Katelyn Eng completed her BA at SFU in 2011. She graduated from the Master of Science Program in Speech-Language Pathology in the summer of 2016 and is now a practicing SLP at both Vancouver General Hospital and in private practice. Sounds simple, right? For Katelyn the process wasn’t so simple, but she is certain that it was worth it. If you are interested in becoming an SLP, the Q&A with Katelyn Eng is a must read.
When did you decide you wanted to be an SLP?
I have always known that I like words and I like writing and I like communicating, but I didn’t want to be a writer and I didn’t want to be an English teacher, and those felt like the only two options. But when I was in Grade 12 I read a chapter in a psychology text with a section on language and the brain and thought, “this is so cool!” I learned about aphasia – the inability to understand and express language due to injury or stroke – and I knew: I want to work with people dealing with aphasia.
How did you prepare yourself for the SLP program?
When I started at SFU my goal was to complete my undergraduate degree and then apply to grad schools that offered an SLP program. I knew that having volunteer experience would be essential for a strong SLP application. I volunteered at Linguistics conferences, at the Language and Brain Lab, and in the community with stroke victims and developmentally disabled adults.
Do you think your work in the LING lab made a difference on your SLP application?
A: Yes, without question it made a difference. Undergraduates should seek out lab experience. It doesn’t have to be a linguistics lab, it could be a psychology lab. The process is more important than the content.
And your work in the community? How important was this volunteer work for your application?
I volunteered for the Burnaby Stroke Club, part of the Stroke Recovery Association of BC. It’s a speech group that meets every other week. I knew I wanted to work with people who had aphasia and through volunteering with this group I grew confident in my decision. I also volunteered with a group for developmentally disabled adults. In both volunteer positions I had the opportunity to work under an SLP who led the group. I observed, got to understand the format of the group, and then asked if I could take on more responsibility; I took initiative, asking, “What can I do to help? Can I plan a lesson?”
Volunteering was fun, good practice, and gave me a very clear idea of what SLP work looks like. When volunteering, I didn’t always know what the SLP was doing from an SLP perspective, but once I entered the program I reflected back on my volunteer work and understood the process. Volunteering wasn’t just a box to tick. It was an experience all of its own. Even now as a practicing SLP I continue to think back to those volunteer experiences and the people that I worked with as a volunteer…it all informed by current practice.
As part of the SLP application you must have 3 references. Who did you choose to be your referees, and how did you approach them for a reference?
One of my references was the director of the LAB Lab where I volunteered as an undergrad. It was pretty clear from the beginning that I was working towards graduate school, and I made sure that I showed myself as someone who was reliable and willing to take initiative. The director has a reference letter form for students, and I used the reference form as a guide to ensure my work in the lab was good enough to warrant a reference letter.
Another reference was a professor I had taken LING classes with during my undergrad degree. It was awkward to ask for a reference, but was relieved that the professor remembered me and was willing to offer a reference on my behalf. My advice: visit your professors during their office hours! Looking back, I wish I’d visited my professors’ office hours so much more often. I would have built relationships and felt more comfortable asking for a reference when the time came. It may be awkward and uncomfortable, but it’s so important.
My third reference was a character reference, an SLP working in the field. I had proven myself to be a dedicated and proactive volunteer and I felt comfortable asking for a reference because of dedication to my volunteer work.
Another part of the SLP application is the Letter of Intent (LoI). How did you approach the LoI?
It was trial and error for me. I had many drafts. Because I wasn’t accepted the first time I applied, I had the opportunity to think about my LoI and wonder why it wasn’t effective. My first 2 letters were very similar – very much “this is why I want to be an SLP. I’m very passionate! I love the whole idea of it!” and I learned that this type of letter wasn’t getting me anywhere. For my third application I sat down with one of my cousins who asked me about being an SLP, “What lights a fire in your belly?” and I had to think about it. I had to think about why I was putting myself through the application process again, what was driving me to pursue this path. A lot of thought and introspection went into my third letter. I looked forward in my third letter, outlining the kind of SLP I was going to be once I graduated, what population I wanted to work with, what deficits I see in the area and how I planned to fill the deficits. It was through my volunteer work in the community that I was able to identify these things.
The Letter of Intent is so important and can be such a daunting task that I wrote a letter to potential SLP applicants to help them.
Even with your thorough preparation, you didn’t receive an offer of admission the first time you applied to the UBC SLP program. But you didn’t give up – you applied again. What did you do to improve your subsequent applications?
This is something I wanted since I was a teen. I was determined and I wasn’t going to give up. My first rejection crushed me. I actually sought out help from SFU’s Counselling Services to help me deal with the rejection. It had so much anxiety and I internalized the rejection. But I came to realize it wasn’t just me – it was also the competition in the year I applied. The program gets about 300 applications for just 24 seats in the program, so it’s highly competitive.
I also sought out help from Rita Parmar, the undergraduate advisor in Linguistics. Part of the problem was my grades; they just weren’t good enough to get into the SLP. Rita suggested I return to SFU in a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma to redo the courses that I hadn’t done well enough in, and complete a few extra courses to earn the newly introduced Certificate in Speech Science.
Thinking back to your undergraduate degree, which courses proved to be useful or essential to your success in the SLP program?
Courses in phonology and phonetics are so important. While I was taking phonology and phonetics during my undergrad degree, it all seemed so theoretical, but once I was in the SLP program my background in phonology had practical applications. Syntax courses are also very important. LING 322 – Syntax – is a prerequisite to the SLP program.
Because I wasn’t accepted to the SLP program the first time I applied, I took the opportunity to return to SFU and repeat a few LING courses. I repeated LING 322 and LING 330 to bring my grades up from a C+ in both to a B and A respectively. Repeating those courses was important not only to bring my grades up to par but also for my understanding of syntax and phonetics.
LING 415 – Neurolinguistics – is a prerequisite to the program that I took at SFU as well. Undergraduates at SFU should be sure to complete the prerequisites and talk to Rita if they need help with course planning.
How is the SLP program different from doing undergraduate work at SFU?
The SLP program is very different from doing undergrad work at SFU. It’s exhausting! At SFU I took 3-4 courses per semester and volunteered. But I learned early that the SLP program was going to be intense – in Semester 1, the cohort takes 7 classes, and in Semester 2, the cohort takes 9 classes. It’s a full time job. I didn’t work (employment) during my entire time in the program (and the coordinators discourage any student from working while in the program). My personal life definitely took a backseat. There are a lot of high expectations, assignments, and exams. But I loved it. My classmates were all like me – very keen, very interested. All of us were people who can take initiative and handle the intensity of the program.
You successfully completed the SLP program in the summer of 2016 and you are now working as an SLP. Now that you are working in the field, is it what you imagined?
Yes, I love my work! I work at VGH and also for a private practice. The patients I see have aphasia, dysarthria (speech sound disorder), and dysphagia (swallowing disorder). I practice strategies to help them communicate easier, such as exercises to improve weakness or paralysis that is effecting how the tongue moves, and spend a lot of time with their families and speech partners in an educator role. As an SLP you’re a resource person. You have to be comfortable talking not only with patients, but also the patient’s partners, families, caregivers and children. A big part of the job is compassion – just being present for the patient and the patient’s families and caregivers as they deal with a very upsetting situation. You also have to be comfortable working with a team of health care providers, making comprehensive treatment plans for each patient. The workday is very busy but I absolutely love my work!
Looking back on your time in the program, what was your biggest challenge? Biggest achievement?
My biggest challenge was the workload. It’s not hard work – I loved what I was studying – but it’s a lot of work. My biggest achievement: the externship placements gave me so many moments of, “Yes! This is why I am doing this!” In class, the patients are all theoretical. Then you get the opportunity to go out in the field and interact with these amazing people struggling to communicate and you learn that the SLP makes a real difference. Our techniques and strategies help people express themselves, and it is such rewarding work.
CONSIDERING A CAREER IN SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY? The Certificate in the Linguistics of Speech Science (CLSS) provides an understanding of the sound system and grammatical system of language and applies that knowledge to language acquisition, speech-language pathology, and more. LEARN MORE →
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