Why I Want To Be A Speech Pathologist

When choosing a career the possibilities are endless. It is important to pick a career that one can succeed in. A career that will benefit someone as an employee and as a person. Being a Speech Pathologist has many pros; it involves working with kids, meeting unique people, and making a change in people’s lives. It changes the way one may think; to see things in another perspective or point of view. The Pathologist will grow a connection and bond, creating an amazing relationship with the patients. They become like a role model and motivator to someone who makes a huge impact in a person’s life. This career also needs more people involved, not only is Texas but nationwide. There are many reasons as to why Speech Pathologist is an amazing career,
but are a few explanations. When trying to become a successful Speech Pathologist one would always want to know what they are getting into, therefore information such as education requirements, salary, traveling, and job description can help pursue this career successfully. A speech pathologist also known as a Speech Therapist provides evaluation and remediation of a variety of disorders and/or delays such as cognitive impairments or delays, fluency, stuttering, etc.
Being a speech pathologist also involves gaining a connection with the patient and also with the family. They get to see the improvement from the patient, seeing then grow and change. During an interview it was said that working with kids is especially fun. Working with adults they meet people who have different stories, like how they ended up with a speech disorder. The only con to working with kids is the attitude and attention span. Kids will be kids and will get distracted or give trouble. But when working with children it is a great feeling hearing them say their first word. Or when a man has a stroke and he talks to his wife for the first time years. Ages of patients goes from 6 month old babies to adults, no age limits are set for a patient to receive therapy. But the age that gets seen the most would be 2-7 year old children. “Greatest thing about being a speech pathologist is you truly feel like you are making a difference in people’s
lives.” To be a speech pathologist one must be licensed in almost all states. To receive a license, a master’s degree and supervised clinical experience is required. Some states require graduation from an accredited master’s program to get a license. Although master’s programs do not specify a particular undergraduate degree for admissions, certain courses must be taken before entering the program. Graduate programs include courses in age-specific speech disorders, alternative communication methods, and swallowing disorders. These programs also include supervised clinical practice in addition to coursework. Speech pathologist can also earn the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Pathology offered by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. After receiving the master’s degree speech pathologist must do Continuing Education, completing a certain amount of hours. Many schools provide supervised training and clinical experience through clinics affiliated with their graduate programs. Students have an opportunity to work with children and adults in areas of communication, speech, and language development. When choosing a career it is always important to look into the salary, benefits, and retirement plans. Most speech pathologist in Odessa, TX, makes about $50,000+ a year. When researching jobs in Odessa most jobs give out benefits such as; comprehensive medical coverage, company- paid life insurance, travel expensive allowance, and professional and general liability coverage. In Dallas, TX the average pay would be around $74,260. Although some benefits may be the same Dallas jobs offer a little more. Benefits for a job in Dallas would be eligibility for health and welfare, experienced staff to provide mentoring at all levels, tuition reimbursement after 6 months of employment. More benefits including on-site continuing education and support for specific certification, and lastly a defined career path with 3 levels of speech pathology, supervisors, and managers. Both locations give a retirement plan of 401k/403b, but Dallas offers a saving plan with dollar-for-dollar match up to 5%. Odessa and Dallas both have great job security. There are not many people who know about speech pathology so the need for them is always around in any city, offering over 200+ jobs in every state.
Because speech pathologist are needed everywhere, traveling for this career is always an option.
In Odessa there wouldn’t be as much traveling. In Dallas or in that area, one could travel to other offices under the same company in different cities. Luckily, speech pathologist are needed everywhere. If a speech pathologist wanted to travel to other places, the option is available. In in each city about 20 jobs are available, so the travel possibilities are endless. Traveling also ties into job security because if someone was to choose to move elsewhere for this job, they must make sure the job is confirmed and set. In Texas alone, there are 762 available jobs as of the begging of 2015. In the United States, there are about 3185 available jobs. That doesn’t include traveling abroad, all over the world people are seeking help for their speech difficulties. Therefore, traveling would exceed to outer
countries.
Speech pathologist will gain lots of knowledge from years of education and working with others. Making a difference to the world is something everyone wants; this is one way to do so. They also have to be aware if they will get a good finical benefit. This career is a 2-in-1, it’s something someone will enjoy and gives the finical support needed. There are benefits for being an employee and benefits by connecting and bonding with kids and adults that are disabled. That is one thing not many get to have in their life. Sadly more people are needed for Speech Pathologist, if more people would join in this career there would be less people needing treatment. Not only do the disabilities affect their speech but it affects their confidence and insecurities. Some people’s disability are visible and even the ones who aren’t, they feel as if they don’t fit in. So this is when the “life changing” job steps in, Speech Pathologist boost that confidence level even if it is just working on how they talk. All in all, Speech Pathologist gain the knowledge needed as well as personal experience.