Thanks!

Hi everyone!
Thank you so much for your support and encouragement over Comps week! I know that this semester must be crazy for you, so it really meant a lot to us that you took the time to help decorate and remind us that you care. And I also got some good feedback about this blog, so that also encourages me to keep writing :-)

Just another thing to mention before I wrap up about Children's Memorial. My apartment is officially spoken for! Yay!

Alrighty, well my final eval was on my last day, March 3rd. They used the KASA form that Dr Louko emailed them. It seems we are required to have at least all 4's on the KASA to pass, and I did! Yay again! :-) I was more worried about the inpatient setting one, since (as you all know) I had been observing most of the time. But that was OK - Laura said I got to where she expected me to be for it being my first experience in that setting, and having only been there part-time. That is, I got mostly 4's and some 5's. That's more than I hoped for! I got mostly 5's from Denise. It's weird to think that they feel I am competent enough to be (practically) independent at this point. I certainly don't feel that way! They also got me a gift - bath/shower relaxant stuff! haha - they said it's because (and this was their only constructive criticism for me) I always seemed stressed and frustrated with myself for not knowing something (which was true), and that I need to know that everyone, even people who have been doing this for 15 years, has times when they don't know something. And I should also remember that if I did know everything, I shouldn't be there.

I'm glad I got something for them, too (everything from advanceonline shop). I got Laura a bib that says "Watch what you say! My Mom's an SLP" ... which reminds me I should contact the clinic and see if her baby's been born yet! I got Denise a picture frame that says "Speech: we have ways of making you talk". I also got them magnets that displays a poem about amazing women and miracles. I gave the same magnets to the other SLPs in the department who let me shadow them and see patients with them, taught me, and even let me do some of the dx or tx. Except for the one man in the department. For him, I got an oven mit that says "SLPs are HOT". He loves it :-)

My overall impression of the SLP dept in CMMC is that it is full of very loving, kind women (and a man), who have a ton of patience (for patients and students!) and values learning and sharing their knowledge. I respect and admire them to the core. As for my experience there - priceless. I can't believe they let me observe as much as they did - that is, other occupations or doctors, other SLPs, etc. I learned something every day, every patient.

Now, for the next placement, all i know is that I should show up at 7:30am at UIC hospital. I'm supposed to get a lab coat, but I dont' remember if it's supposed to be long or short. I called my supervisor, Kim, and she hasn't responded. I think I'll wear regular clothes while I travel there, and take the blue scrubs they gave me in a separate bag. I hope it's OK if I show up without a white coat. I'm so surprised that I have to get my own. Well, we'll see! I'm excited to start after hearing about so many other people's great experiences at adult hospitals.