Man, this is some kind of Memorial Day Weekend thread...all 220+ posts of it...trying to convince someone of not going to the darkside, no less.
5 comments.
1. Selection bias. Look at your geography.
2. Source bias (psychology today)
3. Overestimation of base rates
4. Therapists, do not equal "psychologist"
5. a.)I sleep well at night. b.) I am very handsome to look at.
Psychology Today is not a peer-reviewed scientific journal. It is pop-culture, like People magazine, and not a reliable source of scientific news. It should never guide anyone's major decision-making process. Sorry.
Hey, do you like good-looking, in-shape older women? Okay, gotta go and get that sun now to keep my mind off of the idea of that pretty face of yours.
Very cheeky, lhasalover...particularly because you do not know exactly cute erg really is...nor do I unfortunately.
I am also an older, good-looking, in-shape woman...but not a Cougar...strictly Cheetah. And a non-traditional doctoral student (about 8 years younger than you) who believed clinical psychology was my God-given career. I had to figure out the hard way that there were no shortcuts to a specific careerpath that I desired. SO it took me about 10+ years to make-up for partying too much as an undergrad (by earning a masters and dedicating many years to medical research), concurrently 5+ years to gain wisdom and maturity (by becoming a parent & caring partner, most appreciatively personally), and 2+ years of application process to secure the best option out there for me - most of those years were spent working full-time AND being a caregiver...and I am now in my 6th year/going on internship this year...so I hear ya loud and clear when anyone says life does not get any easier..nor does our career paths as we get older. The hardest pill to swallow was an ounce of realism from one of my brothers (who is a successful criminal attorney) so said "You're going to have to give up your goal of being a psychologist if you don't get acceptance to a program a third time around because you're being delusional." (WTF Bro?!) and - thankfully, I got in off a waitlist my 2nd time applying. (I applied to funded and nonfunded PhD/PsyD programs in ONE main geographical location...all APA approved.) Don't be delusional about this profession.
I picture a surgeon saying this, a lit cigarette hanging from their mouth mid-operation.
Really, this thread is amazingly entertaining despie how sad it is.
This is funny to me. Primarily because my Dad was a surgeon who smoked...but he participated in and was supported by the AMA so that taught me to respect and obey those laws that govern, and there was no operating while smoking. Ha.
There is always post-doc training, isn't there? Of course I care about patients and I want to be the best psychologist that I can be, but at this juncture in my life, I'm not about to spend 6 years to get there before I am even allowed to practice! Sorry, but I'm not.
Ihasalover, if you are going to be this rigid and not put in the time to do the work necessary to be COMPETENT practitioner, then consider Plan B IMO.
Have you seen the WAIS? What is one of the main reasons we have professional/ethical standards? And no, it is not to ride at bare-minimum - that is scored low (MODS - I will edit out specific references soon)...if you want to ride along at bare minimum, you can become a life coach already with whatever skills and experiences you have up until this point. I could too, for that matter, but choose not to for many reasons. But patient safety motivates me...Hippocratic Oath maybe. If you want to practice therapy on school-age kids WITHOUT going to an APA-approved program and following all the rigors involved by opting to take the "easy road” (i.e. online doctorate in clinical/counseling/school psych or something that is State-approved to represent yourself as one) to do what you love...and may be good at, I will not support you working with any children especially to do therapy. I know that it could be potentially as damning as the presenting problem for which they sought therapy if you do not take YEARS to understand the REAL relationship between a clinical psychologist and his/her clients/patients (and I'm purposely excluding Counseling and School folks because I can only speak for my own degree). Why would you want to open a crackpot practice…and to fool their parents & make cash from faulty school systems? If crackpot practices are your game, BE a life couch to adults then.
Many of us work and train in medical settings, where the medical model is practiced. The medical model requires professional and ethical standards, and when you get in the business of you using your interpersonal skills as an intervention, then it is important for us to adhere to similar professional and ethical standards. State/Federal laws sometimes operate at minimums...just think of FDA regulations. This thread has so many posts because everyone hopes you will not be part of the problem that perpetuates poor training models. If you decide against the program you will not be part of the problem, but moving towards being part of the solution (once you get on the otherside to see all that you would've missed).
