Best path for someone who wants a Ph.D. in clinical psychology? High school junior now.

MinusEunoia

New Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I've decided that I want to go into the general direction of clinical psychology, but I'm undecided about the path to get there. What are the best colleges for a psychology major? Where do I need to go from there? Who has the best Ph.D/Psy.D programs? Is there a collection of this sort of info somewhere? Any resources I should use to decides what specializations I'm interested in? Any internships I could get into that would help me along? Etc.

Thank you

Members don't see this ad.
 
Hi, well, this is a pretty late reply so I'm hoping you see it!

I'm a junior in college as a psychology major. I thought I wanted to do clinical psychology, too, when I was in high school. I did an internship at the psychiatric hospital in my hometown during my senior year. Yeah, that's how I figured out clinical was not for me! I highly suggest you look into something like this while you're in high school so you can figure out what you're interested in as early as possible. Even if you don't get school credit, just ask to volunteer or shadow somewhere.

So, I didn't like the mental hospital, and as I gained mentors there I figured out that I was simply not cut-out for that kind of psychology. But I didn't lose hope because there is so much more to psychology than clinical. I did not have a crisis where I changed majors or schools or anything, because I truly love psychological theory and research, which is important, too. Now I conduct research in the area of social psychology, which is extremely interesting and fun!

To answer your questions:
Best undergrad psych programs: http://www.socialpsychology.org/gunder.htm

Best PhD in psych programs: http://www.socialpsychology.org/ranking.htm

I don't know much about PsyDs because I ruled them out a long time ago. All I know is that they focus much less on research than a PhD, meaning they are practice-focused. They're easier to get into. And they cost a lot more money.

Once you find an undergrad program, tons of your questions and concerns will be addressed by your professors and advisors. You'll have 4 years to figure out what you want to specialize in, and from there you can find the best graduate program that pertains to those interests. My best advice at this stage is to find an undergrad program you love, and in the meantime, go explore some clinical psychology settings such as a hospital or clinic or whatever is available nearby. Also keep in the back of your mind that you should conduct research during college if you want to get a PhD in clinical psychology (ask your professors how to get started). It's a huge deciding factor for admissions, so start early if you can! Good luck!
 
Top