Away Externships in Speech-Language Pathology

Most CSD graduate programs allow students to do away externships in Speech-Language Pathology. This is usually outside of a specific distance from campus. Graduate clinicians can do an externship anywhere in the U.S. and even in the world, as long as they are supervised by an ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and meet the supervision requirements.

*ASHA stands for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Supervision requirements

In addition to being ASHA certified, SLP supervisors must meet two more criteria. These are:

• Have completed a minimum of nine months of practice experience post-certification, and
• Have earned at least two hours of professional development post-certification (one-time requirement) in the area of supervision and/or clinical instruction

Some externship placements may have additional requirements for supervisors, such as a minimum length of employment with the facility before they can supervise.

Reasons for doing away externships in SLP

There are several reasons I have found for graduate students wanting to complete an externship away from their local university. These reasons are that they want a specific city, setting, population, or site experience.

These are all great reasons for looking for an away externship. Universities have different ways of placing students locally for externships. Some may place them directly while others have the student find their own placement. However, doing an away externship will increase the possibilities and give you a chance to control the setting.

If you know you want to move to a specific city or state after graduation, doing an externship in that area will help you get your foot in the door. It will also help you meet state requirements. Some states, like North Carolina, New York, and California have additional requirements that programs in other areas may not be aware of.

If there is a specific site in which you want to do a CF, doing an externship with them also helps you get your foot in the door. A lot of externships lead to CFs or full-time jobs post CF completion.

Another reason I strongly recommend an away externship is if you want a specific setting or population. With programs that place students themselves, an away externship is the only sure way to get the type of setting you want (simply because there will be other students who want the same type of placement, which means there is more competition).

Things to consider

When looking for an away externship, there are several things I recommend you consider.

Other programs in the area– Looking for externships in areas that also have other programs means that there is more competition. If you have a specific city in mind, do a quick search on ASHA Ed Find to see what clinical graduate programs are in the area.

Start looking one year out– Some placements have an application process that starts one year out. Most don’t but it’s best to reach out as soon as possible and ask what the requirements are. You don’t want to miss a deadline.

Think about housing (both current and future)– You will want to think about your current housing situation and what you will need to do to move (such as finding someone to sublet your apartment). You will also need to find housing for the semester that you are away. Sometimes it can be difficult, or more expensive, to find short-term housing. Additionally, in the unlikely event that the away placement falls through, you may be on the line for rent.

Obligations on campus– Most programs should make accommodations if they allow you to do an away externship, but you will want to be sure that there is nothing you need to be on campus for, even as a one-off, like class, clinic, or tests.

Have a backup plan– It is rare that a placement falls through, but it does happen. A supervisor gets sick, breaks a leg, or takes an unexpected medical leave. If there isn’t another SLP on-site, that placement will no longer be a viable option. As you are researching away externship options, keep a list of contacts in case you need to follow up about backup options. It may feel uncomfortable to reach back to a site. However, I have seen several instances where a site was very understanding and welcomed the student (and was more than willing to help out).

 

What are the reasons you are considering an away externship? What locations are you considering? Let us know in the comments below.