Marina Samaan

Tell us about yourself!
I graduated with a Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Science in 2018. In high school, my younger cousin had been seeing a Speech Pathologist and I went to an appointment with him. I remember thinking, “What they do is amazing, it must be so rewarding!” That was my first real introduction to Speech Pathology.

I got a taste for both Speech Pathology and Audiology during my undergraduate studies, and after graduating, I had to choose between the two career paths. I know I made the right choice choosing speech pathology, especially after going on my clinical placements. Speech pathology is the perfect fit for me. I’m so fortunate!

Why did you choose to study at UTS?
I chose to study my Master of Speech Pathology at UTS because the course was brand new – there were subjects that other universities don’t offer, and everything at UTS is up-to-date.

For me, one of the standout aspects was UTS integrated technology throughout the course, for example the use of telehealth. Everyone is using this technology now, and we’re among the first to have a clinical placement entirely focused on telehealth.

My cohort are like a little family. We have great interactions and relationships with the wonderful staff, they’re amazing. I am honoured to learn from such experienced academics. Anyone in my cohort would tell you that it’s been such an remarkable journey for all of us. I can’t brag enough about my colleagues, I’ve made relationships that will last a lifetime. I am very grateful for them, we’re all very supportive of each other. I really look forward to seeing how well everyone does once we graduate!

What is the most rewarding aspect of the course?
Learning in a safe workplace environment has been a highlight for me. On my first placement, my goals were at a novice level. It was all about me, and how I could could improve my abilities, but then it slowly shifted. Now that I’m more confident and have some clinical experience, my sessions are tailored to better suit the needs of the client.

I love communicating and I love helping people. I really enjoy the counselling aspect of Speech Pathology. I love helping people to communicate and enabling them to achieve their goals.

What do you hope to achieve in the future?
In the near future, I would love to work with children with communication disabilities. The overall course was tailored to a diverse client population providing me with many learning opportunities. Hence, I am open to the possibilities that I may work with a different populations in the future.

What advice do you have for students who are considering the Master of Speech Pathology?
If you enjoy problem solving, technology, communicating and helping people – studying a Master of Speech Pathology is such a fulfilling and rewarding choice. Take the leap. You’ll love it!

Transcript

My name is Marina, and I'm studying a Master of Speech Pathology at UTS. I did my Bachelor's in Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences so I did have a bit of a background of what a Speech Pathologist did. I knew that a speech pathologist works with children and adults with speech and language difficulties, as well as a stutter and swallowing difficulties.

But throughout the course, it's changed in terms of our scope of practice. So we work with adults with acquired disorders like TBI, aphasia, stroke, you know, cognitive communication disorders. It's across the lifespan as well for people with cerebral palsy, autism, down syndrome, intellectual disorders.

I was inspired by my first ever interaction with a speech pathologist. One of my cousins was attending speech pathology services. I was amazed by what they did. I just thought it was so rewarding. So I was like, this might be it. And I love talking. So it was like, it's a perfect fit for me.

So I chose to study at UTS because everything in terms of our course units were up to date. I think the main thing for me was that they were integrating technology. So I was just like, this is the future. So I'd like to be a part of it.

The Master of Speech Pathology at UTS is a two year degree that's been accredited by Speech Pathology Australia. It's an innovative course where you have flipped classrooms so you do some work in the background and then you use that knowledge that you've learnt in your home practice in your classrooms.

We have these amazing world-renowned speech pathologists and psychologists and we've learnt such a vast variety of knowledge from them. The most rewarding thing about the course was just being able to watch people grow and achieve their goals.

I've been very fortunate to have a wide range of clinical placements, private pediatrics, government funded pediatrics. I've worked at a hospital, I've worked with disabilities. They really prepare you for what it's going to be like in the workforce. A speech pathologist can work in hospitals, they work in clinics, community health centres.

My advice for students that are considering a Masters of Speech Pathology is do it.

Learn more about Speech Pathology at the Graduate School of Health