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Clinical Participation Requirements

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Experience innovative clinical education. Our program does not have a traditional university Speech & Hearing Clinic. Instead student clinicians participate in clinical education in the CSD Department Clinical Network, a collection of community-based sites where students work with department faculty to acquire Basic Clinical Competencies and Core Clinical Skills. The CSD Network includes a variety of different adult sites including UPMC Passavant Hospital, UPMC Eye & Ear Institute, VA Medical Center of Pittsburgh and the UPMC Center for Assistive Technology. Pediatric sites in the Network include Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Public Schools, as well as early intervention agencies providing services to infants and toddlers.

In their second year students transition to Outplacement Practicum for more advanced practicum experiences. We are affiliated with an extensive number of agencies throughout western Pennsylvania where our students are placed. Over 40 sites provide clinical education to AuD students, with more than 85 sites providing clinical education to speech/language student clinicians. Students have opportunities to acquire clinical competencies with patients who have varying types of communication disorders across the life span of ages. They work in a wide range of settings including hospitals (acute and rehabilitation centers), skilled nursing facilities, schools, private practice agencies, home-based services, and specialty clinics.  

Our students learn to provide speech/language pathology and audiology services in real-world settings from day one of their graduate program. They are prepared to meet the challenges of service delivery in the 21st century, moving smoothly into employment at the end of their graduate program. 

 

*The University of Pittsburgh requires that all affiliates on all campuses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption. This policy applies to all faculty, staff, students and postdocs. This program also requires students to complete clinical education at facilities external to the university.  Many SHRS clinical partners require employees, trainees and students to be compliant with the federal vaccination requirement. This includes providing proof of vaccination or exemption to the clinical site. Failure to comply with this requirement for clinical partners may preclude the student from completing the clinical requirements of this program. Some of our clinical partners will not permit students to complete clinical rotations without proof of vaccination and will not accept exemptions.