I am considering graduate school for SLP. I love learning about health & medicine, & I really enjoy helping people. I have been looking into careers in the medical field, but I find that there are many jobs I would physically be unable to do. I herniated 5 spinal disks (2 in my neck & 3 in my back) 6 yrs ago. I am doing a lot better now, but a career that would require lifting would permanently disable me. Are SLPs required to lift patients in a medical setting, such as a hospital or a nursing home? Or do you work with a patient at their bedside? Or does an orderly bring the patient to you for therapy? Is there a SLP department in a separate clinical area like PT/OT? I know that I could also be a SLP in a school, but I would prefer a medical setting. Are there nontraditional/older students in SLP masters programs? What is the salary for a SLP? Do you like your job? What's your favorite part & your least fav. part? Do you work with SLP collegues at a hospital or do you work alone?
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I think the best way to address your questions is in list format, so here goes:
SLPs are not required to lift patients. I always helped nurses, PTs and OTs with transfers, moving them toward the head of the bed, etc., but I have a strong back. It is certainly not expected of you.
Patients can always be treated at the bedside unless the environment is too distracting. You can always ask the nursing staff (in advance) to get the patient up if you need to see him/her in the therapy room or your office. It is a huge waste of time to wait for an orderly to transport the patient. If you work in a rehab department, you can coordinate your sessions to come before or after OT or PT.
Usually, ST, OT, and PT are located together, but ST has a separate office to assure there are few, if any, distractions during treatment. If you are in a teaching hospital, ST is typically part of ENT, not rehab services.
My master's program was a class of 11 students, 6 of whom were "retreads", or women who had returned to school after a break to have a family. I went back at 27, one woman was 40, and others were in between. There were only 5 in the class who were going straight through from the BA/BS program.
Salary.com will answer your money question.
I always had colleagues in the hospital setting; less often in a nursing home, but there were OTs and PTs to chum around with and learn from.
ST is a great profession, but sitting a lot and leaning over patients' beds is something you may want to consider. My advice is to shadow an SLP in both a hospital and a nursing home so you can see how you may be able to compensate for your back problems on the job. Realize, too, if you work with kids in the medical setting, you will need to get down on the floor with the littler ones.