PhD/PsyD When You Knew

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Hello Everyone,

Lately I have been overthinking go into clinical or counseling psychology. I know I am really interested in it but I don't know if I will fit in (was a IEP/Special Ed. student in Middle school and Highschool). I guess I really haven't had any experience with psych because I've only taken two classes (Intro to Psych and Lifespan Human Develop.) as a psych major. I just know that I really like psychology but I just haven't had that confirming moment when I am like "yeah this is for me!". So the questions I am asking is should I really be worried that I haven't had any confirmation yet (I'll be a sophomore next year) and when did you guys find confirmation that Psychology is for you?

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[kestrelcry]

Approximately 5 years after I graduated from college. Psychology was my minor, not my major in undergrad. I'll have my doctorate in August, so clearly it's worked out. Don't stress yourself out. College is all about figuring out what you want to do, and not being sure during your first year of college is totally normal.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I didn't decide on clinical psychology until halfway through my junior year of college, and didn't decide on neuropsychology until my first year of grad school.

 

[deleted343839]

I didn't decide to apply to graduate school until a year after I graduated from college. I only declared a psychology major in my junior year. I spent a lot of time deliberating the decision to pursue other health professions. But my research experience as an undergraduate and work experience in several medical settings helped clarify what I wanted to do.

I agree with kestrelcry; don't stress about the uncertainties. Follow your interests and try to get some experiences that will help you form ideas about the kind of career you'd like.

 

[MiniLop]

I knew when I was 14 or 15, but I'm probably an outlier here.

 

[smalltownpsych]

I was 30 when I figured it out and only had about a year and a half of college courses done. Started going to school nights to finish up my general ed requirements. Didn't get my doctorate until age 43. Now I'm looking for an early retirement!

 

[calimich]

I also was an undergrad psych major and started to get the "I know" feeling in my mid-late 20's, ~2 years removed from a totally different field and ~4 yrs into a 6 year stint in a rewarding, related field. I started becoming interested in psychology around senior year of hs, but really had no idea how to apply it or all the options of what could be done with it until many years later.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

Age 14. I interviewed a psychologist in PP in my hometown for a language arts project regarding future careers. I thought the dude was so so cool. I remember being enamored with his huge office, big leather couches, and overall personality. He was a straight up analyst, and what I came to learn later, the exact type of clinician that got under the skin of the academics at my undergrad and that they could not stand. I can still remember the smell of his office.

 

[eremitestar]

I decided to declare a psych major after taking AP psych as a junior in high school, though I had no idea what job options were available in psych at the time. I didn't know anything about grad school until maybe junior year of undergrad. I didn't decide to pursue a doctorate until half-way through my master's program. I didn't start to feel confident that this was for me and I'd made the right decision until about half-way through my PhD program

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Wow! Thanks everyone for all the advice and also telling a little bit about when you guys knew that you knew that psychology was for you!

 

[JB1108]

I knew when I was 14 or 15, but I'm probably an outlier here.

I also knew around that same time (sophomore year in HS) and I consider myself quite lucky for that. But as you can see in this thread it really varies. Take some more classes and if the opportunity comes up volunteer in a lab. That should help you figure it out No need to feel rushed in this decision! Best of luck!

 

[473912]

Age 14. I interviewed a psychologist in PP in my hometown for a language arts project regarding future careers. I thought the dude was so so cool. I remember being enamored with his huge office, big leather couches, and overall personality. He was a straight up analyst, and what I came to learn later, the exact type of clinician that got under the skin of the academics at my undergrad and that they could not stand. I can still remember the smell of his office.

In my undergrad, I interviewed this MD/PhD Psychiatrist who had a private practice and she walked me through the day to day and the business issues and education etc. It was incredibly informative, and so fun. She was fantastic. I'm not expecting this as a psychologist, but she was saying how she doesn't take insurance, cash only, and charges $200-$250/hr. *faints* lol

But to answer your question, I've always loved psychology, but I thought it was always out of my reach for one reason or another. So I took more practical routes. After 10 years doing that and discovering what I DIDN'T want to do while examining other practical degrees (aerospace engineering, law, law enforcement, etc), I'm following that original dream now.

 

[smalltownpsych]

In my undergrad, I interviewed this MD/PhD Psychiatrist who had a private practice and she walked me through the day to day and the business issues and education etc. It was incredibly informative, and so fun. She was fantastic. I'm not expecting this as a psychologist, but she was saying how she doesn't take insurance, cash only, and charges $200-$250/hr. *faints* lol

I would work hard on increasing your expectations. After all, as psychologists we know they affect outcomes so might want to use them in our favor.

 

[473912]

I would work hard on increasing your expectations. After all, as psychologists we know they affect outcomes so might want to use them in our favor.

Increasing what expectation? How much I may be paid?

 

[Ollie123]

I'm not expecting this as a psychologist, but she was saying how she doesn't take insurance, cash only, and charges $200-$250/hr. *faints* lol

I actually know several psychologists charging hourly rates in that range. Its a good, but not completely unreasonable rate for a psychologist to be charging. The issue is more one of demand...it would be extraordinarily difficult to fill a practice with exclusively those rates. The folks I know charging it are generally well-known academics doing PP on the side. Its not their primary source of income, but even a handful of hours at that rate each week can add up pretty quick. I increasingly think solo practices are going to fall by the wayside in the coming years (whether psychologist or medical...many medical practices are consolidating now too). Income-wise, it seems to work out far better to do PP as a side gig these days (save for the folks building a group practice empire....but that means a very different day-to-day than most folks in this field want).

 

[schoolpsy21]

I decided to declare a psych major after taking AP psych as a junior in high school, though I had no idea what job options were available in psych at the time. I didn't know anything about grad school until maybe junior year of undergrad. I didn't decide to pursue a doctorate until half-way through my master's program. I didn't start to feel confident that this was for me and I'd made the right decision until about half-way through my PhD program

I also decided on pursuing psychology after taking AP Psychology in high school . After changing my mind many times along the way, I stumbled upon school psychology and have stuck with it ever since!

 

[smalltownpsych]

Increasing what expectation? How much I may be paid?

Yes. I think that increased reimbursement for our services is a good thing to expect. We have had stagnant to negative wages in our profession for too long. It's something I feel very strongly about and tend to jump on pretty quickly on this board.

 

[473912]

I actually know several psychologists charging hourly rates in that range. Its a good, but not completely unreasonable rate for a psychologist to be charging. The issue is more one of demand...it would be extraordinarily difficult to fill a practice with exclusively those rates. The folks I know charging it are generally well-known academics doing PP on the side. Its not their primary source of income, but even a handful of hours at that rate each week can add up pretty quick. I increasingly think solo practices are going to fall by the wayside in the coming years (whether psychologist or medical...many medical practices are consolidating now too). Income-wise, it seems to work out far better to do PP as a side gig these days (save for the folks building a group practice empire....but that means a very different day-to-day than most folks in this field want).

Being part of a group practice is something I hadn't thought off. hmm... That's an interesting thought.

Yes. I think that increased reimbursement for our services is a good thing to expect. We have had stagnant to negative wages in our profession for too long. It's something I feel very strongly about and tend to jump on pretty quickly on this board.

A good thing to... expect? Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to word police and I hope you're right, but I've heard from a lot of people that this is the last thing I should EXPECT. I agree with you psychologist billing and charging is not what it should be. I'll do everything I can to affect that in a positive way. ...Maybe my argument is just semantic?

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

I fell in love with psychology during the middle of my undergrad career due to concurrently taking courses in statistics/methodology (Experimental Psychology), social psychology, and abnormal psychology. I was captivated by the idea that here was a field that combined my varied interests (biology, psychology, philosophy, the scientific method, history, mathematics, etc.) and--in distinction from pure philosophy--actually offered an empirical method to begin to 'answer' certain deep questions about human nature (my undergrad social psychology class covered many of the classic experiments from the 1960's).

 

[soccercat]

I just haven't had that confirming moment when I am like "yeah this is for me!"

That is totally ok and part of what college is for. You can be a psych major, do well, and go into just about any profession. The real danger is if you are still not sure and try to go to grad school. That kind of attitude will not help you survive the demanding level required of you.

I knew I wanted to be a psychologist when I was 16; like the previous poster, this is pretty rare. My brother is 25 and still has no idea what he wants to do with his life.

All that being said, on a totally unrelated note, do you have accommodations at your school? As a student who had an IEP you should explore that. Regardless of your major it may be helpful if you find yourself needing it for one reason or another. I have ADHD (was not diagnosed until adulthood) and I personally believe if I had known and had help it would have made a huge difference in my ability to do better in college (and saved some of my self esteem at the time as well).

 

[smalltownpsych]

Being part of a group practice is something I hadn't thought off. hmm... That's an interesting thought.




A good thing to... expect? Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to word police and I hope you're right, but I've heard from a lot of people that this is the last thing I should EXPECT. I agree with you psychologist billing and charging is not what it should be. I'll do everything I can to affect that in a positive way. ...Maybe my argument is just semantic?

Psychology is my third career. I worked in business for years and trust me, they teach you to have expectations. I would hear over and over in graduate school that you shouldn't expect to make money in this field and in the same breath they would say that our salaries hadn't increased in years and when adjusted for inflation would actually be on the decline. This evidence is used to justify lower expectations. When I worked in sales the people that thought that way didn't last long. Business people don't always know much about psychology, but they do know expectancy effects. Attend any sales seminar and they will tell you about it all day long.

As a psychotherapist, I never want to lower my clients expectations. Should I tell my patient with Down syndrome they can't go to college? Should I tell the teen who is struggling to get through high school algebra that they probably won't be able to become a surgeon? Should I tell students of psychology that they will not get rich? My perspective is that people limit themselves too much already. I try and help them see the possibilities. I love the field of psychology and am passionate about the value we bring so I see a lucrative career ahead of me and only a few years after licensure I already make four times more than I ever made before choosing this path. So my n=1 is that I can make really good money in this field. Sometimes it is good to throw the statistics out the window.

 

[PsyDr]

I would think that one should look up the medicare fee schedule for psychotherapy and expect a gross income in or around that range if they are in the private practice biz.

 

[deleted343839]

I would think that one should look up the medicare fee schedule for psychotherapy and expect a gross income in or around that range if they are in the private practice biz.

My friends in private practice seem to be doing well for themselves without taking insurance, or participating in only a few panels at most. They practice in major metropolitan areas and suburbs, so location probably dictates how much fee-for-service income you can generate. You can adjust your fees for lower income clients and/or provide pro bono services, but the decision to discount your services is entirely within your control. It's an alternative to consider, though tough for someone just starting out.

 

[PsyDr]

Anecdotes of exception are nice, but OP is asking for expectations.

I could talk about my income and my work hours, but it is a substantial outlier.

 

[PsyDr]

OP,

On a very basic level, psychology practices has a 35% overhead. Productivity is never 100%, because people miss appointments, or get sick, or there are times which are undesirable to patients, and there is always administrative work like returning phone calls. And there is fair amount of competition for cash paying patients, between psychologists, psychiatrist, counselors, social workers, etc. So that 200/hr does not translate into 200/hr*40hrs/week *50 weeks/yr= $400,000.

You'll be well served by looking up the APA salary survey.

If you are interested in neuropsychology, the Sweet Salary Survey would also be informative to you.

 

[WisNeuro]

OP,

On a very basic level, psychology practices has a 35% overhead. Productivity is never 100%, because people miss appointments, or get sick, or there are times which are undesirable to patients, and there is always administrative work like returning phone calls. And there is fair amount of competition for cash paying patients, between psychologists, psychiatrist, counselors, social workers, etc. So that 200/hr does not translate into 200/hr*40hrs/week *50 weeks/yr= $400,000.

You'll be well served by looking up the APA salary survey.

If you are interested in neuropsychology, the Sweet Salary Survey would also be informative to you.

Exactly. Get a feel for the mean and medians of salary. Not everyone will be in the upper 10% of salaries. A lot of those are people who actually own a group practice, not individual practitioners. I'm also interested in how the "no insurance" policy will change with ACA and reimbursement changes. Not sure if I'd count on that for the rest of my career, but we'll see what happens in the next decade.

Also, the TCN salary survey is just wrapping up current data collection, so an updated one should be out shortly.

 

[473912]

Psychology is my third career. I worked in business for years and trust me, they teach you to have expectations. I would hear over and over in graduate school that you shouldn't expect to make money in this field and in the same breath they would say that our salaries hadn't increased in years and when adjusted for inflation would actually be on the decline. This evidence is used to justify lower expectations. When I worked in sales the people that thought that way didn't last long. Business people don't always know much about psychology, but they do know expectancy effects. Attend any sales seminar and they will tell you about it all day long.

As a psychotherapist, I never want to lower my clients expectations. Should I tell my patient with Down syndrome they can't go to college? Should I tell the teen who is struggling to get through high school algebra that they probably won't be able to become a surgeon? Should I tell students of psychology that they will not get rich? My perspective is that people limit themselves too much already. I try and help them see the possibilities. I love the field of psychology and am passionate about the value we bring so I see a lucrative career ahead of me and only a few years after licensure I already make four times more than I ever made before choosing this path. So my n=1 is that I can make really good money in this field. Sometimes it is good to throw the statistics out the window.

Yeah, I think our argument is semantic. Hope and strive and work for the best.... but be prepared for the worst... or the average in this case. That's not defeatist. It's realist and only prudent.

And if psychology is anything like the sales jobs I've been in throughout my life, I might as well drop out now because I have zero interest. I don't want those expectations. You can have them.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Ironically, psychologists seem the most resistant to alternative perspectives. I knew the arguments that would come with this and that there would be a reference to the median data to support this mindset.

Whatever you do, don't try to change the data.

 

[473912]

Ironically, psychologists seem the most resistant to alternative perspectives. I knew the arguments that would come with this and that there would be a reference to the median data to support this mindset.

Whatever you do, don't try to change the data.

I agree with you psychologist billing and charging is not what it should be. I'll do everything I can to affect that in a positive way.

Yep, definitely sounds like I'm not willing to do anything to change things. Ya got me.

My point is that I'm willing to WORK and DO THINGS to bring about change. I'm not going to just sit back and hope/expect the best. Two hands working do more than a thousand stewing in their own hopes and expectations.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Ironically, psychologists seem the most resistant to alternative perspectives. I knew the arguments that would come with this and that there would be a reference to the median data to support this mindset.

Whatever you do, don't try to change the data.

I actually do appreciate what you're saying, smalltown. I'm sure there are a variety of reasons related to a relucance to suggest expecting higher salaries, including being wary of inadvertently supporting the plan of taking on large amounts of student loan debt because one expects to do well financially.

But at the same time, I agree with you that there's much to be said for expecting a higher compensation than we receive (basically, in some ways, a sense of "income entitlement" could be beneficial). The folks I know who earn in the upper-echelons of psychologists had that mindset, to a degree, and carried it in with them to salary negotiations or when setting up their practices.

 

[shrinkgirl15]

I knew I was interested in psychology, but didn't seriously begin thinking about graduate school until I was in my mid-20s. You don't have to know for sure right now. If you can, volunteer at a psychology research lab so you have that experience under your belt and also to expose yourself to the field more. If you decide after a semester or two that it's really not your cup of tea and you want to try something else, do that. If you end up coming back to psychology, at least you won't feel like you settled or made a hasty decision.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Yep, definitely sounds like I'm not willing to do anything to change things. Ya got me.

My point is that I'm willing to WORK and DO THINGS to bring about change. I'm not going to just sit back and hope/expect the best. Two hands working do more than a thousand stewing in their own hopes and expectations.

Put your hope in one hand and dog poop in the other and see which one fills up faster.
Of course, you have to work hard. I am glad that I am in a profession where hard work pays off. You are right about many sales jobs. Ugh! It did help pay my way through undergrad though and some of the skills I learned definitely apply and I attribute some of my current financial success to those skills. So if you have some sales experience, albeit painful, then I imagine that will pay off for you, as well.

 

[473912]

Put your hope in one hand and dog poop in the other and see which one fills up faster.
Of course, you have to work hard. I am glad that I am in a profession where hard work pays off. You are right about many sales jobs. Ugh! It did help pay my way through undergrad though and some of the skills I learned definitely apply and I attribute some of my current financial success to those skills. So if you have some sales experience, albeit painful, then I imagine that will pay off for you, as well.

I really enjoy these back and forths because it really does force me to look back of things and make sure my mind is in the right space. I looked back. Although my sources cross confirm $70-150... MAYBE $200/hr on the top end for services, I also know from first-hand sources MFTs getting $250/hr... and Psychologists elsewhere charging similarly. I hope the stats are wrong and that my more direct knowledge is more accurate.

Like I said, our argument is probably semantic. I think you're using "expect" as an action... as in you should argue and fight for those wages and get companies in that mindset that this is what we're worth. I wholeheartedly agree with this and already planed on it, although I'm dubious on its efficacy. When I see "expect" I only think of the cognitive aspect, so I think "That's nice you feel that way, but what will you do about it?"

 

[smalltownpsych]

I really enjoy these back and forths because it really does force me to look back of things and make sure my mind is in the right space. I looked back. Although my sources cross confirm $70-150... MAYBE $200/hr on the top end for services, I also know from first-hand sources MFTs getting $250/hr... and Psychologists elsewhere charging similarly. I hope the stats are wrong and that my more direct knowledge is more accurate.

Like I said, our argument is probably semantic. I think you're using "expect" as an action... as in you should argue and fight for those wages and get companies in that mindset that this is what we're worth. I wholeheartedly agree with this and already planed on it, although I'm dubious on its efficacy. When I see "expect" I only think of the cognitive aspect, so I think "That's nice you feel that way, but what will you do about it?"

I am talking about the cognitive aspect though. Our beliefs do have power. At the heart of a lot of CBT is how core beliefs can shape our perceptions and emotions and affect our behavior. I use the word expectations because that most closely ties into psychological research on expectancy effects. I don't think that beliefs alone are sufficient, that is why we have the B for behavior and the actions necessary to bring about the desired result. In therapy, patients state self-defeating beliefs all the time. I really like some of the old tapes of Albert Ellis going after those irrational beliefs.

 

[cara susanna]

For me, it was middle school. I don't think it was based off of the most accurate knowledge about the field until college, though.

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone for contributing to such a great conversation about this topic and also the great advice given to me and other undergrads who are facing the same problems.

Soccercat, thank you for sharing about accommodations! I am classified as SLD but mostly have problems with test-takings, math and verbal/conversational skills (I have a speech disorder) and have been seeking out accommodations with the disabilities coordinator who happens to be my psychology professor

 

[deleted343839]

Anecdotes of exception are nice, but OP is asking for expectations.

I could talk about my income and my work hours, but it is a substantial outlier.

The OP asked about how we knew that psychology was the right career for us. The thread has clearly veered off the original topic since I don't think any of us are in it primarily for the money!

 

[smalltownpsych]

The OP asked about how we knew that psychology was the right career for us. The thread has clearly veered off the original topic since I don't think any of us are in it primarily for the money!

I think that was my fault!

 

[futureapppsy2]

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone for contributing to such a great conversation about this topic and also the great advice given to me and other undergrads who are facing the same problems.

Soccercat, thank you for sharing about accommodations! I am classified as SLD but mostly have problems with test-takings, math and verbal/conversational skills (I have a speech disorder) and have been seeking out accommodations with the disabilities coordinator who happens to be my psychology professor

It sounds like a massive dual relationship issue if you are seeking accommodations from someone who is also currently your professor; I'm surprised that your university would allow this, honestly, because it does create a conflict of interest for him. Don't get me wrong--you should definitely seek accommodations if you have a disability and feel that they would improve your access to the curriculum. I'm just really surprised that your university and your professor would let your current professor also be your disability services coordinator. That seems borderline unethical.

On that note, OP, please do know that there are quite a few successful psychologists with disabilities of all sorts, though the road is often harder and filled with all sorts of barriers, especially attitudinal ones. But, it is doable. Also, you are not required to disclose that you have a disability and/or received accommodations during the application process and schools can't legally ask.

 

[473912]

I am talking about the cognitive aspect though. Our beliefs do have power. At the heart of a lot of CBT is how core beliefs can shape our perceptions and emotions and affect our behavior. I use the word expectations because that most closely ties into psychological research on expectancy effects. I don't think that beliefs alone are sufficient, that is why we have the B for behavior and the actions necessary to bring about the desired result. In therapy, patients state self-defeating beliefs all the time. I really like some of the old tapes of Albert Ellis going after those irrational beliefs.

I do not have enough training to argue a point, so I'll speak only from my bias and await grad schooling with an open mind.

This sounds too much like The Secret. If you want a Ferrari, think positively about one and it'll happen. We are not talking about psycho therapy. We're talking about affecting psych pay. At this very limited point in my education, it seems like cognition, in the situation of psychologist pay in which we are speaking, is only effective in that it causes certain actions. But in this case, those actions can be done without subscribing to that cognition. In certain psychopathologies and in the video you linked, I could definitely see how cognitive adjustment may be the most important step, but that's not the case here at all. The subject is not psychotherapy. The subject is psychologist pay and how to affect it. In this situation, ultimately actions matter in bringing about change (coordinated, calculated actions, IMO), no matter what your cognitive state is. Anything else is luck or magic.

It seems to me like you're saying, "We need cognition plus action" and I'm just saying "We need action" and we're just arguing on the relative importance of action.

I could be 100% wrong. I admit that. All I have to say is, "I cannot wait until school starts!"

 

[473912]

I think that was my fault!

My fault too! Woops.

 

[WisNeuro]

Our beliefs have power, yes, that's great. But that does not change the reality of healthcare. There are huge pressures to cut healthcare costs. This will continue whether or not your beliefs are strong or not. I wouldn't base my career and financial decisions on that hope, when all available evidence is pointing to the contrary. I'm all about advocating, but I am also all about giving people accurate information and realistic projections.

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Futureapppsy2, I kinda did think it was a little weird but she has a good amount of experience in special education, accommodations and assessment. I do agree that it can possibly cause a conflict of interest but it suprisely hasn't yet

 

[futureapppsy2]

Futureapppsy2, I kinda did think it was a little weird but she has a good amount of experience in special education, accommodations and assessment. I do agree that it can possibly cause a conflict of interest but it suprisely hasn't yet

That you know of, anyway. The potential conflicts that I'm thinking of are subtle, like your performance in class influencing their evaluation of your accommodation requests or vice versa. I'm currently a prac student at a disability services office, and I'd be very surprised if we allowed a counselor to also be faculty for a client/student on their caseload. Could they be faculty for a client on someone else's caseload? Sure. Just not someone they were actually providing services for.

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

I see what you are trying to say and agree. I will be transferring out for next semester to a school that has a actual group of counselors while the one I am at only has one professor.

 

[gdaly]

I took my first psychology course in high school and liked it but didn't fall in love with it.
I then took a developmental psychology course in college and absolutely loved it.
The professor was also great and I've taken all of her classes she taught. She also became a great mentor to me.
I think you also know when you look into other career fields and keep coming back to clinical psychology. I've looked into becoming a teacher and right now I work at an after-school program. But I realized being a teacher is not for me - kids drive me crazy. I've volunteered at a crisis hotline and loved it. I've also taken some social work classes and even switched my major because of family complaining about the lack of employability with a psychology major. I did enjoy my social work classes but nothing like the feeling I got when taking a psychology class.

 

[bmedclinic]

As a junior in college, I knew, and I knew clinical psych and was semi-confident about health psych. At the time, it was a really difficult decision, because I was doing metacognition research and had just grown up (first two years of college were turrible), but I was willing to work hard and turn it around. Had to get a masters first, but I did that and used it to get me into a phd program.

 

[Nahsil]

I had a winding path in college through computer science, then English, then double majoring in English and Psychology. Got into psych through reading Freud, psychoanalytic fiction, and archetypal and symbolic stuff like Jung and Campbell. Took a couple years off and worked while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do (English, creative writing, or psychology). Psychology won out because I liked the theoretical/philosophical/critical thinking elements of English/literary criticism but wanted something more hands-on/grounded/applied/directly benefiting for people.

I'm not a scientist and don't have much interest in performing empirical scientific research (although I think it's very interesting and especially like philosophy of science), so I'm a little bit of an outlier when it comes to this stuff. I'm more interested in humanities, philosophy, and qualitative-based approaches (I don't think quantitative empiricism is the only valuable path to a greater understanding of human beings, although I recognize its value and place along a broader spectrum). It does limit your choices for grad school, unfortunately! In a Masters program right now, not 100% sure where to go for my PhD afterward.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I was working 80+ hr wks in the biz world and then reading neuroscience journals in what little spare time I was able to set aside. It was a poor financial decision ($1m+ in lost wages and I took student loans), but I genuinely enjoy what I do most days as a neuropsychologist. I'll never re-coup all of my earning potential, but I think my quality of life is far better. My friends who stuck it out now have vacation homes and some even found a way to bail before they burned out, but others took the divorced/rehab/burnout route. I still don't "know" if this is my long-term career, but it's been an interesting ride thus far. I will admit that starting all over was humbling but instructive. I think I appreciate what I have now more, though there are still days that are incredibly frustrating (e.g. dealing with insurance companies, sitting through "required" continued ed seminars, etc).