School Psychology PhD/PsyD thread

[bebe1986]

hi,
if you are interested in assessments, are you restricted to work in only schools or you can also work in non-school settings such as hospitals.
thanks

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[aagman01]

Ahhh, are you planning to do a phd in school psychology?

If so, if you gain appropriate experience in externship placements, you can be competitive for assessment-heavy internships in non-school settings.

If you do a search of the APPIC internship site at http://www.appic.org/directory/search_dol_internships.asp

First, select "School Psychology" from the "Applicants Accepted from Graduate Program Types" and "Assessment" as a "Major" in the "Speciality Area", you will find 179 hits.

Of those, you will find numerous clinical settings where school psychs practice. Of those, you will find that a majority are non-school settings. Those sites will vary, from stating they "Prefer" school psychology applicants and regularly choose school psych applicants (e.g. 1, 2, or 3 or more student placements at their site annually) to stating they "Accept" school psych students. The "Accept" sites can range from regularly selection of school psych students to rarely or never selecting school psych applicants (e.g. have not selected school psych applicants in the 3 years placement statistics that are available).

In many sites, the competition is quite keen for placement. This competition can often be more keen for a school psych applicant, for a variety of reasons (e.g. due to differences in traditional training and experiences, perceptions (biased or not) of the skill & competency of school psychs held by clinical folks, etc.). The important thing is to make sure you get solid clinical experiences (assessment especially in your case) outside of school settings (in addition to completing a school placement). Placements in medical colleges, children's hospital and other such settings conducting assessment & neuropsych assessment could, I would think, be especially helpful in your case.

Good luck!

 

[mswtopsyd]

I am just starting a psy.d in school psych with the ultimate goal of obtaining an internship in pediatric neuropsychology, hopefully in a children's hospital or medical setting. All the advice I have received has been to get clinical experience in the setting that I want to work during my practicum placement.

No one has mentioned the importance of research experience, but I have seen on some of the internship websites that this is looked upon favorably. My program does not emphasize research and I wonder if I should go out of my way to get this experience anyway. I have been a clinical social worker with children/families for 12 years. I know that this experience won't count on my applications for internship, and will need to get additional clinical experience in grad school now with ph.d. supervision. Just wondering what else I should do to make myself competitive for those hospital placements with pediatric neuro focus. These internships seem to be very competitive.

Thanks for any additional advice.

 

[Yellowbrickroad]

I've been researching school psychology programs, and I am surprised that so many of them don't even offer funding until AFTER you've accepted their offer of admission.

Are any of you aware of programs that offer (in-state and out-of-state) tuition waivers along with an assistantship when offering admission to most of their students?

(I realize fit is of utmost importance, and I won't apply to a program that doesn't fit my research interests. BUT, funding is also key.)

Any information any of you could give me would be helpful.

 

[aagman01]

Hey there -

Good question. Many programs do list the descriptives of enrolled students, as per APA suggestions. So many do list the number of students, number funded, etc. You could also contact programs where such information is not readily available to get information. Be wary of programs that are hesitant to share such information.

Funding was a top priority for me unfortunately when I investigated programs in fall of 2006. What follows certainly is not nearly all programs, but is what I can recall several years later:

Full funding
Most students at these programs received a stipend of $10,000 or more plus full tuition waiver (or nearly full I should say, since many schools don't cover the student fees, which come out to a few hundred annually): South Carolina
Maryland
Kentucky
Wisconsin Madison
Wisconsin Milwaukee
Florida
Texas
SUNY BUffalo
Minnesota
Delaware (not APA accredited, but good funding-even Ed.S is funded)

No funding or minimal
Pace
Yeshiva
Berkley
Arizona (Tucson, most students not covered)
Teachers College/Columbia
Iowa (no waiver of out-of-state tuition, which is most of your stipend)
Fordham (provided half tuition plus around $14,000 - other half of tution uncovered was around $14,000 as I recall),
Hofstra (waiver did not cover all tuition, and stipend not overly generous), CUNY (covered many students but not all)

I've been researching school psychology programs, and I am surprised that so many of them don't even offer funding until AFTER you've accepted their offer of admission.

I already have debt from undergrad. I really don't want to accept a program only to find out that I cannot obtain an assistantship (and then would have to back out, which is completely bad form and not okay according to the established guidelines).

Are any of you aware of programs that offer full (in-state and out-of-state) tuition waivers along with an assistantship when offering admission to most of their students?

(I realize fit is of utmost importance, and I won't apply to a program that doesn't fit my research interests. BUT, funding is also key.)

Any information any of you could give me would be helpful.

 

[aagman01]

Although I am not neuro focused, based on what I have learned in my 3+ years of grad school and now that I am in the process of applying to internships, I would recommend getting neuropsych prac experiences. If you can do so in a children's hospital or some sort of facility with a research focus that would be optimal.

Unless there is a school psych faculty who concentrates in neuro, I would look to the clinical psych department at your school and try to get attached to neuro research lab or something of that sort. If you can get yourself involved in one research team and crank out a pub or two at least that would be beneficial for neuro placements (which seem to be HIGHLY competitive).

Good luck

I am just starting a psy.d in school psych with the ultimate goal of obtaining an internship in pediatric neuropsychology, hopefully in a children's hospital or medical setting. All the advice I have received has been to get clinical experience in the setting that I want to work during my practicum placement.

No one has mentioned the importance of research experience, but I have seen on some of the internship websites that this is looked upon favorably. My program does not emphasize research and I wonder if I should go out of my way to get this experience anyway. I have been a clinical social worker with children/families for 12 years. I know that this experience won't count on my applications for internship, and will need to get additional clinical experience in grad school now with ph.d. supervision. Just wondering what else I should do to make myself competitive for those hospital placements with pediatric neuro focus. These internships seem to be very competitive.

Thanks for any additional advice.

 

[Yellowbrickroad]

Thanks for the great info, Aagman01.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Hey there -

Good question. Many programs do list the descriptives of enrolled students, as per APA suggestions. So many do list the number of students, number funded, etc. You could also contact programs where such information is not readily available to get information. Be wary of programs that are hesitant to share such information.

Funding was a top priority for me unfortunately when I investigated programs in fall of 2006. What follows certainly is not nearly all programs, but is what I can recall several years later:

Full funding
Most students at these programs received a stipend of $10,000 or more plus full tuition waiver (or nearly full I should say, since many schools don't cover the student fees, which come out to a few hundred annually): South Carolina
Maryland
Kentucky
Wisconsin Madison
Wisconsin Milwaukee
Florida
Texas
SUNY BUffalo
Minnesota
Delaware (not APA accredited, but good funding-even Ed.S is funded)

No funding or minimal
Pace
Yeshiva
Berkley
Arizona (Tucson, most students not covered)
Teachers College/Columbia
Iowa (no waiver of out-of-state tuition, which is most of your stipend)
Fordham (provided half tuition plus around $14,000 - other half of tution uncovered was around $14,000 as I recall),
Hofstra (waiver did not cover all tuition, and stipend not overly generous), CUNY (covered many students but not all)

Texas does NOT fully fund--many of their grad students are minimally or unfunded for multiple semesters and thus it's common for students to take on 60k-100k or more in debt for the program. As far as Texas programs, A&M has better funding, though it can still be somewhat hit or miss. Lots of first years are funded through fellowships and most older students have GAships through a university office or a professor in the program, though it's not guaranteed. Definitely a better funding situation than UT, though, from what the current students and faculty said during interview days at both schools.

 

[Yellowbrickroad]

Texas does NOT fully fund--many of their grad students are minimally or unfunded for multiple semesters and thus it's common for students to take on 60k-100k or more in debt for the program. As far as Texas programs, A&M has better funding, though it can still be somewhat hit or miss. Lots of first years are funded through fellowships and most older students have GAships through a university office or a professor in the program, though it's not guaranteed. Definitely a better funding situation than UT, though, from what the current students and faculty said during interview days at both schools.

Thanks for the info, Futureapppsy2. (Although your name, at this point, no longer suits you. But, then again, maybe your name is now referring to applying for internships and jobs in the future. : ) I heard the same thing about Texas.

I'm sure that I will receive some contradictory information from people. However, anyone who believes his/her information to be correct, please share. Aagman01's post allowed me to reconsider a school that I had already discarded (because of funding worries). I contacted the school, and it turns out that Aagman01 was correct, and the school's website had wrong information posted about their funding situation.

Thanks!

 

[aagman01]

I'm in my fourth year now, so its been 4 years (CRAZY) since I applied to programs. So DEFINATELY check up on things. Any program you think is a strong match, CHECK UP (regardless of what anyone says). I was actually offered full funding at Texas when I applied, so apparently things have also changed for the worse at some programs

Thanks for the info, Futureapppsy2. (Although your name, at this point, no longer suits you. But, then again, maybe your name is now referring to applying for internships and jobs in the future. : ) I heard the same thing about Texas.

I'm sure that I will receive some contradictory information from people. However, anyone who believes his/her information to be correct, please share. Aagman01's post allowed me to reconsider a school that I had already discarded (because of funding worries). I contacted the school, and it turns out that Aagman01 was correct, and the school's website had wrong information posted about their funding situation.

Thanks!

 

[ResearchRefuge]

From my interviews last year, I know that Syracuse University's Ph.D. program offers a $12,000 stipend with full tuition waiver via assistantship for every incoming student. This funding continues through at least four years of grad school. For the first year, you would typically work as a TA for a general psychology class. After that, the program has numerous connections within the university and city for students to complete their assistantship through the department, the university, research, teaching, and hospital opportunities. I think the research interests there were RTI with a specific focus on reading, ABA, neuropsych, and ADHD/LD populations. Overall, I was very impressed with their opportunities and the quality of the program. I hadn't been expecting that.

The other school psychology programs I interviewed with did not offer full funding. Therefore, I won't go into details of their research interests, as I don't know if you would consider them.

Northeastern University in Boston tried to offer partial funding, though none was guaranteed.

University of Connecticut once had offered funding to all students, but for the past few years were not able to guarantee it to every student.

The same goes for the University of Rhode Island.

Hope this helps!

 

[futureapppsy2]

I'm in my fourth year now, so its been 4 years (CRAZY) since I applied to programs. So DEFINATELY check up on things. Any program you think is a strong match, CHECK UP (regardless of what anyone says). I was actually offered full funding at Texas when I applied, so apparently things have also changed for the worse at some programs

It's definitely probable that some schools have changed--so many programs las year said something along the lines of "we used to fully fund, but with the economy." I realize now that I may had sounded like I was attacking/accusing you--totally not my intent and I sincerely apologize if it came across that way. Peace?

Other schools with reportedly good/full funding as of last year: Nebraska, Louisiana State, Tennessee, Mississippi State (though the stipends are a bit low), SUNY Albany (PsyD; again low stipends--around $7500/year.

 

[aagman01]

None taken

I did not apply or look at any of those programs, mainly because I personally was not interested in living in any of those areas and the research/fit was not strong enough to get me to consider applying.

However, Nebraska is generally considered one of the strongest school psych programs (at least in terms of faculty productivity). I did not even look into Louisiana State, though as I have become more familiar with the field, it also appears to be a strong program.

Good luck

It's definitely probable that some schools have changed--so many programs las year said something along the lines of "we used to fully fund, but with the economy." I realize now that I may had sounded like I was attacking/accusing you--totally not my intent and I sincerely apologize if it came across that way. Peace?

Other schools with reportedly good/full funding as of last year: Nebraska, Louisiana State, Tennessee, Mississippi State (though the stipends are a bit low), SUNY Albany (PsyD; again low stipends--around $7500/year.

 

[soupy]

Univ of Maryland also provides funding through either fellowships or assistantships. They do not guarantee it, but all students in the past have been successful in getting fully funded. The stipend is about $17k a year.

 

[bebe1986]

Central Michigan University provides funding too and it is supposed to be for 4years depending on the funds available.hope this helps

 

[jnine]

Just some more info on funding based my information from applying/interviewing last year to school psych PhD programs. I'll be blunt and you can take what I say with a grain of salt

U Minnesota - about half funding is standard, but if you're willing to hustle to find opportunities you can get full funding.

Berkeley- Need to hustle to get funding, but I think a little over half of students are fully funded.

UT-Austin, ditto on what future said. a few free rides are available just like almost every program.

U Maryland- everyone is fully funded. they said they keep the cohort size low specifically so they can almost guarantee this.

Hope it helps and best of luck to everyone.

 

[Yellowbrickroad]

Thanks for the information, everyone. I greatly appreciate it.

My main concern (obviously in addition to program fit) is finding a program that will offer me funding before I have to accept its offer of admission. When it comes to financial matters, I am risk averse.

So, again, thanks for all the help!!!

 

[aagman01]

I found that most programs either provided me concrete funding offers at the time of an admission offer (which occurred between mid-February and mid-March). In my experience, all programs gave me until April 15 (the APA recommended deadline) to make a final decision on acceptance. There were two programs that told me I was accepted but would not know about financial details until the summer (Wisconsin, Berkley). Also, some programs I was accepted to told me straight up that it was possible but not likely that I would receive any substantial amount of funding (Columbia/TC, Yeshiva). I was personally in the same boat as you, and took a program that guaranteed funding over 4 years.

Thanks for the information, everyone. I greatly appreciate it.

My main concern is finding a program that will offer me funding before I have to accept its offer of admission. When it comes to financial matters, I am risk averse. (I already have debt from undergrad. No more, I say. : )

So, again, thanks for all the help!!!

 

[4Ever]

I was looking through last year's interview thread, and I read that Texas A&M did not conduct in-person interviews.

How common is that? What other universities (school psychology programs, obviously) elect not to do in-person interviews? And, most importantly, how are students able to get a feel for the program if they haven't interacted with faculty and other students?

 

[aagman01]

One program I recall applying to did not conduct interviews (University of Arizona). I found interviewing & visiting different programs critical in my decision-making process. You can do what you would like obviously, but I would recommend at least visiting a program before you make a final decision.

Incidentally, I have heard that the Texas A & M programs is extremely strong with regards to ELL research and training (in case you are bilingual or interested in research related to ELLs).

I was looking through last year's interview thread, and I read that Texas A&M did not conduct in-person interviews.

How common is that? What other universities (school psychology programs, obviously) elect not to do in-person interviews? And, most importantly, how are students able to get a feel for the program if they haven't interacted with faculty and other students?

 

[futureapppsy2]

One program I recall applying to did not conduct interviews (University of Arizona). I found interviewing & visiting different programs critical in my decision-making process. You can do what you would like obviously, but I would recommend at least visiting a program before you make a final decision.

Incidentally, I have heard that the Texas A & M programs is extremely strong with regards to ELL research and training (in case you are bilingual or interested in research related to ELLs).

A&M had a post-acceptance open house that was very much like an interview day--meeting with faculty/POIs, students, tour of the clinic, a student social, info on funding, etc., only without the pressure of interviewing. It was actually quite nice, and they tend to provide travel funding for people coming out of state, which is very rare for school psych programs (I also know ASU offers some people from outside of the region travel funding for their interview day).

Additionally, many programs will accept a phone interview over an in-person one, though the latter is (often heavily) preferred. Personally, I got into one school that seemed to heavily prefer in-person interviews with just a phone interview and got waitlisted at another school that claimed to give both types equal weight, so it's possible but not preferable.

I definitely agree that you want to look at the program before accepting an offer, though.

Oh, and one final note on Texas: I just wanted to say that I do think it's an *excellent* program in many aspects, just perhaps not the best place for people who are very debt averse.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Any school psych people applying this year? If so, how's it going?

Similarly, any more advanced people applying for internship this cycle? Any advice on that?

 

[aagman01]

Hi:

I'm applying this fall. Preparing final revisions on essays.

Hoping to place into children's hospital or residential treatment center.

What sort of sites are school psych folks applying to?

Any school psych people applying this year? If so, how's it going?

Similarly, any more advanced people applying for internship this cycle? Any advice on that?

 

[Yellowbrickroad]

*

 

[Teacher07]

Most school psychologists working in the schools in this country are Masters/CAGS level, so finding a job with that degree should not be a concern.

 

[aagman01]

To fully address the original question (if I read it correctly):

I would also say that NASP certification is not necessary for finding a job. If you were to drop out of the phd tract for some reason and only complete the specialist/CAGS program, you could find a job through a program that was not NASP endorsed at the specialist/CAGS level.

NASP certification is helpful for getting a job in a different state, perhaps makes your application for a job look slightly better, and sometimes (depending on the district and state) can result in a somewhat larger salary (although not very large....I've heard one recent story of $1000 per year).

I also know several people who completed specialist training in a non-NASP program, and then applied and got NASP certification afterwards. The process involves some work, but is certainly not extremely difficult to do. Basically, it involves providing evidence of your "competency" (something most programs require an extensive amount of anyways You'll have to provide syllabi from courses, proof of practicum and internship hours, and work samples that demonstrate your competency.

NASP certification is not an end all be all. However, it is A helpful marker of a comprehensive program Your better off with it (in a program) than without, but can also get by just fine without.

Hope that helps

Most school psychologists working in the schools in this country are Masters/CAGS level, so finding a job with that degree should not be a concern.

 

[Yellowbrickroad]

To fully address the original question (if I read it correctly)

Thanks aagman01, as usual, your information was really helpful. And, yes, you understood my question correctly.

 

[athenax]

Hello all,

I just thought that I would try to re-vamp this thread as applications should be going out now. Are there any School Psych PhD/PsyD applicants out there this year?

I'm applying to 11 schools, all School Psych programs: Temple, Penn State, Maryland, Delaware, Teachers College, Lehigh, UMass-Amherst, Fordham, Rhode Island (PhDs) and Rutgers and St. John's (PsyD)

Anyone else applying to these programs?

 

[Yellowbrickroad]

Hello all,

I just thought that I would try to re-vamp this thread as applications should be going out now. Are there any School Psych PhD/PsyD applicants out there this year?

I'm applying to 11 schools, all School Psych programs: Temple, Penn State, Maryland, Delaware, Teachers College, Lehigh, UMass-Amherst, Fordham, Rhode Island (PhDs) and Rutgers and St. John's (PsyD)

Anyone else applying to these programs?

I am applying, but I am not applying to any that you listed. Good luck to you!!!!

 

[coldsweat]

deleted

 

[nancynyc]

Hi All,

I'm applying to grad programs for next year in the NYC area. My ideal program would be a Ph.D. that has a fairly equal emphasis of research and practice, but I'm also applying to some Psy.D's at schools where the Ph.D. track wasn't as appealing to me. I was initially planning to apply to Yeshiva's Clinical PsyD program, but I couldn't find anything about it on their website (although admittedly I didn't look that hard) and I read the description of the School-Clinical PsyD program and loved it (and I ultimately want to work with children/ adolescents), so I think I'm applying there now. Are there any major differences between the School Psy.D. versus the Clinical Psy.D. in terms of what you can do with the degree? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Nancy

 

[chelhet]

I'm applying to 11 schools, all School Psych programs: Temple, Penn State, Maryland, Delaware, Teachers College, Lehigh, UMass-Amherst, Fordham, Rhode Island (PhDs) and Rutgers and St. John's (PsyD)

Anyone else applying to these programs?

I also applied to Maryland and Lehigh, as well as Michigan State, Minnesota, Indiana, UW-Madison, and Duquesne.

 

[Yellowbrickroad]

I also applied to Maryland and Lehigh, as well as Michigan State, Minnesota, Indiana, UW-Madison, and Duquesne.

Congrats to you on your Michigan State and Wisconsin interview invites.

 

[athenax]

Hi All,

I'm applying to grad programs for next year in the NYC area. My ideal program would be a Ph.D. that has a fairly equal emphasis of research and practice, but I'm also applying to some Psy.D's at schools where the Ph.D. track wasn't as appealing to me. I was initially planning to apply to Yeshiva's Clinical PsyD program, but I couldn't find anything about it on their website (although admittedly I didn't look that hard) and I read the description of the School-Clinical PsyD program and loved it (and I ultimately want to work with children/ adolescents), so I think I'm applying there now. Are there any major differences between the School Psy.D. versus the Clinical Psy.D. in terms of what you can do with the degree? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Nancy

I'm not really familiar with all the specifics of the different PsyD programs, but I'd assume that you'd obviously be able to work in a school setting with the School Psych degree, but if you want to work in more traditional clinical settings, you'd just have to make sure your internships line up that way. It'd be easier to go that route with a clinical degree, but not too difficult in School Psych, either. I don't see it as a huge difference, other the the obvious differences of focus in classes and whatnot.

 

[athenax]

I also applied to Maryland and Lehigh, as well as Michigan State, Minnesota, Indiana, UW-Madison, and Duquesne.

Awesome!! I'm glad there are more School Psych people out there. It's neat how some of us are applying to completely different programs. Good luck to everybody.

 

[4Ever]

I see that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln typically extends invites around this date. Anyone hear anything?

 

[futureapppsy2]

Hi all!

I hope the invite season is going well.

With the large caveat of n=1, I'd be happy to share, via PM, my experiences with the schools I interviewed at last year. So, feel free to PM me, and I'd be happy to help you if I can.


Good luck!

 

[jnine]

I'm with future also willing to offer experiences, advice, help, etc. to any aspiring school psych applicants. I'm a 1st year student in a school psych doctoral program and applied/interviewed coast to coast. Best of luck to everyone.

J9

QUOTE=futureapppsy2;10483015]Hi all!

I hope the invite season is going well.

With the large caveat of n=1, I'd be happy to share, via PM, my experiences with the schools I interviewed at last year. So, feel free to PM me, and I'd be happy to help you if I can.


Good luck! [/QUOTE]

 

[futureapppsy2]

I'm with future also willing to offer experiences, advice, help, etc. to any aspiring school psych applicants. I'm a 1st year student in a school psych doctoral program and applied/interviewed coast to coast. Best of luck to everyone.

Same here, on all counts.

 

[aagman01]

Same..........happy to help out. I applied coast to coast, 4th year, fairly active with regards to research/publications/presentations, practicums outside of schools, etc.

Good luck with interviews

Same here, on all accounts.

 

[neurogirl23]

I have a question related to the difference between the APA accredited school psychology vs. child clinical psychology. Before this year I was unaware that school psychologists could work in hospitals and clinics - but since this is true - what are some major differences between the programs. They both seem like appropriate routes to get to an end goal of working as a pediatric neuropsychologist or working in a hospital helping to determine cognitive outcomes and assessments of neurological, psychological or behavioral issues. I am interested in applying to child clinical psychology but now that I am researching further I am curious to see if school psychology phd programs might be a worthwhile match as well for next year possibly.

 

[neurogirl23]

Hi,

I recently shadowed someone at CHOP who is trained as a school psychologist and did a neuropsych post doc. My question is more about the difference both during/after graduate school for school psychology vs. child clinical - if there are any major differences.

 

[totespsyched]

I'm not sure if you saw my post from before, but I'm unhappy currently in my clinical program and I'm thinking about sticking around until I get my master's and the doing a developmental or school psych degree. How are applicants to school programs that have a MA in clinical psych generally viewed in the application process?

 

[aagman01]

Getting appropriate training. I know two who have. I also have a school psych friend in my program who has completed neuro placements in hospital settings and has just interviewed at several neuro and neuro heavy sites for predoctoral internship. I would say the high majority of school psych phds do not seek out or get the training to get into neuro, but it is possible.

I don't see how a school psychologist ends up as a neuropsychologist.

 

[aagman01]

There can be a few more hoops to climb if you go the school psych route. Most school psych programs are psychoeducation focused, not mental health. You will get courses in psychopathology, therapy, etc, but it is not a focus. Most school psych programs, but, again, not all, do not have clinics or provide supervision in different treatment modalities. And few school psych programs have neuro faculty.

With that said, I know there are exceptions to everything I mentioned above. You just have to find the right program(s).

Remeber, a majority of school psychs only have a masters degree. Of the PHDs, about half of all school psych phds work in the schools, while the other half work in hospitals, clinics, academia, etc.

As someone in a school psych program, I have completed a majority of my interviews for predoctoral internship, all of which were within either hospital/medical or outpatient centers (no schools). Several of these were at what most folks consider highly competitive placements. So, training is what you make of it Hope that helps!

A nice aspect of school psych as compared to child-clinical is the relative ease of getting a job in the school (if you desire it). There remains a shortage nationally of school psychs, so getting a job is not highly difficult. Most in my program go the APA route, but those that don't generally get internship salaries of $45,000-50,000 and 1st year salaries in the 50s. Not to mention a 190 day per year work year. In most states, a child-clinical psych has to jump through several hoops to get to work in the schools, something you do not have to worry about if you are in a school psych program.

And for some balance...School psychs in many areas/sites are not accepted by clinical folks. Fortunately, that is changing and is frequently not the case at children's hospitals and the like, but that negative perception and/or lack of knowledge of school psych as a field is one less desirable aspect of school psych as compared to child-clinical.

Good luck

I have a question related to the difference between the APA accredited school psychology vs. child clinical psychology. Before this year I was unaware that school psychologists could work in hospitals and clinics - but since this is true - what are some major differences between the programs. They both seem like appropriate routes to get to an end goal of working as a pediatric neuropsychologist or working in a hospital helping to determine cognitive outcomes and assessments of neurological, psychological or behavioral issues. I am interested in applying to child clinical psychology but now that I am researching further I am curious to see if school psychology phd programs might be a worthwhile match as well for next year possibly.

 

[Teacher07]

In the North East internship salaries for doctoral level school psych students range from 0-20,000. In my program, a few students go the APPIC route, but the majority take a school position. After internship, people have gone on to work in schools or academia, or private practice. I agree that jobs in school psych are abundant, I just wish the internship salaries in this part of the country were higher...

 

[aagman01]

Head west, my friend

I have heard that with some exceptions (e.g. bilingual) that school internships in NYC/NJ/Boston generally do not pay. There are some places in northeast I have heard about from others that do pay - Philadelphia comes to mind ($15,000 is the internship salary I heard from one individual I met at NASP going on internship, 2 years ago I believe). In the midwest, internship salaries are generally in the $40s and above (with Chicago being a big exception, where I have heard salaries are $15,000 for internship year in the schools).

Salaries for school psychs working in schools tend to vary - broadly from state to state, but can also vary within state. For example, NYC school internships generally do NOT pay. However, if you are willing to work upstate (e.g. Syracuse, Buffalo and other places in upstate NY) I have heard that salaries of $15,000 to $20,000 are common for the internship year.

In the North East internship salaries for doctoral level school psych students range from 0-20,000. In my program, a few students go the APPIC route, but the majority take a school position. After internship, people have gone on to work in schools or academia, or private practice. I agree that jobs in school psych are abundant, I just wish the internship salaries in this part of the country were higher...

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

They both seem like appropriate routes to get to an end goal of working as a pediatric neuropsychologist or working in a hospital helping to determine cognitive outcomes and assessments of neurological, psychological or behavioral issues.

I don't see how a school psychologist ends up as a neuropsychologist.

Ditto.

Getting appropriate training. I know two who have. I also have a school psych friend in my program who has completed neuro placements in hospital settings and has just interviewed at several neuro and neuro heavy sites for predoctoral internship. I would say the high majority of school psych phds do not seek out or get the training to get into neuro, but it is possible.

The devil is in the details. Coursework, didactics, practica, etc. are all needed. People often skimp on neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and related classes, but they are just as important. Many psychologists want to "dabble" in neuropsychology, which is asking for trouble.

Anything short of the Houston Guidelines really isn't sufficient. If a school psychology program (or joint clinical/school) can provide all of the requisite training and mentorship, and the person completes a formal neuropsychology fellowship that conforms to the Houston Guidelines....then (in my eyes) that person has demonstrated their competency to practice neuropsychology.

 

[IT514]

Ditto.

The devil is in the details. Coursework, didactics, practica, etc. are all needed. People often skimp on neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and related classes, but they are just as important. Many psychologists want to "dabble" in neuropsychology, which is asking for trouble.

Anything short of the Houston Guidelines really isn't sufficient. If a school psychology program (or joint clinical/school) can provide all of the requisite training and mentorship, and the person completes a formal neuropsychology fellowship that conforms to the Houston Guidelines....then (in my eyes) that person has demonstrated their competency to practice neuropsychology.

I agree with most of the above, but my frustrations go both ways. The Houston gudelines are not at all helpful when it comes to pediatric neuropsych. The Guidelines even say so in one section and basically place the burden on somebody else to make peds neuro a specialty...hence the peds neuro board, which from my understanding includes some folks from a school psych background who have gone through the appropriate neuro education and fellowship (which is what I think you were saying, T4C).

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I made a new thread to talk about the HGs and competency in neuropsychology: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=789621