For 23-year-old Jessica Ross from West Lothian, studying Speech and Language Therapy at Queen Margaret University is more than a career choice, it’s a chance to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. After completing a degree in neuroscience and volunteering in neurorehabilitation and stroke rehabilitation, Jessica discovered a passion for helping people regain their communication skills and confidence following trauma. Now undertaking her MSc at QMU, she is building the practical skills, knowledge and experience needed to pursue a career in adult acute care within NHS Scotland.
What interested you about speech and language therapy?
After graduating from university with a degree in neuroscience, I knew I wanted to work within the healthcare sector but wasn’t sure what that might look like, so I decided to explore the roles of Allied Healthcare Professionals. I started volunteering as a rehabilitation support volunteer, working with speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists to support people in neurorehabilitation and stroke rehabilitation. I loved the focus of meaningful, person-centred recovery, and working with these patients gave me an insight into how empowering it is to rebuild communication skills following trauma. This inspired me to explore what a career in speech and language therapy might look like, as I left the ward every week feeling like I was making a difference, which is something I really prioritise in my future career. As a patient person with a passion for caring for others, I loved the idea of working directly with people to support their recovery.
Why did you decide to study speech and language therapy at QMU?
I was inspired by the interactive nature of the course as I hoped that it would give me a chance to integrate my knowledge and skills to help others as a speech and language therapist. It was a big decision to make, but after I attended the online open evening multiple people told me that I would light up when talking about the course and so I applied! I had only heard good things about QMU from friends who were studying here, and I was keen to stay in Scotland for my further studies.
What do you most enjoy about your course at QMU? What has been the highlight so far?
I have really enjoyed my time on placement so far, as it is allowing me to apply the knowledge from lectures to real-life situations. Interacting with service users reminds me that I am doing this course to help people and motivates me to keep going even when things might get busy and overwhelming!
The course is constantly encouraging me to challenge my perceptions of the world, giving me new perspectives to consider. As a big advocate for person-centred care, I love that we are always thinking about how our knowledge can be used to give the best possible care to our service users. I am developing life skills like how to adapt my communication style, collaborative approaches to conversation, and considering how I can further integrate inclusivity into my personal and professional life.
How have your lecturers supported your learning?
The learning has been engaging, and you can tell that the lecturers really care about our experience. They create a safe space to explore ideas and ask questions and will often remind us that it’s okay if we don’t know everything as this is just the beginning of our journey as speech and language therapists. The team are all friendly and approachable and have taken the time to get to know us which really helps to build a supportive environment.
As most staff have been practicing SLTs, or are still in practice part time, they are able to relate their teaching to clinical experience which really helps to tie it all together. Their anecdotes and advice help us to apply our knowledge, and it reminds me that we are not just learning this to pass an exam!
The staff have all been very responsive to any feedback, which has been really appreciated and shows how dedicated they are in supporting our learning experience.
What has been the most valuable lesson that you have learned at QMU so far?
Learning doesn’t just look like taking notes in a lecture hall. Through my assignments, seminars, and placements I have gained confidence in my ability to convey information, developed my understanding of how to clinically apply my knowledge, and think critically about how the information given to us in our lectures translates to the wider world of SLT. It has reminded me that learning can be fun and exciting and encourages me to feed my curiosity beyond the classroom! The course has also given me a wonderful opportunity to learn more about myself and the speech and language therapist I want to be. Although the course is 2 years long, my learning journey will not end with my final exams, which I think is really important to remember.
Have you been a part of any extracurricular programmes during your time as a student at QMU? If so, how has it helped you develop skills and experience?
I volunteered to be class representative for my cohort, as I was keen to develop my confidence in giving feedback and being part of a wider discussion around what it is like to be on the course. Advocacy is a big part of speech and language therapy, and so it was important to me that I took this opportunity to act as an advocate for my classmates as this is an invaluable skill I will continue to develop in practice. It has been eye opening to be engaged in conversations with staff, peers and soon-to-be colleagues about the wider world of speech and language therapy and how we can all help to shape it.
I have also volunteered at some of the postgraduate open evening events, where I share my experience with prospective students and answer any questions they may have. This has helped me to develop confidence and reflect on my time as a speech and language therapy student so far, something which is very important for personal and professional growth!
What’s your ‘top tip’ for making the most of being a student?
Talk to as many people as you can! As I knew coming into the course that everyone would have different undergraduate backgrounds and experience, initially I felt a little intimidated and worried that I wouldn’t know as much as others. However, I have shifted that mindset to focus on how lucky I am to have so many knowledgeable, interesting people around me that I can learn from! Something that I have found to be really inspiring is how much you can tell that the teaching staff truly love the profession, this positivity is infectious and hearing them talk about their careers with so much passion makes me excited to see what is in store for me.
What are your plans after graduation? Tell us about your ambitions and where you see yourself in the future?
I found volunteering within NHS Scotland incredibly rewarding, and I am keen to explore a career in the NHS following this course. My passion is in adult acute care, and so I would love to get a job within a hospital environment in Scotland. Over time, my aim would be to specialise in neurorehabilitation, but I will just be happy to be helping people in whatever way I can!
Find out more about our Speech and Hearing Sciences postgraduate courses at QMU.
