York Profiles & Mentors

Holly D.

 
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About me

Holly D.
Psychology
Psychology
Undergraduate
Halifax
2015
United Kingdom

My employment

MSc
Speech and Language Therapy
University of Reading
United Kingdom
2016
2018

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University of Reading MSc Speech and Language Therapy student

How I looked for postgraduate options

After a visit from a therapist on careers day I knew that there were only a few Universities (12 I believe) who provided a Masters course for speech therapy students. They all have slightly different titles (some are not obviously named or are not listed as MSc programmes) so it required me to look into it further using the RCSLT website which is useful for finding establishments which provide training.

How I found out about the postgraduate place

Course provider website

The application process

Gaining a place on a MSc Speech Therapy course is difficult. Some Universities will have over 250 students apply to their programme, however they only have 10-20 spaces which means it is very competitive. Typically, after sending off your application a small number of applicants will be invited for an interview. They typically decide who to take to interview by awarding points to different parts of the application (references, experience, personal statement) and those awarded the highest points are invited along. At the interview days, depending on the University you would typically have a group and individual interview and in some cases a written exercise. It is so important not to underestimate the value of work experience and I know this from experience. I've been through the application process for two years to try to gain a place on a SLT course, and the first time I was unsuccessful due to a lack of specific experience. I had some experience volunteering with Dementia patients, children with learning difficulties and had a week's work shadowing placement with an NHS SLT in an NHS ward, but this was still not enough. I struggled to really apply what I had learnt on these placements to a future career in speech therapy. I made my second bunch of applications the following year after working in an SEN school and could apply concrete examples of practice used in my school to help children, to the questions they asked me and I was much more successful. Therefore, my advice for the interview would be to really reflect on what you have learnt from your work experience placements -- think of different scenarios and examples where you have had contact with individuals with speech and language difficulties and what you did or could have done to help them. If you already have a few responses practiced, it is much easier to answer their questions without getting too stressed.

Why I continued studying

I really enjoy learning and studying. My undergraduate experience at York was fantastic and I felt that I wasn't finished in Education. After numerous searches for potential career options for a Psych graduate, I discovered speech therapy. This seemed like the perfect option for me, as it incorporated my favourite areas of research and required additional study to qualify as a therapist.

What my course is like

I will start my course at the University of Reading in September 2016 after taking a year to work in an SEN School, to gain more experience with individuals with speech difficulties. After starting the course, I will update this section to give you more of an insight into how I have found the course.

How I have funded my studies

My course will be funded by NHS Bursaries who pay my tuition fees as well as providing a living allowance grant. I was very fortunate to be able to make use of this scheme as this will no longer be an option for students from 2017.

What I like most

I will update this when I have started the course.

What I like least

I will update this when I have started the course.

What surprised me most

I will update this when I have started the course.

My advice to students considering further study

If you are interested in speech and language therapy as a career path, try to get as much varied experience as you can within the field (both with children and the elderly) and this will really help you with your application.

Next steps...

If you like the look of Holly’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Holly a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Holly to be your mentor.

Contact Holly

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