PhD/PsyD Deciding on rankings

[psydstudent2020]

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Hello all! I decided to create this thread because I am already having a difficult time with how I am going to rank the sites I’ve received interviews at. My goal is to become a forensic examiner but also doing at least some therapy as well. Two sites I’ve interviewed at are Fulton State Hospital (Forensic Eval Track) and Center for Behavioral Medicine (Forensic Track). These two seem to have the same kinds of experiences so I was wondering if anyone had any insight on which site may align more with my goals?


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[bigdreamer3]

I would encourage you to consider which site best fits with you and what you need out of a training site. Which site offers the type of therapy you want to do or has the supervisors you best fit with? This is your last true year to try new things and get the support you need to become an independent psychologist (or as close to that as possible). There is a growing list of specialized postdoc sites that will get you where you want to go as a forensic evaluator. You're really the only person who knows your goals and interviews at the sites, so as much as the uncertainty sucks, you're the only person who knows which one aligns with those goals and is the best for you.

 

[psydstudent2020]

I would encourage you to consider which site best fits with you and what you need out of a training site. Which site offers the type of therapy you want to do or has the supervisors you best fit with? This is your last true year to try new things and get the support you need to become an independent psychologist (or as close to that as possible). There is a growing list of specialized postdoc sites that will get you where you want to go as a forensic evaluator. You're really the only person who knows your goals and interviews at the sites, so as much as the uncertainty sucks, you're the only person who knows which one aligns with those goals and is the best for you.

I connected with the supervisors well at both and feel like both would match my goals. I was wondering if anyone in the forensic field has insight on which site would be better.


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[Therapist4Chnge]

In the moment it can feel like a huge decision, and I know it can feel like equal parts exciting and terrifying, but try not to stress out too much over it.

Honestly....one internship site over another generally doesn’t make a big difference in the end. As long as the sites are APA-acred and you get your hours approved...it’s just another hoop to jump through.

I don’t know either site, so i’ll defer to others who may be more familiar with them.

 

[fallen625]

One related question - for those who want a research career, how are you prioritizing research vs. clinical training? Some of my sites have the clinical training I want (with the populations I want and/or type of therapy I want) but not great research training, while others have the research training I want (mentorship with people that make a lot of sense for me / it would be amazing to work with) but not the clinical training I want (working with very different populations than those I want to be working with) and I am going back and forth on how to rank those.

 

[WisNeuro]

One related question - for those who want a research career, how are you prioritizing research vs. clinical training? Some of my sites have the clinical training I want (with the populations I want and/or type of therapy I want) but not great research training, while others have the research training I want (mentorship with people that make a lot of sense for me / it would be amazing to work with) but not the clinical training I want (working with very different populations than those I want to be working with) and I am going back and forth on how to rank those.

You'll get different advice on this one. My personal take is that internship and postdoc decisions should be geared to make one the most marketable at what they want to do in their careers. If you want a job that is primarily research, I'd be looking at opportunities to get good research training and establish a broader network in your desired content areas. And, if the opportunity is there in the short training year, try and get on a publication or two.

 

[PsyDr]

Looking at what their alumni have done might help you decide.

I am always a fan of getting hospital experience.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

In many cases internship is too short to do anything that useful for research, but i’m sure there are exceptions. Sites can have ongoing research with datasets that interns can jump on and publish from, but the purpose of the intern year is to get your clinical hours towards licensure. Being able to round out your clinical training is probably the more useful approach. Post-doc is a completely different animal though, particularly when considering multi-year options.

 

[Justanothergrad]

In many cases internship is too short to do anything that useful for research, but i’m sure there are exceptions. Sites can have ongoing research with datasets that interns can jump on and publish from, but the purpose of the intern year is to get your clinical hours towards licensure. Being able to round out your clinical training is probably the more useful approach. Post-doc is a completely different animal though, particularly when considering multi-year options.

Yup. This.

I was able to start several projects during internship that I continued on after I finished, but even with research time it wasn't sufficient to really start anything or do more than jump on something already ready to write up. Master your clinical skills and do stuff you haven't done. Internship is a great final opportunity to be that free.

 

[temppsych123]

If you want a research career, going to a site that's a good research fit is mostly only helpful if they've got postdoc options to stay on as a researcher there afterwards - then being able to get started with research on internship, find a good mentor, etc. can be helpful even if you don't get any pubs out. But if it's an internship without postdoc options and you're hoping to do a lot of research DURING the internship year, honestly it's not going to make that much of a difference. I think it's valuable also to get marketable clinical skills in case the research career doesn't work out (THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME - do not let people convince you that getting a professor job at an R1 is a breeze - it can take years and years of applying for jobs to get even one offer after postdoc), you may be grateful for learning skills like specialized assessment methods, a different kind of therapeutic modality with value in private practice or hospital settings, etc.

Just my 2c.

 

[randomnamegenerator]

You'll get different advice on this one. My personal take is that internship and postdoc decisions should be geared to make one the most marketable at what they want to do in their careers. If you want a job that is primarily research, I'd be looking at opportunities to get good research training and establish a broader network in your desired content areas. And, if the opportunity is there in the short training year, try and get on a publication or two.

I'd agree with this and what others have said too, especially if that research experience on internship leads you to a research-oriented postdoc opportunity at the same site. There are very few sites where you're likely to get a ton of research done on internship (e.g., even at places like Brown and Western Psych, the vast majority of your time will be spent on clinical activities), although that doesn't mean you cannot get any research done. I've seen/heard of a lot of folks turning that clinically-oriented internship opportunity into a great research postdoc at the same place/with the same advisors.

 

[LadyHalcyon]

Hello all! I decided to create this thread because I am already having a difficult time with how I am going to rank the sites I’ve received interviews at. My goal is to become a forensic examiner but also doing at least some therapy as well. Two sites I’ve interviewed at are Fulton State Hospital (Forensic Eval Track) and Center for Behavioral Medicine (Forensic Track). These two seem to have the same kinds of experiences so I was wondering if anyone had any insight on which site may align more with my goals?


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Have you already defended your dissertation and/or will you be finished by the you will be on internship?

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[Justanothergrad]

You dont need to spend your time worrying about how you will rank places you have yet to interview at. Not only do you not know what it's like to be there, you dont have all the info on it you may want since the pamphlets often leave stuff out or present it without important contextual details. Literally but 0% more of your time into this right now.

 

[CatLover&PsychEnthusiast]

Regarding the desire for a research career and marketability, how focused is too focused? I have several years of experience in an obscure-ish area that I love. I know the literature well. Not many psychologists work in this area, but the area is beginning to grow. There are maybe 10-ish institutions in the US that I know of that have psychology researchers in this area. Much more international research in this area. I do have some experience collaborating on projects in a couple other areas that are more common, which I enjoyed and learned from. But all my first author papers are in my niche area. Should I expand myself more research-wise during internship and postdoc for the marketability aspect? (I understand this mostly applies for postdoc). I do really enjoy my research area, but sometimes I get concerned that it’s not commonly offered. Or perhaps this is an area I could build up at an institution? Thoughts?


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[temppsych123]

Regarding the desire for a research career and marketability, how focused is too focused? I have several years of experience in an obscure-ish area that I love. I know the literature well. Not many psychologists work in this area, but the area is beginning to grow. There are maybe 10-ish institutions in the US that I know of that have psychology researchers in this area. Much more international research in this area. I do have some experience collaborating on projects in a couple other areas that are more common, which I enjoyed and learned from. But all my first author papers are in my niche area. Should I expand myself more research-wise during internship and postdoc for the marketability aspect? (I understand this mostly applies for postdoc). I do really enjoy my research area, but sometimes I get concerned that it’s not commonly offered. Or perhaps this is an area I could build up at an institution? Thoughts?


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This depends on what you want in a research career. If you want to work at a medical school (e.g. soft-money or grant-funded), you are only getting paid for the clinical work you do plus what you can pay yourself off of your grants - so a niche area, if it's not an area that gets a lot of government funding, can be a problem (also relevant is how well your niche interests allow you to collaborate with others doing fundable work). If you're looking at psychology/arts and sciences positions (e.g. hard-money, salary-funded), less of a concern about how niche your research area is, as long as you can do the work you care about wherever the school is located (e.g. if you study some very rare phenomenon, you probably won't get hired at a school that's not in a large metro area with millions of people to draw from). Also whether you can teach classes of broader interests than just your niche area.

 

[CatLover&PsychEnthusiast]

Thanks @temppsych123 your points are very helpful


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