The fourth year students of the SLP Department of the UST-CRS,  once again extended this practice by embarking upon an excursion which focused on both the betterment of those in need and for the acquisition of invaluable knowledge and experience that they would require as future Speech Language Pathologist. The target of this particular community development activity was the St. Teresa Jornet Little Sisters Home for the Abandoned Elderly; a perfect little quaint nursing home which houses over a hundred elderly women, each with their own quirks and interesting stories to tell. The facility itself could be divided into four areas; the living quarters, the mess, the chapel and the main hall.  The living quarters, situated in the centremost area of the compound, is a multi-levelled dormitory styled living structure starting at the second floor of the main building. It has the basic accommodations expected, a bunk and drawers for the inhabitant’s possessions, and each room accommodating two to three residents at a time. The chapel was situated to one end of the compound as to prevent any noise from the living quarters, or revelry from the main hall, to snake its way into the solemn environment expected of a chapel. The mess was situated behind the main hall, filled with tables and chairs and looking quite similar to high school cafeteria, it was where the residents retreated to for their afternoon snack after our visit. The main hall, which is situated right below the living quarters, bordered by the levels of the dormitories, allowing all from above to peer down from their lofty balconied heights, was where all things recreational occur. In fact, this was where us SLP students conducted both our evaluation of the elderly occupants of the facility as well as our prepared program of games and singing, as to rile up the spirits of our immediate patients in such a way as to invigorate them for our more probing and clinical inquiries. 

The SLPs, which both acted as entertainer, host and contestant, riled up the residents which competed with one another in a game ‘Hip-Hip-Hurray’ which culminated with a tie between two of the residents, who outlasted their spryer competitors. Afterwards, the singers of the class had their fun serenading the elderly ladies, whom enjoy it greatly, even cheering for more or joining in and calling out song names to be performed, in hopes that their visitors would humour them, which, to their credit, us SLPs did, singing Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” at the request of one of the ladies, resulting in an admirable attempt. They even showed us what they could do by singing a song of their own.  

The atmosphere was warm there, it honestly felt as if we were wanted, as if our presence was some form of relief from the humdrum routine they were far too accustomed to during a daily basis. This is noteworthy as it somewhat, at least to me, made interacting with them easier, which in turn made eliciting vital information from them easier as well. They almost seemed to have no hesitation from sharing aspects of their former lives, in some sense it even felt as if they were keen to do so. They would converse about who they were, how they ended up in the facility, how much, or little, they enjoyed the food, and other funny anecdote from their lives, either about them or the people they’ve come to know around them. Though I can only speak for myself, it made the experience almost pleasurable, like visiting your own grandmother, especially since all the residents were all so fun loving and honestly just as curious about us as we were about them, to the point that pressure to succeed and to constantly excel almost washed away, making it feel almost natural and routine.

Current 5^th year batch representative Marielle Longno, and last school year’s external vice president Camille Marcelino represented the Speech-Language Pathology Department in the Global Intern Exchange (GIE) program for Seton Hall University, New Jersey, last November 2-30, 2017. Both interns were supervised by assistant dean, Asst. Prof. Ma. Georgina D. Mojica, CSP-PASP, MHPEd, and were accompanied by interns from the other programs of the College of Rehabilitation Sciences.

A sought-after GIE track, Seton Hall University is one of the department’s partner institutions that receive a good number of applicants every year. Being chosen is not an easy feat, and both Marielle and Camille recalled having a difficult time processing papers such as pre-departure requirements for the school, for CHED, and for their visa. Camille who was only encouraged to apply by a friend, shared that it was difficult to rush all the appointments that she had to include in her tight schedule. Marielle therefore advises future applicants to send in their requirements early and prepare ahead of time to avoid encountering problems before the trip. 

The program was a combination of both academic and clinical duties, which required the interns to attend classes focusing on research, language, geriatrics, hearing, and phonetics while in the University. Marielle shared that although they had less patient-related paperwork, they still had after-program requirements, such as a magazine that they had to submit. Unlike in other rotations, they were only allowed to observe patients and were assigned to SLP clinics catering to both geriatric and pediatric population. 

“Rarely do you see a specialized clinic with only SLPs as their focus. Since our practice is based on theirs, the diagnosis and treatment protocols are similar. Research is given importance in their classes as this is the bases for their practice, and it’s good to encourage the students to engage in researches for the improvement of the profession,” said Camille.

Having the opportunity to observe the graduate program, Marielle noticed that topics were similar to those taught in the 3^rd and 4^th year classes, and joked that the only difference was that students used laptops and Wifi was fast and accessible. 

 “The big differences were the fact that formal tests were really used as these are applicable to them, health insurance covers most of their therapy, and child-directed therapy is key,” said Marielle.  

The CRS-SLP Department has built its curriculum to be similar to that of the US-based practice, and the SLP Laboratory has a collection of formal tests which are accessible to students and interns. The Philippines has yet to incorporate therapy fees into health insurance coverage to make it more available for other patients.

During the weekends, the two interns get a break to spend time with their family and have some free time to enjoy their stay in the US. When asked on their most memorable experiences, Marielle said that she mostly three things: the food, Ma’am Gigi, and Thanksgiving weekend (shopping galore). 

“It was fun playing with the kids and talking to the adults during the session. My favorite moment would probably be when one of our kids said he likes us and he would want us to stay,” said Camille. 

On Self-discovery and Learning 

Internship year emphasizes growth and fulfillment for the students as they transition from the school setting to the real world. For Marielle, the program became an avenue for self-discovery. She was able to gain the value of patience and learned how to be flexible, which she was able to utilize from processing their papers, to their 24-hour delayed flight.

“Believe in yourself and in your knowledge and skills as a clinician. Anything can happen in life - you have to take it in a positive note because it’s either you enjoy it or you learn from it,” said Marielle.

The same goes for Camille, the experience serving as a break to evaluate her performance and goals. It also gave her a confidence boost as she shared that her biggest challenge was overcoming the language barrier. Her solution was to trust herself, which became her anchor throughout the trip.

“I entered internship with all the doubts in my head and it affected my performance as a clinician. I realized that I can never be prepared for anything and I just have to believe in myself because the University has prepared me to be a great clinician,” said Camille. 

Located at South Orange, New Jersey, Seton Hall University offers a programs for Speech-Language Pathology and is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Last year, interns Nana and Eya Uy were chosen to represent the SLP Department for the GIE track. – Vianca A. Ocampo 

Photos were received from Marielle Longno and taken from Camille Marcelino’s Facebook page.