国產aⅴa麻豆

鈥淪tudents interested in speech-language pathology are seeking a life dedicated to the covenant of service,鈥� says Leah Fullman, dean of the School of Speech-Language Pathology at 国產aⅴa麻豆University鈥檚 College of Health Science. 鈥淭hey are students who are willing to put aside their self-interest, put their patients鈥� interest first, and do everything they can to bring healing to those who are in need.鈥�

With this statement, Fullman describes the type of future leaders 国產aⅴa麻豆University鈥檚 sixth college鈥攖he College of Health Science鈥攊s seeking to equip. Announced in 2024, the speech-language pathology program, along with two additional degree paths, has been in development for more than a year, preparing to educate students interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare field. Now, in just a few short months, Fullman is prepared to welcome the first speech-language pathology cohort and introduce them to a unique curriculum that blends the best clinical practices with a faith-forward mission.

Faith and Healthcare

In American life, faith and healthcare are often siloed into separate sectors and not allowed to interact. However, Pepperdine鈥檚 School of Speech-Language Pathology takes a different approach. Rather than isolating these two crucial components of a person鈥檚 life, the University ties them inextricably together.

鈥淩eligion and healthcare can't remain separate,鈥� says Fullman. 鈥淭hey are inextricably linked at the crossroads of human suffering. Some of life's deepest moments of suffering are the direct result of healthcare crises.鈥�

According to Fullman, health science programs are invariably built upon a three-pronged mission of didactic education, clinical experience, and research. The goal is to train future professionals who are knowledgeable about the field, skilled in their practice, and prepared to engage in the next generation of research. However, faith-based institutions such as 国產aⅴa麻豆weave a fourth strand into that three-part mission. At Pepperdine the incorporation of faith is not merely for internal operational purposes but for greater societal implications. 

A patient receives care

鈥淭he integration of faith into health science programs at 国產aⅴa麻豆grounds didactic education in truth,鈥� says Fullman. 鈥淚t promotes the ethical and moral exercise of research and fosters a holistic clinical practice by upholding spiritual health and physical health as equal contributors to wellness.鈥� 

Fullman explains that traditional medical models are reactive and responsive to physical illness, but they don鈥檛 account for patients鈥� long-term overall health.  Accordingly, she advocates a different approach to healthcare鈥攐ne where providers promote wellness by proactively seeking solutions, preventing disease, and promoting human flourishing. This three-part process begins with the provider/patient relationship. 

In many clinical settings, an appointment begins with the patient鈥檚 story.  As an active participant in clients鈥� healthcare journey, a healthcare professional must be able to listen well and engage in conversation with their patients. These interpersonal skills are crucial as a provider attempts to discern salient information and arrive at a correct diagnosis and treatment plan. When observed through a Christian lens, Fullman views this relational approach as an extension of Jesus鈥� healing ministry.

鈥淛esus sat with people, he listened to them, and he had compassion for them,鈥� she says. 鈥淛esus knew all the answers about everything in the universe. He could have spoken at people, but he didn't, even though he had all the power of the universe at his fingertips. He also didn't just heal people and move on. He cared about people. And that's what a healing ministry is about.鈥� 

A Personal Connection 

Fullman鈥檚 own path toward speech-language pathology began as a concerned parent in need of a thoughtful, caring medical professional. 

With a liberal arts undergraduate degree, she was introduced to the importance of the field when her firstborn son was born prematurely with a cleft lip. After undergoing surgery as an infant, her little boy needed the help of a speech-language pathologist to learn basic human functions such as drinking liquids and speaking clearly. 

Another challenging medical situation arose after the birth of Fullman鈥檚 second son. The infant was born with collapsed lungs and required an immediate life-saving surgery. Caught once again in a state of parental crisis, she and her husband were eager for any information or intervention healthcare professionals could provide.

A practitioner operates a medical device

Throughout both of these experiences, Fullman recalls relying on healthcare providers who connected with her as a mom, empathetically met the needs of her children, and prescribed a path toward healing. Ultimately, both of her children successfully completed treatment; but Fullman鈥檚 experiences inspired her to join the health profession as a speech-language pathologist specializing in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders 

鈥淚t鈥檚 been an honor to help countless children learn how to eat and drink by mouth, to wean them off of feeding tubes, and to learn to speak with a trach in place,鈥� Fullman explains.

After serving families for years as a professional speech-language pathologist, Fullman began to dedicate herself to the academic side of the field in an effort to expand her reach. As a renowned scholar, talented educator, and experienced administrator, she views her work in higher education as an opportunity to further help the medically fragile.

鈥淪ince transitioning from clinical practice into academia, I've had the privilege of training hundreds of students to become speech-language pathologists, and now those students will treat thousands of patients.鈥�

Tactical Training

Using Pepperdine鈥檚 holistic healthcare model, healthcare practitioners view patients as whole people in need of physical, emotional, and spiritual health. As founding dean of Pepperdine鈥檚 speech-language pathology school, Fullman has helped design an educational experience aimed at equipping students to put this approach into practice.

As an online master of science in Speech-Language Pathology, candidates can enroll as  full- or part-time participants, which determines if they will complete the coursework in eight or five trimesters. Both routes, however, provide students with the same level of breadth and depth, as Pepperdine鈥檚 curriculum pulls students beyond the classroom into the research field and practitioner鈥檚 office.

Speech-language pathology faculty members at 国產aⅴa麻豆are engaged in impactful research projects that are furthering the potentially healing scholarship of speech-language pathology practice. Students are invited and encouraged to play an active role in this process by contributing directly to the ongoing research studies of faculty, as well as pursuing their own scholarly interests. In this supportive environment, candidates have the chance to not just study trusted medical literature but add their own important voice and tested findings to it.

Similarly, the speech-language pathology curriculum integrates students into the clinical field throughout the degree program. Candidates will complete four separate clinical rotations throughout the course of their studies in diverse medical institutions, such as hospitals, pediatric clinics, private practices, or even nursing homes. By completing clinical hours in a number of settings, Pepperdine鈥檚 students are equipped to handle a wide variety of real-world speech-language pathology scenarios. 

All this practical experience is reinforced by the classroom content of the program. Founded in faith and rooted in scientific data, the required curriculum intentionally invites students of all backgrounds to consider the professional values of advocacy, patience, and compassion throughout course assignments and discussions. The rich dialogue fostered in these classes prepares students to be strong speech-language pathologists, as well as capable and compassionate healthcare practitioners. 

鈥淲ithout compassion, we might just choose to fulfill our minimum obligation鈥攖reat the physical health issue and move on to the next patient,鈥� says Fullman. 鈥淏ut the virtue of compassion compels us to go the extra mile, to advocate for the needs of the underserved. That's what sets a 国產aⅴa麻豆education in the health sciences apart.鈥�