Doest to a postgraduate degree in psychology increase chances at psychiatry residency for an img?

[purpleortholady]

I was thinking of doing a masters in psychology but I dunno if doing it before residency will be worth it, since I may still have the chance to get a go at it during residency.

Does having a masters in psychology increase my chances for getting into a competitive program?

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[heyjack70]

Where are you in training? I think a two year masters program between medical school and residency will hurt your chances because you are getting further from clinical medicine. This will raise questions about whether you will be able to manage as an intern.

 

[hamstergang]

since I may still have the chance to get a go at it during residency.

Are you saying you might get a masters in psychology while doing your residency? I don't know what else you might be saying but this is ...crazy? (Is there a better word?)

 

[Bartelby]

I agree with heyjack, the added time between medical school and residency will hurt you. I would not advise getting a master's of psychology between medical school and residency.

 

[nitemagi]

Absolutely not helpful. Think about some of the concerns that residency directors have for IMG's -- language proficiency, medical training (unknown level of training at a foreign medical school since not regulated the same). None of those are alleviated through a masters.

 

[Leo Aquarius]

Go straight through. You don't want to kill a patient for a masters degree.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

I'm intrigued by your user name. One major concern for psychiatry PDs screening IMG applications, in addition to the language fluency and licensabilty of the applicant, is whether they are perceiving psych as a less-competitive "back up plan". If everything else in your application is oriented toward another specialty, then well perhaps a degree more closely related to psychiatry will relieve our anxiety a little bit. But only a little bit. If you're not doing it because you are vitally, truly interested in mental health--then it will only delay the achievement of your true dream.

 

[purpleortholady]

I'm intrigued by your user name. One major concern for psychiatry PDs screening IMG applications, in addition to the language fluency and licensabilty of the applicant, is whether they are perceiving psych as a less-competitive "back up plan". If everything else in your application is oriented toward another specialty, then well perhaps a degree more closely related to psychiatry will relieve our anxiety a little bit. But only a little bit. If you're not doing it because you are vitally, truly interested in mental health--then it will only delay the achievement of your true dream.

Thanks a lot for the reply (sorry mine is coming in late). I created my SDN page when I was crazy about ortho. However, in my final year, I had a change of perspective. I just finished med school two months ago and will be starting my compulsory internship in my country next month before an additional compulsory one year of service to my country. That's two additional years between between med school and residency.

I read somewhere (can't remember where exactly now, but it was an official page), that some programs screen out applicants with more than three years between application and finishing med school. That piece of info, added to your advice has made me reconsider a post-graduate degree.

I wanted a PG degree because I thought it will show how interested I am in Psych (which I really am). I still have a lot of time to do other things that may prove my commitment to the Psych specialty. I guess I'll just wait till residency to do something part-time.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[purpleortholady]

Are you saying you might get a masters in psychology while doing your residency? I don't know what else you might be saying but this is ...crazy? (Is there a better word?)

I meant a part-time program during residency. Some Psych residency programs allow this.

 

[purpleortholady]

Where are you in training? I think a two year masters program between medical school and residency will hurt your chances because you are getting further from clinical medicine. This will raise questions about whether you will be able to manage as an intern.

I just finished training in Nigeria two months ago and I'm starting internship next month. I have to do compulsory one year of internship in my country to get permanent registration with my country's medical council after which I have to do a compulsory one year of service to my country. That's already two years between med school and residency. So I guess a PG degree is off.

 

[splik]

I meant a part-time program during residency. Some Psych residency programs allow this.

erm no US psychiatry residency program is going to allow you to do a masters in psychology (which is a waste of time anyway) in this country! when you say during residency did you mean in another country?!

if you didn't do electives in psychiatry at US institutions as a medical student you would struggle to match into a decent residency program. When you graduated matters less if you have actually been engaged in clinical practice though some places have a soft cut-off of 5 years. Regardless, you might be advised to consider doing psychiatric training in the UK, completing your MRCPsych and then if you so wish, apply for psychiatry residency in the US. Also in the UK (which not necessarily helpful unless it leads to publications), you could do a diploma in psychological medicine or masters in psychiatry if you wished though the actual qualification itself may be of little utility it would be more relevant than a masters in psychology (which you may not even be qualified to complete at any rate).

 

[hamstergang]

I wanted a PG degree because I thought it will show how interested I am in Psych (which I really am).

Showing interest in psychology does not show interest in psychiatry.

 

[purpleortholady]

Showing interest in psychology does not show interest in psychiatry.

OK. Thanks again. There's a centre for child and adolescent mental health in my country; the first and only of its kind in Africa. It's run in collaboration with the Psych department of a teaching hospital here and the Masters program they offer is clinically oriented. Could such a program help? I wish to go further in the subspecialty of child and adolescent mental health. I'm still a little bothered about the extra years it puts between med school and residency though.

 

[purpleortholady]

erm no US psychiatry residency program is going to allow you to do a masters in psychology (which is a waste of time anyway) in this country! when you say during residency did you mean in another country?!

if you didn't do electives in psychiatry at US institutions as a medical student you would struggle to match into a decent residency program. When you graduated matters less if you have actually been engaged in clinical practice though some places have a soft cut-off of 5 years. Regardless, you might be advised to consider doing psychiatric training in the UK, completing your MRCPsych and then if you so wish, apply for psychiatry residency in the US. Also in the UK (which not necessarily helpful unless it leads to publications), you could do a diploma in psychological medicine or masters in psychiatry if you wished though the actual qualification itself may be of little utility it would be more relevant than a masters in psychology (which you may not even be qualified to complete at any rate).

Maybe I'm getting it wrong. I guess I need more research on the issue. Thanks for your reply.

 

[WisNeuro]

Any part-time program in psychology will likely not give you any marketable skills. The only reason to get an additional degree in psychology IMO would be to obtain therapy skills, or research skills. I am not aware of any part-time masters that will give you either of these things. Even full-time masters are a bit hit or miss on how well they prepare you in these areas.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

OK. Thanks again. There's a centre for child and adolescent mental health in my country; the first and only of its kind in Africa. It's run in collaboration with the Psych department of a teaching hospital here and the Masters program they offer is clinically oriented. Could such a program help? I wish to go further in the subspecialty of child and adolescent mental health. I'm still a little bothered about the extra years it puts between med school and residency though.

This may be a fairly unique situation. From what I've gathered in talking to other residency applicants from Nigeria, there is a huge dearth of training in child and adolescent mental health there, and in your case, it might actually strengthen an application for a US residency, at least with respect to other FMGs who are not offering such explicit demonstration of a commitment to mental health practice.

 

[purpleortholady]

This may be a fairly unique situation. From what I've gathered in talking to other residency applicants from Nigeria, there is a huge dearth of training in child and adolescent mental health there, and in your case, it might actually strengthen an application for a US residency, at least with respect to other FMGs who are not offering such explicit demonstration of a commitment to mental health practice.

Thanks for all your help. I'll take everything that has been said on this thread into consideration. After all, I've got two whole years to think it through. Still, the word "might" doesn't sound very assuring.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Thanks for all your help. I'll take everything that has been said on this thread into consideration. After all, I've got two whole years to think it through. Still, the word "might" doesn't sound very assuring.

My apologies. However, the hard truth is that it is an uphill climb for almost all IMGs hoping to enter a US residency.