Last I heard, the military has a shortage of commissioned officers who are also psychologists and may have programs that will pay off student loan debt or offer other incentives in exchange for a service commitment. An APA approved program and internship may be required but don't quote me.
There are also shortages for civilian psychologists at military installations both stateside and overseas.
I have my bachelors degree, can I go straight for my PsyD?
Yes. However, since doctoral training in psychology generally operates on a scientist-practitioner model, if you have zero research experience, admissions even at the most clinically-oriented of PsyD programs may be challenging. Search through old threads and read the WAMC pinned thread to get a sense of needed pre-reqs.
Can PsyD open their own practice?
Yes. Any mental health provider (psychologist, social worker, LMFT, LPC, etc) can open up a private practice if they are licensed by their state board.
How is the job market for clinical psychologists (outside of the military)?
I think unemployment rates of psychologists are low and lots of areas need more psychologists, especially outside of major metros. And if you have a specialty/niche and have good business skills, you can make quite a good living. And there are a range of salaries positions.
But if you are looking into PsyD programs, take a LONG and hard look at the debt to income ratio. One could easily leave a PsyD program with $200,000+ in student debt (and interest that accrues while in grad school) to work a job where the median pre-tax pay might be like $80k a year, which will hugely impact your financial future.
