For New Clinical Supervisors

We are always looking for speech-language pathologists who would like to offer clinical practicum experiences to our students. For more information, please contact sophie.vaillancourt [at] mcgill.ca (Sophie Vaillancourt) or kelly.root [at] mcgill.ca (Kelly Root).

Why Become a Clinical Supervisor?

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Top 10 Reasons to Supervise a Student

Feedbacks and Perspectives on Clinical Education

“Each clinical supervisor has their own expertise and wisdom to pass on to students. Truly, it is the supervisors who make practica such a valuable learning experience. ”
- Sara Turner, former S-LP Student

“Students bring new ideas and ask questions which open up other avenues of thinking.”
- Brenda Lewson, Clinical Educator & Audiologist

Student essay: "Student Perspective on the Richness of Clinical Training"
Introduction
In our society, which many qualify as individualistic and where time is at such a premium, hundreds of speech-language pathologists and audiologists make it a duty every year to accept students into their everyday professional lives. This text is intended to pay tribute to these amazing professionals and to share the fruit of my thinking on the essential role of clinical training in the country's speech-language pathology and audiology programs. This text addresses three dimensions of clinical training that, from my student perspective, are especially rich and significant.

First dimension: the sharing of knowledge
Clinical training provides an exceptional opportunity to learn and share knowledge. This is undoubtedly the first dimension that comes to mind in relation to the role of clinical training, and with reason, since clinical training above all involves learning and assimilating knowledge. As students, we acquire much theoretical knowledge and sometimes also some illusions during our months spent in the classroom. Clinical training finally gives us the chance to "get our feet wet," to experience real life challenges and joys, and to experiment and see how the knowledge we have learned can be put into practice. Clinical educators play a crucial role in facilitating this transition. Internships also represent an inexhaustible source of a broad spectrum of knowledge. Indeed, rubbing shoulders with experienced clinical educators can often accelerate our learning process. Clinical educators help us develop attributes such as "clinical reasoning," a crucial skill that, over time, becomes almost second nature but that must be learned in the field.

I believe that students also have the ability and duty to bring their own contributions to the table so that truly "bi-directional knowledge sharing" can occur. Concretely, from our privileged position midway between research and the field, we have the chance to glean the latest relevant data on many continually evolving speech-language pathology and audiology issues. I believe that by sharing relevant data with our clinical educators, we have a wonderful chance to help them keep current.

Second dimension: stimulation and growth
Internships provide stimulation and outstanding opportunities for growth. I discovered this second dimension in the field, and it validated my conviction that above and beyond their professional content, internships constitute peak human experiences. Since the following discussion addresses this human experience dimension, it will be more personal in nature. Indeed, I would like to explain how clinical training has affected me as a person and future professional.

A new internship involves taking a step into the unknown and often triggers an initial period of insecurity that, in my case, often manifests itself through the age-old question, "Will I be up to it?" Constructive feedback is also an integral part of the clinical training experience. Indeed, given that internships are intended to turn out, within a few short months, professionals possessing all the required competencies, this feedback is very important. However, it should be remembered that it is not always easy to look ourselves in the mirror and that we sometimes avoid doing so in our daily lives. Nevertheless, I believe that the "instability" borne of insecurity, the newness of the experience, and constructive feedback offers outstanding opportunities for growth. For example, I am convinced that my clinical training experience set in motion a change process that has made me a more confident person and will enable me to become a more flexible professional who is more attuned to the non-verbal messages that I project. I therefore encourage clinical educators to continue providing constructive feedback that is as precise as possible because, although such counsel is not always easy to give or receive, it has the potential to trigger an extremely positive self-assessment and change process.

It also does happen that clinical educators become "mentors," especially when situations involving more difficult emotional or ethical issues arise. Mentors play a priceless role in such cases. Indeed, mentors wisely guide our process of reflection and help us find our way through delicate situations. Finally, I would issue the following warning: be careful, because the passion that drives clinical educators is contagious! Indeed, I was equally brimming with enthusiasm after launching into each of my internships.
Third dimension: Sustaining and sharing the vision for our professions
Clinical training serves to sustain and share a coherent vision for our professions. This third dimension integrates and transcends the two preceding ones. I would argue that maintaining clinical training is one of the most powerful means available of ensuring high standards of quality and a bright future for our professions. Indeed, clinical training fulfills a number of crucial functions, especially that of helping students apply and expand their knowledge. Furthermore, it allows students to benefit from a wealth of experience through contact with speech-language pathologists and audiologists who have been practising for a number of years, and it often sets in motion a beneficial processes of reflection and growth. Clinical training is thus one of the best ways of promoting quality control and ensuring that future generations of speech-language pathologists and audiologists are skilled people who possess the key human qualities required to meet the challenges of their professions. I am firmly convinced that the richness of clinical training is unique and could not be replaced by higher-quality equipment or the best possible exams. Finally, I also believe that internships constitute the special place where the torch that lights our professions passes from one hand to the next.
Conclusion
This text is primarily intended to honour the invaluable assistance that we as the professionals of tomorrow receive from our clinical educators and all those who serve as our mentors. I hope I have convinced you of the essential nature of clinical training and have portrayed the various facets of its richness, as seen from our student perspective.

Read Full English version - Version francaise
- Gabrielle Pharand-Rancourt, S-LP

Clinical Supervisor FAQs

What are the McGill requirements for becoming a Clinical Educator (CE)?

In Quebec: being a member of the OOAQ. In other provinces: being a certified/licensed S-LP with provincial college
Two years of clinical experience is normally recommended
No previous supervision experience is required. McGill provides different ways to orient and train clinicians to become clinical educators (see below).

When am I ready to become a CE? When someone is ready is mostly a personal matter, it may depend on:

your own comfort level;
clinical experience;
own experiences with supervision as a student;
level of student to be supervised;
how much mentorship & support is available to you from colleague(s).
you could consider sharing a student with a more experienced colleague.
McGill will definitely provide you with ongoing support over the course of a clinical practicum, and a site visit can be arranged.

Remember:
- You are likely more ready than you think you are!
- You are the one with clinical experience!
- Students love having a fairly recent new grad as a supervisor as they have a fresher memory of what it was like to be a student!

What if my student is closer in age to me or if student is older than me?

In principle this should not create a problem (compare it to the relationship with some of the clients/patients you work with). As with any professional relationship, it is always important to keep one’s personal life out of the CE-student relationship. If it becomes an issue, set boundaries by making it clear to the student that this is inappropriate/ unprofessional behaviour. At the same time, clinical supervisors also have a responsibility towards the students by respecting the personal boundaries.

Does McGill have a particular philosophy toward the clinical education of its students?

We encourage the “collaborative approach” to clinical education. Our ideal is for students and clinical educators to work in a collaborative fashion as partners. This means that students from the beginning of a practicum take an important responsibility in the learning process, while the CE’s various roles will facilitate their learning; in this way students will be better prepared for the ‘real world’ when they graduate. Key features of this process are self-reflection and self-evaluation, and the CE has a role in encouraging and helping to develop these skills. (See the next question below.) For more information on the collaborative model view the article The Collaborative Approach to Clinical Education in the Resources for Clinical Educators section.

What are McGill’s expectations for the student’s learning in a practicum?

See Clinical Training Manual Section III, Guidelines and Expectations for Student Performance. The different levels of practicum are described and guidelines provided. For each level a description is also given of where you would expect a student to be on the collaborative continuum.
In the Practicum Contract specific learning objectives are outlined and these form the basis of the Student Evaluation Form

What is my organisation’s and/or my responsibility for orientating students?

This will have been discussed to some degree by the clinical coordinator from McGill when the practicum is initially arranged with the site’s contact person or the S-LP(s). For further information please consult the “Site Orientation Checklist”, in the Clinical Training Manual page 12.
In addition or instead you may prepare a list of expectations/things students need to know (e.g. procedure for booking therapy room, photocopying, accessing therapy equipment, lunch arrangements, etc.)
You may also provide student with templates to help orientate the students re. reports, note taking, lesson plans
Sites that accommodate students on a regular basis sometimes have a Practicum Orientation Manual. McGill will offer support if sites are interested in preparing such a manual.

What does McGill do to help me develop and maintain supervision skills?

Our School offers workshops for new and experienced CEs before the start of each clinical practicum.
These Workshops are arranged back to back with a meeting where CEs have an opportunity to meet the student they will be supervising during the practicum. It serves as a nice icebreaker: students can tell you a bit about themselves and what they have done in any previous practicum. You can tell them a bit about yourself in turn. In addition, orienting the students to some aspects of practicum may save time on the first day.
McGill offers ongoing interdisciplinary on-line Workshops (5 modules in total), free of charge, which allows participants from different and same professional disciplines to interact with each other. These are facilitated by McGill faculty from various disciplines.
McGill on-line supervision course
Cours de supervision en ligne
We are available to do site visits and/or offer advice and support over the phone or by e-mail
Please refer to the various materials on clinical supervision and reference list in the Resources for Clinical Educators section.

Does McGill offer any benefits to clinical educators?

Regular Clinical Educators (CEs) can receive Professional Associate status with McGill. This gives them access to library and gym, as well as access to e-journals. Consult: Obtaining Professional Associate Status with McGill University for more information.
CEs are invited to the annual Clinical Educators Meeting
CEs are on the School’s mailing list and receive invitations to free seminars
Regular CEs are entitled to special discounts to Conferences and Workshops organised by the School.
We hope that our students pass on to you some of the latest research findings, therapy techniques and that you find that they help keep you on your toes
Each year we honour an CE with the “Award of Excellence in Clinical Education” for which students make the nominations.
We also nominate each year a CE (who must be a SAC member) for the SAC Mentorship Award.

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