i'm at CSPP San Diego right now..2nd year.
Trust me when I say this...do not go into the Psy.D program. The difference between the Psy.Ds and the PHDs is night and day. If you're going to CSPP San Diego...PhD or don't go.
I graduated from the Clinical Ph.D. program at CSPP-SD. I have several friends that graduated from the Psy.D. program. They got out MUCH faster (it seems you only have to do a case study to be a Psy.D. instead of a REAL research study/dissertation, and their chairs seemed to be more available for help) and with MUCH less debt (because I had to drop to below half-time status to finish my dissertation, putting my loans into repayment, and allowing the interest on my HEAL loans and un-sub Staffords to start to capitalize).
It is true that the pool of Ph.D. students seemed sharper and less "touchy feely" to me, but isn't that the point really? Thus far, I have not seen the payoff for going the Ph.D. route. I have noticed, however, that the Ph.D. behind my name is important to the private practice clients I see through my psych. assist. work, so this might be a factor in the eye of the public consumer. I have also been told that the Ph.D. from CSPP-SD has been gaining respect over the years (after a hard fight!) and will put you on an equal level with Ph.D.s from major university programs when applying for positions in major managed care organizations (insurance companies) and the government, while the Psy.D. program does not have the same pull (does ANY Psy.D. program have the same pull as a Ph.D. program? Would a Psy.D. from UCLA weigh more than a Ph.D. from CSPP? I wonder...)
That being said, my friends with Psy.D.s - once they moved out of San Diego - were able to establish good careers blending clinical work with teaching. Insurance companies like Kaiser may not hire them, but they ARE able to get on the provider lists for most plans and they can teach at institutions that don't emphasize research grants or publishing. But really, if you wanted to go into the research psychologist field, going to CSPP at all should not have been your choice - UCSD would be best in SD.
As far as the difference in programs... maybe things have changed since I was actually taking classes, but it seemed like there was a lot of overlap to me. The Psy.D.s I know were happy with their education, less stressed at the end of the program, and, once again, able to graduate in a timely manner. Then again, it did seem like the program was EASIER to complete, which may account for the difference in opinions currently.
In my experience, the main factor in making a good living in psychology with a degree from CSPP-SD, Ph.D. OR Psy.D. was getting OUT of California and especially San Diego. There are so many programs in San Diego cranking out therapists (Ph.D., Psy.D., MFT, LCSW) and contracting with agencies for their interns to work for free that the area is impacted.
I would suggest asking those that are already doing the work you aspire to perform for their opinion. Depending on where you want to work and what you want to do, the Psy.D. may get you there faster, with less stress and debt.
