Free Features | September 01, 2011From Student to Professional: Surviving and Thriving During Your Clinical Fellowship Belinda Williams, MA, CF-SLP Author Notes Belinda Williams, MA, CF-SLP, a graduate of New York University’s Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Program, is a clinical fellow with Los Angeles Speech and Language Therapy Center, Inc. Contact her at blw252@gmail.com.Belinda Williams, MA, CF-SLP, a graduate of New York University’s Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Program, is a clinical fellow with Los Angeles Speech and Language Therapy Center, Inc. Contact her at blw252@gmail.com.× © 2011 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Article Information Professional Issues & Training / Features Features | September 01, 2011 From Student to Professional: Surviving and Thriving During Your Clinical Fellowship The ASHA Leader, September 2011, Vol. 16, online only. doi:10.1044/leader.FTR5.16092011.np The ASHA Leader, September 2011, Vol. 16, online only. doi:10.1044/leader.FTR5.16092011.np View Article Figures Tables Supplemental Data Supplements Multimedia Share Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest Tools Get Citation Citation Williams, B. (2011). From Student to Professional: Surviving and Thriving During Your Clinical Fellowship. The ASHA Leader, 16(9), online only. doi: 10.1044/leader.FTR5.16092011.np. Download citation file: RIS (Zotero) EndNote BibTex Medlars ProCite RefWorks Reference Manager © 2018 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association × Alerts User Alerts You are adding an alert for: From Student to Professional: Surviving and Thriving During Your Clinical Fellowship You will receive an email whenever this article is corrected, updated, or cited in the literature. You can manage this and all other alerts in My Account The alert will be sent to: Confirm × Sign In or Create a free account to receive alerts. × Many new professionals find the transition to the workplace during their clinical fellowship more difficult and challenging than they had imagined. As students, they looked forward to graduation and to beginning their careers; the truth is however, there is no class to prepare students adequately for the realities of the workplace. As a recent graduate and a current clinical fellow, I offer some advice that I’ve learned to my fellow students-turned-professionals. The transition to clinical fellow can be a rocky one, following these four tips will help to make the transition a bit easier. Be a team player. Build relationships with coworkers and colleagues by offering your assistance and expertise when appropriate. You may have extensive experience with a certain population and can offer solid advice to a co-worker treating a client with that disorder. When you find helpful resources, share them with colleagues at work. Be an asset. As a new hire, you want to establish job security by clearly contributing to your company’s bottom line. That includes everything from being punctual and professional to helping develop new programs or improving existing ones. Every employer appreciates an employee who contributes to the company to make it more prosperous and productive, particularly in today’s economic climate. Be a thinker. As a new clinical fellow, it’s important to know when to ask questions and when to find answers for yourself. Although students are sometimes encouraged to seek out information from professors, clinical fellows are encouraged to research and attempt to answer their own inquiries before relying on their supervisors. Make sure you don’t interrupt your supervisor’s busy schedule to ask a question that you could have answered with a little resourcefulness. Be yourself. This concept seems simple, but in new environments many people get nervous about trying to fit in with the group. Be yourself and to let your unique personality shine through. You’ll be sure to build positive relationships with your colleagues and supervisors in no time if you simply relax. Use these tips as guidelines to help navigate you through your clinical fellowship. Remember this time is a valuable learning experience and marks the beginning of your professional career as a speech-language pathologist. Congratulations and may you enjoy your new career. 0 Comments Submit a Comment Submit A Comment Name Comment Title Comment Could not validate captcha. Please try again. You have entered an invalid code Submit Cancel Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. Close This feature is available to Subscribers Only Sign In or Create an Account × FROM THIS ISSUE September 2011 Volume 16, Issue 9 ‹ Issue › ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER|ADVERTISE WITH US Related Articles A Survey of Communication Sciences and Disorders Undergraduate Students' Research Experience and Interest in A Master's Thesis and PhD Degree Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, March 2018, Vol. 3, 11-26. doi:10.1044/persp3.SIG10.11 Training Students to Evaluate Preterm Infant Feeding Safety Using a Video-Recorded Patient Simulation Approach American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, March 2018, Vol. , 1-8. doi:10.1044/2017_AJSLP-16-0107 Recruiting, Retaining, and Graduating PhD Students: Practical Ideas From 73 Communication Sciences and Disorders PhD Program Coordinators Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, March 2018, Vol. 3, 4-10. doi:10.1044/persp3.SIG10.4 A National Survey of Simulation Use in University Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, February 2018, Vol. 27, 71-81. doi:10.1044/2017_AJSLP-17-0015 Effectiveness of a Method for Teaching Self-Compassion to Communication Sciences and Disorders Graduate Students American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, February 2018, Vol. 27, 192-206. doi:10.1044/2017_AJSLP-17-0060 ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER|ADVERTISE WITH US Related Topics Professional Issues & Training