Professional Development: Building Clinicians from the Ground Up

By: Lauren Tra

At the University of Memphis, students have the opportunity to take a class with their fellow incoming students centered around the graduate-school experience. This class covers topics that are relevant to the exciting, yet daunting life transition these new students have stepped into. Students learn how to sharpen their professional skills, effectively manage time, and effectively communicate and learn with different types of people. This class was created by Dr. Jennifer Taylor, who serves as the Associate Dean of Academic Programs. Here, students can unpack the struggles from the week, their victories, and everything in between. Dr. Taylor engages students in fun, multi-modal exercises, while students have dedicated time to reflect on another week in graduate school and plan for the week to come.  

The course is specific to the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the nuanced challenges students encounter in a clinical, post-secondary program. It was created as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when stressors felt particularly amplified. Dr. Taylor developed a course based on faculty and student concerns regarding student adjustment to graduate school. The course complements the support resources that are available through the university.

The topics that are covered in the class vary from year to year to reflect current events or challenges. The current topics include: Introduction to Graduate School, Effective Study Habits and Time Management, Professional Behavior and Developing Your Professional Skills, Self-Care, Building Resilience, and Burnout. Discussing these topics requires reflection that can be challenging, but Dr. Taylor hopes the students realize they are not alone and that they have colleagues who can support them. It is not uncommon that after a student shares a struggle they experienced, other students come forth to share their similar experiences. She hopes they recognize the incredible team we have within our school and university that are here to support them and help them grow—not only as clinicians, but as individuals. 

When asked about her favorite moments from teaching the course, Dr. Taylor shared, “I find understanding where the students come from, how they are thinking, the generational differences, and the connection I make with the students is so important. It allows me to adjust the course in real-time and become more effective at (responding to) what students are experiencing.  I also enjoy seeing the students understand they are not alone in many of their feelings.” Since the MA and AuD students do not share much coursework within their separate curricula, the course allows students to understand that they are growing the skills important to professionals who will work alongside each other in this program and their careers.

When self-doubt creeps in, the professional development course acts as a solid foundation for students to remind themselves that they have prepared for these moments before, and they have the resilience to push through them.