PhD/PsyD Do I need to know my specialization when applying to psychology grad programs?

[ejr149]

Hi everyone,

I have two questions about obtaining a Ph.D. in psychology.

1. How important is it to know your specialization before applying to programs? For example, while I know I want to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology, and I'm fairly certain I want it to be in clinical psychology, I'm not sure whether I want to specialize in neuropsychology, rehabilitation psychology, or more general counseling/therapy psychology. Is it crucial to know my exact path before applying to a program (either because the program might not offer certain specializations or because the application reviewers take those kinds of applicants more seriously)? Or is it okay to not be certain what I want to specialize in upon entering the program and let the program itself help me make that decision?
   
   
2. What types of jobs/volunteer experiences would you recommend someone to look for during a gap year before applying to a Ph.D. in psychology? I know it's important to gain skills in the areas related to your program, but it's hard to gain those skills without the higher education. Are there common ways people attain psychology experience at a low education level (BS in psychology, BA in chemistry)?

Thanks for any information and insight!

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[Justanothergrad]

1. you will fit in best when you have a sense of what you want to do in your career. although goals change some as we learn and train, I would want any applicants working with me to have a sense of where they want to be. think of grad school like an interview for a job- it helps if you know what the job you are interviewing for is. At least know the ballpark of what you want to do as a career- a population, a type of work, a setting, etc

2. research, research, research. clinical experiences will not help in the same way for the reason you mentioned. research experience will

 

[jdawg2017]

1. If you want to do clinical work ever, you need to pursue a clinical PhD or PsyD (PhDs are more research focused and usually funded much better, but also have a lot of elliptical). It’s easier to go from a clinical career to research career then the other way (which is basically impossible except for lengthy re-specialization programs). See above commenter regarding speciality areas. It’s good to have some idea so you go to a place that can train you in that area and align well with a mentor and their research program.

2. see above commenter; you can get paid research assistant positions with a BA/BS.

 

[PsyDr]

I wanted to be a child therapist when I went to grad school.

things change.

 

[Seven_Costanza]

2. see above commenter; you can get paid research assistant positions with a BA/BS.

I would add the caveat that paid research positions typically go to people who got research experience during undergrad. If you don’t have any at all, you can still volunteer in a lab doing research that interests you to get that experience.

 

[Justanothergrad]

I wanted to be a child therapist when I went to grad school.

things change.

Yup. I think most people who enter graduate school change some of their career interests. I thought I was going to study adolescent risky behavior... nope. Still, if you say "I don't know what I want" that's a totally different beast than saying you want one thing and having that evolve.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I wanted to be a child therapist when I went to grad school.

things change.

I wanted to be a gerontologist. Things change! (Though it was my interest in and experience with behavioral gerontology that matched me nicely with my mentor)

 

[BuckeyeLove]

Started out in neuro. Then got into corrections. Then got into group research. Then got into sex offender work. Then my final year of grad school got into psycholegal evaluation. (Important to note that all the former experiences still shaped me in terms of clinical and forensic foundation). Overall though, it took me 5 years to figure it out. Now...I do have colleagues that were super type A and just NEEDED to know what they were going to be doing for life as soon as they started. They seemed to hate life though.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I would say in most instances, you don't need to know exactly what you'd like to do (e.g., neuropsychology in epilepsy), but should have an idea of what's broadly interesting to you currently. This will help you in choosing doctoral programs/advisors to which to apply (e.g., if you're interested in kiddo and adolescent eating disorders, you probably won't apply to advisors who primarily focus on adults with cancer).

You should definitely know whether you want to apply to a degree that has a clinical practice component and is licensable (i.e., clinical, counseling, or school psych), or one that is predominantly research-oriented (keeping in mind that research degrees, such as cognitive or developmental psych, can of course have applied components in various industries).

 

[deleted343839]

I'm not sure whether I want to specialize in neuropsychology, rehabilitation psychology, or more general counseling/therapy psychology

If you choose to go the clinical route, any quality program will provide generalist training and opportunities to get a reasonable breadth of practicum experiences. IMO everyone should do at least a couple of year-long practica in more general settings such as counseling centers, general mental health clinics, or even primary care clinics, and this shouldn't be hard to find in a good doctoral program. It's easier to transition from specialist to generalist than the other way around. In doctoral training you focus mainly on developing your generalist skills and preparing for further training or specialization, though it definitely helps to have exposure to more specialized areas that interest you.

You're fortunate in that there is some overlap between rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology, so if you attend a reputable program that offers some exposure to either or both you should be in good shape. It helps if your research and clinical interests align, but it's not strictly necessary. To really specialize in either of these areas (as a clinician) will require postdoctoral training.