milanaI got a chance to visit McGill during my reading break and it was amazing to see Montreal (and devour poutine). For our next Human of Speech, we have a student in the McGill S-LP program!

Check out the official McGill website for their most up-to-date info. There’s also my general spreadsheet about all Canadian S-LP schools (M.S has graciously clarified info about McGill’s clinical program and I’ve updated it accordingly).

Without further ado, here are the lovely answers of M.S.:

1. What experiences did you have as an undergraduate? (ex. clubs, extracurriculars)
Academics/related: I did my undergraduate degree in Linguistics and Spanish. I volunteered once a week for about a year and a half in a private S-LP clinic, in which I did one-on-one therapy with a young adult with aphasia.
Other: I worked throughout my undergrad (approx. 30 hours a week) along with 5 classes per term. Needless to say, it was a very busy 4 years. I was also a competitive baton twirler and coach during this time.
 
2. How has an apparent failure set you up for later success as a SLP student? 
For my spring practicum (every day for a month), I was supposed to be placed in the city that I am from. Instead, I ended up being placed in Montreal and ended up having the most amazing experience. That practicum helped me discover that I want to work in the acute setting with adults and I am so grateful for the mistake.
 
3. Why did you choose McGill?
I chose McGill for the small class size and the city! Our cohort is made up of 28 students, meaning that by the end of the first day I already knew everyone’s name. For someone like myself who moved to Montreal for the program, this meant built-in friends and a very supportive group. Plus, who wouldn’t want to live in Montreal for two years?!
 
4. Has anything about the program surprised you so far?
I was a little bit surprised by the research emphasis of the program (as McGill is a widely celebrated research university, this should not have been a surprise). At first, I was disappointed in this and wished for more clinical experience, but I later realized that this is perfect for our time at school. What I mean to say is that we will get all of the clinical experience once we head into the workforce, but this is the only time that we will be given all of the background and opportunity to develop an evidence-based practice.
 
5. When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you like to do?
Yoga, run, and cooking with friends are where I spend my time when I need to recharge. I also make use of the WELL office, which is a counselling service that is offered by McGill to all of the Faculty of Medicine (MD, nursing, PT, OT, and us).
 
6. What advice would you give to students considering to apply for a SLP program? What’s bad advice that they should ignore?
Get to know your supervisors and professors! As there is currently no interview for the program, more weight will be placed on the letters of recommendation. It is easy to get through your undergrad as a face in the crowd, but this is not the way to get an outstanding referral. Also, although grades are not everything and it is possible to get into the program based on remarkable experience and letters of recommendation, the grades unfortunately do still get you past the first round of admission.
 
7. How do you reach for the speech?
To me, “reaching for the speech” means constantly considering the client, their technical needs, their emotional needs, their family’s needs, and using the most up to date research to best treat them. As we are such a young profession, new research is constantly being developed and it is up to us to inform ourselves in order to achieve the most successful client care possible.