Introduction, Invitation for Comments

[KGZotU]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello all. I'm a prospective clinical psychologist. I've read through the boards a bit, and I thought I'd introduce myself and air my plans. I look forward to absorbing some wisdom, and maybe having an opportunity to dispense it a bit too once I learn a bit.

I'm presently a senior in the Cognitive Science program at UCSD, which is sort of a psychological field with a bit wider, interdisciplinary focus. I'm involved with research, and while I really enjoy digging into brain and behavior, I've found what I'm doing a bit abstract for me. I'm really interested in helping people, directly or by contributing to research that helps people directly.

What I'd like to do is get some more research/work experience after I graduate to confirm my practical inclinations. Ideally, I'd like to do something for a couple of years on both sides of the scientist/practitioner model. I'm joining my girlfriend out in NYC after graduation, and it seems like there are a lot of opportunities out there.

After a couple years of that I'd like to get into a funded, accredited, PhD program. I've got a good GPA with good classes, do very well on standardized tests. I'm a veteran with social involvement. I've also got a strong quant background, taking graduate probability theory this year.

Not being a true psych major, though, so far I'm lacking a bit in the traditional coursework. My major includes 36 quarter credits in neurophysiology, social psychology, sensation and perception, etc., but aside from that I've only taken lower division courses in general psychology and psychopathology. I'm afraid my studies so far might have been a bit too general to prepare me for field.

If anyone has some insight, am I completely backwards about anything? Also, what sort of research/work might prepare me best for grad school, in terms of being relevant to both aspects clinical psychology. I'm willing/interested in working with any population: prisoners, VA, psychotic youth, or less troubled folk. Finally, is it important to mop up that upper division psychology specific coursework while I'm at university? Or will work, research, and my somewhat more general Cog Sci degree suffice?

Thank you for your help!

 

[futureapppsy2]

Common prereqs include abnormal psych (aka psychopathology, which you've taken), developmental psych, research methods, psych stats/stats, personality, and (less commonly) tests and measurement.

You seem like you have a great profile already and more research experience (esp. in your area of interest, if possible) will only help.

 

[Ollie123]

If you've taken abnormal psych, research methods, and stats you will be just fine in grad school, though it doesn't address the question of whether you are "certain" psychopathology is for you. Maybe a couple of the others that futureapp mentioned are good for the schools that do have course requirements just to cover your bases. No school would pick someone over you because they took a course called "Addiction" if you demonstrate knowledge of the literature, experience working with clinical populations, and properly tie in your cog science experiences. Having specific coursework is NOT a big deal for admission. What's more important is experience (which sounds like you're in good shape for) and a coherent story. You need a specific focus to have a shot at getting in, so once you settle on that I would try to find some relevant experience working with big-name folks in NYC. Its not critical that it be EXACTLY what you want to go into, but closer is going to help. Some experience doing laboratory research with clinical populations, and maybe doing testing and/or interviews would be good to demonstrate you have the requisite "people skills".

If anything, the cog science might even be seen as a plus depending on what area of work you want to get into. It certainly would be in my lab, half the studies we have going on are applying cognitive neuroscience (ERPs) to study pathology. We're far from the only lab where that is the case. There are dozens and dozens of clinical psychology professors whose work draws VERY heavily on the basic cognitive science literature.

 

[KGZotU]

Thank you all. I appreciate the advice. The cog sci field is a little less competetive, and so I had heard that it isn't too important to have a specific research focus identified going in. I'm glad to now know that it's an important component of a clinical psychology application.

Cheers.