Would this be a wise choice?

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If I were to get an MSW, join the Navy as an officer, then use military benefits for funding into a PhD/PsyD program in clinical psych?

Originally Posted by jonq1987

If I were to get an MSW, join the Navy as an officer, then use military benefits for funding into a PhD/PsyD program in clinical psych?

Why wouldn't you just pursue a military scholarship as a PhD/PsyD student? I think it's a risky assumption to think they would auto grant you a scholarship when you'd already have a degree they can use, with the other degree you want being highly related.

Or do you mean the benefit of retirement after 20 years? That'd be a long time to wait :/

Doesn't seem like a wise choice.

Originally Posted by jonq1987

If I were to get an MSW, join the Navy as an officer, then use military benefits for funding into a PhD/PsyD program in clinical psych?

I have never been in the military but I know of individuals who have tried what you are interested in trying. Rather than having a MSW these two individuals had the RN degree and were Officers in the Military for ten to fifteen years before leaving to work on a PsyD in clinical psychology. One finished up the doctoral degree and is now working as a licensed Psychologists and the other individual quit the doctoral degree the second year and decided to continue working as a RN in a hospital setting. Many RN's make significantly higher salary than do Psychologists, so she was in her late 30's and decided it was not worth it to continue on with the doctoral degree.

I don't believe the military was paying for their doctoral degree or funding these degrees. The military does have some sort of paying or funding degree but you have to return to work in the military for a number of years. I believe it is difficult to get this type of funding as it is competitive.

Also, I am not sure how easy it is to get into the military with a MSW degree as an officer. A female that I work with who hold the LMFT degree has tried to get on with the VA, Military, FBI, and a number of government agencies and to some degree from what she tells me it is extremely competitive. People with prior military services receive some type of priority points or credits for these positions. One thing that some individuals seems to forget is that the military has very high standards and rigorous background checks and some of these positions have such a high security level, that the President of the USA or representative of the President has to sign off on hiring or funding of positions. Basically, what I have been told by others...eh um....from others on this board is that it is very challenging to get a psychologists position in the military.

If you truly want to be a psychologist it would be an easier route to seek admissions to a PhD/PsyD program. I would not view getting an MSW is a probable route to getting into a PhD/PsyD clinical psychology program but it would be a probable route to getting into a PhD Social Work program.

I have also known individuals who join the military out of high school and serve for three-four years and they receive VA funding for their BA/BS degree. Some of them want to return to the military now as an officer but have not been selected to return as an officer after receiving their degree. I've known others who get their BA/BS degree and then join the military as an officer and serve for 15-20 years and then retire and return to school to work on a MS or doctoral degree and the military does not pay for the advanced training after they retire.

Instead of comparing yourself to all those people that 4410 seems to have encountered over the years, lets maybe take a more simplistic and pragmatic approach.

Option 1. simply utilize the HPSP programs the military offers. Stipend, fees paid for even if not remitted by program, and a guaranteed internship and job to boot...
http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jo...p-student.html

Option 2. Get into a fully funded ph.d program and save yourself the time and the money!

And, did I miss the part about you actually wanting to be in the military? Ya know, cause I kinda prefer that those in the armed forces kinda wanna be there and protect the country. Plus, it'S not like the Dairy Queen where you can just quit if you dont like it. Maybe give that a thought...

Originally Posted by erg923

Instead of comparing yourself to all those people that 4410 seems to have encountered over the years, lets maybe take a more simplistic and pragmatic approach.

Option 1. simply utilize the HPSP programs the military offers. Stipend, fees paid for even if not remitted by program, and a guaranteed internship and job to boot...
http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jo...p-student.html

Option 2. Get into a fully funded ph.d program and save yourself the time and the money!

And, did I miss the part about you actually wanting to be in the military? Ya know, cause I kinda prefer that those in the armed forces kinda wanna be there and protect the country. Plus, it not like the Dairy Queen where you can just quit if you dont like it. Maybe give that a thought...

Thanks for the link....I guess they were not getting funded due to being in a non APA accredited program. Yes...I agree that you need to have some loyalty to your country when you join the military and it should not be used as a method of only receiving funding for your doctoral degree.

Originally Posted by erg923

Instead of comparing yourself to all those people that 4410 seems to have encountered over the years, lets maybe take a more simplistic and pragmatic approach.

Option 1. simply utilize the HPSP programs the military offers. Stipend, fees paid for even if not remitted by program, and a guaranteed internship and job to boot...
http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jo...p-student.html

Option 2. Get into a fully funded ph.d program and save yourself the time and the money!

And, did I miss the part about you actually wanting to be in the military? Ya know, cause I kinda prefer that those in the armed forces kinda wanna be there and protect the country. Plus, it'S not like the Dairy Queen where you can just quit if you dont like it. Maybe give that a thought...

I'm a disabled Marine Corps Vet, I want to go back because I miss it. So I figured joining the Navy as an officer would be the best choice.

There are several posts on here about the HPSP program if you search for them. You can get it from the Army, Navy or Air Force. They are pretty good program. Take anything 4410 is telling you with a grain of salt and talk to a recruiter or read real info about the rather than just "I knew a person who... And it seemed like... My impression was..."

I am planning on applying for the HPSP with the Air Force when I go to school in the fall, so Ive been doing a lot of research. There's also options to join once you already have your PsyD/PhD and if you have loans, they pay them back. I don't know much about that particular program, but it's my backup plan.

Eta: it seems like for your plan it might just make more sense to just go to a dr program and not get a MSW first, unless you just really want a masters. If they have you working as a social worker, they may be less inclined to let you go get your dr. Unless you were thinking of getting in with an MSW, doing your time, getting out and then doing your Dr with GI bill as a civilian. I think I would still think just getting you dr first sounds better.