Neuropsyc PhD program a bad place to start?

[SanDiegoPsyc]

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So I was reading some forums and came across this quote, which was further supported.

"For what it's worth (and not that you asked), many people in the field feel that it is preferable for neuropsychologists to obtain a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and then later specialize and do a post-doc, etc., as opposed to getting a Ph.D. in neuropsychology off the bat. Obtaining a strong foundation in basic clinical skills is seen as desirable."


I'm about to graduate with a B.S. in Cognitive Science conc. Neuroscience from UCSD. I want to go into Neuropsych PhD program because I am way more interested in Neuroscience than in general Psychology, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot.

1) Will a Neuropsych program leave me in a worse place than general psyc?
2) How different would the programs really be?
3) Would I be fine entering a Clinical Neuropsyc program?

Thanks a lot, feedback is much appreciated.

 

[BorntoRun]

What do you want to do? Ultimate goals make a big difference in determining the degree/focus that's most appropriate.

 

[erg923]

True. What do you want to do, career wise? Programs like Queens College have 2 programs, one in clinical neuro, and one in experimental neuro. If you do not like any other aspect of psychology, I am not sure you would like the realities of clinical neuropsych practice. Although its easy to avoid psychotherapy, or even providing interventions all together, the practice of clinical neuropsychology is integrative and complex. A human being is not just a collection of neurons and action potentials. Human behavior is complex and influenced by many, many things, so you have to be well educated and highly aware of these influences (i.e., social psych). You also have to know how to deal with (and diagnosis) the anxious college student and the depressed houseswife, just as much as the demented old lady with AD. One of the biggest and sometimes trickiest referal question neuropsychologits encounter is "what problems are primarily due to to psychological/personality factors (ie., depression, conversion, somatitization issues) and what problems (if any) are the result of organic dysfuction." If there is a little of both going on, how is this person's psychiatric difficulties or personality pathology likely to influence their cognitive deficits and subsequent treatment plan? These are common referal questions and require a broad and senstive undertanding of normal and abnormal behavior, personality, and psychological illness...........as well as neuroscience.

 

[myelin]

An overwhelming majority of clinical neuropsychologists have a PhD in clinical psychology rather than clinical neuropsychology. This majority went the clinical psychology PhD route, taylored their practica toward NP, dissertation NP, internship NP, and a 2-year post-doc in NP. It can be done through a PhD program specifically in NP/CN, but many prefer the clinical psychology PhD route.

I would check into this further if you are serious. I'd contact the programs that you're interested in and see what their past graduates have done. Specifically, see if they became board certified and how that process went for them (did they have any problems getting certified?).

Check out this article as well:

Assessment practices of clinical neuropsychologists in the United States and Canada: A survey of INS, NAN, and APA Division 40 members

Rabin, Barr, & Burton (2005)