Clinical Placements

placements

As part of their degree requirements, students in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders participate in clinical placements. Clinical settings may include the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic, hospitals, schools, treatment centres, private practice locations and specialized clinics. Many of these settings offer students the opportunity to interact and collaborate with students and professionals from other disciplines.

Audiology Placements

Year 1

Students in Year 1 are assigned to a winter term clinical placement at the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic consisting of three hours of clinical audiology per week.

Students are also assigned to an eight-week full-time placement in the spring/summer term which may occur in the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic or at a community-based facility.

Year 2

Students in Year 2 are assigned to a fall term clinical placement at the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic. An additional winter practicum placement provides students with a variety of activities through which they can acquire necessary hours for College registration. This placement can occur in the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic or at a community-based facility.

Students are assigned to a placement in the summer term. This placement will occur at a community-based facility.

A student’s assignment to a particular placement site will be determined by their clinical placement needs and supervisor availability.

Students in the combined MClSc/PhD program will have a modified schedule of placements.

Speech-Language Pathology Placements

Year 1

Students in Year 1 complete their first clinical placement in the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic during the winter term.

Students are also assigned a placement in the spring/summer term, which may occur in the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic or at a community-based facility.

Year 2

Students may complete up to three clinical placements in Year 2 of the program. Students may be assigned a placement in the fall term, winter term, and/or spring/summer term, at the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic or a community-based facility.

Placement assignments are determined by students’ clinical needs and supervisor availability.

Students in the combined MClSc/PhD program will have a modified schedule of placements.

Placement Requirements

Students must obtain and complete all mandatory immunizations, vaccinations, medical and non-medical requirements as specified by Western University, the School of CSD, and community-based facilities.

Students must also be aware that at this time most placement partners including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community clinics, have pre-placement policies for students that include mandatory vaccination requirements. Students will be required to be compliant with the policy requirements of our placement partners in order to attend placements in those facilities. If students are not compliant with those policies, they will not be able to attend those placements and will fail to meet clinical graduation requirements. Students that fail to meet clinical graduation requirements will not be eligible to complete the program.

Students must obtain, pay for, and submit documentation of a clear police Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) as required by clinical placement facilities.

Placements are not always available in a student’s hometown and/or home province. Students must attend and pay for all costs associated with the clinical placements assigned to them.