Academic Jobs For Those Trained With The Scholar-Practitioner Model

[TheDaoDoughnut]

Hello all!

I am applying to PHD/PSYD programs that are follow the Scholar-Practitioner model (rather than the Scientist-Practitioner model).

What jobs are available to people who receive this kind of training? Are there jobs in academia for people trained using the Scholar-Practitioner model?

I am also applying to schools that use the Scientist-Practitioner model, but I prefer the former.

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[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

I am not sure. I would say that there is jobs for a scholar-practioner and these jobs are probably mostly in academia or a practice oriented career. Then again i havent really heard of a scholar-practicioner model.

 

[WisNeuro]

I am not sure. I would say that there is jobs for a scholar-practioner and these jobs are probably mostly in academia or a practice oriented career. Then again i havent really heard of a scholar-practicioner model.

It's the Vail Model, the auspices they created the PsyD under.

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Ohhh. Then its definitely a practice oriented degree. I havent really looked into PsyDs alot. But since the general consensus on SDN is to avoid Psyds other than Baylor and Rutgers programs than id say its mostly a pratice oriented program. But i do remember my one psych profesoor having a PsyD and teaching but then again it was a Christian college.

 

[DRMomma]

I am in a Psy.D. program that utilizes the practitioner-scholar model. The emphasis is on clinical practice informed by scientific knowledge. =) My clinical supervisor has a Psy.D. and most of my professors also have Psy.D.'s. I based my decision between a Psy.D. and a Ph.D. on my level of interest in research and long-term goals.

 

[deleted343839]

What jobs are available to people who receive this kind of training? Are there jobs in academia for people trained using the Scholar-Practitioner model?

I am also applying to schools that use the Scientist-Practitioner model, but I prefer the former.

Sincere question - how can you have formed a preference before you understand how one model versus the other affects your career options?

 

[TheDaoDoughnut]

Sincere question - how can you have formed a preference before you understand how one model versus the other affects your career options?

I meant to write "I prefer the orientation of the schools that offer the scholar-practitioner model"

I am applying to PHD programs that have an emphasis on psychodynamic education. These programs mostly follow the scholar-practitioner model. I am familiar with psychodynamic/psychoanalytic psychology but I am less familiar with what job opportunities are available to people trained using the scholar-practitioner model.

In essence: will I be able to work in academia if I a receive a doctoral degree from an institution that focuses on psychodynamic theory and practice?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

What jobs are available to people who receive this kind of training? Are there jobs in academia for people trained using the Scholar-Practitioner model?

Yes…but you need to make sure you receive solid research/foundational training and make a point to be active with research and publish. I attended a university-based S-P model program and I'm an academic. I had to "prove" myself through internship, fellowship, and at my first academic appointment before I felt like I was viewed on equal footing as my Ph.D. colleagues (in regard to conducting research).

 

[TheDaoDoughnut]

Yes…but you need to make sure you receive solid research/foundational training and make a point to be active with research and publish. I attended a university-based S-P model program and I'm an academic. I had to "prove" myself through internship, fellowship, and at my first academic appointment before I felt like I was viewed on equal footing as my Ph.D. colleagues (in regard to conducting research).

Thank you so much for this post! The programs I am applying to do require students to conduct research alongside their mentors.

 

[Ollie123]

Depends on exactly what you are looking for in academic positions. I think the reality is that with a PsyD and a focus on psychodynamic training, you aren't exactly setting yourself on a path towards academia. That's not to say it would be impossible, just that you are kind of stacking the deck against yourself. The latter is potentially even more problematic than the former since it will likely limit your options significantly at many (/most) academically-inclined places.

That said, if you are just looking for a clinical job that lets you maintain some level of academic affiliation, its not at all unreasonable to achieve that. If you just want to adjunct every now and then, that is absolutely possible. It would just limit advancement if you are looking to be on a path where you are expected to pull in significant extramural funding, publish like crazy and climb the tenure-track ladder. Even at the PsyD programs that do require research, the nature of that research is often (though certainly not always) immensely lower in quantity and quality than what would be expected of someone on a traditional academic path. As others have indicated, you likely would need significant time and rebranding to make it there.

 

[deleted343839]

I am applying to PHD programs that have an emphasis on psychodynamic education. These programs mostly follow the scholar-practitioner model. I am familiar with psychodynamic/psychoanalytic psychology but I am less familiar with what job opportunities are available to people trained using the scholar-practitioner model.

In essence: will I be able to work in academia if I a receive a doctoral degree from an institution that focuses on psychodynamic theory and practice?

I understand better now. It's an uphill battle, but not impossible. You will have to choose each step of your training very carefully. One possible career path is in a psychiatry department in a medical school or academic health center. I've seen psychodynamically oriented folks do well in those settings with mostly clinical careers that include some teaching, supervision, and research (more as a co-investigator than a PI). If you just want a hand in academia, this can work out well.

Another option would be to attend a scientist-practitioner program and seek psychodynamic training outside of the core curriculum. I attended a CBT-oriented doctoral program but ended up with a fair amount of psychodynamic training through practica and my internship. I could have gotten a quite a bit more if it had been a major interest. If you wanted to conduct research on psychodynamic therapy (eg, do clinical trials), then this would be a reasonable option.

 

[TheDaoDoughnut]

Thank you all for your input! This is the same feedback I have received by my mentors. I will be applying to a myriad of places including some with a scientist-practitioner focus. If I end up there then I may seek psychodynamic training outside of the institution.