the program is to gain a basis on which you build and understand
what you are seeing and make logical informed decisions.
The fact that some people don't or can't do that makes us no worse than any
other field.  In addition, there are plenty of people out there who consider
themselves "experts" who just don't know anything.

I'm ranting like everyone else but perhaps it's just me...did anyone else
completely miss the point of the original email?  Was it to create a basis
by which all speech paths should be held in order to practice?
I'm pretty sure there's a group that does that!  And we can argue it all
day. Or was it to discuss Dr. Campbell-Taylor's qualifications?  I missed
it....

Heidi

-----Original Message-----
From: HAL9600@aol.com [mailto:HAL9600@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 8:03 AM
To: LOBSTERPAM@aol.com; LLORTEAU@sbgh.mb.ca
Cc: dysphagia@b9.com
Subject: Re: [Dysphagia] Qualifications

I personally think Ph.D. in our field as entry level requirement is long

overdue.  I wrote an article about 10 years ago in ASHA saying so.
Wasn't
popular then and I doubt it's any more popular now.  Beam me  aboard?


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