PhD/PsyD Not a lot of schools w/ my research interest. What to do?

[zbkc]

Hello,
I will be applying to some clinical phd and counseling phd programs very soon, but what if my research area has only, let's say, 5 or 6 schools?

Would it be ok to apply to different schools even if my research interest does not fully match with the professor's interest?

I am asking this because I plan on applying to at least 10 schools, and like I mentioned before, not many schools study what I want to study.

thanks

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[Realities]

What are your research interests?

 

[bns140]

What is your research interest? In your situation, where there aren't many faculty members who do your research, you can find other faculty members who do research that you can create a connection to your interest. Most of the time, you can find researchers doing research that aren't necessarily directly along your interest, but you can find a connection between both of your interests.

For example, if your interest is in PTSD specifically in military soldiers, and hypothetically there aren't many researchers in that area, you can find faculty members who do research in stress in aging adults, and then make a case on how both of your interest are pretty much the same, and how you would like to expand/broaden the field to include your interest in military soldiers. You just need to make a convincing argument.

Obviously, finding a good research match is important, but there are certain fields where very little people do your interest, and so you have to get a bit creative and flexible.

 

[zbkc]

Thanks for answering my question.
Actually, my research area is body image issues and eating disorders. I have found a good amount of schools, but then I filtered them out according to their location. That's why I ended up having 6 schools.

I actually tried including women's issues, and even latino mental health when trying to find new schools, but I still cannot add a lot more.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Thanks for answering my question.
Actually, my research area is body image issues and eating disorders. I have found a good amount of schools, but then I filtered them out according to their location. That's why I ended up having 6 schools.

I actually tried including women's issues, and even latino mental health when trying to find new schools, but I still cannot add a lot more.

How selective are you being with location filtering? EDs are very popular as a research interest, so competition for spots with ED researchers is intense, even at programs in "less desirable" locations. I interviewed at a program a couple of years ago in what is usually considered a rather undesirable location (think very very cold and very rural), and the ED faculty was the POI of about half of the interviewees. Unless you are super, ultra competitive as an applicant location filtering and ED research may be incompatible. Heck, location filtering in psych will cause you problems, regardless.

 

[zbkc]

How selective are you being with location filtering? EDs are very popular as a research interest, so competition for spots with ED researchers is intense, even at programs in "less desirable" locations. I interviewed at a program a couple of years ago in what is usually considered a rather undesirable location (think very very cold and very rural), and the ED faculty was the POI of about half of the interviewees. Unless you are super, ultra competitive as an applicant location filtering and ED research may be incompatible. Heck, location filtering in psych will cause you problems, regardless.

Thanks for the reply =D.
Yes, I consider myself a very competitive applicant, so I am not very concerned about competition. What is currently concerning me is just the research interest and the amount of schools after filtering them out.

But, thanks for all the answers. I will try to find new connections with my research interest.

 

[bns140]

Thanks for answering my question.
Actually, my research area is body image issues and eating disorders. I have found a good amount of schools, but then I filtered them out according to their location. That's why I ended up having 6 schools.

I actually tried including women's issues, and even latino mental health when trying to find new schools, but I still cannot add a lot more.

Can you narrow your interest in body image and eating disorders? what population are you interested in looking at?

 

[zbkc]

Can you narrow your interest in body image and eating disorders? what population are you interested in looking at?

The main population I'm interested in looking at is latinos. So far I have been comparing men and women (americans and latinos).
That's why I tried to include latino mental health, and even masculinity and femininity.

 

[cara susanna]

What locations are you filtering for?

 

[bns140]

The main population I'm interested in looking at is latinos. So far I have been comparing men and women (americans and latinos).
That's why I tried to include latino mental health, and even masculinity and femininity.

Hmm you can try to find professors conducting health disparities research. If you went with that route, it would probably be along the lines of health disparities between americans and latinos, more specifically looking at eating disorders. You can also go through professors conducting anxiety, depression research, and then your research interest would broaden the professor's research interest to look at depression, and anxiety in relation to possible causes of eating disorders among latinos in comparison to americans.

A good way to open more connection is to look at the risk factors to eating disorders. Do people with EDs typically also meet diagnosis for anxiety, depression, etc. Then look for professors conducting those research, and this way you can make the topic of "depression," "anxiety" more specific to your own interest.

 

[zbkc]

Hmm you can try to find professors conducting health disparities research. If you went with that route, it would probably be along the lines of health disparities between americans and latinos, more specifically looking at eating disorders. You can also go through professors conducting anxiety, depression research, and then your research interest would broaden the professor's research interest to look at depression, and anxiety in relation to possible causes of eating disorders among latinos in comparison to americans.

A good way to open more connection is to look at the risk factors to eating disorders. Do people with EDs typically also meet diagnosis for anxiety, depression, etc. Then look for professors conducting those research, and this way you can make the topic of "depression," "anxiety" more specific to your own interest.

Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it! =D

 

[WisNeuro]

Just depends on how much filtering you are doing based on geography. Literally dozens of places that would most likely work for this interest area.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Sounds like you are going to have to weigh the potential risk for not getting into a school verses the potential costs for moving to another area verses potential for waiting a year.

 

[psychrat]

Thanks for the reply =D.
Yes, I consider myself a very competitive applicant, so I am not very concerned about competition. What is currently concerning me is just the research interest and the amount of schools after filtering them out.

But, thanks for all the answers. I will try to find new connections with my research interest.

I am sure you are highly qualified, but please remember that there are many qualified applicants, so even if you are competitive, limiting yourself geographically may end up in no offers. I have seen it happen many times to great applicants. I recommend branching out geographically, especially in this field Good luck.