258-Advocacy, Flexibility, and Mental Health: Supporting Today’s SLP Grad Students with Sam Walker MS CCC-SLP, TSSLD

When you think back on your grad school experience, does it stir up happiness and joy or anxiety and stress? Most SLPs will lean towards the latter, and that’s just the way grad school is…

It’s highly competitive to get into grad school and the competition and quest for perfection doesn’t end with an acceptance letter. The pressure felt by grad students is intense and often anxiety-inducing. (Anyone else still have dreams about forgetting to turn in an assignment?)

That’s just the way it is. It’s been this way for generations of SLPs… but does it have to be?

In this episode of SYP, I have a conversation with Sam Walker, MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD about her experience in working with grad students through her programs, SLP Test Prep, SLP Grad Club, and SLP Grad Guide.

Sam shares heartbreaking and triumphant stories of today's grad students and the struggles they face along with her own experience as a student and SLP. She is a fierce advocate for change in the grad school experience and mental health support for our SLP students.

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In this episode, you'll hear about:

* The pressure to be a Type A SLP

* Where does the standard of perfectionism stem from?

* Sharing the positive and negative on social media

* Filling in the education gaps for our students

* How we can better support SLP students in undergrad and grad school

As always, thanks for listening!