Maureen Ryan '16 - SSM Health Rehabilitation Network

SSM Health Rehabilitation Network – Student Therapy Extern position at St. Charles Acute Hospital at St. Joseph’s Health Center

Current Position: Student Therapy Extern (started May 2020 and continues to work during graduate school breaks)

I graduated from Rockhurst University in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders and minors in Psychology and Business. I am currently pursuing my Master of Science in hopes of becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). Because my career goal requires a master’s degree, I knew that finding a full-time summer position related to my field upon graduation would be difficult or impossible. I had accepted the reality that I would spend another summer working an unrelated job.

Even accepting that reality, I figured, it couldn’t hurt to attend and network at the Cor Jesu Alumnae Internship Networking Connections (INC) event last January (2020). I hoped that maybe by attending I could land some type of more professional position or internship, even if it didn’t relate to my field of study. It was a pleasant surprise when one of the recruiters read my resume prior to the event and reached out to me to express her interest in hiring me – all before attending the event! She was a recruiter for SSM Health Rehabilitation Network and informed me of a position within their acute therapy department that was perfect for graduate students.

Because she had reached out early, when I arrived at the INC event, we were already familiar with each other. We had been communicating through emails and I was then able to meet her in person at INC and discuss the application process. Ultimately, I was hired as a Therapy Extern for SSM St. Joseph Hospital and worked full-time last summer (2020) in the acute rehabilitation department. I had the opportunity to assist physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists in rehabilitation sessions, and I gained a comprehensive knowledge of various aspects of acute therapy. It was exactly the hands-on learning opportunity I was hoping for and I finally felt accomplished for acquiring a personally and professionally meaningful summer job.

Because of this position, I feel more prepared for my career. I had the opportunity to learn skills that cannot be taught in a classroom, such as how to conduct myself professionally and appropriately in a hospital setting while providing thoughtful and empathetic care.

This position is perfect for me during graduate school because I can still work at the hospital during school breaks, and ultimately, this job will provide the opportunity for me to interview for a full-time acute rehabilitation SLP position when I graduate from grad school. I am so thankful for the INC event and know I would not have been able to land this opportunity if it was not for the networking provided by Cor Jesu.