Masters or Not to Masters

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psychtnt

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Hello, I want to start by saying thank you for your brutal honesty in these forums. It is certainly welcome on this post. I am wondering whether it would benefit me to earn a Masters degree in research psychology (or clinical psychology with thesis) in preparation for a doctorate degree in psychology (either Counseling or Clinical). Here are my stats:

GPA: 3.2 (low due to pre-med start and personal trauma during school)
GRE: Have not taken yet...honestly cannot afford adequate prep
Undergraduate Research Fellow, Psychology Research Opportunities fellow. 3 poster presentations on original research idea. Accepted and presented at 3 conferences. Worked in a lab for a year focused on Minority Mental Health (My research focus and focus of research project)
Post grad: Two years as a full time research assistant overseeing the development of psychological assessments- extensive experience in data management and analysis
Certified Crisis Counselor with a national crisis line
Certified Mental Health Advocate with California Black Women's Health Project (Conducted community mental health Events)

I feel that my GPA is simply not a reflection of my academic ability. Without the GRE this year I fear it will disqualify me from doctorate programs if I apply this year. It is for this reason that I am heavily considering a masters program. As a woman of color who has never had a GPA this low in life, I feel the need to prove myself further. (Could be a little imposter syndrome here as well) However, I don't have money or time to waste in pursuit of a degree I might not need. I would love feedback on this, and thank you again! Thanks to this forum I will be avoiding predatory PsyD programs!

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I'd say you have a combination of the following options if you still want to be a psychologist:

1. A funded academic master's degree with a strong research component might make sense in this situation given that you'll have the opportunity to rehab your GPA in school and prepare you for graduate school.

2. It's not uncommon in counseling psychology to first get a master's in counseling and then go on for a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. Several reputable programs at R1s have tracks like this. You can find the information in the Insider's Guide. The caveats are that it's a longer road (time to degree is probably seven years not including postdoc) and the master's program will likely be unfunded (I know of only one master's in counseling program that is funded). Let me be clear, I'm not saying it's easier than clinical psychology and you should know at the outset that the research questions are different. Counseling psychologists focus more on questions of gender, race, and vocation than mental health disorders. Both degrees lead to licensure as a psychologist. I'd say if you go this path, just have a strong sense of what you're going to do.

3. No harm in applying anyway to a few clinical Ph.D. programs/funded Psy.D. programs just to see where you stand. Your GPA isn't horrible and if you're aiming for balanced programs, it might be less of a barrier than you think.
 
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Many programs are also waiving the GRE requirement this year due to all the COVID challenges of taking it. So you may have more access to PhD programs. It would not hurt to look around and see what you find.
 
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You should apply this year. Pick a mix of PhDs and masters programs. Ask your letter writers if they are willing to specifically note your GPA as unrepresentative of your potential. Your research experience and productivity will make you competitive. If you are willing to apply widely to funded PhDs and you write a good personal statement, you will have a good chance at getting interviews.
 
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Counseling psychologists focus more on questions of gender, race, and vocation than mental health disorders. Both degrees lead to licensure as a psychologist. I'd say if you go this path, just have a strong sense of what you're going to do.
@psychtnt If you are interested in continuing to focus on minority mental health research, I think you're more likely to find good program and PI fit with a Counseling Psych program.

Are you open to relocating, including potentially to locales that may be much less diverse than California? Programs that may fit and support your interests/goals could very well be in regions you may not have ever envisioned living in.

Do you know if you're interested in a primarily research or clinical career yet? The more interested in academia you are, the more care you should place on getting admitted to the right program since mentoring, connections, and research productivity opportunities will play a major role in securing a tenure track gig.
 
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I would generally agree with the other posters. You have enough experience that the GPA may be overlooked if you apply to a geographically diverse array of programs and find someone that is a good research fit. This is particularly true if you are not gung ho on the more competitive areas (neuropsych, health psych, etc). You do seem like a good fit for counseling programs as others have said. Depending on how much time you want to devote this, a good research based or licensable masters degree would be an option for you if you don't get in to a PhD program.

A bit of personal life advice. Do some soul searching before you apply. Think about what you actually want to do everyday in your career and how much of your goals are related to vanity and the need to soothe that "chip on shoulder". Because you can spend a lot of time and money trying to prove to yourself and others how smart you are only to end up miserable with your life choices at the end of the day. One of the smartest people I ever met skipped grad school and went to work for a non-profit despite encouragement from our professors to continue on. When I asked about her choice (as I was headed to grad school at that time) her response was "Just because I can doesn't mean I should". Good luck.
 
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@psychtnt

Are you open to relocating, including potentially to locales that may be much less diverse than California? Programs that may fit and support your interests/goals could very well be in regions you may not have ever envisioned living in.

Do you know if you're interested in a primarily research or clinical career yet? The more interested in academia you are, the more care you should place on getting admitted to the right program since mentoring, connections, and research productivity opportunities will play a major role in securing a tenure track gig.

I am open to relocating. From what I've seen, most counseling psych programs are toward the East coast and I think it will be worth it if I am able to reach my professional goals in my program. I am primarily interested in having a versatile career. I love clinical work (from my little bit of exposure through crisis work) and I love how research can bring about meaningful change in this world. Ideally I would like to integrate both into my work life. I've worked with some programs in LA doing Community partnered research where PhD's develop interventions for depression and work with the community to empower them to address these issues. I would love to do something like this at some point in my career, maybe around addressing anxiety and stress. I am also interested in having a private practice, but I might want to teach on the side as well. (Though I'm a little put off by academia politics so I would be more inclined to teach at a Cal State as opposed to an R1) I am also interested in working in a counseling and psychological services center at a university, probably early on in my career. Thank you all so much for your honesty! I have been ruminating on this/ lurking forums for years and I finally feel more confident about where I see myself. And I am no longer charmed by the allure of a "Dr." in front of my name. I just feel that this path will make me the happiest in the end.
 
I am open to relocating. From what I've seen, most counseling psych programs are toward the East coast

Counseling psychology programs are all over. I didn’t even look at the east coast when I applied.
 
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I am primarily interested in having a versatile career.
One thing to consider if you have multiple options is having practicum/externship placement relationships in a variety of settings. Programs that are more rural may still provide great clinical and research training but regions with less MH resources will provide less exposure to different environments and types of clinical work, which can be important in clarifying career directions.

You most likely won't do everything (or sometimes anything) that you originally set out to do with this degree. Some of the things that seem interesting now may turn out to be a bad fit and other things you did not consider may become part of your career (I currently work for the VA and had zero interest or exposure prior to the latter part of my graduate training).

Generalist training is good for career versatility. But if there's something really specific that know you want or figure out early on, make sure you get some good mentoring on what you should be doing during grad school, internship, and possibly postdoc to ensure that those paths remain viable.

Counseling psychology programs are all over. I didn’t even look at the east coast when I applied.
IIRC, there are as many or more counseling psych programs in the Midwest and the South than the East Coast.
 
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