Confused but passionate

[deleted343839]

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I agree working is always the best form of "shadowing". I'm not sure how long it takes to become a psychometrist, but I think part of the problem is OP seems to need to make this decision quickly. Anyways, my vote is to pursue psychology. Research and clinical work can both be achieved by either path, but thematically speaking OP seems to be much more interested in psychology than in being a medical doctor which is what a psychiatrist is. If he is still considering psychiatry though, a post in that side of the forums might be worthwhile so he can get some psychiatrists opinions.

Agreed. Especially if being a physician in any other specialty would be unacceptable to the OP.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

OK. I'm lost though. Where does neuropsychology/brain research enter into this?

As I suggested in your other thread (can we now move everything to this thread, please?), a master's program would be a good way to strengthen your academic record and research experience before applying to a doctoral program.

Yes let’s move it to this thread, again I’m sorry about that. I agree a masters would be good to improve my record and show I can handle the work (some

No one can answer this for you. You sound like you want to be a therapist, primarily, which means you have about half dozen fields and options open to you.

Clinical Psychology, and sub-fields within it such as clinical neuropsychology will take substantial academic credentials and an interest in being more than just a therapist and research being "intellectually interesting."

Clinical neuropsychology in particular will take a significant interest and understanding of neuroscience, research/statistics, and of course what this professional actually does on a daily basis. Which is largely the administration and clinical interpretation and integration, via a written report, of psychological and neuropsychological tests of various psychiatric and neurologic patients. Forensic and other clinical consultations come with the work too, but this is still the primary job description of a clinical neuropsychologist.

After graduate school, personally, my thoughts were that if I have to give one person as WAIS (a common intellectual test), I might just kick some one in the nuts. So...take that for what its worth.

I’ve taken courses in forensic psychology, behavioral, neuropsychology, behavior and motivation. I know I want some type of psych field that will enable me to do research and therapy. What I’m gaining from this thread is that what I’m primarily thinking of is clinical psych and possibly a sub tract in that. So, how do I pursue that. Would the next step be applying to a MA program then PhD? I can’t see wasting money and time in a post bacc biology program even if I find biology interesting I don’t exactly want it to be a career.

 

[deleted343839]

Would the next step be applying to a MA program then PhD?

I think that's a reasonable course of action.

I intended on doing masters first. I’m hopefully, not euphoric about my gpa lol. I found a MA in general psychology that provides a strong foundation in research and specifically prepares its students for doctoral programs. Where could I find a coherent listing of master programs for psych I can’t seem to find many

That's a great question that has also come up recently on the What Are My Chances thread. What you're describing sounds like the right kind of program - ie, a research-focused program rather than a program that prepares students for master's level licensure. This is not necessarily the most typical route to the PhD (a lot of people with stronger undergrad backgrounds and research experience go straight from the BA/BS to a PhD program, though many take additional time off to get more research experience).

Compiling a list of such master's programs would be a good SDN public service project. I only know of a handful, but perhaps people who are on doctoral program admissions committees could make suggestions.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

I think that's a reasonable course of action.



That's a great question that has also come up recently on the What Are My Chances thread. What you're describing sounds like the right kind of program - ie, a research-focused program rather than a program that prepares students for master's level licensure. This is not necessarily the most typical route to the PhD (a lot of people with stronger undergrad backgrounds and research experience go straight from the BA/BS to a PhD program, though many take additional time off to get more research experience).

Compiling a list of such master's programs would be a good SDN public service project. I only know of a handful, but perhaps people who are on doctoral program admissions committees could make suggestions.

How can I get involved in research if I’m not currently in a university. To enhance my options?

My prospective program is Adelphi which offers a general psych degree with an emphasis on research methods and an optional thesis to prepare the student of doctoral level psychology. Which I take to mean PhD

 

[deleted343839]

How can I get involved in research if I’m not currently in a university. To enhance my options?

You should choose a master's program that will have you actively working on research projects under the supervision of a faculty member. A good sign is if master's students are publishing their work in peer-reviewed journals or at least presenting at national-level conferences.

My prospective program is Adelphi which offers a general psych degree with an emphasis on research methods and an optional thesis to prepare the student of doctoral level psychology. Which I take to mean PhD

You need to find out how many of their graduates have actually gone on to APA-accredited clinical psychology programs (other than Adelphi). Don't be afraid to ask for hard numbers.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

You should choose a master's program that will have you actively working on research projects under the supervision of a faculty member. A good sign is if master's students are publishing their work in peer-reviewed journals or at least presenting at national-level conferences.



You need to find out how many of their graduates have actually gone on to APA-accredited clinical psychology programs (other than Adelphi). Don't be afraid to ask for hard numbers.

I’m 24 and I’m delivering pizzas which I can’t stand, so I’m trying to find a way to achieve my goal. I find it unsettling that Adelphi has such low standards of admission aswel as rolling admissions. I just get a feel that it’s a school that looks to let anyone in as long as they can pay, and barely offer any substance that would greatly enhance my prospects of PhD programs even though they claim to have numerous students go to PhD programs.

My other idea is to forget the bio, and just take a few months to prepare for the GRE, do courses and really work. As I think a 3.2 and a good GRE would help my chances at a decent masters program. Would you advice that be a wise option, I guess I’m more freaked or since im already 24 turning 25. My professor keeps telling me even 25/26 if very young to do masters because a lot of people don’t do it until at least their 30’s.

Other than that how can I involve myself in research to bolster myself.

Also, thank you so much for all this advice and being such a help!!

 

[Psychstudent!721]

I’m 24 and I’m delivering pizzas which I can’t stand, so I’m trying to find a way to achieve my goal. I find it unsettling that Adelphi has such low standards of admission aswel as rolling admissions. I just get a feel that it’s a school that looks to let anyone in as long as they can pay, and barely offer any substance that would greatly enhance my prospects of PhD programs even though they claim to have numerous students go to PhD programs.

My other idea is to forget the bio, and just take a few months to prepare for the GRE, do courses and really work. As I think a 3.2 and a good GRE would help my chances at a decent masters program. Would you advice that be a wise option, I guess I’m more freaked or since im already 24 turning 25. My professor keeps telling me even 25/26 if very young to do masters because a lot of people don’t do it until at least their 30’s.

Other than that how can I involve myself in research to bolster myself.

Also, thank you so much for all this advice and being such a help!!

I’m sorry I didn’t see your response on the research. So I can’t do the research unless I’m part of the program. Got it.

 

[PsychPhDone]

I think OP needs more time and experience to figure out the md vs phd route. I think he or she needs a master's due to gpa, but I'm not sure a master's will help with the md vs phd quandary. A research assistant position in a med school might not be a bad idea (esp in lab with MDs and phds) but then there's still there gpa issue. I normally feel strongly about what to advise but here

 

[Psychstudent!721]

I think OP needs more time and experience to figure out the md vs phd route. I think he or she needs a master's due to gpa, but I'm not sure a master's will help with the md vs phd quandary. A research assistant position in a med school might not be a bad idea (esp in lab with MDs and phds) but then there's still there gpa issue. I normally feel strongly about what to advise but here

Ive spoken to a few advisors at my university, while they agree that my gpa isn’t that competitive for a PhD program, they do believe it’s strong enough for a masters program along with my internships in clinical settings. Since I can’t see myself being anything other than a psychiatrist if I did med school and I’m not really interested in medicine in general, I don’t think that route would be wise. Especially because of all the money, tireless hours of post bac and a masters (I would almost literally drive myself crazy trying to compensate the pre req classes in under 2 years). They believe the smart route is to wait for the applications for master programs to open and take GRE courses in the mean time. A solid GRE score with my GPA along with a explanation on why the GPA isn’t higher, which does have an explanation. Should be enough to get me in a decent masters program. Once in a masters program I have to be sure to hold a solid gpa 3.8 or better, and do research. Show the programs that I’m capable of doing the work and the research. Looking for research assistant spots isn’t a bad idea either! Thanks for that! According to a few of my professors who are also phd psychologists, they’ve known people who managed to get in a PhD program or a master program with a Gpa far lower than mine. I think I’ll be ok! 🙂

 

[deleted343839]

Since I can’t see myself being anything other than a psychiatrist if I did med school and I’m not really interested in medicine in general, I don’t think that route would be wise. Especially because of all the money, tireless hours of post bac and a masters (I would almost literally drive myself crazy trying to compensate the pre req classes in under 2 years).

I agree that if you're not interested in medicine generally, medical school is probably not the path for you.

The money issue is more subjective. Even factoring in the costs of a post-bacc and medical school you will be money ahead assuming a career of normal duration in full time medical practice. You will accumulate some debt in a master's program, but if you attend a fully funded doctoral program afterward you should be able to keep your total student debt burden manageable. For better or worse, the educational sequence is designed to grease the wheels for those who perform well on the first go, but to some extent you can pay extra to remediate and move on. The further along you go down a path, the more difficult it will be to switch gears, remediate, and so forth, and at some point the cost-benefit ratio for this becomes unfavorable. This is why people are urging you to take time and really deliberate your options before deciding on next steps in your training.

As for time commitment, I don't see a clear winner here. By the time you're done with a master's, PhD, internship, and (maybe) postdoctoral fellowship (for specialization or licensure in some states), 7 to 10 years will have elapsed. By comparison the post-bacc, medical school, and residency route is not much longer, if at all.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

I agree that if you're not interested in medicine generally, medical school is probably not the path for you.

The money issue is more subjective. Even factoring in the costs of a post-bacc and medical school you will be money ahead assuming a career of normal duration in full time medical practice. You will accumulate some debt in a master's program, but if you attend a fully funded doctoral program afterward you should be able to keep your total student debt burden manageable. For better or worse, the educational sequence is designed to grease the wheels for those who perform well on the first go, but to some extent you can pay extra to remediate and move on. The further along you go down a path, the more difficult it will be to switch gears, remediate, and so forth, and at some point the cost-benefit ratio for this becomes unfavorable. This is why people are urging you to take time and really deliberate your options before deciding on next steps in your training.

As for time commitment, I don't see a clear winner here. By the time you're done with a master's, PhD, internship, and (maybe) postdoctoral fellowship (for specialization or licensure in some states), 7 to 10 years will have elapsed. By comparison the post-bacc, medical school, and residency route is not much longer, if at all.

I completely concur with you. I’m not very interested in medicine or even that journey. I do thoroughly enjoy psychology and almost every class I’ve had in it, except stats lol ben though I did very well. As for my GPA I’ve decided to apply to a university that offers “non-degree” admissions to students for the masters program, and use that as an opportunity to show the master programs such as NYU sand other institutions that I can handle the work. Take classes for my GRE and do well (hopefully) at this point it’s less about what the timeframe would be and more what I would enjoy as a career.

 

[PsyDuck90]

If you're looking to stay in NYC for your master's, I'd suggest you look at the CUNYs. Each one has a speciality regarding research niche (Queens is the one with a neuropsych concentration). It will also cost you significantly less than a school like NYU.

 

[Psychstudent!721]

If you're looking to stay in NYC for your master's, I'd suggest you look at the CUNYs. Each one has a speciality regarding research niche (Queens is the one with a neuropsych concentration). It will also cost you significantly less than a school like NYU.

I have looked Into those I especially like city college, however I have to wait until the applications open up again. And I have to prepare and take the GRE. The classes are insanely expensive and hard to afford :/

 

[biscuitsbiscuits]

I have looked Into those I especially like city college, however I have to wait until the applications open up again. And I have to prepare and take the GRE. The classes are insanely expensive and hard to afford :/

I would double-check the application deadlines for the CUNY programs- I am on their email list and I keep getting emails about how they've extended deadlines for Fall 2018. I know the Cognitive Neuroscience program extended the deadline to June 1. These extensions might not be on the website, so I'd call and ask someone in the particular program you're interested in.