A majority of responders have said they wouldn't do it over again. To those who said "no" for various reason; I'm curious as to what were your primary drives entering your doctoral programs? Did you pursue a doctorate to work primarily in academia, private practice, both, etc... Did you enter the field directly from undergrad? Had you considered other routes prior to applying/entering a doc program? What were they, and what were the reasons for not pursing them?
I would do it over again, but I would have wanted more financial things clarified up front. I did research on programs, funding, etc., and personally I believe I received some misinformation about what kind of salaries and job prospects to expect. I was not savvy enough to check SDN (only found out about this recently). When I asked psychologists these kinds of questions, they made it sound like a more favorable market. Even now, I see APA salary surveys and a recent neuropsych one that suggest that you can make a lot of money.
I don't doubt that you can make a lot of money, but what I wish I had known was that you may have to sacrifice other things in order to do it and it is becoming increasingly difficult. NO ONE that I spoke with made clinical psychology sound like anything other than an excellent career choice, particularly if you are competitive enough to get in. The PhD was sold to me as being in high demand with lots of flexibility. That isn't really true though - I do appreciate the flexibility of career options I have, but we are becoming more "dime a dozen" than I had realized. Where you live, how many hours you work, perhaps the type of job you get...as a 21 year old applicant I didn't fully understand that after putting in all of this work, I may not have as many options as I imagined.
When I advise undergraduates, I try to give a realistic appraisal and don't paint everything out to be rosy.
Now, I think I can say (and my cohort would probably agree) that I worked harder than most of them over the years to accomplish more extra things and network. I was able to get APA accredited positions in the city I love (and not move at all), and I enjoy the work I do. I think my CV is very competitive. But the job market is still a HUGE challenge. If I worked 80 hours a week for all of these years, kept my creds competitive, and am on the market WITHOUT some of the issues a lot of people struggle with (non-accred training, stigma against Psy.D), shouldn't it be easier to get interviews and secure a job in the place I want to live?
I feel confident that something is going to work out soon, but I have to say this is not what I had anticipated before going to school. I thought relatively higher-paying jobs (60-80K entry - I consider that to be plenty and fair) would be easier to find than they actually are. But, the upside is that I have the flexibility of the degree and can make things work with on-the-side adjunct teaching or private practice. It just may not be the combination/amount of effort that I was hoping for after graduating. I don't think my attitude is entitled. I just am frustrated that the job market is much tighter than I expected. Working on the side takes a lot of energy and takes a toll on your family, so it isn't ideal.
To answer these other questions, yes I considered other routes (Psy.D., nursing, possibly medical school) but considered them to be backups for what I really wanted. I took a year off to work a psychiatric unit job before applying to school and enjoyed the range of applications. I viewed myself as maybe doing both academic and clinical work, and still view myself that way today.
Interestingly, the other thing I wish I had known was how much of an emphasis is put on specialization and hard-core commitment in this field. I got into the degree for the flexibility and have some broad experiences and interests. For example, I am in a neuropsychology subspecialty, and I have to say that supervisors turn their noses up often when I say I enjoy teaching. The attitude of "if you don't want to emulate me then you must be critical of me" is more pervasive than it should be in this field, IMO. I get similar attitudes from academics when I say I might want to keep up a part time private practice. Even though I know people that engage in careers like the one I want, it seems like you could get punished for suggesting it is what you want, because then you aren't 100% committed.
Maybe I just have had some Axis II or spectrum supervisors on internship/postdoc. Those are also plentiful (good to know up front about the high # of weirdos that become psychologists). The best thing I've done for myself is seek out mentorship from people who I respect if I feel formal supervision is lacking. I have coffee and meet regularly with folks I have learned about things from through teaching, clinical work, or research. This keeps me networked and also helps me keep things in perspective.
That was long...back to work!
that weigh down almost all of my classmates).
