Speech-language pathology students at The W earn certification in swallowing evaluation
As speech-language pathology graduate students at Mississippi University for Women prepare for commencement, they are leaving with more than just a degree—they are earning a certification in Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), a procedure that could transform the way they diagnose and treat swallowing disorders in their future careers.
SA Swallowing Services, PLLC, in collaboration with the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at The W, provided the training to graduate students and speech-language pathology professionals affiliated with the university from March 28-29.
“FEES has become increasingly popular as a means of assessing swallowing function and guiding evidence-based treatment. The W’s speech-language pathology faculty recognized that this training would be an excellent opportunity to provide our students with advanced knowledge and experience using instrumentation, technology and critical thinking,” said Laurel Jones, speech-language pathology instructor at The W. “By educating and certifying our students, more patients will potentially have access to this service in the numerous communities where our students will practice.”
This training course provided hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge, allowing students to gain expertise in procedure execution, assessment analysis and intervention planning. The training included a combination of lectures, hands-on labs and live demonstrations covering topics such as the anatomy and physiology of swallowing, endoscopic equipment handling and infection control and FEES procedure training, analysis and interpretation.
“As our students apply for jobs, particularly in the medical field, they will be able to showcase greater competency in swallowing disorders,” Manasco said. “They will also have a more marketable skill set compared to others who are not certified. Additionally, students are saving time and financial resources by completing this training while still in college.”
Throughout the two days of training, students performed 15 FEES evaluations on live participants and also had the procedure performed on themselves, allowing them to truly empathize with the patient experience.
“It was eye-opening to hear from seasoned speech-language pathologist about professional issues in our field regarding assessment and treatment of swallowing disorders, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity not to just be trained in using FEES but also how to be a better speech-language pathologist overall,” said Ella Hammon, second-year SLP graduate student.
About the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at The W
The speech-language pathology/audiology graduate program equips students with professional knowledge and clinical skills. Both traditional and nontraditional students develop leadership, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities to practice competently in a variety of clinical settings. The program offers a Master of Science in speech-language pathology and is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The program spans five semesters and requires 51 credit hours to complete, including 36 academic hours and 15 practicum hours