I am in the process of finalizing my rankings and am having a hard time with a couple of sites. Specifically, I am considering ranking a Counseling Center relatively high because it's close to my hometown (I have 2 kids and wife doesn't want to move). The CC would be ranked 4th below VAs and so hopefully it won't matter. I have NO desire to EVER work at a counseling center and would like to eventually end up at a VA or State Hospital. I have gotten mixed feedback from psychologists, with some saying I'll forever damn my career/never get a good postdoc and others saying it's ok as long as it's accredited. Thoughts? I want to keep my family intact but I also want to be able to have a good career following internship.
Internship and Career Prospects
- Thread starter jgg323
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2014
- Messages
- 5,527
- Reaction score
- 6,556
happy wife = happy life
We all have to balance career and life and each of us has to find that balance for ourselves. My wife has been willing to move with me but that is because it pays off financially. It is hard to settle into one place early in your career and another factor to consider is age of kids and when it makes sense for them to stay settled.
We all have to balance career and life and each of us has to find that balance for ourselves. My wife has been willing to move with me but that is because it pays off financially. It is hard to settle into one place early in your career and another factor to consider is age of kids and when it makes sense for them to stay settled.
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2005
- Messages
- 5,138
- Reaction score
- 8,202
The salaries at college counseling centers were always frightening to me. State hospitals have slightly higher salaries, followed by VAs. Easiest way into the VA is to work for the VA in practicums, followed by internship.
I would encourage you to plan out the financial trajectories of your possible career choices and collaborate with your wife. Maybe the both of you decide that making 50k and staying where you are is the best thing. Maybe you need more and can compromise on location.
I would encourage you to plan out the financial trajectories of your possible career choices and collaborate with your wife. Maybe the both of you decide that making 50k and staying where you are is the best thing. Maybe you need more and can compromise on location.
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2009
- Messages
- 735
- Reaction score
- 672
Of course, it would be "easier" to secure a postdoc in a VA if you intern at a VA, but I know of people who interned at college counseling centers and state hospitals, who now work in the VA. You could apply to postdocs in the VA and focus your interests at the college counseling center on student veterans, substance use, trauma, etc, so you could make a case on why you want a postdoc/ job at a VA. It is a bumpy road-- accreditation is very important, and not everyone who plans to work at a VA matches for a VA or hospital internship. Training directors are aware if this.
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2006
- Messages
- 22,382
- Reaction score
- 4,329
If you want to eventually work at a VA….you should really consider trying to secure a VA internship or at least post-doc. College counseling is a very different animal in regard to training experience, so from a training perspective it would be different. Given that match is so competitive, I'm sure places will understand non-VA ppl applying for post-docs/jobs outside of the VA/medical setting, but all things being equal…go with a VA.
I ranked the CC below most of the VAs. I really hope I match at one of my top sites! I don't want to move but I think I'd be miserable at a CC and the career implications appear to be serious. Thanks for the responses.
