ABPP dilemma

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Janusdog

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Hi all:

I'm not sure if anyone can truly answer this question, but please feel free to render any and all opinions. :D

I'm planning to pursue my ABPP certification. Problem is, I am feeling torn as to which one: clinical, child & adolescent, or health.

My prior postdoc supervisor, who I love and who has never steered me wrong (except for giving me some exotic bacteria he dragged back from Tibet) is insistent that Clinical is the only way to go. He feels it is more prestigious and gives me the most credibility.

My problem with this is I don't really do or like clinical anymore. I am more of a developmentalist and health psychologist but I am moving more towards bioethics and pediatric public health problems and am doing less and less actual clinical work. I supervise Masters and Doctoral students in work that is clinical but I also run the psych program in a community health center.

Another academic friend of my supervisor (who is fairly famous and does very well for himself) suggested Child and Adolescent, if I didn't want to do Clinical. He said, "I don't think Health will help you all that much."

My question is, if I am a health psychologist (I concentrated in health in grad school and my postdoc was peds) why would I want clinical just because it was 'more prestigious'? Isn't it supposed to be more about your specialty and what you're interested in?

I am interested in credibility, however. C&A does make sense but it doesn't really capture how I've spent my time. I mean, I am peds-oriented but I have worked with DD adults too and I am interested in adults with Asperger's.

Any thoughts? I'm not trying to sound like a jerk about the prestige-factor...I just know that my supervisor is still thinking I'm his little girl (and sometimes I feel that way) and he wants me to do well, but I want to stay faithful to what I believe in.

It is expensive and time-consuming to do this so I want to choose well!

Thanks for all thoughts.

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Janusdog said:
Hi all:

I'm not sure if anyone can truly answer this question, but please feel free to render any and all opinions. :D

I'm planning to pursue my ABPP certification. Problem is, I am feeling torn as to which one: clinical, child & adolescent, or health.

My prior postdoc supervisor, who I love and who has never steered me wrong (except for giving me some exotic bacteria he dragged back from Tibet) is insistent that Clinical is the only way to go. He feels it is more prestigious and gives me the most credibility.

My problem with this is I don't really do or like clinical anymore. I am more of a developmentalist and health psychologist but I am moving more towards bioethics and pediatric public health problems and am doing less and less actual clinical work. I supervise Masters and Doctoral students in work that is clinical but I also run the psych program in a community health center.

Another academic friend of my supervisor (who is fairly famous and does very well for himself) suggested Child and Adolescent, if I didn't want to do Clinical. He said, "I don't think Health will help you all that much."

My question is, if I am a health psychologist (I concentrated in health in grad school and my postdoc was peds) why would I want clinical just because it was 'more prestigious'? Isn't it supposed to be more about your specialty and what you're interested in?

I am interested in credibility, however. C&A does make sense but it doesn't really capture how I've spent my time. I mean, I am peds-oriented but I have worked with DD adults too and I am interested in adults with Asperger's.

Any thoughts? I'm not trying to sound like a jerk about the prestige-factor...I just know that my supervisor is still thinking I'm his little girl (and sometimes I feel that way) and he wants me to do well, but I want to stay faithful to what I believe in.

It is expensive and time-consuming to do this so I want to choose well!

Thanks for all thoughts.

Do you like being a psychologist? We'd love to hear your impressions of the field.

What kind of salary can a health psychologist expect to make?
 
PublicHealth said:
Do you like being a psychologist? We'd love to hear your impressions of the field.

Eeesh. I'm not sure you want that at all!

Shorthand: I like being a psychologist but I don't like where the field is going.
 
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