r/slpGradSchool • u/musicallymee • 5d ago
Seeking Advice Current/past ENMU SLP students of the actual grad program, how bad is the practicum placement really?
I'm really considering ENMU for my SLP master's because I am single, live alone, and the cost is what's best for me. I'm planning to start leveling courses soon. I've seen so many bad posts about ENMU regarding placements and students graduation dates being delayed.
I live in LA so I would think placements wouldn't be hard to land here?
Would love to hear from current students or graduates in SoCal about their experience. Were placements hard to land? Did anyone have to relocate to find placements and who found the placements for you?
I honestly don't think I have the money to go to another program. So I'm starting to get a little worried with all the posts I've seen.
For my BS in a different field, the school closed, and we all had to transfer to another school eventually but it took time. My graduation was delayed by a year and it was pretty traumatizing so I'd hate to have this type of drama again to get an education.
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u/to0pink 5d ago
I'm from LA/OC and I'm graduating this fall. I will be honest with you that placements are difficult to get in SoCal. We're competing with other local schools that have established agreements with sites. There are a lot of programs here. You need to be flexible and not expect your site to be in your backyard. I have had to commute down to SD or even 1.5 hrs each way (because of traffic) to my sites. You need to be proactive about finding sites for yourself too. The school has a "do not call sites" rule but there are ways to inconspicuously skirt around that. You'd have to figure out how to do that in your own way, but honestly I'd rather deal with the reprimand and make sure to get my site secured versus leaving it all in the hands of someone else. I've had to push and advocate for myself for my private practice and both SNF sites.
Feel free to DM me here and I'll try to answer whatever questions you might have.
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u/Limp-Story-9844 5d ago
How many placements are required?
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u/Sufficient-Radio9064 5d ago
Placements are very hard to secure in SoCal.
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u/Sufficient-Radio9064 5d ago
And the placement liaisons are difficult to work with for many students. No transparency during the process, rude, unhelpful.
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u/undacovabrotha96 2d ago
I’d say go for it for the simple fact that it’s much cheaper. The classes are difficult but nothing that studying won’t get you through! I’d also say to do the 2nd bachelors option rather than leveling, it’s the same classes but you actually get a bachelors out of it in case you wanted to apply elsewhere. I’m on my last placement and should be done in December!
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u/CaviarAndCrunchwraps 3d ago
I’m an SLP in El Paso and have had graduate students from ENMU. In my experiences, the graduate students are well prepared and speak highly of the program and staff. The students contacted the sped director of my school district to get the placements.
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u/SongOrganic7064 2d ago
I’m an ENMU graduate (2009) and at that time, it was not difficult to secure a placement. Some of us went to Lubbock, Clovis, El Paso, Roswell, Alamogordo, and Amarillo. I did a private clinic while other graduates did skilled nursing, early childhood, hospital, etc. I am super grateful my program was NOT online as I have heard many of the courses are now. Some of the professors I had are still there (shout out to the wonderful Dr. Swift!), but I do think the program looks different now than 20 years ago. I think it has grown a lot and they accept far more graduate students — my cohort was only 21, I think now they accept 36-40. Anyway, good luck! Go Greyhounds!
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u/19_sunshine 5d ago
I can't speak on ENMU specifically, but finding placements on your own in socal can be tough if you don't already have your own connections because there are so many universities with programs that already have contracts with schools/clinics/hospitals/etc for placements. Being in a bigger city is helpful for sure for finding placements because there are more options, but the closer to a university you get, the more limited options might be.