Balanced PhD Programs

[WisNeuro]

Building off another thread, was hoping to get some feedback on dispelling the PhD is all research myth. For those of you who went to balanced PhD programs, what was your experience like?

I went to UW-Milwaukee. Overall training was very balanced, and especially later on you could guide your path more towards what you wanted. We definitely had students who did the the minimum of clinical work and churned out papers in prep for an academic career. Other students, like myself, published research, but spent the majority of my time in clinical work, getting a ton of hours in trauma work and neuropsych. We had various specialty clinics available through the University clinic, and many practicums to choose from in a variety of settings (VA, AMC, PP).

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[smalltownpsych]

I know it is a myth because I saw the stats on the practicum hours that the PhD students had when applying to internships.

I also worked at practicum sites with PhD students and at internship. During my internship, I had the most clinical experience, one PhD had a close second but with a different population, the other PhD had mostly forensic experience and was limited in therapy experience, the final intern was from a FSPS with PsyD and the three of us often wondered if she knew anything other than applied Eastern philosophy.

The question might be better worded, "Are there any PhD programs that don't offer extensive clinical experience?" I imagine that some people do want to conduct research without dealing with clinical populations, and what is wrong with that? I personally would like to do a little of both, but have too much emphasis currently on the clinical side.

 

[erg923]

I imagine that some people do want to conduct research without dealing with clinical populations, and what is wrong with that? I personally would like to do a little of both, but have too much emphasis currently on the clinical side.

Well, thats what experimental programs are for. Its called clinical psychology for a reason, right?

Program like Minnesota, Penn State, Berkley, Northwestern, etc. will provide very good training, but one can get away with a real bare minumum of it as well.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Well, thats what experimental programs are for. Its called clinical psychology for a reason, right?

Program like Minnesota, Penn State, Berkley, Northwestern, etc. will provide very good training, but one can get away with a real bare minumum of it as well.

 

[PsyDr]

What is this "balance" you speak of?

 

[WisNeuro]

Good mix of clinical training and research background. And ability to guide your career path accordingly.

 

[PsyDr]

I was joking about my own workaholic tendencies.

 

[WisNeuro]

I was joking about my own workaholic tendencies.

Ah, fair enough. I just meant a clinical/research balance, not a work/life balance. You're still putting in 60 hour weeks

 

[erg923]

You should try an 8-4 day one time and see what it's like.

 

[MCParent]

I'd think a list of the clinical programs that are almost-totally-research would be easier to compile. Most PhD programs produce lots of primarily-clinical grads.

 

[WisNeuro]

Oh, I know, I guess I was looking for people to post their own personal experience finding this balance in a PhD program.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

My program, I believe, has a reputation for being slightly more research- than clinically-focused (e.g., if we used a 7 point scale with 1 being all clinical and 7 being all research, it'd probably be in the 5.5 range). But I personally got a large amount of clinical experience spread across 6 or 7 very diverse settings, and even the most research-oriented folks worked in at least 2 or 3 different practicum sites prior to graduating. Our clinical training also typically began in the first year, which helped allow folks to diversify without needing to stick around forever.

 

[MCParent]

I'd call almost all counseling psych programs "balanced," and speculate that the variance on that is primarily at the level of the advisor and not the program in couns psych.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

I think if you want to attend a so-called "balanced program" you need to go into the application process asking a lot of questions. My program was considered balanced in that it had a lot of clinical work as part of the program, essentially a 100% match rate, and many students who went on to be clinicians. BUT clinical career goals were absolutely not supported. We were a balanced program which had hostility toward clinicians. If faculty sniffed out that you really wanted to do clinical work upon graduation, your application would be tossed immediately. If (as many did) during the course of the program you switched to clinical work as your career goal, professors were a lot less invested in you and your future. It was striking.