Yeah, I totally agree with the PhD syndrome. Most psychologists I know fail to take a solid stance on anything... I think it follows from the whole "fail to reject the null" type thinking. As a result, they tend to be wishy-washy and lack any kind of backbone. I wish PhD programs were more closely linked to medical training.
I have a buddy in 2nd year med school - our friends often mention how 'cool' it is that he's becoming a doctor, asking advice and really interested in the whole process. In comparision, it seems that people could care less that I'm earning my doctorate. In addition, whenever my proffs hear any groaning about the workload in our program, they often say "we'll at least your not in med school." Are they mental? My friend is by no means any smarter than myself, but always has time to go out on weekends and has time to do paid work during the summer (at least his first two years of med school). In comparison, I don't think I've had a full weekend off since I started this gig. With all the time I'm putting into this program, you can bet that I'll be demanding some respect when I get out.