Throughout my four years of study, subsequent clinical internship, and current job as a Teaching Assistant in the Speech Therapy and Audiology Department at King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Saudi Arabia, I have taken advantage of every opportunity to increase my knowledge base, further develop my clinical skills, and gain exposure to a broad variety of interesting cases and patient conditions. I enjoy pathologist-patient interaction enormously as well as the problem-solving challenges that present themselves in our profession. I am convinced that my experience, dedication, elevated level of motivation, and refined work ethic will enable me to hit the ground running in your program and distinguish myself as a zealous and engaging graduate student.
There is a chronic lack of awareness in Saudi Arabia of the need to help people, especially children, with speech and language difficulties, how best to help them, what treatments are most effective and why, etc. The great need that exists in my country is the single greatest driving force leading me to make this choice for a vocation. If accepted and given the opportunity to complete your program, I will be able to utilize the skills and knowledge gained during my studies towards the master's degree in SLP to raise awareness of the important challenges that we face in Saudi Arabia and to help as many of those who suffer as possible.
There is nothing that I love more than a challenge and I have been drawn to the field of SLP because it is highly demanding, requiring the design of a development management pathway for each patient and carefully observing and recording improvements in their quality of life. I have been able to help my patients express themselves better and communicate more successfully with those around them, which is an extremely rewarding experience because it is the greatest gift that one can bestow upon another. I have observed the impact of communication disorders on social and academic skills, but also seen the improvement that can be achieved when these are managed appropriately. I enjoy working with children because of the life-long positive effects that are gained because of the successful management of childhood communication-related issues, and the creativity I so much enjoy exercising in the development of their treatment plans. To further improve my communication and interactive skills with children, I have taken opportunities to volunteer as a teaching assistant in an international school in London, UK, as well as locally here in a school in Jeddah, KSA. I have had the intense privilege of interacting with children of varied cultural backgrounds and at various stages of development, developing my problem-solving skills because of managing the behavior of large groups and adapting to challenging situations.
I have acquired additional invaluable experience in the clinical setting through my internship at King Abdullah Medical City’s Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City’s Hospital, and in my current role as a part-time speech-language pathologist at the KSAU-HS associated National Guard Hospital (NGH). Being involved in the process of screening, assessing, and treating cases of communication disorders has strengthened my skills and abilities in many ways and in all aspects of practice, including documentation. Being fully fluent in English has been one of my strong points. Being exposed to a broad variety of cases such as swallowing, voice and articulation disorders, stuttering, language delay, speech and language issues related to cleft lip and palate, tracheostomies-related issues, and auditory verbal training has helped me to better develop my own interpersonal and communication skills, dealing not only with clients but also their families, specialists, professors, etc. My sense of responsibility has been heightened and I am now more professional, committed, and likely to take the initiative.
I am eager to be at the forefront of research and development in SLP, particularly with respect to the context of the Arabic-speaking world to make a solid contribution in this area to my people and culture, especially in the case of our children. I have been proactive in keeping up to date with the latest research and developments in my field, attending conventions and workshops in addition to staying up late reading the literature most of the time. I have also taken several highly relevant online courses.
In my current role as a Teaching Assistant at KSAU-HS, I am helping with two research projects in my field, Auditory Verbal Training and Cochlear Implantation, and Pediatric Swallowing. I look forward to very much improving my research skills as a graduate student in your program and to someday turning out my own highly significant research publications in the field. This is imperative to becoming a very competent SPL professional.
I am also focused on my personal growth and development and have always been active as a volunteer in several different areas. For example, I am currently the chairperson of a Saudi book club that holds monthly meetings and discussions. Also, I was involved in the Saudi Entrepreneurs’ Program in 2011, serving as the production manager for my team. The project was successful, and my team won the award for “The Most Creative Idea”. These roles have improved my leadership as well as my communication skills.
Having traveled to the USA and Europe several times, I am familiar with the diversity of cultures outside the Middle East and look forward to meeting new people and learning more about other cultures and societies during my graduate education. I feel this will enhance both my general life skills as well as my professional interpersonal skills. By earning my master's degree, I will be able to attain the position of lecturer at KSAU-HS and a speech-language pathologist at NGH.
Thank you for considering my application.
SLP Personal Purpose Statement