Just got into a PsyD.. what's my life going to look like for the next 4-5 years?

[flowerpsych]

Well, I just got into my dream PsyD school. But I have no idea what my life is going to look like and what the work/life balance will be like. Does anyone have insights about what the workload is going to be like -- if you still have time to exercise, socialize with friends, rest and recover?

To be honest, I get tired very quickly from school, but I love psychology, so I would love to pursue this path, but I am thinking about if the Master's level pace would be more my jam. I don't want to feel burnt out all the time to be honest.. but I love cognitive assessment so I'm kind of in a jiffy.

If this path is super energy demanding--is the juice worth the squeeze? Thanks for all your comments and insight in advance!

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[BrainStormer]

A doctoral program is a marathon not a race. I’m a PhD student and I work well over 40 hours per week. Probably 60 on average. I really love being a student and learning though so I feel like it’s been a good fit for me. Even though I work long hours, I’m still able to sleep 8 hours a night and gym a few days a week. There are some weeks where I sleep and work out less. Socialization with people outside my program is a little less common for me because of how much I work, but it’s probably possible if you’re able to manage your time well.

To answer your question on if the path is worth it, that will depend on program fit and your life goals. If you just want to practice therapy, I would recommend a masters over a doctorate.

 

[RxPsych]

Well, I just got into my dream PsyD school. But I have no idea what my life is going to look like and what the work/life balance will be like. Does anyone have insights about what the workload is going to be like -- if you still have time to exercise, socialize with friends, rest and recover?

To be honest, I get tired very quickly from school, but I love psychology, so I would love to pursue this path, but I am thinking about if the Master's level pace would be more my jam. I don't want to feel burnt out all the time to be honest.. but I love cognitive assessment so I'm kind of in a jiffy.

If this path is super energy demanding--is the juice worth the squeeze? Thanks for all your comments and insight in advance!

Did they offer opportunity to speak with current students during the interview process? If not, that would be a bolded, highlighted, and underlined red flag. In any case, the only way to get a true answer to this question is to speak with current or previous students of that program.

 

[PsyDocNess]

1st year PsyD student here --

I will say going into my courses felt very overwhelming, but I keep telling myself it is worth it. I've made some really good connections and feel well supported into my program. You should reach out to the current students in the program to gauge a better view. It is very time-consuming, but for the obvious reasons it makes sense why PsyD/PhD students are often stressed due to commitment they've made. I would recommend reflecting on pros/cons for the program and how you would fit.

Let me know if you have any questions 🙂

 

[flowerpsych]

1st year PsyD student here --

I will say going into my courses felt very overwhelming, but I keep telling myself it is worth it. I've made some really good connections and feel well supported into my program. You should reach out to the current students in the program to gauge a better view. It is very time-consuming, but for the obvious reasons it makes sense why PsyD/PhD students are often stressed due to commitment they've made. I would recommend reflecting on pros/cons for the program and how you would fit.

Let me know if you have any questions 🙂

Thanks for your reply.. and for opening up for questions!

Do you mind sharing what your typical workload looks like per week, or per class?

Did you do a psychology undergrad -- and if so, how much did it help you now?

Would you do it all over again if you were given the chance?

 

[PsyDocNess]

Thanks for your reply.. and for opening up for questions!

Do you mind sharing what your typical workload looks like per week, or per class?

Did you do a psychology undergrad -- and if so, how much did it help you now?

Would you do it all over again if you were given the chance?

Sure!

1. My typical workload (for what works for me) is based on the course. For 3 unit classes, I spend about 3 hours a week (each course) studying/reading. I am taking five courses right now, but two are 2 unit courses (so two hours of reading for each course). In total, I spend about 16 hours reading a week and taking notes. I find having access to lectures previously helps me connect the reading to the lecture (and potentially what may be on the exam). I also work a PT job in the morning doing clerical work, so nothing too crazy that will send me off the edge. It helps to centralize your school/work (if you can). Depending on the coursework, I try to frontload the easier papers in the beginning while my enthusiasm is still at its peak. For longer papers, I try to do a few hours (2-3 max) of article searching to gather info to then begin writing in the following week.

2. I did! The Psych undergrad was helpful, but going straight into the PsyD program from undergraduate work was very overwhelming at first. I actually started my required therapy hours early because of it. I do wish that my school focused more on Stats/Research, but I cannot complain. I wanted to do more in the Psych field, and there wasn't much (that I was interested in) that I could do with a BS. I do think that the foundational knowledge helped me get into the headspace of what I am learning, but we haven't gone into too much that someone with a Public Health degree wouldn't understand.

3. I would! I was actually reflecting this morning about the journey to getting into the program, and it was very well worth it. I think it is a massive privilege to be given the opportunity to work in the field and to even work towards receiving higher education. I think the program is great but does have things that should be fixed, but ultimately, it was a great fit for me.

 

[MCParent]

if you still have time to exercise, socialize with friends, rest and recover?

No one will give you this time. You need to carve it out of your schedule and take it.

IMO a large part of your workload depends on your goal. Want to be in an R1 TT job? You’re likely aiming for double digit publications (or fewer but in really cutting edge areas). Want to be a mediocre or scammy clinician? Just pass classes.

Students ask for work life balance. You won’t get it if you’re aiming high, because there will be dozens of people willing to sacrifice personal life to get the job they want and you can’t put “binged season 16 of rupaul” on a cv. I know because I was one of the psychos, and I got the TT job I wanted (at the time 🙂 ).

Go for work/life flow. Hang out with your friends and have fun and during that time don’t work. When you are working, don’t be checking your phone constantly and doing 5 other things.

My .02.

 

[Sanman]

No one will give you this time. You need to carve it out of your schedule and take it.

IMO a large part of your workload depends on your goal. Want to be in an R1 TT job? You’re likely aiming for double digit publications (or fewer but in really cutting edge areas). Want to be a mediocre or scammy clinician? Just pass classes.

Students ask for work life balance. You won’t get it if you’re aiming high, because there will be dozens of people willing to sacrifice personal life to get the job they want and you can’t put “binged season 16 of rupaul” on a cv. I know because I was one of the psychos, and I got the TT job I wanted (at the time 🙂 ).

Go for work/life flow. Hang out with your friends and have fun and during that time don’t work. When you are working, don’t be checking your phone constantly and doing 5 other things.

My .02.

On behalf of mediocre clinicians everywhere, I am offended! 🤣 (not really)

 

[Dazen]

No one will give you this time. You need to carve it out of your schedule and take it.

IMO a large part of your workload depends on your goal. Want to be in an R1 TT job? You’re likely aiming for double digit publications (or fewer but in really cutting edge areas). Want to be a mediocre or scammy clinician? Just pass classes.

Students ask for work life balance. You won’t get it if you’re aiming high, because there will be dozens of people willing to sacrifice personal life to get the job they want and you can’t put “binged season 16 of rupaul” on a cv. I know because I was one of the psychos, and I got the TT job I wanted (at the time 🙂 ).

Go for work/life flow. Hang out with your friends and have fun and during that time don’t work. When you are working, don’t be checking your phone constantly and doing 5 other things.

My .02.

This is one of the primary points that I try to make when talking to applicants and new grad students. Grad school is inherently busy/difficult to some degree because you'll be balancing classes, clinical work, research, and departmental service (e.g., teaching/TA responsibilities if that's how you're funded). All students at reputable programs will have to do the bare minimum of a thesis/masters project and dissertation and amass enough hours and diversity of clinical experience to be competitive for internship. These minimum requirements are more than most full-time jobs. If you're aiming for a tenure-track research position, the projects and publications that will make you competitive are added on top of these requirements. Clinical expectations don't decrease just because you want to do research. It's possible to hit those double digit numbers of pubs, create collaborations across labs and universities, and apply for competitive grants, but you will work harder than your peers to get there. That doesn't mean no work/life balance but, as @MCParent said, you're running a constant cost/benefit analysis about whether that movie night or early bedtime is worth the time away from work.

Going harder on research also requires more independence than if you were just meeting requirements. You'll be managing that busier schedule, but more importantly you'll also have to come up with and execute the project ideas that support that many research products. For example, I try to have a few papers under review, 2-4 that I'm actively writing, and 2-4 projects in data collection. I'm not the point person on all of those (that would be ridiculous), but I'm having to prioritize day-to-day and week-to-week where my time should go, communicate with collaborators about timelines and assigned tasks, and learn and keep mentally separate the content and analytic methods that are relevant for each project. That said, I do still make time to hang with friends, play video games, work out, etc.