I need help

[hybrid_doc]

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Hi,

I am in desperate need for help, but I am afraid to ask because I am afraid of the consequences of asking.

I graduated with my PhD in Developmental Psychology over 1 year ago and have accepted a postdoc in a field other than Psychology. My current boss spoke of the position as a postdoc fellow and wrote in the job offer lots of good things, including that I will be working under his mentorship. The issue is that this particular field does not prepare researchers and I don't believe he knows what it means to be a mentor.

Long story short, we do not get along. He has challenged my degree and said my doctoral degree does not mean anything. Because my degree is in Developmental Psych, but my research was with a clinical population, he calls me 'interdisciplinary' or 'hybrid' person. My postdoc is supposed to go through next September, but I don't know if I can make it or if he will keep me. I am having a hard time because he does not provide me with feedback, only voices complaints when he is unhappy, and as of late does not talk to me. I am afraid to tell my doctoral advisor about this. I have mentioned this to her once and she did not seem interested. I applied for full-time faculty jobs, but I perceive my chances to be low. I have gone through the process pretty much on my own and I am sure my boss did not like the fact that I applied.

I spoke to a friend and she suggested that I respecialize in Clinical Psych. I would like to conduct research from a developmental psychopathology framework to understand the development of a particular disorder. In some ways, I still feel a program in Child Development would be a better fit. I, however, don't know if it is possible to do a second PhD and how to approach different program about this in my cover letter or application materials.

I would like to ask for guidance and support from anyone who can help me. My ideal postdoc or PhD program (if I have to go back rather than forward) would be to work with a mentor who is willing to work with me, give me feedback on drafts, and generally support and believe in me. I can do good work for them and give 100%+, so that the relationship is mutually beneficial.

Thank you!

 

[paramour]

It is my understanding that there are some individuals who complete multiple post-docs. Due to your current situation, might you consider applying for another post-doc year to obtain experience in a more relevant area or one that is more suited to your interests and future career aspirations?

 

[DynamicDidactic]

Just get another job. Sounds like your current job sucks. I see no reason for you to go for a respecialization or another PhD, you are already trained in the field you are most interested in. I know posdocs or research positions generally are hard to find but its easier than the alternate.

 

[fresnel]

It is not a matter of simply getting another job or another postdoc as implied by "paramour" or "Dynamic" because the field does not work that way. You have a research degree which means you are stuck using the methods that govern research positions. The process would entail completing one postdoc before transitioning to another. Naturally it is possible to apply for another position but it would require letters and explanations. Even if not fair, recruiters would prefer prospective post docs with no baggage. Things would be different if it were a clinical degree. But, you know these things, which is why you posted here-hoping for replies by people knowledgable about the specifies within subareas of psychology.

Re-specializing is one possibility, as you mention. Re-tooling in clinical requires that you complete a program that is explicitly designed as a way to retrain or transition into the clinical area. It is obviously shorter than starting over but it is a commitment. I recently posted about a colleague in an experimental area who parades around as a clinical neuropsychologist but has no formal clinical training. He took a sabbatical year which entailed testing under 'supervision" of his friend. He returned to his university position parading as a clinical neuropsychologist. His conduct is egregious--perhaps due to having never had any formal clinical training. It is possible to back door (without formal retraining) clinical in places like NY because you can get a license by submitting your nonclinical credentials-and you are evaluated in terms of your training as a non-clinical psychologist. If your training meets the criteria for that area of psychology, you get a license which is identical to those evaluated as clinical psychologists. Then there is no oversight or limitations on what you do from there on. However, those of us who believe that there is a point/value to training in clinical psychology also believe back door-ing it is a bad idea. But, there are some very good structured retaining programs. It may be an excellent idea for you; Perhaps it would have been an excellent idea even if the postdoc were exactly as you anticipated it would be.

You have used the term "Child Development" as if it were subsumed under "Clinical Psychology". It is not. A degree in "child development" is usually still a research degree. Be careful to differentiate "child development" from "child clinical". A degree in "child clinical" is applied and includes a focus on children and development but the focus is very different from "child development". It does not necessarily include a focus on developmental theory (at least not one similar to that which would be subsumed under developmental psychology). It does, however, provide strong background in developmental psychopathology.

The bottom line depends upon how you want to spend your career. If you want a research career in research settings, re-specializing does not make as much sense. In that case you should have a frank discussion with your PhD advisor about improving your situation. Your advisor may not have heard the extent to which things are not working out for you in your present situation. If things are really bad, it is worth laying it on the line with your doctoral advisor. Problem solving together may be your best bet. You may have soft peddled your situation to your advisor in an effort not to make waves. But, your advisor may not have understood the extent of your dissatisfaction.

If you want a broader range of career options, going the child clinical route and re-specializing makes sense to me. You would have the option of doing research in applied settings. In such cases, the programs are designed for people just like you. Everyone who applies has decided, for one reason or another, that their degree does not allow them as much flexibility as they would like. You can probably get away with letters from your doctoral program. You should be certain to explore exactly what would be needed for you to legitimately do the sorts of things you want. Do you want to be licensed? What sort of setting do you envision yourself working in? What credentials do people with that sort of job typically have? Is an internship required? Is supervised postdoctoral training needed? As I am sure you know, each state has different rules governing licensure. Make sure you know what those are for the state you intend to work in? Compare the requirements to the harsh realities-finances, required years, etc.

 

[Ollie123]

Sorry to hear about the situation. I agree with the first two posters - I see little reason for you to pursue a second doctorate unless you are genuinely intending to switch fields. Pursuing a second degree in a highly related field seems pointless. If you wanted a second PhD in Cell Biology, I'd get it. Getting a second PhD in Child Development after a degree in Developmental Psychology seems utterly pointless. I don't know about your area, but people in my area work in other departments all the time. Its incredibly common for people to pursue post-docs and jobs in other areas as long as they have a valid reason and fit well there. I'm not sure what fresnel means about the "methods that govern research positions" but there is nothing requiring you to finish one post-doc before applying to another. People leave them early all the time. No, it is not ideal. Yes, it can upset your post-doc mentor and even burn bridges. If it is this bad and you aren't getting anything out of it (i.e. lots of first-author publications) than I'd do what you can to cut your losses and move on. Staying won't accomplish anything. I don't know for your specific research area but I know in my area I always hear its harder to recruit qualified post-docs than it is to be a post-doc on the market.

 

[fresnel]

Ollie, By "usual methods" I mean that it is usual for prospective post docs to get letters from the supervisor of their current position. That would not work for hybrid. A lot of the recruiting for postdocs is done over the phone, conferences and informally-networking. But that will be more difficult for hybrid. But that does not mean he/she can't find another postdocs. The situation imposes some additional difficulties.

 

[hybrid_doc]

Hi,

I would like to thank everyone who responded. I will follow-up with additional details.

My dream job would be a tenure track position at a research university. I have clear research interests and a beginning record of publications. My publications aren't many by any means, but in my doctoral lab people barely published anything. I pushed myself really hard to get these publications out. It took lots of time to get my first publication out, then I had a fellowship from the university, and then I had to graduate within a year to meet the requirements for that fellowship. I was able to get a postdoc in my field at a very good university, but I did not take it because it was for 1 year only and I thought it wouldn't be enough to get the publications I needed for a TT job.

I took this postdoc instead, out of my field. The department here does not train researchers and my postdoc advisor is good at getting grants, but he doesn't know lots of things about statistics (which is where I come in), and advises me to go ahead and submit manuscripts that I am not happy with. I don't think he reads the papers carefully. My papers did not get rejected, but he essentially puts everything out there to see what the reviewers think. I have been a reviewer myself and now what to look for in publications. I don't get any feedback on papers, I am essentially on my own. The problem right now is that he completely ignores me. We have no team, it is just me in an office, I feel very isolated and without support. I am also afraid to reach out to my doctoral advisor. I tried before, but she said she does not support people who try to 'jump ship'. I am not trying to jump ****, it just isn't a good fit.

I am also terrified because he knows people in my field and I am afraid he will speak badly of me if I try to reach out and work for those people. He says we are doing what these other people do, but I am not satisfied with the quality. He is in lots of committees and acts as if I don't exist. I, myself, find it difficult to reach out to him.

I would like to research the development of X disorder. He says I should get a postdoc at a medical center. The issue is that said disorder involves social processes that are typically researched by people in 'child development' or 'developmental psych' as I listed above. I know about those processes from reading that literature, but people who are at the forefront of developmental psych. would view me more clinical. I think my interests best fit a developmental psychopathology perspective, so that I use knowledge of developmental psych. to unveil how children with subclinical levels of X disorder go on to develop the disorder or not. There are lots of social processes that are overlooked in traditional clinical research on said disorder and this is where I would fit it. My postdoc supervisor has the context for such a developmental study, but he has his own objectives (which is understandable). He also cannot advise me in the content area because he has studied the opposite of X for many years. I took the postdoc to learn about these social processes. To some extent, I have learned this, but there is no connection or communication between the two of us. I am also upset when he says 'x review was probably into this type of stats'. Ironically, that describes me, so I can relate, understand, and agree with the reviewer 🙁. Anyways, I am really scared because I don't know if he still wants me here or not as he avoids me. What should I do?