On this episode of Swallow Your Pride, we are talking about what SLPD is the SLPD, and who is it actually for? Theresa sits down with four speech-language pathologists who pursued the clinical doctorate while working full time, raising families, and staying deeply rooted in patient care. Dr. Erin McCarthy (D’Youville University / Northwestern), Dr. Irene Brettman (Mass General / MGH Institute), Dr. D’Anna Nowack (Baylor University / Nova Southeastern), and Dr. Courtney V. Moore (Rocky Mountain University) share why they chose the SLPD over the PhD or EdD, what the programs actually cover (hint: way more than you’d expect), and how the degree changed their career trajectories in ways they didn’t see coming. They also break down the recent elimination of the CAA’s 51% faculty rule and what that means for clinician-educators across the country. Whether you’re considering an advanced degree or just curious about what the SLPD brings to the table, this one’s worth your time.
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References Mentioned:
Sylvan, L., & Becker, R. (2022). Understanding the Experiences of Students Within Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology Programs: Perceptions About Their Educational Experiences. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 7(4), 1087–1105. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_PERSP-22-00025
Tucker, D. A., Compton, M. V., Allen, S. J., Mayo, R., Hooper, C., Ogletree, B., Flynn, P., Frazier, A., & McMurry, S. (2020). Exploring Barriers to Doctoral Education in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Insights from Practicing Professionals. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 5(6), 1552–1563. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_PERSP-20-00019
Dr. Courtney Moore is the Assistant Program Director at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. He has over 15 years of clinical experience and completed his capstone in the area of dysphagia care for acute stroke patients.
D’Anna Nowack SLP.D CCC/SLP, CBIS is a certified speech-language pathologist who has provided services in the neurorehabilitation industry for over 25 years and currently is an Assistant Clinical Professor/Assistant Clinical Director for the Baylor Online Program. She has completed her degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, Lamar University, and Nova Southeastern University. She has extensive experience in a variety of adult settings, including inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, acute care, and long-term care adult neuro rehabilitation with a focus on dysphagia, motor speech and adult neurocognitive disorders. Her doctoral dissertation was on evidenced-based practice in the medical setting.
Irene Brettman, SLP.D., CCC-SLP, is an inpatient acute and outpatient medical speech and language pathologist in Boston, MA, and an instructor in the MS and SLPD programs at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Her clinical and scholarly interests include dysphagia and aphasia within the adult neurogenic population, telemedicine, cultural humility in medical speech-language pathology, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. She also holds various adjunct lecturer positions in Massachusetts and Maine-based undergraduate and graduate CSD programs.
Dr. Erin McCarthy is the Director of Clinical Education for the graduate level Speech-Language Pathology program at D’Youville University as well as the owner and Executive Director of Rochester Feeding & Swallowing Therapy in Rochester, NY. She earned her Clinical Doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology from Northwestern University in 2022. Dr. McCarthy is a Board-Certified Specialist in Swallowing disorders. She is a consultant and an expert-matter speaker for Stryker Medical Company and has presented at the regional, state and national level. Her clinical focus areas are in pediatric dysphagia, adult neurogenic acquired swallowing disorders, post-extubation dysphagia, utilizing orofacial myofunctional therapy as a treatment modality with patients experiencing dysphagia as well as examining the impact that oral care has on the incidence rate of non-ventilator hospital acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP).
