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During her sophomore year of undergraduate study at East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Rachel O’Brien, MS ‘23, CCC-SLP, had the opportunity to receive a first-hand look into the Speech-Language Pathology program at Salus University, now the Drexel University, Elkins Park campus after a 2025 merger.
Torn between pursuing a career in nursing and speech-language pathology, O’Brien visited the Montgomery County campus, toured the labs, observed the grad students and met some of the professors.
And, she fell in love with what she saw.
“I had my eye on the program, but once I got to go there and see for myself, I was sold. I applied to other places just to be safe, but I always knew exactly where I wanted to go,” said O’Brien.
What she saw was exactly what she got. After graduating with a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, O’Brien entered her master’s program and threw herself into her studies and activities.
“I’m someone who loves to be involved and find new ways to be involved around campus,” said O’Brien, who was class president of her cohort and was the recipient of the Lombardi Emerging Professional Student of the Year Award.
While in the SLP program, O’Brien said the hands-on experience, in-depth training and the availability and willingness of faculty members to answer questions and mentor students gave her a leg up for her career aspirations.
“The thing that I think makes the SLP program really special compared to a lot of the other local programs, is that you get a wide variety of education in all of the different settings,” she said. “You have a general idea of your likes and dislikes when you enter grad school but sometimes you don’t know exactly what you want to do. The fact that the program gives you exposure to everything and lets you see if you love it or hate it, I think that really helped me decide what part of the profession I wanted to go into.”
After graduating in May 2023, O’Brien completed her fellowship and in mid-2024, took a job in Philadelphia at a skilled nursing facility. There, she works with patients on their cognitive functioning following things like strokes, brain injuries and dementia as well as patients with dysphagia (swallowing disorders).
“I also work in acute care at a local hospital and love that setting as well, but I think I’d like to stay full-time in the skilled nursing facility for now,” said O’Brien.
When she’s not working, O’Brien is running. She’s currently training for the Philadelphia Marathon at the end of November.
“I started running right after graduation in 2023. It gives me something to do and it’s a good way to see how far you can push yourself mentally and physically,” she said. “Running is a sport that is solitary. The only person you’re comparing yourself to is you. After a long day it’s nice to come home and just go outside and not think about anything work-related.”
