Northwest Healthcare offers an inpatient, acute care hospital setting for speech therapy students to gain experience with adult evaluation and treatment. The primary emphasis of this program is dysphagia management, including evaluation, diet modification, compensatory strategies, modified barium swallow studies, and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. We provide direct supervision in this setting, which offers increased opportunities for feedback, clinical growth, and patient care. Additional learning opportunities include experience in an Outpatient Speech Therapy clinic and one clinical project or in-service.
Northwest Healthcare offers 3-5 day per week internships to 1-2 students per year.
It is best to start the application process 3-6 months in advance. Please expect a brief phone interview. Dysphagia and anatomy coursework are required. A neurogenic communication disorders class is recommended, but can be taken at the same time as your internship.