First of all, I'm only a 2nd year undergraduate at UCLA. I know I want to work in psychology once I completely finish school and because I'm most interested in mental illness I had originally aimed to go to med school and become a psychiatrist. After taking more than a year of completely science-based classes (was a Psychobiology major but recently switched to Psych) and forcing myself to join pre-med clubs and organizations that don't really do what I'm particularly interested in just because I heard med schools like these organizations, I realized that maybe the pre-med path wasn't right for me. At the same time, I knew I didn't want to go the PhD route because I am still passionate about treatment and not purely research. After doing some searching online, I found out about the PsyD option for graduate school. I really don't know anything about this path because it seems the only doctoral options that are "credible" to the people in my school are MD and PhD programs so it's really hard to find information and guidance. Since I was so narrow-mindedly focused on med school, the only thing I know about PsyD programs is that they tend to require a high GPA and that you have to take the GRE.
Because I am only a 2nd year, I feel I still have a good shot in developing a good resume to get into a competitive program. I heard Rutgers is top so I really want to aim for that school for now (I have appropriate, personal reasons for my ambitions but if I'm setting myself up too high then of course I will keep an open mind). Is there anyone here who can give me advice on what types of activities outside of academics Rutgers (or any competitive PsyD programs) is looking for? I don't know if I should focus on getting research positions or volunteer positions (and what kinds of volunteer positions) or both. Right now, the only things I have on my belt are volunteering at the hospital and some pre-health school organizations but I don't think they will help since those extracurriculars don't have anything specifically related to clinical psych and I only did those since all the other pre-med students were doing them. I'm also wondering if it's realistic to aim for getting in straight after undergrad with only a Bachelor's. Please, any help is appreciated since I really don't know anything for PsyD schools. Actually, any recommendations regarding well-reputed PsyD programs within the US is highly appreciated!
Also, if anyone who has completed their PsyD program can let me know how they are coping with debt and the infamous income disparity among psychologists, that would also be really helpful! The only thing that is making me very very anxious about having changed my graduate plans is all the stories I've heard about particularly PsyD students graduating with debt and accumulating high interests that their starting salaries can't pay off. Money is a decently big issues for me as I am, even in undergrad, attending university with high financial aid.
If it helps, my GPA right now is 3.91 but I know it will drop after the grades from this quarter are completed since I am expecting a flat B in one of my science classes which will really kill my GPA. Now that I've changed my major and can start taking courses I'm actually interested in, I am expecting my GPA to rise again after a few quarters. I have no idea about the GRE and when I should start preparing for it.
Hi there songlih - I am currently a first year Psy.D. student at a non-profit university. With that being said, it seems like there are several variables that you are trying to work out here, so I will try my best to deconstruct your questions and provide personal feedback/advice/opinions on the topics at hand.
First, I want to address what one needs to gain admissions into a Psy.D. program from my personal experience and from the advice I received from my mentors whom are Ph.D. psychologists. I'm sure you know about the GRE; you will want to do well on it as it is a prominent factor for most admissions committees when trying to screen out applicants. There is a caveat to this; you could take on a reputable master's degree, do well and even get on some abstracts (posters) or manuscripts or try your hand at being an ad-hoc peer reviewer with your mentor in this hypothetical master's program. This could potentially be used to offset a low GRE score or low undergraduate GPA. This was something that I did due to my low GRE score. I earned a master's degree in cognitive neuroscience, took on research at a neighboring medical school, presented abstracts and got on some papers and was also a peer-reviewer for several journals in neuropsychology and neurology with my mentor. Committees also look at practical applications of intelligence, something that's not always articulated in a standardized test score (i.e., being that unfortunate outlier the admissions committee struggles in describing your potential in the program and as a future psychologist). Also, it's been in my experience that Psy.D. programs (at least the ones I applied to) collectively have lower GRE score amongst the matriculating cohort compared to Ph.D. programs. Again, there are always exceptions to this (the wonderful world of psychology - we will kind of agree with most things, most of the time).
Aside from the GRE and completing a master's to supplement a low GRE or undergraduate GPA, you should be a well rounded individual in terms of a ratio between research and clinical exposure. What I mean is, building yourself up to just go into a Psy.D. program isn't a bad thing, I nor anybody else should judge you for that, however, in becoming a competent clinician, you will want to develop the necessary skills in evaluating complex arguments, data and theory from notable articles so that you may apply them in your practice as a psychologist. Often times, doing "it" (i.e., producing research) provides that insight you need as a clinician, so in other words, doing simple retrospective analyses or meta-reviews is a good way in developing a solid foundation in the critical thinking skills a psychologist needs to navigate the ambiguous world and the clients we treat. Another way to look at this is, find an opportunity for which you can be engaged in both the clinical side and research side of the picture such as being a psychometrist. I provide this example as this was something I did for a while; it allowed me to develop an initial foundation in neuropsychological assessment, scoring and even minor report writing which complemented my data gathering for research I was conducting at the medical school. After gathering the data, you report the hypothesis, the methods, results, etc. so that it becomes a simple poster abstract.
I have several colleagues in my program who are there to just practice and have no desire to conduct research. They want to take the required courses, take the qualifying exams, complete the dissertation, complete the internship then post-doc then get licensed. There is nothing wrong with this approach as my husband is a Pharm.D. student and a family member of mine is a medical student; this is exactly what they do. Not withstanding that, they also don't have the time to do research. Either way, I believe if you can come out of the program being a competent clinician, that is what matters the most. If you have additional goals of being a professor or working for specific organizations for which a strong research background is needed, I would suggest supplementing your Psy.D. education to include significant research and peer-reviewing experience or you could apply to a Ph.D. program.
Second, I want to address the financial issue that surrounds most Psy.D. threads from my point of view. You will accrue anywhere from $150-200K in debt in most programs. My program costs less than most ($750 a credit hour compared to $900+ a credit hour). I think at the heart of most Psy.D. vs. Ph.D. debates is this particular topic, and it's for good reason. You should not be naive in what you are about to get yourself into. The decision should be based on your goals, current/future dispositions and genuine passion for the profession of applied psychology. I am sure you have heard people dissuade others by saying they should go into a social work program or a master's program in counseling. Sure, you could, but you should weigh the reasons why being a psychologist matters to you the most vs. those other fields. Also, the idea that one should simply apply to medical school if one is to accrue the same debt is a bust of an argument in my opinion, because hey, applying to and getting into medical is so much easier! Again, I think if you have the passion for the medical model and how psychiatry approaches mental health, then by all means endure the additional years you may or may not need to take on to complete the necessary pre-med courses and substantial time in taking the MCAT. My husband took the MCAT and the PCAT, he got into both a Pharm.D. and a D.O. program. He opted for the Pharm.D. route because of many factors but also due to the genuine love of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, etc. that medical students don't get exposed to. Again, he opted for the pharmacist route for a variety of reasons, not just based on the years needed to complete the degree, and not just the debt he would accrue.
It works both ways, you could end up spending 3-4 years post-bachelor's to gain the necessary coursework and to have a couple of opportunities in taking the MCAT to apply, then hopefully get into medical school only to find out, you don't like it. My husband did this and he felt disappointed. I had a colleague that I researched with who initially went to UTSW for the medical program, dropped out after her second year to go into the Ph.D. clinical psychology program (which is not fully funded FYI) because there was a better fit (in many definitions of that word). So, to tie this all together, the finances are important; you should know what you are getting yourself into, have a good plan of how you are going to pay loan companies back, have an idea of where/what you want to practice (e.g., geography, speciality), and if you are married or in a relationship, how that will impact you and your significant other. I am fortunate that both my husband and I live comfortably, even while attending school, and we plan to continue this. We also don't want children in the immediate future, so that also helps in terms of expenses we may or may not have run into.
Lastly, I want to address where you are at now (academically) and the pathway in front of you. First, you should probably gain more exposure to the field of psychology. Since you are in your second year (with a very good GPA), if I were you, I would be looking at opportunities to research, to get on posters but to also take substantial coursework in psychology and biological psychology. I might be biased after completing a master's in cognitive neuroscience, but we as (future) psychologists should really strive to understand behavior from a biological perspective as much as we do from a theoretical perspective. Note, I am not stating you should take a reductionist point of view in human behavior, but I think having that component in there will provide a better holistic picture of the potential clients you may serve one day. Aside from this, I would suggest just being open to all sorts of research and even "clinical" experiences you might have during your undergraduate career. You may like one thing at first but realize it is not your cup of tea months later. I was a professional classical musician for a long time before I switched over to the behavioral sciences and it took a good deal of adjusting, and I am still constantly adapting to my surroundings, tastes, etc.
On a personal note, I just completed my first semester of the Psy.D. program with straight A's, and I am loving it. I believe my education and foundation I developed in my master's program prepared me for the rigor of my program. I just sent out several abstracts for the upcoming APA conference, also, I am an officer in the neuropsychology club at my university and I've been recently asked to be a guest lecturer in my Psy.D. program for a course in our curriculum. I am sure things will change over time, but at the moment, I can only report positive experiences, minus some of the quirky things about a couple of the professors we have!
I hope my opinion provides some insight into your questions. If you have any more questions, feel free to message me on here.
All the best.
