This was the improved version of the letter from the year before. Being specific translated into offers for interviews... from a 13% hit rate to a 50% hit rate with no other changes in my applications!
Mark
Many people do not get a second chance to refocus their life and pursue the challenges and rewards that are offered by both undergraduate and graduate training. I was fortunate in that not only did I get that chance but I was able to take advantage of it. My decision to pursue my Ph.D. was made in the beginning of my undergraduate training at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
My previous work while not directly applicable to the field of clinical psychology still has served me well in my undergraduate studies. Part of that previous work includes nine years in the United States Air Force which has shaped my work ethic and taught me valuable lessons. I learned that nearly any reasonable goal and even some unreasonable goals are attainable with hard work and a desire to succeed.
I did make one serious mistake during my undergraduate education, and I believe without explanation could jeopardize my success in securing a position in a research oriented program like the University of Alabama. In an effort to complete my undergraduate studies quickly I tested out of 50 credit hours of core course work, completed 12 credit hours of work, and transferred in 29 credit hours from other institutions, all during the abbreviated summer semester. This resulted in my being classified as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior all in the same semester. It wasn't until I discussed graduate education with one of my professors that I realized my mistake. In the short time I had left I crammed in as many research opportunities as I could. It wasn't until the end of the first semester that I realized that to be a competitive candidate for graduate school I would need research, publications, and an honors thesis along with strong GRE scores and a strong GPA in order to be successful.
With the goal of a doctoral degree in mind, I joined the honors college program in order to more closely work with my professors. Working closely with researchers had a tremendous impact on me and made me a much more competent student and researcher. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to engage in independent study in order to learn and participate in conducting contemporary research. That experience helped make my decision to pursue clinical psychology and drove home the importance of the research and statistical method classes I had been taking. One of the most educational experiences I had was being involved with the startup of the Dating Young and Adult Drinking lab at the University of Texas at San Antonio. As a result of this experience I chose to write my honors thesis on the involvement of alcohol in sexual assault among Anglo-American and Mexican-American men. Despite lengthening my undergraduate studies through joining the honors college, I still was going to finish my studies in 5 semesters and only 3 semesters after deciding to pursue clinical psychology.
The reason I am applying to the University of Alabama is to work with clinical faculty there. I believe that my research interests are congruent with Dr. Beverly Thorn and I would be honored to be selected for the fall 2007 class by the committee. While my undergraduate work has both focused on women's issues and on substance abuse, despite the focus on women and gender studies, my research interests are quite broad. Specifically, I am also interested in chronic pain research. The military community and veterans communities alike pose unique challenges to the clinical health psychologist, these settings are perhaps among the most challenging settings for today's clinical psychologist. Additionally the multimodal treatment options that exist today call for a psychologist well versed in a health psychology specific curriculum such as that offered by the University of Alabama.
After graduating I plan to secure an internship with one of the branches of the Military as a clinical psychologist. The reason is simple and somewhat selfish. I love working with the people in the military and I would be able to secure a full retirement package in 11 short years. The unique situation that I am in means that I can devote myself to working with people who suffer from chronic pain as a result of combat or occupationally induced injuries. My prior military service makes me well suited to returning and understanding the patients that I hope to treat in the future. The health psychology field in particular seems well matched to the environments that military officers find themselves working in and the Department of Defense even sponsors its own program in clinical health psychology in recognition of this need throughout the military.
