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- Jan 12, 2016
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Hi guys,
A little bit of background before I get to the meat of it:
1. Just graduated from Boston College, majored in Psychology (Clinical Concentration) and minored in Economics
2. Looking to apply for PhD / PsyD programs in clinical psychology in ~3 years.
3. I have committed to Massachusetts General Hospital for the next two years. I will be working as a Clinical Education Assistant, which basically entails administrative work and helping my supervisor prepare presentations.
While I am very grateful and excited to start this position, it is centered in a department that is far from the likes of Psychology. Since, as mentioned, I would like to go back to school eventually, I want to take advantage of the next two years at MGH by easing my way into the Psychiatry Department. Getting my name "out there" and helping with research in any capacity (literature reviews, subject screening, etc) would be a great boost for any application, as well as a way to find out whether I would like to do research in the future (thereby contributing to my decision of PsyD vs PhD in the future).
I'm mostly interested in the studies being conducting throughout the various programs being run in the Psychiatry Dept, i.e. the Center for Women's Health, the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Depression and Clinical Research Program, Empathy and Relational Science Program, Psychotherapy Research Program, etc...... I would like to get involved in any way possible with any of these programs.
So, here are the questions I have:
1. I am considering talking to my boss and asking if he could put me in touch with someone from each program of interest, then asking to meet with that someone for a Q&A about the program, just for curiosity's sake. Then, email for a follow-up and ask if I can be of any assistance. Do you think this is a good strategy? If not, do you have any other suggestions?
2. What exactly does "shadowing" entail? Is what I want to do considered "shadowing"?
3. Are there any courses/certifications you think would be helpful in the next few years, assuming I will be going for a PhD in clinical psychology (for now)? Any other experiences, i.e. volunteering, conferences?
4. When researching the Psychiatry Dept —so I actually know what I want/what I'm talking about—what should I look at/for? If my interest is research, should I read up on as many studies as I can?
Thank you if you've made it to the bottom of this post. I would really appreciate the advice, as I am feeling lost and pressed for time. Though I keep stressing the importance of a good grad school application, I am intrinsically motivated to go above and beyond when it comes to what I am passionate about.
A little bit of background before I get to the meat of it:
1. Just graduated from Boston College, majored in Psychology (Clinical Concentration) and minored in Economics
2. Looking to apply for PhD / PsyD programs in clinical psychology in ~3 years.
3. I have committed to Massachusetts General Hospital for the next two years. I will be working as a Clinical Education Assistant, which basically entails administrative work and helping my supervisor prepare presentations.
While I am very grateful and excited to start this position, it is centered in a department that is far from the likes of Psychology. Since, as mentioned, I would like to go back to school eventually, I want to take advantage of the next two years at MGH by easing my way into the Psychiatry Department. Getting my name "out there" and helping with research in any capacity (literature reviews, subject screening, etc) would be a great boost for any application, as well as a way to find out whether I would like to do research in the future (thereby contributing to my decision of PsyD vs PhD in the future).
I'm mostly interested in the studies being conducting throughout the various programs being run in the Psychiatry Dept, i.e. the Center for Women's Health, the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Depression and Clinical Research Program, Empathy and Relational Science Program, Psychotherapy Research Program, etc...... I would like to get involved in any way possible with any of these programs.
So, here are the questions I have:
1. I am considering talking to my boss and asking if he could put me in touch with someone from each program of interest, then asking to meet with that someone for a Q&A about the program, just for curiosity's sake. Then, email for a follow-up and ask if I can be of any assistance. Do you think this is a good strategy? If not, do you have any other suggestions?
2. What exactly does "shadowing" entail? Is what I want to do considered "shadowing"?
3. Are there any courses/certifications you think would be helpful in the next few years, assuming I will be going for a PhD in clinical psychology (for now)? Any other experiences, i.e. volunteering, conferences?
4. When researching the Psychiatry Dept —so I actually know what I want/what I'm talking about—what should I look at/for? If my interest is research, should I read up on as many studies as I can?
Thank you if you've made it to the bottom of this post. I would really appreciate the advice, as I am feeling lost and pressed for time. Though I keep stressing the importance of a good grad school application, I am intrinsically motivated to go above and beyond when it comes to what I am passionate about.
