For those established: supplemental non-psych education?

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This question goes out to those who are already practicing. I can imagine that not a lot of you would like to repeat a grad school experience, but I can't help but be curious. What are some other interests that you wouldn't mind going back to school to learn in more detail? Perhaps something you can incorporate into your practice...

The more I think about it, the more I'd love to also study public health and getting an MPH and study psychiatric epidemiology. It's so incredibly interesting, especially mental illness prevalence and resiliency amongst different cultures. Anyway, that's what brought this question to my mind.

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Are we limiting it to practice specifically or any work as a psychologist?

I'd go back to school for either biomedical engineering, computer science and/or biostatistics in a heartbeat. All would be outrageously useful for what I do. I certainly have no plans to pursue any of these just because it makes little sense to get a second degree unless it becomes necessary (i.e. funding completely dries up) and I'm also at a point in my education where I should be able to self-teach most things I'd like to learn about, but in a world with infinite time and infinite money, I'd love to do it.
 
Are we limiting it to practice specifically or any work as a psychologist?.
I was hoping to hear about other degrees/certs etc that can be supplemental to work as a psychologist somehow in research or in practice.

I DID NOT mean to ask "If I could do it all again, what alternate career would I chase". That's a separate issue. :)

Do you currently work in psych, Ollie? What do you do?
 
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I went back for leadership/healthcare administration. All of the associated costs were covered by my department, so that made it a nice option. If I have to pay out of pocket (partial or full), I probably would take some biostatistics courses because that would benefit my research pursuits more immediately. I work with some great stats people, but I need to know more if I want to grow that area of my work.

An executive MBA program is a future goal, but the tuition for a legit program ($100k-$200k in tuition and fees) is only feasible if I can get my employer to pay for it. I'm also not sold that it'd best fit my goals, I need to see where my career path goes in the next 3-5+ years.

I've also been kicking around taking ASL (American Sign Language) classes.
 
Currently an intern. Recently accepted a non-rank faculty position (basically a post-doc but with more potential to stay and a few other perks).

I knew you were asking about supplemental work to psychology and not alternate careers, just wasn't sure if you were limiting it to things that could inform therapy/assessment/etc. or if research counted, since that broadens the list of what is likely to be useful out substantially. The things I listed would definitely benefit my research...can't say its likely to have much impact on my clinical practice. Though I still maintain that my introductory computer science sequence in object-oriented programming was outrageously useful for learning how to break down problems and likely contributed more to my therapy skills than any psychology course I ever took in undergrad or grad school.
 
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In my professional role: I've sat in on some graduate classes in two different disciplines on a very irregular basis. Shadowed a few different medical specialists. And explored returning to school for an MPH, JD, or MD. The MPH friends I spoke to use similar stats, but different methodology and lingo. It seemed the least interesting. JD was expensive and the possible return on investment was equivocal (i.e., nice if you work for baker McKenzie, super bad if you are a private criminal defense guy) . MD was took much of a risk. Most specialties that paid had residency lengths and/or physical requirements that exceeded what I would be able to do at my age (e.g., neurosurg, ortho). I've a few others ideas outside of psych I am working on.

In my personal life I've taken sailing, tennis, firearm, personal training, and cooking classes. I guess if someone hires a psychologist in a pirate infested yacht club I could apply that to my practice.
 
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In my personal life I've taken sailing, tennis, firearm, personal training, and cooking classes. I guess if someone hires a psychologist in a pirate infested yacht club I could apply that to my practice.

I just read an article about RN jobs on cruise ships. Sounds legit. You never know. heh.
 
Yeesh, who would want that job? You'd get every strain of norovirus out there!

For sure! hah. Not enough hand sanitizer in the world...

Interesting, in this article ( http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2002207150324#.VVvP6EZD3v1 ), it says they have an OR... ...but in your article it says they don't perform surgery. Gotta get down on the surgery ships. lol

I wonder if there's a market for cruise ship psychologists. Help deal with relationship issues, acute claustrophobia and agoraphobia... a little in vivo exposure therapy or something...
 
Actually, hand sanitizer doesn't kill norovirus (no lipid envelope). I've gotten into this discussion with my PCP so many times, as he refused to actually wash his hands. ;)
Ahhh. Is norovirus an enterovirus? If so, I didn't know.

...and really? He refused to wash his hands? I've heard of such mythical beasts but I've never seen one. That's crazy.
 
Ahhh. Is norovirus an enterovirus? If so, I didn't know.

...and really? He refused to wash his hands? I've heard of such mythical beasts but I've never seen one. That's crazy.
It's actually a calicivirus.

And yeah, he always insists that "hand santizer is just as effective," at which point I have to bite my tongue before offering to cite scientific literature. ;)
 
It's actually a calicivirus.

And yeah, he always insists that "hand santizer is just as effective," at which point I have to bite my tongue before offering to cite scientific literature. ;)

There was an unwritten rule... we told patients to watch and see if their docs washed their hands and told them that if the doc didn't, they were encouraged to them to do it. ...and if I ever had a doc do that with me as a patient, I'd just walk out. But I've never experienced a doc doing that around me. It's infection control 101...
 
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