We are very pleased to announce that Marcia Goldbach has joined the ACCE team as of April 4, 2022.
Marcia is a graduate of SASS from 2015 and comes to us from VCH Audiology -Vancouver Community. She also has a PhD in Audiology/SLP from the Universidade Estácio de Sá (Estácio de Sá University) in Brazil and also was a faculty member at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro-Brazil for 15 years.
Please join us in a warm welcome to Marcia.
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This is a two part series on the benefits of being a Clinical Educator (CE) from the perspective of a CE. This issue, we will focus on the Speech-Language Pathology perspective with the Clinical Educator team at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital: Kimberly Beerman, Shane Lin, Erika Taylor, Holly Duffy, and Robin Gillmor.
How long have you been taking UBC SASS students?
This current Nanaimo Hospital SLP team has been taking UBC SLP students since spring 2018. But previous team members have been taking students for much longer. We usually take students in pairs (2 clinical educators, 1 student). We started this when we were newer clinicians and continued as we love the collaboration, and it is a way to balance our caseloads. It also allows skills development and decreases stress while having a student as we still have relatively new clinicians as part of our team.
What has been something you’ve learned from mentoring UBC SASS students?
We always learn a lot and love this part of having students. They bring what they’ve been learning in school and that can spark some good conversations. Through mutual curiosity and learning, we can delve into new evidence and evolving best practices.
Through mentoring students, we have both learned a lot about our own preferred teaching/learning styles, which have changed over time. We have learned to adapt and be open to how our students learn best, meet them where they are and try to help them learn in a way that works best for them. It’s been interesting to try out different methods and challenge ourselves to develop and hone our skills. We know that our field is changing quickly and it’s ok not to have all the answers. We think it is important to show students this, look things up together, ask our colleagues and mentors, and check the latest research when we have questions.
Can you tell us about a time that pleasantly surprised you while supervising a UBC SASS student?
We like to be surprised by the students here but in general the UBC students have been excellent. It has been fun to just see them grow, learn and apply things so quickly. When students go from asking hesitant questions, watching us model therapy or assessment skills, to trying them themselves and building confidence and success as they go is so fun! We love collaborating with the students we have because often their fresh ideas spark new therapy possibilities, material development and more.
We have also enjoyed sharing students with other allied health, pharmacy and nursing colleagues. This provides reciprocal learning opportunities for students and time to start to understand the lens of other professionals they may work with in the future. The feedback we get from our colleagues when they have our students for observational days has been great – they ask good questions and also inspire them to keep teaching and mentoring. We feel the same when we have their students.
What would you recommend to new CEs considering taking a UBC SASS student?
We both agree that taking students is one of the best parts of our job, and a great way to give back to the profession. If it seems intimidating, explore opportunities to share students with a colleague who can help provide some mentorship to you as a new CE – we still do this and love getting to collaborate with a colleague or 2 during the time we have a student. It helps us learn a lot, gives the student a dynamic placement with multiple perspectives and personalities (there is never just one way to do something), and it gives us time to continue with our clinical caseloads. Our colleagues also enjoy the excitement of having a student, sharing their knowledge and talking about our profession, heath care and work life balance.
The UBC student placement team is a wonderful resource as well who will be there to support you. There are many educational opportunities available, people to ask questions to when needed, and they provide feedback to help you learn in a supportive way! Who knows, maybe the next student you mentor becomes the next member of your team (actually though), and if not, you have made a connection to a future colleague even if from a distance!
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The School of Audiology and Speech Sciences is honoured to announce the recipients of the Awards for Excellence in Clinical Education for 2021.
Jeffrey Rowell received the Elizabeth MacLeod Award for Excellence in Clinical Education (Speech-Language Pathology) for 2021. Jeff practices at Surrey Memorial Hospital. The School would like to recognize Jeff for his longstanding commitment to clinical education, and specifically for the support and generosity he demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic: lockdowns, delays, cancellations, outbreaks – none of it phased Jeff and he kept delivering, despite the challenges and uncertainties at this time. His students describe him as an exceptional teacher who fosters confidence and allows a safe place to learn, to grow, make mistakes and learn some more! Jeff encouraged his students to consider the hard questions, prepare for professional life and practice, and to seek an evidence base for their clinical practice. He is described as an Ambassador for the profession and we are honoured to recognize him for his contributions.
Dr. Charlotte Douglas received the Noelle Lamb Award for Excellence in Clinical Education (Audiology) for 2021. Charlotte worked for many years at the Saskatoon Health Authority before establishing her own practice at Hear2Understand Audiology Services in 2018. Charlotte has been a dedicated Clinical Faculty member for many years and has consistently offered to supervise students every year. With special clinical interests in early hearing loss detection, auditory processing, and tinnitus, UBC students have consistently pointed to the wealth of learning experiences they received with her as their mentor. Charlotte also eagerly stepped up to help develop and run an online clinical education program for our SLP students when we needed to make urgent changes to our SLP minor clinical experience in the early days of the pandemic. We greatly appreciate Charlotte's many years of support to our students and the UBC program.
The faculty and administration of the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences are pleased to have the opportunity to recognize Jeff and Charlotte for their many contributions to the School’s clinical education program, and would like to extend sincere congratulations to them both.
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On Monday, May 16, 140 participants from all over Canada attended the School’s first virtual Clinical Educator Engagement event! This event was organized by our Clinical Faculty Representatives, Rachel Kennedy (SLP) and Li Qi (Audiology), and Clinical Practicum Coordinator, Cheryl McGee. One of the primary goals of this event was to provide support to potential and new Clinical Educators, but anyone from our amazing Clinical Community was invited to attend.
Along with Rachel and Li, four SASS Clinical Faculty members who have experience supervising students answered engaging questions in an interactive format:
- Henry Lam – Audiologist, Sonaris Ear Center, Burnaby
- Margret Orme – Audiologist, Connect Hearing, Victoria
- Tracey Sing – Speech-Language Pathologist, Burnaby School district
- Becca Yu – Speech-Language Pathologist, Citadel Speech and Language Services Inc.
Some of the topics that were discussed included:
- What is one piece of advice you would share with potential or relatively new Clinical Educators who think they are not ready to supervise students?
- This will be my first time taking a student and I have a very busy schedule. How do I manage my time to include feedback and conversation with the student?
- Where can Clinical Educators find training and resources about student supervision?
Among the participants, 50% had mentored graduate students before and 50% had not. 83% of the attendees were Speech-Language Pathologists, 18% were Audiologists and 4% were Managers or Team Leads.
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Due to the keen interest we received from our Clinical Community and the resounding success of this first meeting, events like this one will definitely continue.
For those that were unable to attend the event, the video recording and materials can be found at this link:
https://clinicaled.audiospeech.ubc.ca/events/event/clinical-educator-engagement-event-may-16-2022/
To complete the event evaluation survey, please go to:
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9QCbOpRS3qRpTGm.
If your site or team would like a virtual Outreach meeting to talk more about Clinical Education and supervising students, contact Cheryl at cheryl.mcgee@audiospeech.ubc.ca.
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Brent McNeill, a long serving Audiologist in our BC community, passed away on March 5, 2022.
Brent was awarded the Noelle Lamb Excellence in Clinical Education Award in 2010. He will be remembered for his kindness, mentorship, and dedication to the audiology community.
To read the full post, click here: https://audiospeech.ubc.ca/in-memoriam-brent-mcneill/
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Dr. Sigfrid (Sig) Soli, an esteemed colleague, adjunct professor, and collaborator, passed away on April 11, 2022. He will be remembered for his sharp mind, and his kind and supportive attitude.
To read the full post, click here: https://audiospeech.ubc.ca/in-memoriam-dr-sigfrid-soli/
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Our graduating Audiology students participated in hands-on cerumen management training on May 3, 2022. The training was offered by Pacific Audiology Group and we are grateful to our sponsors Oticon Canada and Diatec Canada for making this day possible. Our students are one step closer to achieving this advanced competency and being able to provide this important service as they begin their careers!
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From Pacific Audiology Group, Dan Paccioretti, with UBC SASS Audiology students, Kaitlyn and Serene.
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Ever wonder what your students are thinking? We do too. This returning, two-part series explores the student perspective on being out on externship during the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked the students What advice would you give new students entering placements for the first time?
Lauren, Year 2 Audiology Student: I would encourage students to embrace the learning opportunities that come from asking questions, making mistakes, or being unsure during their externships. It can be uncomfortable at first because everything is unfamiliar and you’re unsure of yourself. But it’s important to remember that these moments are great opportunities for growth. Learn from your supervisor’s experience and expertise and be open-minded to all of the things you’ll learn from the clients and families you work with. Your externship experience will become more and more positive with each week. You’ll learn so much over the course of your placements that will help you to grow into a wonderful new clinician!
Michelle, Year 2 Speech Student: A positive attitude and effective communication will greatly improve the placement experience for you, your clinical educator and your clients. Let your clinical educator know how thankful you are for the opportunity, and build rapport with your clients. Be prepared to learn and work hard, but rest assured that you are not expected to know everything before placement starts. Feel free to reach out to second year students who have had similar placements to ask for specific advice.
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Thank you to our Donors
With the generous annual support from our donors, this year we were able to support 11 Audiology students and 20 SLP students with their externship relocation expenses for accommodation and travel. Some of these relocations include Whitehorse, Haida Gwaii, Red Deer, Cranbrook, Kitimat, Trail, Calgary, Edmonton, Camrose, Ponoka, Nanaimo, Vernon and Revelstoke.
On behalf of our students and School, we send our deep gratitude to the supporters below. Because of you, our students will be better supported to learn in these communities.
- Bike Aksu (the estate of Dr. Judith Johnston)
- BC Early Hearing Program
- Elaine Clemons Externship Fund
- Speech and Hearing BC
- SASS Externship Fund (alumni and community donors)
- Oticon
- Marshall Chasin
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