Speech-Language Pathology: A Service Profession

When I first began my college career, I was undecided as to what I wanted to do with my life. Major after major, I could never find the career that I could be passionate about—until I found speech-language pathology. I had not realized that this career path was so diverse and offered so many opportunities, such as the ability to do research throughout your career, to make a difference by serving underserved populations, and allowed for the use of alternative methods to reach patients. Speech-language pathology is a service profession that is dedicated to treating individuals with communication and swallowing disorders. In order to give the best treatment possible, it is imperative that the professionals in this field utilize the research
I am constantly amazed at how detailed and hardworking the researchers are, and I aspire to become as dedicated to research and do my best to reach each client where they are. In the coming years, I will be able to work with my clients and be confident that the treatment has been researched and is proven to work. The current therapies are continually being improved, and the knowledge base is always growing. The few therapies that are not up to par, such as facilitated communication, are scrutinized and rejected. For years, facilitated communication continued to be touted as a miracle treatment. However, due to the critical thinking skills and the dedication to evidence-based practices, researchers have disproven this practice at every turn. I applaud the dedication and zeal of the researchers that attempt to prove or disprove therapies and to ensure that they are
This experience has enabled me to see how much effort is put into keeping the therapy current and as beneficial as possible for patients. I had the opportunity to engage in research throughout both my junior and senior years. This experience has been invaluable to me, as I have learned how research is conducted, analyzed, and presented. With this experience, I hope to contribute to the research being done in graduate school and beyond. The research programs at the University of Georgia are at the forefront of today’s research and work to give their patients the best therapy possible. I would be delighted to be a part of that team and to learn new ways to reach out and help patients. Therapies can always be improved to become more accessible to everyone, and I am eager to make that