1. Medical and School Externships 2018
Part 1

2. Attendance: This is a ten week full-time externship.
Students can miss a maximum of three approved sick days.
Do call in sick if you are too sick to work.
Let Sara /Elise know ASAP that you are not at your site.
You must mirror the schedule of the SLP you are assigned to. Arrive ten minutes before and leave as they leave or after.
Please do not request a change.
If you ask your SLP if you can arrive later (to drop kids off at school) they will likely say yes but that is not meeting the full requirement of the externship. You must arrive ten minutes before and leave as late or later.
Plan to have personal appointments outside of work times for this ten week period.
Any change from a mirrored schedule must be approved by Elise /Sara. An unapproved change will result in termination of the practicum.
This is the one area that seems to be an issue for someone each year. Please listen carefully and follow.
If your SLP does bus duty every morning on the sidewalk in front of the school – where should you be? If your SLP rounds with Neuro team at 7:00 am – where should you be?

3. Hurdles?
Students do report that externships are hard at first. (Typically students feel the most stressed in weeks 2-5.)
Working at something you are learning is exhausting in the beginning. Working 8 hours a day as a therapist will be new.
Going from 6-8 clients to 70 clients is a huge jump.
Know that it is normal to feel like it is a challenge.
Embrace that you will have to do things differently.
Take good care of yourself – wash hands, use hand sanitizer, rest, eat well, exercise, etc…

4. Efficiency
Making the jump from a small caseload to a larger one is always a challenge but you can do things to make it easier.
Don’t let things stack up. Be proactive – anticipate what is needed instead of waiting to be asked or to find out.
Use all time at work to work. Plan to work before the students/clients arrive and for several hours after they leave.
Strive to do the bulk of your planning at work.
Use pre-fab materials.
Won’t happen right away.

5. What to expect from UO supervisor.
Possible site visit.
If local may visit once. We will work together to arrange a time.
If within 150 miles may visit once and will make (possibly phone) contacts.
If outside the state or over 150 miles will not visit but will make and phone (if desired) contacts.
Will all students and cooperating SLP(s) at beginning , middle and end.
Students will know what is sent to cooperating professionals.

6. Professionalism
Recognize efforts being made on your behalf – your cooperating SLP is working longer/harder because you are there.
Bring paper and pen.
Take notes when your SLP gives you important information.
Communicate, communicate, communicate – with your co- operating SLP, UO folks, other professionals, etc…
This is the time to share “professionally” not “personally”
Follow clinic dress code – even if no one else does.

7. Professionalism cont. 5. Use proper grammatical models.
6. Expect to have homework.
7. Do not work on EBP at your site or allow your work on EBP to affect your performance.
8. Check and text messages only at break times. Phone away at all other times.
9. Think about future ramifications.
10. Say thank you.