I finished up my second week as a CF on Wednesday, and spent the next three days at the beach.
While relaxing on the beach, my main mission was to get as little sand on me as possible. I’m weird, I know. But I also took time to reflect on my second week.
Here’s what I learned:
Asking Questions... Where to Start?
In my first two weeks, I heard multiple times that: “If you have any questions, let me know”. It’s helpful to hear and reassuring. However, every time I thought… what are my questions? This inner anxiety brings me to my first lesson.
CFY Lesson 2.1: Questions Take Time
In my first two weeks, I could not figure out what my questions were. I learned a lot of new information by reading and working with my supervisor. But I didn’t know what I wanted to ask about. I realized that was okay. Just like with anatomy, I need time to conceptualize new information by actually treating patients. Then, I think that will help me develop my gaps in knowledge.
Asking Questions... Communication is Different
As a CF, you are a full time employee. You have your own caseload. You really get to know your patients. However, of course, questions come up. I see a big difference from when I asked questions in graduate school to now.
CFY Lesson 2.2: Questions Are Collaborative
The difference from a lot of externships is that questions are answered collaboratively. For me, when I ask a question, we discuss the answer together. I am not the only one gaining knowledge. It is really a conversation versus a teaching most of the time. And I love that!
What Does Your Experience Bring to the Table?
As you start your CF, you may feel unsure about your experience. Are you ready? Does your experience count? Does it contribute to the knowledge you can provide your patients. These questions are all valid, and the answer to all of them is most definitely, YES!
CFY Lesson 2.3: Your Experience Is Valuable
In my first week, I shared my work experience related to being an SLP. I kindly shared my past experiences that I know prepare me and guide me. They help me make confident and helpful decisions for my patients. While my experience wasn’t validated, I reminded myself, as did my supervisor, that my experience, whether it was in the SLP field or not, counts and is important. That’s something I think every CF needs to remember. We all may have worked in some position outside of graduate school that wasn’t SLP work, but working with people that need SLPs. The reality for us is that we can’t work as full SLPs until we get a degree. So we take the experience we can get. That experience is valuable and important. It is the building blocks to understanding different communication disorders. I cannot stress enough how important everything we do up until becoming SLPs is. I think back on my previous jobs almost every day I’m working, if not multiple times a day.
Thinking About the Endgame
Not the Avengers Endgame, but your clinical endgame. While in graduate school, SLP students likely see one or patients for 3 months at a time, and only stay in an internship for that amount of time as well. We rarely see a patient from assessment to discharge, except in a hospital. As a CF, I am starting to think more about the whole process of treatment.
CFY Lesson 2.4: Continuous Progress
Depending on your setting, you may start to see patients for longer than you ever have before. You may get to evaluate, create goals, and do therapy with a patient. You are the one who sees their progress over time. This is a new skill that comes into play as a CF. We start to evaluate our patients progress with our goals and tweak or remove them as needed. It’s really excited, but also a big learning curve. So this is a lesson I want to reflect on over the next 9 months.
I hope these CFY lessons made sense to you all. If they help you prepare for your CF and reduce anxiety, I achieved my goal. What lessons have you learned in your CFY? Comment below!
For more SLP content, visit my SLP page for blog posts, videos and more! Make sure to read last week’s CFY lessons too!
