Hello everyone! I apologize for the long post in advance!
I am currently finishing up my junior year in undergraduate as a Psychology and Hearing and Speech Sciences double major. I had a difficult time deciding between going the SLP or Psychology route, but now have decided that I will be applying to Clinical Psychology PsyD and PhD programs, and also some School Psychology PhD programs as well. I hope to be able to learn more about research in graduate school (I want to learn how to disseminate research and generate research that is more applicable to clinical practice), conduct psychological assessments and intensive therapy programs, and that is why I am seeking a doctorate, not an MSW or other counseling-only master's degrees. I want to work primarily with children and families (ie. understanding how parent mental health affects their children) and would like to one day conduct and design intensive therapy programs for children with anxiety or disruptive behaviors, and I wasn't sure if that I would have this career option with a PsyD. I really want to go to Rutgers' PsyD program as their faculty seem to have a diverse set of interests and they have a pretty good record of matching students to APA approved internships. I also heard that Rutgers' program has a good balance between research and clinical training for a PsyD program.
I have developed quite a bit of experience (nearly 3 years of experience as a research assistant and am currently one of the head research assistants, completing an undergraduate thesis in my lab, currently a Registered Behavioral Technician in ABA, and have completed many other clinical experiences such as a speech-language pathology assistant, counselor at intensive therapy camps, etc.), and have kept up a good academic record (3.8 cumulative), but I am just not sure if I should be applying to doctoral programs straight out of undergraduate as the applicant pool is only getting more and more competitive. I am very worried about being unprepared and unqualified upon applying!!
With my career interests, would pursuing a PhD or PsyD be better? Would a PsyD be sufficient? With my current experience, should I tack on a post-bac or a master's degree after undergraduate, or just go for it and apply?
I truly appreciate any guidance, assistance, or advice. Please debunk any misconceptions that I may have indicated in my post regarding Rutgers program, PsyD vs. PhDs, etc. If anyone who has been a Rutgers applicant or accepted at Rutgers could fill me in on what their stats and experience were before applying, I would really appreciate it!
I am currently finishing up my junior year in undergraduate as a Psychology and Hearing and Speech Sciences double major. I had a difficult time deciding between going the SLP or Psychology route, but now have decided that I will be applying to Clinical Psychology PsyD and PhD programs, and also some School Psychology PhD programs as well. I hope to be able to learn more about research in graduate school (I want to learn how to disseminate research and generate research that is more applicable to clinical practice), conduct psychological assessments and intensive therapy programs, and that is why I am seeking a doctorate, not an MSW or other counseling-only master's degrees. I want to work primarily with children and families (ie. understanding how parent mental health affects their children) and would like to one day conduct and design intensive therapy programs for children with anxiety or disruptive behaviors, and I wasn't sure if that I would have this career option with a PsyD. I really want to go to Rutgers' PsyD program as their faculty seem to have a diverse set of interests and they have a pretty good record of matching students to APA approved internships. I also heard that Rutgers' program has a good balance between research and clinical training for a PsyD program.
I have developed quite a bit of experience (nearly 3 years of experience as a research assistant and am currently one of the head research assistants, completing an undergraduate thesis in my lab, currently a Registered Behavioral Technician in ABA, and have completed many other clinical experiences such as a speech-language pathology assistant, counselor at intensive therapy camps, etc.), and have kept up a good academic record (3.8 cumulative), but I am just not sure if I should be applying to doctoral programs straight out of undergraduate as the applicant pool is only getting more and more competitive. I am very worried about being unprepared and unqualified upon applying!!
With my career interests, would pursuing a PhD or PsyD be better? Would a PsyD be sufficient? With my current experience, should I tack on a post-bac or a master's degree after undergraduate, or just go for it and apply?
I truly appreciate any guidance, assistance, or advice. Please debunk any misconceptions that I may have indicated in my post regarding Rutgers program, PsyD vs. PhDs, etc. If anyone who has been a Rutgers applicant or accepted at Rutgers could fill me in on what their stats and experience were before applying, I would really appreciate it!
