health psych PhD

[shock-me-sane]

I have done a lot of soul searching and determined that I want clinical psych with a health emphasis.

I've done some research on professors and such and want to contact them, at the end of the summer I guess to find out if they will be taking students come fall '08.

I am finishing up my psych degree this fall and my nursing degree next spring. I am trying to figure out how to tie everything into a pretty package...I guess that pertains mostly to my SOP, but still how do I meld them?

I feel like I have more interesting nursing stuff going. I am doing an externship this summer where I do everything an RN can do. I volunteer for events with an medic foundation. I am the vice pres for my nursing cohort. I also work at a hospital as a student nurse.

My psych stuff is Psi Chi (who isn't in it?), did an honors project in social psych this year (remote possibility of publication), last summer was a research assistant in a biopsych lab, going to continue working with my mentor from my project this summer/next year and possibly another prof who is clinical (he is into early maladaptive schemas).

I know I can twist a lot of my nursing stuff into more psych, such as working with veterans (PTSD/depresion high in the population) during the externship, medic volunteer with special olympics/breast cancer walks, student nurse job sitting with psych hold patients. Also had a clinical rotation in a psych hospital.

I just don't know how to make it balance out. I don't know if I should try to twist the nursing or leave it to stand on it's own as it will show ability in the medical/health field? Psych has always been my passion, nursing was picked up because I like it and would never have an issue with an income. Is this adequate or does my passion need to extend a bit further (but not overwhelmingly so into nursing)?

I am just confused and overwhelmed as I have a ton going on this summer and am terrified of doing something stupid to mess up my chances. So if anyone has any thoughts, especially if you have any experience in this area I am willing to bake and send out cookies.

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[KillerDiller]

Tying everything into a pretty package is definitely what I consider to be the hardest part about applying to graduate school. Are you applying to programs where research is going to be a significant part of the curriculum? If so, I think that instead of trying to spin your nursing experience as being psych related you should try to spin your experience in both fields as being related to what you are applying to research.

If you are applying to practice-oriented programs I think the spin you put on any of your work will matter much less, though it may be helpful to consider which population you would like to work with and expound on your experience in that area.

 

[QPublic]

I think that having a nursing background puts you in very good stead with regard to getting into a health-oriented clinical program. If you are able to get any degree of involvement in any (and I mean any) research activity (doesn't have to be psych-related), so much the better. In terms of developing your personal statement, I think that you have a lot to work with. The nursing knowledge can really inform your learning in health psychology.... Bear in mind (and maybe you realize this) that a lot of health psychology research does not necessarily focus on what we think of as traditional psych (eg, psychopathology), but may focus more on other behavioral issues (e.g., adherence, immunological processes, etc.). Having a nursing degree and some experience will likely put you far ahead of many other applicants to the clinical/health programs...
Best of luck to you!