Clinical Psychology w/ specialization in Neuropsychology, how to begin?

[camilleann]

Hello, I'm currently a second year as an undergraduate and I'm soon to enter my third year. I've started taking upper-division psychology course for my major--cognitive psychology because biological sciences wasn't for me (chemistry isn't my forté). I'm still unsure about what specific classes will be necessary to be a good applicant to enter a graduate program in Clinical Psychology & other extracurriculars I should take advantage of.

I recently talked to a admissions officer from Colorado for University of Rockies & she was telling me how if I want to pursue Neuropsychology, I need to get a masters in Clinical Psych and then specialize in Neuropsych. However, I feel like UoR's process to pursuing this was specific to that school only. I want to know if there are any other ways of pursuing a masters in clinical psych w/ a specialization in neuropsych?

I don't really know much about graduate programs really work. So I was wondering if I can have some advice from people that have pursued this & anyone that is currently pursuing neuropsych. Please help me! Your input will be greatly appreciated! The more detailed the better. I'd love to read everyone's experiences.

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[Member6523]

A clinical neuropsychologist must complete a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in clinical or counseling psychology. Typically they specialize at the graduate student level although the main requirement is to obtain a two-year fellowship in this area.

There are two year master's programs that specialize in "school neuropsychology" but this is an entirely different animal and not what is typically conceived as neuropsychology. Job options are also much more limited.

 

[neuronic]

Why not just start right in a Ph.D. program? You are starting the most important year of your college career, so you still have time to make yourself a competitive applicant. Things to do ASAP, include gaining research experience. Look into your psych faculty or even neuroscience faculty and see if they need any research assistants. Obtain good grades in your upper-level classes, and try to get known by faculty so they can write you letters of rec. Your cognitive psych major will fulfill the requirements you need for admission class wise. Also, start studying for the GRE. The vocab section can improve with studying, and you have some time so make the most of it.

As for the steps for becoming a neuropsychologist, it should go:

1) Bachelors Degree
2) Ph.D. program where you will get your Masters within the same program. You can also do a Masters at a different university and then apply to a Ph.D. program, but if you are competitive and really want to do a Ph.D., just try to go straight in if you can. Some programs to research include UCSD, UFlorida, UHouston,UKentucky, UAB, Georgia State. Other great ones are out there too.
3) APA accredited internship (1-year). Please read some of the posts about the internship crisis, and make yourself informed prior to entering this field.
4) Post-doctoral fellowship (2-years)
5) ABPP-CN board certification

 

[MBellows]

Also this.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=714255

 

[Pragma]

Just to clarify, a clinical neuropsychologist is a clinical psychologist first. Be wary of prgrams with "tracks" at the doctoral level. You need to get good generalist training before specializing. Most neuropsychologists do practica during graduate school and many will do research in the specialty. But you really do your specializing on internship and fellowship in most cases. Just be sure to get to an APA accredited doctoral program somewhere where there are neuropsychologists around to supervise practica and research. That is actually most likely going to happen outside of your formal academic program, unless you are housed at an academic medical center. The best practicum training, IMO, will occur at academic medical centers.

 

[Bayside]

I'm curious as to why students should "be wary" of PhD psych programs with "tracks". Would you advocate caution for students applying to the programs mentioned above?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I'm curious as to why students should "be wary" of PhD psych programs with "tracks". Would you advocate caution for students applying to the programs mentioned above?

I of course can't speak for everyone, but the general idea is that specializing too early can easily happen at the expense of obtaining solid generalist training.

I know of quite a few programs that afford graduate students the opportunity to pursue interests in neuropsychology via solid training and supervision, but there are substantially fewer schools that offer delineated tracks. I haven't looked very much into any such programs myself, but I'd be wary that it could be used as a gimicky marketing tool.

 

[neuronic]

There is no worry of getting solid well-rounded training at fully funded Ph.D. programs (e.g., UCSD, UFlorida, UHouston). Those programs offer excellent clinical and research training in neuropsych, and put out some of the most competitive applicants for internship (look at match rates) and post-docs. If you can go to a program that has ABPP-CN faculty, then how is that a bad thing. Having them attest to your well-rounded clinical skills is a great thing.