Mature students in Speech and language therapy

geminilady

I would love to do Speech and Language Therapy but the points is a bit on an obstacle i was thinking of applying to arts and do psychology then do the post grad in UL. Did anyone do this? or how did you enter Speech and Language Therapy as a mature student? Is the course really hard? I don't really like english at school but i know i would love the career, i done work experience but was wondering is it like leaving cert English, or more about like linguistics?


Thanks so much
Any information gladly appreciated!

acuv

Hi, firstly im not a speech & language therapist but can give u a little info.

-My advice would be that if u dont think you will get the points, you should apply to the UK. They have loads of universities offering this course and the entry requirments are not as high, also its only 3 yrs compared to the 4yr courses here. Doing a 3 yr degree in psychology and then an additional 3/4 yrs in S&L, would be a long slog especially financially.

I fell 40 points short of radiography in ucd in my lcert, so i studied science instead with a view to graduated entry but i couldnt stick it, it wasnt what i wanted to do so I got a job and the following yr i applied through cao again hoping to get in on 3/4th round but didnt get a place so I went straight to the uk the following yr to study radiography.:eek: (was 23yrs old starting)
(Having repeated my L.cert!!)

If you really want this course, I would strongly suggest considering the UK as opposed to a 6yr slog but only you know. You would surprised at the number of irish students studing health professions over there!):) Also at the university I studied in, all allied health profession students, rad, physio, pharmacy. occ therapy, nursing students are EXEMPT from tuition fees!
This I think may be the case of all others too I would assume. You can also apply for a maintanance grant for ur local vec, county council.....

If you havent had any direct experience in the field, go to your local hospital and ask to spend a day with the team, this will give u all the info u will ever need about the job and the course. Also if u have to do an interview, u will be ask did u spend time ina dept, etc...
I cant give u any info on the job or course but we work regularly with the speech & language therapists doing video swallows. This involves the patient(adults & young children) swallowing a white dye , we then xray in real time their oesphagus and watch their swallow mechanism which can show things like narrowing etc, which may be affecting their speech/swallow which is then assessed by the therapist. They also work with stroke patients i believe.

You can also email the place like ucc tcd etc who offer the course and ask for the course syllabus.

Hope this is of some help to you, i know its prob not what u asked but degree courses are difficult enough as it is and to finish 1 degree and to go straight into another when you were only interested in one job could be very taxing both mentally and financially.
Good luck

geminilady

Thanks so much great help! (:

geminilady

any 1 wit any more advice would be gladly appreciated!