Interested in Neuropsychology, need some help :)

[MyNameIsAlex]

Hey,

I'm currently a 3rd year honours ITEC student, however my interest is in psychology. I'm staying in school for another 2 years to complete a B.A. in Psychology, and planning on persuing a career in Neuropsychology, I was wondering,

how long does it take from the point of completing my bachelor to becoming a PhD and being able to practice clinical neuropsychology?

what are the requirements usually? i keep hearing good GPA ... 80% < X

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Sanman]

well, I don't know what country you reside in and qualifications do differ. However, in general it requires a doctorate in clinical psychology followed by a 2 year post doc. Keep in mind that this info is mainly based on my familiarity with the US.

 

[MyNameIsAlex]

I'm from Canada, so thats 4 years PhD program once im done my BA and 2 years intership?

 

[EL CAPeeeTAN]

I'm from Canada, so thats 4 years PhD program once im done my BA and 2 years intership?

Most PhDs in clinical psychology take 6 - 7 years to complete (including a 1 year pre-doctoral internship) There are some programs that have an emphasis track in Neuropsychology. After completing your PhD then you will most likely need to complete a 2 year post doc specializing in neuropsychology. Psychology in general needs better regulations / requirements for specializing within psychcology. The way it stands now any doctorate psychologist can hang a sign up and start practicing "Neuropsychology" without any specific training. I think that we need better defined fellowships more like residencies and board certification with in the specializations that actually mean something.

 

[MyNameIsAlex]

Sounds like a long route... hm, is there any job/money earning possibilities during the PhD education?

 

[EL CAPeeeTAN]

Sounds like a long route... hm, is there any job/money earning possibilities during the PhD education?

Many of the PhD programs are fully funded meaning that you will not have to pay any tuition. Some programs even offer stipends above and beyond tuition. However the school will have you work as a TA or Research Assistant to justify the stipend. Many students in programs without a stipends will work as TAs and RAs also to earn extra money. Also some students will get a limited license after they receive their masters and will do some private therapy to earn money. Time is limited during grad school so most students end up with some debt or they rely on money from a spouse or family.

 

[lazure]

In Canada, there is relatively good government funding - neuropsych research will probably fall under NSERC or CIHR but you're allowed at most 4 years of federal funding. Which means that the last year or two, you're scraping by because there isn't much else besides a TAship. My best advice is to apply only to professors with lots of money in grants.

 

[PsyDRxPnow]

Most PhDs in clinical psychology take 6 - 7 years to complete (including a 1 year pre-doctoral internship) There are some programs that have an emphasis track in Neuropsychology. After completing your PhD then you will most likely need to complete a 2 year post doc specializing in neuropsychology. Psychology in general needs better regulations / requirements for specializing within psychcology. The way it stands now any doctorate psychologist can hang a sign up and start practicing "Neuropsychology" without any specific training. I think that we need better defined fellowships more like residencies and board certification with in the specializations that actually mean something.

Some neuro psych post docs are advertising one year as opposed to 2 years, is this true?

 

[PublicHealth]

Some neuro psych post docs are advertising one year as opposed to 2 years, is this true?

No, they're two years. The one-year clinical neuropsychology fellowships are in RESEARCH neuropsychology. So, be prepared for a LONG postdoctoral training experience! Just think, after a 5-6 year doctoral program, you've got a 1-year internship, 2-year clinical neuropsychology fellowship, and 2-year Master's degree in psychopharmacology. By the time you're done with training, you'll be old and gray, tens of thousands of dollars in debt, fighting off malpractice lawyers, and making $60K/year! Sounds like a very good investment. Enjoy the ivory tower, my friend.

 

[Sanman]

Originally Posted by PublicHealth
No, they're two years. The one-year clinical neuropsychology fellowships are in RESEARCH neuropsychology. So, be prepared for a LONG postdoctoral training experience! Just think, after a 5-6 year doctoral program, you've got a 1-year internship, 2-year clinical neuropsychology fellowship, and 2-year Master's degree in psychopharmacology. By the time you're done with training, you'll be old and gray, tens of thousands of dollars in debt, fighting off malpractice lawyers, and making $60K/year! Sounds like a very good investment. Enjoy the ivory tower, my friend.

Where did that come from?
I disagree somewhat. First off, you don't need an MS in psychopharm. Second it will be more than 60k a year, if it is than medicine is in trouble because neuropsych is generally billed as a medical, not a mental health consult. Third, the internship is included in grad school and taken care of in the generally 5-7 years grad school takes to complete. And malpractice won't be bad if ur not prescribing. Also, it takes as long or longer to become a psychiatrist (at least 8 years), so I guess you'll be older and grayer.

 

[Sanman]

well,
I certainly agree with your assessment the problems in neuropsychology. Though I feel that to a certain extent the issue of oversupply will be taken care of due to the fact that many of the better paying jobs will require apa -accredited post-docs and the numbers there will be limited. Frankly, medicine in general and especially mental health is in a rather precarious situation at the moment. I'm certainly starting to see the wisdom in going to a more generalist program that allows you to get experiences in many things and therefore allows for more options when it is time to pick a post-doc.

 

[MyNameIsAlex]

wow, i didnt knwo MA people can practice clinical psych or ... work as psychologists in general

 

[gabbbby16]

Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone could help me with this question. I can't seem to figure out what university is the best choice for a student who is hoping to become a pediatric neuropsychologist. I am interested in research and would love to do both clinical and research oriented work after becoming licensed. I am currently a senior at Suffolk University. I have found a few schools with a neuropsych track, but they are limited. Should I be looking for clinical psych PhD programs with a concentration in neuropsych, or placing more focus on other programs such as a PhD in neuroscience or brain sciences? I am really lost and any info would be more than helpful! I have pretty competitive credentials so I am keeping my options open I just have to find out exactly what those options are. I am currently looking at:
University of Rhode Island
University of Connecticut
Suffolk University
Boston University
Any other suggestions?

 

[smalltownpsych]

Clinical PhD programs train all psychologists including neuropsychologists. Much of the training for neuro is after you get your degree although most students with that interest start leaning that way during the doctoral program. It is very much like med school where you are exposed to all of medicine, then after your degree is when you select your specialty. Any solid fully-funded university PhD program will likely provide the opportunities to get some exposure to pediatric neuropsychology, but keep in mind that you might even shift that goal as you proceed so at this point stay open to the possibilities. A large component of admissions to a good clinical PhD program is matching your research experience and interests to the research being conducted by the faculty so that is what you should be looking at primarily.

 

[Existenz]

10 year old post wow; I can't see how gabbby16's question is even relevant to the original topic from 2005.