Download the show notes or full transcript of the conversation.
Meet Bret Stuckenschnieder and Michelle Lytle, two medical speech-language pathologists who work in the acute care and rehabilitation setting. These close colleagues walk us through what it’s like working in such a facility, some of the challenges they face from day to day, and what new SLPs can do to break into the acute care setting.
Discussion & Reflection Questions
- Tell us a little bit about who you are and where you work.
- What do you look for when people interview for a medical SLP position? Any words of advice for the interview?
- What’s something you would not recommend putting on a resume for a medical SLP role?
- What are some phone or email etiquette tips you have for applicants looking to follow up?
- Can you share what a day in the life of a medical SLP working in a rehabilitation center looks like?
- What are the challenges of working in an acute care setting?
- Can each of you share with us a story of a patient you will never forget?
- What words of advice would you give SLP grads, clinical fellows, or transitioning SLPs?
Quote of the Conversation
“You always want to just put yourself out there, and if you get rejected, that’s fine. That’s going to happen. But you know, rejection is part of the process. You’ve got to keep going through it and pushing through it.”
– Bret Stuckenschneider, MS, CCC-SLP
“My advice is always to just keep asking questions. Even in a new setting. Even if you’ve been here for almost 10 years, like I have. I’m always asking questions, and I always tell my students, ‘You know, you’re never not learning something.’”
– Michelle Lytle MS, CCC-SLP
Bret Stuckenschneider, MS, CCC-SLP
Medical Speech-Language Pathologist
Bret Stuckenschneider is a 2018 graduate from Missouri State University who has spent the past three years working in the acute care setting. Bret currently works within the Baylor system in Irving, Texas where his main areas of interest include evaluating and treating communication and swallowing disorders in complex and critically ill patients.
Michelle Lytle MS, CCC-SLP
Medical Speech-Language Pathologist
Michelle Lytle is an acute care SLP who has worked for Baylor Scott and White Medical Center at Irving since 2012. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2011 and completed her CFY at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. Michelle is the lead SLP at her current facility and was promoted to acute care therapy supervisor in 2018. She has provided education to the Baylor Scott and White Health system on various topics including dysphagia in the oncology population and the role of the SLP in palliative care. Michelle recently served as the lead SLP for the system-wide implementation of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI). She is currently certified as a Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP) clinician and a McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program (MDTP) clinician. Michelle enjoys student mentorship and serving as a resource for local graduate SLP programs. Outside of work, Michelle loves to travel, read and spend time with her family.
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Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.
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