help with prep for PSYD/ Clinical Psych PHD

[upaya]

Can anyone help me make a decision for what to do this fall in order to best prep for PSYD and Clinical Psych PHD applications? I know there are many fora with questions similar to this, but I'm looking at some pretty specific options and haven't seen anything in the fora on these particular options for my goals. I'm hoping to get into the top PSYD and Clinically oriented PHD programs, if possible. Additionally, I'm wondering if you think it would be possible for me to apply for programs this fall (2013) in order to start in 2014 or if I should wait until next fall (2014) by which time I'd have more research/internship experience in order to start in fall 2015.

A bit about me:
I went to Yale undergrad. Studied Comparative Literature and took 1 cognitive science and no psych classes. I had a 3.45 GPA and 3.8 in my major. I have a 1530 GRE score. I have no research or internship experience. I have mostly run NGOs and have significant international non-profit and service experience. I'm 30, and would like to get the ball rolling on this career transition as soon as possible.

Here's what I'm hoping to do eventually:
Private practice + teach at University level (undergrad or grad) + consult to organizations.

My particular interests right now: trauma, post-traumatic growth, anti-fragility, alternative approaches to therapy (mindfulness, acupuncture, nutrition, meditation, qi gong, yoga, etc...)

Here are my options:

1. Pepperdine MA General Psychology (1 yr program). Provide optional internship opportunities and potentially research opportunities.
2. MSPP Counseling and Global Mental Health MA (2 yr program). Mandatory internship opportunities and potentially research opportunities.
3.UC Berkeley post-bac + East-West Psych MA at CIIS (California Institute of Integral Studies) (2 yr program)
4. Complete prerequisites at Harvard continuing ed and find research and practica sites on my own.


I currently live in New England so the MSPP and Harvard options are easier logistically. However, I am interested in the east-west approach to psych (option 2) and would prefer a 1 year masters if that would give me adequate preparation (option 1).

Time is running out and I have to make a decision by early next week. Your help is most appreciated. Thank you!

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[erg923]

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[psychRA]

4. Complete prerequisites at Harvard continuing ed and find research and practica sites on my own.

That's my vote. I don't know as much about PsyD programs, but for PhD programs, you're probably going to need to complete the equivalent of an undergrad psych major before you apply to most places. Getting a masters in psych might achieve the same goal (not sure, to be honest), but I'm guessing that continuing ed classes will be cheaper. For PhD programs, you're also going to need some research experience under your belt, and preferably some posters and/or publications, too. Your GRE is good and may help to offset your relatively meh undergrad GPA (not trying to be harsh - mine was lower!), but you'll be on more solid ground if you can establish some research cred.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

You'd probably get more responses if this was posted in the WAMC thread, as people activity track that thread. You can req. a mod to move it there.

 

[PHD12]

Can anyone help me make a decision for what to do this fall in order to best prep for PSYD and Clinical Psych PHD applications? I know there are many fora with questions similar to this, but I'm looking at some pretty specific options and haven't seen anything in the fora on these particular options for my goals. I'm hoping to get into the top PSYD and Clinically oriented PHD programs, if possible. Additionally, I'm wondering if you think it would be possible for me to apply for programs this fall (2013) in order to start in 2014 or if I should wait until next fall (2014) by which time I'd have more research/internship experience in order to start in fall 2015.

A bit about me:
I went to Yale undergrad. Studied Comparative Literature and took 1 cognitive science and no psych classes. I had a 3.45 GPA and 3.8 in my major. I have a 1530 GRE score. I have no research or internship experience. I have mostly run NGOs and have significant international non-profit and service experience. I'm 30, and would like to get the ball rolling on this career transition as soon as possible.

Here's what I'm hoping to do eventually:
Private practice + teach at University level (undergrad or grad) + consult to organizations.

My particular interests right now: trauma, post-traumatic growth, anti-fragility, alternative approaches to therapy (mindfulness, acupuncture, nutrition, meditation, qi gong, yoga, etc...)

Here are my options:

1. Pepperdine MA General Psychology (1 yr program). Provide optional internship opportunities and potentially research opportunities.
2. MSPP Counseling and Global Mental Health MA (2 yr program). Mandatory internship opportunities and potentially research opportunities.
3.UC Berkeley post-doc + East-West Psych certificate at CIIS (California Institute of Integral Studies) (1 yr program)
4. Complete prerequisites at Harvard continuing ed and find research and practica sites on my own.


I currently live in New England so the MSPP and Harvard options are easier logistically. However, I am interested in the east-west approach to psych (option 2) and would prefer a 1 year masters if that would give me adequate preparation (option 1).

Time is running out and I have to make a decision by early next week. Your help is most appreciated. Thank you!

CIIS and MSPP (if you are referring to massachusetts school of professional psych) are not reputable in our field and are not universities. They just sound good because they hire a good marketing team to lure students into interesting specialties that you can get in other clinical psychology programs. I meet tons of therapists who went to CIIS (because i'm in CA) so trust me you will not be challenged there. I have never met anyone who went there after graduating from a top tier undergrad.

If I am going to pay $ anyhow, I would be taking psychology pre-reqs at Harvard or Columbia (I've heard they have a great postbach program in psychology with structured research experiences to boot), and trying to get research experience with professors at those universities. If you want the least expensive option, why not take course work at a CC or state university? I don't know what the UC berkeley postdoc is? Do You mean postbach?

Bottomline, you are going to need research experience and some presentations/publications if you want to go to a funded PhD or top tier PsyD (tied to university with funding)--even if they are clinically oriented . 80-90% of PsyD's are going to be way too expensive and are not reputable unfortunately. Your undergraduate university, GPA (assuming you get mostly A's in your psych classes now and increase the GPA a bit), and GRE scores are good enough for a funded PhD or top tier PsyD. You just need the courses and research experiences. Don't settle for anything less. You shouldn't pay for a doctoral program.

Check out columbia's postbach program too. It is specifically for people who did not major in psychology and need coursework and research. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/postbac/overview/

Good luck! I just finished my doctorate in clinical psychology with full funding and am on postdoc. It is tough to make it in psychology so you don't want debt.

 

[upaya]

Thank you PsychRA and thank you PHD12 for your thorough post. Very helpful.

I did look at Columbia's post-bac program and it looks pretty spot on, but I lived in NY for 3 years and am allergic to it after 4 days or so.

I did mean Berkeley post-bac (not post-doc) and have edited the original post.

Anyone know about a Pepperdine MA vs. Extension school classes?

Thanks!