Community Vs. Clinical/Community Programs

[HopeTime]

Hi everyone,

Luckily after all of the application/interview craziness I have a few PhD programs to choose from. I got into two clinical-community programs and one straight community psych program. There is not a lot of talk about community psychology on this forum, but I hope there is someone reading who can give me some advice.

I am most interested in the research at the community psych program, and they offered the best stipend. However, I am worried that I will regret not getting clinically trained. I do not want to be a clinician, but I am worried that it will be harder to do the research I want to do without that background. Or that I won't be able to find a job once I graduate without a clinical PhD. At the same time, avoiding the internship match madness and the added stress of clinical obligations seems nice to me.

I really have very little clinical experience so I don't know if I would find the work rewarding or annoying, and honestly there is no way for me to know by April 15th. So, any imput would be GREATLY appreciated. I would hate to look back and think that I made a mistake when choosing my program!!

Thank you so much! Enjoy your weekends!

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[Pragma]

Hi everyone,

Luckily after all of the application/interview craziness I have a few PhD programs to choose from. I got into two clinical-community programs and one straight community psych program. There is not a lot of talk about community psychology on this forum, but I hope there is someone reading who can give me some advice.

I am most interested in the research at the community psych program, and they offered the best stipend. However, I am worried that I will regret not getting clinically trained. I do not want to be a clinician, but I am worried that it will be harder to do the research I want to do without that background. Or that I won't be able to find a job once I graduate without a clinical PhD. At the same time, avoiding the internship match madness and the added stress of clinical obligations seems nice to me.

I really have very little clinical experience so I don't know if I would find the work rewarding or annoying, and honestly there is no way for me to know by April 15th. So, any imput would be GREATLY appreciated. I would hate to look back and think that I made a mistake when choosing my program!!

Thank you so much! Enjoy your weekends!

I think there is more you can do with the clinical-community program. But, if you don't want to be a clinician at all, then from what I know people in straight community programs might have it a little easier (i.e., no practicum or internship).

I'd really think about what your long term goals are. You could use the clinical degree in more ways I think.

 

[APPICSucks]

In the clinical/community programs could you "drop" the clinical part and just get a community degree should you decide that clinical work is not for you?

 

[hunter123]

I'm excited to see this question posted here! I am in a clinical community phd program, and while community psychology is very dear to my heart, there were several reasons that I chose this joint degree. First, when I graduate I want to work with a very specific, high risk population. I felt that having clinical training, even though I don't want to be a clinician would be essential for the research that I would like to do. Second, my mentor was an almost-perfect fit for my interests. Third, I was concerned what I could do with a community phd besides teach in a university that has a community program (there aren't many). I was really attracted to the versatility offered by the clinical degree, hence my decision. That said, here are a few things I've observed and learned over the course of my training:

I'm often jealous of the community students because they take way more coursework in community theory and practice and have more flexibility than I do, because they do no clinical work. I have found the community psych training that I've received to inform my clinical practice in many ways, and it has been truly beneficial to receive that training. However, I won't graduate with a joint degree-on my degree it will say clinical psychology, not clinical community psychology.

I really think that it depends on what you want to do when you finish. The clinical degree is way more flexible, and well known. In my undergrad, a small state school, my profs had never even heard of community psych, so it made me wonder if it were worth it to spend 5-7 years in a program that would possibly be limiting when I finished. I also think that fit is super important, as grad school is much better if you like what you're doing along the way. Also, I had heard from an adviser to research the straight community programs-is it well known, has anyone who graduated from there made a big contribution to the field-because that could possibly make a difference as well. Sounds petty, but you want to make sure that you are equipped with the tools to do what you want when you finish up, especially with the huge investment that is grad school. Feel free to pm me as well and congrats on your acceptances!

 

[undecidedman]

I'm excited to see this question posted here! I am in a clinical community phd program, and while community psychology is very dear to my heart, there were several reasons that I chose this joint degree. First, when I graduate I want to work with a very specific, high risk population. I felt that having clinical training, even though I don't want to be a clinician would be essential for the research that I would like to do. Second, my mentor was an almost-perfect fit for my interests. Third, I was concerned what I could do with a community phd besides teach in a university that has a community program (there aren't many). I was really attracted to the versatility offered by the clinical degree, hence my decision. That said, here are a few things I've observed and learned over the course of my training:

I'm often jealous of the community students because they take way more coursework in community theory and practice and have more flexibility than I do, because they do no clinical work. I have found the community psych training that I've received to inform my clinical practice in many ways, and it has been truly beneficial to receive that training. However, I won't graduate with a joint degree-on my degree it will say clinical psychology, not clinical community psychology.

I really think that it depends on what you want to do when you finish. The clinical degree is way more flexible, and well known. In my undergrad, a small state school, my profs had never even heard of community psych, so it made me wonder if it were worth it to spend 5-7 years in a program that would possibly be limiting when I finished. I also think that fit is super important, as grad school is much better if you like what you're doing along the way. Also, I had heard from an adviser to research the straight community programs-is it well known, has anyone who graduated from there made a big contribution to the field-because that could possibly make a difference as well. Sounds petty, but you want to make sure that you are equipped with the tools to do what you want when you finish up, especially with the huge investment that is grad school. Feel free to pm me as well and congrats on your acceptances!

Very good information, thank you!

As some of my posts suggest, i'm unsure as to whether or not I really want to apply or not for psych. programs, but if I did..i'd want to in joint Clinical-Community programs. I want to get this degree because I'm hoping it might allow me to do an assortment of things, from practice, teaching, to program evaluations in the future. Do you feel it is possible to do this with such a degree?

Would you mind giving some background as to why you chose this specific degree, and what you hope to get out of it? Were you expectations in line with what you had thought, or not really? And, of course, in general...do you enjoy it?

Furthermore, I made a note of all the clinical/community psych programs in the U.S. and got a grand total of 19. Obviously once I narrow down my scope to my "fit," this list quickly shortens and makes me think my chances of getting into such a program are slim to none. At the same time, I see many people applying to 9-12 clinical psych programs..is that just something I have to deal with?

 

[docma]

I think community psychology is a very exciting field and likely to expand in many interesting ways in the next decade. I can see some advantages to the combined degree as it give you a licensure option and I know folks who went into very lucrative organizational consulting with that combination ( awhile ago, though, before the field got so crowded ). A good stipend is hard to pass up, though. Perhaps you could get some input from someone in your research/service area to see to what extent they believe a license for clinical practice is needed. Much of the research and program development in community psych would not require a license, I don't think. However, as health care integration moves along, being licensed as a Health Service Provider could become relevant. Find out from community psychology only programs whether their grads can qualify for a master's level license of some kind maybe...as that would be another option? Community psych is a field with so much potential; congratulations on your choices.

 

[undecidedman]

I think community psychology is a very exciting field and likely to expand in many interesting ways in the next decade. I can see some advantages to the combined degree as it give you a licensure option and I know folks who went into very lucrative organizational consulting with that combination ( awhile ago, though, before the field got so crowded ). A good stipend is hard to pass up, though. Perhaps you could get some input from someone in your research/service area to see to what extent they believe a license for clinical practice is needed. Much of the research and program development in community psych would not require a license, I don't think. However, as health care integration moves along, being licensed as a Health Service Provider could become relevant. Find out from community psychology only programs whether their grads can qualify for a master's level license of some kind maybe...as that would be another option? Community psych is a field with so much potential; congratulations on your choices.

Which field is that getting crowded? Community psych, I/O psychology? Or both?

 

[docma]

I think that I/O programs have proliferated and, as in clinical work, there are many more paths to practice, including routes in with an MA, so that the traditional PhD route is only one of many vehicles and there are simply more folks out there offering consultation/coaching, etc than there were 20 years ago

 

[HopeTime]

Thank you all for your insight! This decision is particularly hard because I got A LOT more money (fellowship) at the community program, it is in a more ideal location, at the most highly ranked school, and my POI there is my best research match. My worry about needing the clinical part of the degree is the ONLY thing holding me back from making a decision as the other two schools are great but less ideal in every other way.

I'd really think about what your long term goals are. You could use the clinical degree in more ways I think.

I am really not 100% sure of what I want to do post-PhD. That is definitely part of my problem as I don’t have real world experience (outside of research) in my field of study.

In the clinical/community programs could you "drop" the clinical part and just get a community degree should you decide that clinical work is not for you?

I could more or less “drop” the clinical after 3 years in one program and not at all in the other as it is really a clinical program with a community track.

I think community psychology is a very exciting field and likely to expand in many interesting ways in the next decade. I can see some advantages to the combined degree as it give you a licensure option and I know folks who went into very lucrative organizational consulting with that combination ( awhile ago, though, before the field got so crowded ). A good stipend is hard to pass up, though. Perhaps you could get some input from someone in your research/service area to see to what extent they believe a license for clinical practice is needed. Much of the research and program development in community psych would not require a license, I don't think. However, as health care integration moves along, being licensed as a Health Service Provider could become relevant. Find out from community psychology only programs whether their grads can qualify for a master's level license of some kind maybe...as that would be another option? Community psych is a field with so much potential; congratulations on your choices.

I don’t think the program would qualify me to be licensable for anything. This brings up another question of mine. What exactly do you need a license to do? I see a lot of students (externs) who conduct assessments, provide therapy and run groups. What in particular would I be missing out on without the option of being licensable?

 

[Pragma]

I don’t think the program would qualify me to be licensable for anything. This brings up another question of mine. What exactly do you need a license to do? I see a lot of students (externs) who conduct assessments, provide therapy and run groups. What in particular would I be missing out on without the option of being licensable?

Their provision of service is under the supervision of someone who is licensed.

 

[docma]

Given what you are being offered and your positive energy for it, I'd say go with the community program. There are lots of directions it may take you. If down the road you find yourself longing to specifically do work that requires a clinical license, you could consider a master's level license for clinical practice. (And could afford it if you wanted to because you would have a job and no debt, ideally.) I cannot see any reason to walk away from a strong offer in a field where you are excited because you "might" want a clinical degree. It is clear from your first post that it is the research that excites you and being able to avoid debt is invaluable in these times.

 

[HopeTime]

Given what you are being offered and your positive energy for it, I'd say go with the community program. There are lots of directions it may take you. If down the road you find yourself longing to specifically do work that requires a clinical license, you could consider a master's level license for clinical practice. (And could afford it if you wanted to because you would have a job and no debt, ideally.) I cannot see any reason to walk away from a strong offer in a field where you are excited because you "might" want a clinical degree. It is clear from your first post that it is the research that excites you and being able to avoid debt is invaluable in these times.

Thank you docma. Although I am still nervous, your comment really made me feel better about potentially taking this risk. I guess that if I had really wanted something easy and safe, I would not have joined everyone in this field and gone down this wild path in the first place.

 

[PsychMode]

Given what you are being offered and your positive energy for it, I'd say go with the community program. There are lots of directions it may take you. If down the road you find yourself longing to specifically do work that requires a clinical license, you could consider a master's level license for clinical practice. (And could afford it if you wanted to because you would have a job and no debt, ideally.) I cannot see any reason to walk away from a strong offer in a field where you are excited because you "might" want a clinical degree. It is clear from your first post that it is the research that excites you and being able to avoid debt is invaluable in these times.

I don't think anyone mentioned this, but you could also aim for postdoctoral clinical respecialization later if you if you find that you really want clinical training later. And, as docma pointed out, you would probably be able to afford it. I think there are several programs like this. You would need to look into them to see if you might be interested in them.

As an aside, one of the most monied faculty members I've known was a community psychologist who had his own consulting firm. He had some help from grad students, of course.

 

[hunter123]

Very good information, thank you!

As some of my posts suggest, i'm unsure as to whether or not I really want to apply or not for psych. programs, but if I did..i'd want to in joint Clinical-Community programs. I want to get this degree because I'm hoping it might allow me to do an assortment of things, from practice, teaching, to program evaluations in the future. Do you feel it is possible to do this with such a degree?

Absolutely. I chose clinical community because I wanted training in program development and evaluation, but I also wanted the clinical background needed to do these tasks for a specific high risk population. I am currently teaching, which I have found to be quite rewarding. I truly believe that the dual training has really provided me with a breadth of training experiences.

Would you mind giving some background as to why you chose this specific degree, and what you hope to get out of it? Were you expectations in line with what you had thought, or not really? And, of course, in general...do you enjoy it?

As I said above, I have known for some time that I want to develop and evaluate programs for a very specific population (women returning from prison/jail to the community). Through my RA experiences, I learned how important community factors were-individuals reentering society often return to under-resourced and impoverished areas with little opportunity to succeed, which increases the likelihood of recidivism. Yet, given the high rate of substance use and other co-occurring disorders, I felt that clinical training was essential and would be helpful for my future career goals.

My expectations were mostly met in grad school. I have had awesome research experiences and great clinical experiences. Because my program has a dual focus, sometimes I have felt that additional coursework in both areas would be helpful. But, I just matched to my top choice internship (which is a community psych site) and know that I will receive the depth of experience during my internship year. I have enjoyed grad school thoroughly. I have learned and developed many practical and theoretical tools that I know will help me in the future. There have been times where I have been frustrated, but I have always been focused on my goals and have managed to meet them in timely ways. I do enjoy it!! I have been able to do a lot of advocacy work with my clinical clients, and have really been able to apply my community psych values to therapy. Grad school isn't always fun, but I look at it as a short-term job that will end, and I have to make the most of it (and get the most out of it) while I am here!

Furthermore, I made a note of all the clinical/community psych programs in the U.S. and got a grand total of 19. Obviously once I narrow down my scope to my "fit," this list quickly shortens and makes me think my chances of getting into such a program are slim to none. At the same time, I see many people applying to 9-12 clinical psych programs..is that just something I have to deal with?

I applied to about 12 programs. What I have found through the years is that community psychologists are well-connected-they all know each other. Go to SCRA (http://www.scra27.org/) or the SCRA day at the regional APA conferences....email community psych professors that you want to work with and start to build that relationship now. Ask what projects they currently have, if they are submitting more grants, etc. The network aspect is very important here.....especially because there aren't a lot of clinical-community programs to choose from. Also fit is the MOST IMPORTANT THING. Know what you are interested in, and have an idea about what you want to do. It won't hurt you-even if you change your mind later

I hope this helps, and good luck! Feel free to pm me if you want more information!

 

[undecidedman]

Absolutely. I chose clinical community because I wanted training in program development and evaluation, but I also wanted the clinical background needed to do these tasks for a specific high risk population. I am currently teaching, which I have found to be quite rewarding. I truly believe that the dual training has really provided me with a breadth of training experiences.



As I said above, I have known for some time that I want to develop and evaluate programs for a very specific population (women returning from prison/jail to the community). Through my RA experiences, I learned how important community factors were-individuals reentering society often return to under-resourced and impoverished areas with little opportunity to succeed, which increases the likelihood of recidivism. Yet, given the high rate of substance use and other co-occurring disorders, I felt that clinical training was essential and would be helpful for my future career goals.

My expectations were mostly met in grad school. I have had awesome research experiences and great clinical experiences. Because my program has a dual focus, sometimes I have felt that additional coursework in both areas would be helpful. But, I just matched to my top choice internship (which is a community psych site) and know that I will receive the depth of experience during my internship year. I have enjoyed grad school thoroughly. I have learned and developed many practical and theoretical tools that I know will help me in the future. There have been times where I have been frustrated, but I have always been focused on my goals and have managed to meet them in timely ways. I do enjoy it!! I have been able to do a lot of advocacy work with my clinical clients, and have really been able to apply my community psych values to therapy. Grad school isn't always fun, but I look at it as a short-term job that will end, and I have to make the most of it (and get the most out of it) while I am here!



I applied to about 12 programs. What I have found through the years is that community psychologists are well-connected-they all know each other. Go to SCRA (http://www.scra27.org/) or the SCRA day at the regional APA conferences....email community psych professors that you want to work with and start to build that relationship now. Ask what projects they currently have, if they are submitting more grants, etc. The network aspect is very important here.....especially because there aren't a lot of clinical-community programs to choose from. Also fit is the MOST IMPORTANT THING. Know what you are interested in, and have an idea about what you want to do. It won't hurt you-even if you change your mind later

I hope this helps, and good luck! Feel free to pm me if you want more information!

Thank you very much! I realize this is extremely late, but I guess I never got updates regarding this thread. I may still take you up on that PM offer once I have some questions flushed out if that'd be alright still?

Again, appreciate it very much!

 

[Member me]

Hello Member 383737 and others on this forum,
I am new to this and i have a question.
Could you please mention some other schools that have the clinical community program. I need more leads. You have mentioned about 12/15 schools i seem to only find about three.
I am looking for schools that will give a stipend and pay give tuition waivers.
Thanks guys.
Member Me.

 

[undecidedman]

Hello Member 383737 and others on this forum,
I am new to this and i have a question.
Could you please mention some other schools that have the clinical community program. I need more leads. You have mentioned about 12/15 schools i seem to only find about three.
I am looking for schools that will give a stipend and pay give tuition waivers.
Thanks guys.
Member Me.

Here is a list that I found, but i assume you have already seen this?

http://www.scra27.org/resources/educationc/academicpr/doctoralcl

I think for people like us, it might be less about finding programs that train you and finding professors that are doing this kind of work.

However, that's the difficult part as I do not even know where to start.

 

[undecidedman]

Hi all,

I'm still trying to find more information on these programs, but they are only a handful of them. I'm just wondering if anyone knows about the differences between clinical and clinical community?

Thank you.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Pragma]

Hi all,

I'm still trying to find more information on these programs, but they are only a handful of them. I'm just wondering if anyone knows about the differences between clinical and clinical community?

Thank you.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

My understanding is that in a clinical-community program, you will have fewer elective courses that one might normally use for more traditional therapy classes in a normal clinical program. These electives are instead used to take courses specific to working in communities (such as program evaluation, etc). The emphasis is different. If it is an APA-accredited program though, they should technically still be clinical degrees.

 

[undecidedman]

My understanding is that in a clinical-community program, you will have fewer elective courses that one might normally use for more traditional therapy classes in a normal clinical program. These electives are instead used to take courses specific to working in communities (such as program evaluation, etc). The emphasis is different. If it is an APA-accredited program though, they should technically still be clinical degrees.

if i was interested in working with program evaluation, would a clinical psych degree help me with that? are there other degrees i should be looking at?

 

[psychstudents]

I would go on your best fit with the faculty member- I think those types of relationships are irreplaceable and can make or break your career. Sounds like you have a lot of amazing options though!

Thank you all for your insight! This decision is particularly hard because I got A LOT more money (fellowship) at the community program, it is in a more ideal location, at the most highly ranked school, and my POI there is my best research match. My worry about needing the clinical part of the degree is the ONLY thing holding me back from making a decision as the other two schools are great but less ideal in every other way.




I am really not 100% sure of what I want to do post-PhD. That is definitely part of my problem as I don’t have real world experience (outside of research) in my field of study.



I could more or less “drop” the clinical after 3 years in one program and not at all in the other as it is really a clinical program with a community track.




I don’t think the program would qualify me to be licensable for anything. This brings up another question of mine. What exactly do you need a license to do? I see a lot of students (externs) who conduct assessments, provide therapy and run groups. What in particular would I be missing out on without the option of being licensable?