PhD/PsyD First year student seeking advice

[LOVE_Brains]

Hi! I am a first-year PsyD student, and I am planning to transfer out of the program as I feel like I'm not gaining any value, especially given what I'm paying for tuition. I chose this particular program as I believed there would be some if not an equal opportunity to pursue research and access mentorship. However, there are close to no available avenues for research within the program, and the mentorship has not been easy to access either. The coursework is extremely high but not challenging, and rarely am I learning anything new or deepening my knowledge/skills.

I have been constantly thinking about changing programs and applying to Ph.D. programs that are more balanced. But I don't know if that would be possible, and what I should be doing to increase my chances of getting accepted. I am also looking for advice/suggestions on if there are other alternatives that I could look into.

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[albatross_at_crossroads]

Hello there,

Do you mind sharing what program is this?
PsyD degrees tend to end up being quite expensive if you don't have a tuition waiver, so I can understand wanting to get the best possible training you can get. When it comes to research and mentorship, is the barrier to access the size of the cohort? Or the lack of qualified faculty that actually do quality research? I guess what I'm trying to say is that as a first-year, if you have a pretty good sense you are not getting the quality of training you want, it's better to change programs sooner rather than slog through it.

The downside here is that depending where you are transferring to (and from), many of your earned credits and coursework won't transfer with you. Have you tried emailing the grad coordinators from other programs to see what would transfer, in the event you would be admitted there?
From my experience, it's not really easy to move from one program to another. I know of a few rare cases that made the move with their primary supervisor, but that's at PhD programs.
Would you be ok with restarting your search from a program from scratch? Maybe even finding one that has at least some tuition remission if not a stipend? I think there are a few even PsyD programs out there that might offer that, plus some higher quality training.

 

[summerbabe]

I have been constantly thinking about changing programs and applying to Ph.D. programs that are more balanced. But I don't know if that would be possible, and what I should be doing to increase my chances of getting accepted. I am also looking for advice/suggestions on if there are other alternatives that I could look into.

Transfers are relatively uncommon for funded PhDs as far as I know. One scenario I know of is when a professor leaves a school and 'takes' students from their lab to their new program.

Given the importance of graduation rates for a program's re-accreditation, the mere fact of considering leaving one's current program for another may bring heavier scrutiny to your application. Is this fair or insurmountable? Probably not but you might need to be an especially good fit for the new program and may need to 'convince' them of your intentions and ability to successfully complete. So realistically, you'll probably need to be on the higher end of competitiveness for that program's application cohort. And all of this varies program by program.

 

[foreverbull]

Transfers are relatively uncommon for funded PhDs as far as I know. One scenario I know of is when a professor leaves a school and 'takes' students from their lab to their new program.

Given the importance of graduation rates for a program's re-accreditation, the mere fact of considering leaving one's current program for another may bring heavier scrutiny to your application. Is this fair or insurmountable? Probably not but you might need to be an especially good fit for the new program and may need to 'convince' them of your intentions and ability to successfully complete. So realistically, you'll probably need to be on the higher end of competitiveness for that program's application cohort. And all of this varies program by program.
.

I agree. “Transferring” at the doctoral level isn’t really a thing, like the way you can just transfer schools after a quick application in undergrad and submitting syllabi. It’s usually just starting over with the whole process except in extremely rare cases like the one @summerbabe mentioned. Only a few classes will transfer out of your year of attendance, likely.

You can apply to other PhD programs, but you will have to make a great case for why you learned that it wasn’t the best fit, and you don’t want to blame the program outright, but emphasize your understanding/knowledge gained changed your perspective and you wanted more hands-on research opportunities, perhaps? It may be a bit of an uphill battle, but a few folks in here have been successful at reapplying and switching schools, I think….I know I’ve seen a person or two mention it in other threads in the past.

I’d say you might want to bulk up your resume to show you’re ready for doctoral research by involving yourself in research opportunities. This would be a great way to show that you’re serious about the research component. Volunteer for local research labs at other local universities, etc. if you can. That may be a good place to start and show new schools that you are a competitive candidate.

 

[LOVE_Brains]

Thank you for all your responses. Yeah, I understand it is going to be an uphill battle!
Another factor that I am concerned about is time. I am torn between being stuck in the program, transferring, or completely leaving the field, as I don't know if I have what it takes to go through the process all over again. Finances are another thing, that I am concerned about. If I had to take a break and volunteer at labs, I feel like I'm pushing my ability to be financially independent further away. Is there any other closely related field that you would suggest I could look into? I'm broadening my options, to consider everything, as I don't want to feel stuck. I completely understand that changing careers due to a poor first-year experience at a program might sound like a bad idea, but I'm just trying to understand what's out there.

Thanks again for the suggestions regarding transferring programs, and reapplying, I'm working on looking into labs and programs. I appreciate all your time and help!

 

[summerbabe]

I completely understand that changing careers due to a poor first-year experience at a program might sound like a bad idea, but I'm just trying to understand what's out there.

You would likely be a strong candidate for a masters level program that can have you working on independent licensure after 2 years of school if you think therapy is how you want to spend the majority of your work life. You're obviously closing doors on things like assessment and research but reaching career entry a lot quicker.

There are some recent threads on this topic on the front page: Private Practice Income- Masters Vs Doctorate

Leaving psychology all-together is an option as well. If you want to stay in a health-related field, nursing and potentially being a nurse practitioner who focuses on psychiatric prescribing could be considered. Other similar options include social work and being a school guidance counselor.

 

[LOVE_Brains]

Thank you @summerbabe! I actually applied to doctoral programs because of my interest in assessments and the field of neuropsych, and therapy wasn't what I saw myself doing full-time. But like you said, it does make sense to go that route to enter the workforce more quickly.

Would you know anything about rehabilitation sciences or of people/threads on this forum on changing their careers from psychology? Thanks again!

 

[iheartbacon]

Thank you @summerbabe! I actually applied to doctoral programs because of my interest in assessments and the field of neuropsych, and therapy wasn't what I saw myself doing full-time. But like you said, it does make sense to go that route to enter the workforce more quickly.

Would you know anything about rehabilitation sciences or of people/threads on this forum on changing their careers from psychology? Thanks again!

I know multiple people that work as masters level psychometrists at AMCs, if you still wanted to work in neuropsych. If your program offers a terminal masters along the way, it might be easier than switching to a masters program.

In terms of considering staying in your program... after the first year, things often change considerably (as the first year is so course heavy) and there are more opportunities to engage in clinical experience. Have you spoken with your advisor about opportunities for research or mentorship and with whom there might be opportunities? Or spoken with specific faculty members that you would like to work with or be mentored by?

As far as something to consider if you are applying to new programs, along with what @foreverbull advised... maybe reflect on how you changed or grew in the past year since being accepted to your program (possibly even as a result of what you learned in your program). This would be something that can explain your choice to leave your current program without placing the blame there. It would also help you identify programs that would match your research interests and be a better fit. Best of luck!

 

[szymk1sm]

I know multiple people that work as masters level psychometrists at AMCs, if you still wanted to work in neuropsych. If your program offers a terminal masters along the way, it might be easier than switching to a masters program.

In terms of considering staying in your program... after the first year, things often change considerably (as the first year is so course heavy) and there are more opportunities to engage in clinical experience. Have you spoken with your advisor about opportunities for research or mentorship and with whom there might be opportunities? Or spoken with specific faculty members that you would like to work with or be mentored by?

As far as something to consider if you are applying to new programs, along with what @foreverbull advised... maybe reflect on how you changed or grew in the past year since being accepted to your program (possibly even as a result of what you learned in your program). This would be something that can explain your choice to leave your current program without placing the blame there. It would also help you identify programs that would match your research interests and be a better fit. Best of luck!

Just to piggy-back off the bolded section -- if this is something you are interested in (master's level psychometrist positions), be sure to look at the licensing guidelines for any states that you are interested in working in.

In my state, it's not enough to have a master's degree to be employed as a psychometrist - it has to be a clinical psych master's and must have certain coursework and a semester or year-long neuropsych practicum (can't recall which off the top of my head). So I would just make sure you meet these types of state-specific licensing criteria before you leave your program (though note that not all states have master's level psychometrist requirements - only a handful).

 

[iheartbacon]

Just to piggy-back off the bolded section -- if this is something you are interested in (master's level psychometrist positions), be sure to look at the licensing guidelines for any states that you are interested in working in.

In my state, it's not enough to have a master's degree to be employed as a psychometrist - it has to be a clinical psych master's and must have certain coursework and a semester or year-long neuropsych practicum (can't recall which off the top of my head). So I would just make sure you meet these types of state-specific licensing criteria before you leave your program (though note that not all states have master's level psychometrist requirements - only a handful).

I assumed OP was in a clinical program based on the neuropsych interest but could be wrong, and forgot to indicate that relevant clinical experience is necessary as well, of course. Thanks for adding this!

 

[R. Matey]

Thank you @summerbabe! I actually applied to doctoral programs because of my interest in assessments and the field of neuropsych, and therapy wasn't what I saw myself doing full-time. But like you said, it does make sense to go that route to enter the workforce more quickly.

Would you know anything about rehabilitation sciences or of people/threads on this forum on changing their careers from psychology? Thanks again!

Agree with much of the above comments. I've known people who left a program to begin at another program, but they reapplied completely and basically started from scratch.

If you want to go out of psych completely, but still retain some of investigative "figuring out" that assessment offers, but with less school PT/OT, genetic counseling are all good options. If you're interested in neuropsych because you like money, maybe consider getting into data science where there's a lot of high paid "figuring out" happening.

 

[WisNeuro]

I assumed OP was in a clinical program based on the neuropsych interest but could be wrong, and forgot to indicate that relevant clinical experience is necessary as well, of course. Thanks for adding this!

Depends on the state. Here it's just a bachelor's, and good ones are hard enough to find you pretty much just have to be trainable. Relevant clinical interest is fine, but some places would rather not hire grad students as they don't want to have to repeat the cycle every year or two.