Neuropsychology Undergraduate Preparation

[waffle23]

I am currently an undergrad freshman and am possibly interested in neuropsychology. I am thinking of majoring in psychology with an emphasis on courses in biopsychology, cognitive neuroscience, etc. I am curious as to whether the psychology major is enough for a focus on just courses in the psychology major. I have taken intro biology, which is the prerequisite for most biopsychology courses. However, I am not too keen on general chemistry. I was actually originally going to be a biological sciences major with a concentration in neurobiology, until I realized that I am more interested in the psychological aspects and broader approaches to the mind and how it functions. Looking at a possible schedule for next year, I think that I would in general be a much happier person if I could take courses like "intro to biopsychology" and "intro to cognitive science" as opposed to having to take broad courses in biology that I am just not interested in. In order to have a chance of getting into grad school for clinical psychology (specifically going for neuropsych), do I have to take courses, specifically like gen chem, that i do not want to take, especially considering the course is 1000 people and curved to a B-/C+? I know this is very early to be thinking about this, though I am realizing that although I have always been interested in how the mind works and how the science meets the behavioral, I am probably more interested in the neuropsychological perspective rather than the neurobiological perspective (i know that this varies across colleges - neurobio in my school is basically a rigorous bio major with only a few courses taken with emphasis on the mind, while psychology has a whole category of courses on neuroscience/biopsych). I would tend to think that it doesn't really matter since I would expect that people applying for clinical psych would be psych majors anyway, but I just want to make sure. Thank you!

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[deleted176373]

Neurodoc is the guy to ask, but this much you will want to know. You want a minimum 3.5 GPA and a Psych GPA of 3.8 or better if at all possible to be competitive for graduate school. Do well in your classes, these programs are VERY competitive. Don't allow yourself to be one of those people getting C's and B's instead of A's and B's.

If Neuropsychology is your bag, I would think that you would want biochemistry and organic chemistry. So yes, I would think having a good background in chemistry is important, but I am not in a neuropsychology program either.

Mark

 

[JackD]

You don't typically see undergraduate majors that are that focused. That usually comes in graduate school or even post graduate work, that you will get down to that specific of a degree. I've heard about bachelor's degrees in clinical psychology but for the most part you will pick between a BS or BA in psychology. When i was at UIC was actually a choice between applied psychology and general psychology but they pretty much were just a BA and a BS respectively. If grad school is your thing, always go for the BS if you have a choice.

If you want to do neuropsychology, the best thing you can do as an undergrad is take many bio classes that have to do with brain biology. There should be quite a few. Also, since you will have choices of psychology electives, make sure they are related to brain behavior.

Really, undergrad work is just the foundation, where you obtain general knowledge. Grad school is were people start going off into different fields of study.

 

[waffle23]

Yeah, I don't really have a choice for the BA or BS since I'm in the college of arts and sciences in my school and the only degree they give is the BA. However, I do know that in general the psych department is supposed to be great. There are plenty of research opportunities and you can take undergraduate research for credit, which I want to do. The whole physical sciences thing is kind of worrying me though.

 

[myelin]

it sounds like you're on the right track. see what your advisor has to say. you likely won't need the general biology courses, although they wouldn't hurt. also i think org/inorg chemistry would be overkill for neuropsychology, but not neuroscience. physiological psychology served as a great primer for graduate study in neuropsychology for me. also it would be wise to start learning brain anatomy and the fundamentals of neurology early in the game as these things take a while.

check out the division 40 page of the APA for more information if you are interested in neuropsych.

http://www.div40.org/

 

[waffle23]

Well, the requirements for the upper level biopsychology courses at my school (aside from intro to biopsychology), is a year of intro bio. I took autotutorial intro bio first semester and it was definitely intense (ended up with an A+ though, which they only give if the student has gotten the highest grade on the final and is one of the top 3 overall lab grades, so not like it's one of those classes that just throws that grade around), and we did a lot of physiology in general for a general bio course (lab practicals where you need to memorize the anatomy and physiology of 13 different species, ranging from lamprey to rat = FUN! 😀). I AP'ed out of this year though since it's considered okay to do so if you do well and take an upper level course in its place.

taking a look at course listings, the specific course called neurophysiology is in the neurobiology department and needs biology prerequisites in neurobiology rather than psychology. however, several good looking courses, which are crosslisted between psych and neurobio by the way, are:

intro to biopsych
biopsych of learning and memory
hormones and behavior
biopsych lab
neuroethology (not really sure what this is)
cognitive neuroscience (this one seems really cool)

i think that these seem good - there are also others though in different departments such as human development and cognitive science. from what i gather when looking on the forums, you can really just do psych, though taking courses and doing research specifically on biopsych/neuropsych can really help a lot when it comes to learning about what you want to do.

these forums are really helpful, other opinions would be great!

 

[st2205]

I'd do the neuroscience. If you want specifics please PM me.

 

[layleh]

In addition to what the above threads state, I would recommend possibly looking for a neuro-related internship in the next summer or two. 1) It's good for the C.V. 2) It's a great way to understand the research process outside of academia. 3) Diving into research provides a far more interesting look at neuro than you'll ever see in the classroom.

I did two summers plus one year after my B.A. at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense in Maryland (the program was through ORISE: http://orise.orau.gov/index.htm ). Oddly, there were quite a few psychologists and neuroscientists to work with.

On a side note, neuroethology is the study of animal behavior and the corresponding biology of the nervous system.

Finally, definitely get a biopsych/physiological psych foundation course in and a intro to cognitive class before cognitive neuroscience. 🙂

 

[nala56]

Neurodoc is the guy to ask, but this much you will want to know. You want a minimum 3.5 GPA and a Psych GPA of 3.8 or better if at all possible to be competitive for graduate school. Do well in your classes, these programs are VERY competitive. Don't allow yourself to be one of those people getting C's and B's instead of A's and B's.

If Neuropsychology is your bag, I would think that you would want biochemistry and organic chemistry. So yes, I would think having a good background in chemistry is important, but I am not in a neuropsychology program either.

Mark

Does the 3.5 GPA and a Psych GPA of 3.8 count towards getting admissions into a master's program in clinical psychology? My GPA is not high enough for a doctoral program, but I want to apply to schools that have a master's degree in clinical psychology and then apply to doctoral programs that specialize in clinical neuropsychology. Is it easier to get accepted into a doctoral program in clinical psychology (with a specialization in neuropsychology) if you have completed a master's degree in clinical psychology?

 

[Psychology 76]

Hello all, I'm new to this site (first post) but glad to have found it. Its ironic I found this particular thread because tomorrow I'm going to talk to one of my professors about neuropsychology. 🙂 If I find out anything beneficial, I'll try to pass it along! Some great info already though!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Welcome!!

 

[Psychology 76]

Okay, well I talked to my professor and he was really helpful but because I'm sort of in limbo with what I want to study in psychology right now it kind of just added to that state. I'm not quite sure what career I want to pursue but I'm not going to clog up this thread with that so I'll create another one in hopes of finding some answers 🙂 Neuropsychology is fascinating but I'm not sure if its exactly what I want to do.

 

[myelin]

Does the 3.5 GPA and a Psych GPA of 3.8 count towards getting admissions into a master's program in clinical psychology? My GPA is not high enough for a doctoral program, but I want to apply to schools that have a master's degree in clinical psychology and then apply to doctoral programs that specialize in clinical neuropsychology. Is it easier to get accepted into a doctoral program in clinical psychology (with a specialization in neuropsychology) if you have completed a master's degree in clinical psychology?

This is what I am doing. Your GPA is above average for many master's programs. I don't know if you are going to INS this February, but there will be a presentation about graduate training in clinical psychology that should be informative. The conference is in Atlanta, so if you're close, it may be a good move.

http://the-ins.org/10561.cfm

 

[glasscandie]

taking a look at course listings, the specific course called neurophysiology is in the neurobiology department and needs biology prerequisites in neurobiology rather than psychology. however, several good looking courses, which are crosslisted between psych and neurobio by the way, are:

intro to biopsych
biopsych of learning and memory
hormones and behavior
biopsych lab
neuroethology (not really sure what this is)
cognitive neuroscience (this one seems really cool)

Neuropsychology is a fascinating field. I'm particularly interested in neuropsychopharmacology, and am doing an internship that focuses on this; and I'm also interested in neuroimmunology. I'm mainly applying to graduate schools focusing on behavioral neuropharmacology. If you ever want to chat about either of those, feel free to PM me 🙂 I basically took all the bio courses I could for a psychology major - most of my electives were (are) bio courses.

 

[Zaiver]

I understand that clinical neuropsychology is a very eclectic field.

What should my focus be in terms of undergraduate courses (i.e. cognitive, biopsych, or clinical)??

 

[erg923]

Considering that word "clinical" comes before the word "neuropsychology" and that it is a subspecialty of clinical psych, I would recommend the clinically oriented elective courses, as well as an advanaced cogntive psych class. However, your main priority as an undergrad should be to get a well-rounded education in general psychology. DONT GET SUCKED IN TO GETTIING SPECIALIZED YET. Get a good base from which to build. Remeber, your fiost hurdel is getting into the clinical psych program that offers neuropsych opportunities. Worry about specializing in neuropsych once you have made it in.

 

[neuro202]

I'm interested in neuropsychology and planning to attend a state college for a BA in Psychology. Their undergrad program offers a range of psychology courses for a base (social, developmental, clinical/personality, experimental). For biology/chemistry, only general courses are offered.

To create a broad background for graduate school - could I take a class or two in biology, chemistry, sociology, language/linguistics, semantics, etc? I'd prefer to minor in a foreign language rather than generalized biology/chemistry.

As for graduate programs, I'm a little confused... 😕 Can anyone clarify the distinction between these PhD's? Which type of PhD program would be best for pursuing a career in neuropsychology?

- Clinical Psychology PhD with neuropsych fellowship
- Neuropsychology or Clinical Neuropsychology PhD
- Behavioral Neuroscience PhD

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you.

 

[erg923]

Classes you take will make little difference in terms of admission, and really not much difference in terms of preparation either. Besides neuroanatomy, your just not gonna learn much in an undergrad course that is specifically relevant to npsych. Take whatever interests you the most. Just get a good, broad education in psychology and lots of reseach experience.

You will have to do a 2-year post-doc in neuropsychology to be a neuropsychologist. The only program I know of that is formally titled and touted as a "ph.d in clinical neuropsychology" is at Queens College, and frankly, many argue that such a strictly focused curriculum (and practicum experience) actually can does a disservice to its students. You need good psychiatric skills and good clinical intervention skills as a neuropsychologist. There is more in your job description than doing assessments and writing reports.

The ph.d in behavioral neuroscience is an experimental psych degree that does not provide any clinical training.

 

[neurogirl23]

Is there a list of good APA certified neuropsychology programs? I know there is: http://www.div40.org/training/search_results.php, but how do you know which one's are worthwhile?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Is there a list of good APA certified neuropsychology programs? I know there is: http://www.div40.org/training/search_results.php, but how do you know which one's are worthwhile?

I would say that you should evaluate neuropsych programs in the same way that you would typically evaluate any graduate program--look for a good fit between your interests and those of your POI, read and/or ask about POI's current areas of research and clinical activity, see if you can get in touch with current graduate students to assess their take on the program and to explore potential externship/assistantship sites, etc.

As erg mentioned, keep in mind that nearly all clinical neuropsychology tracks simply involve working under a neuropsychologist while attending a generalized clinical psychology doctoral program. Thus, in addition to gauging the neuropsych aspect, you'd want to get more information on the department as a whole. Even in graduate school, I'm of the opinion that a good portion of your time should be spent gaining a broad knowledge base in all key areas of clinical psychology (e.g., psychopathological theory, research methodology and design, statistics, ethics, multicultural issues). The specialization really starts to kick into high gear during the later years, internship, and post-doc.

 

[erg923]

Along the same lines, I have heard current neuropsych internship supervsiors and directors complain that, although the studentas are comming out better trained than ever in assessment, inteprtetation, and report writing, they are also coming out more narrowly trained than ever before. Some have commented that they have had interns who have never been on a psych unit or ever assessed a schizophrenic. Thats is, all their experiences have been in outpatient neuropsych clinics. Even if you want to be a neuropsychologist, I think something like the above should be avoided.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Along the same lines, I have heard current neuropsych internship supervsiors and directors complain that, although the studentas are comming out better trained than ever in assessment, inteprtetation, and report writing, they are also coming out more narrowly trained than ever before. Some have commented that they have had interns who have never been on a psych unit or ever assessed a schizophrenic. Thats is, all their experiences have been in outpatient neuropsych clinics. Even if you want to be a neuropsychologist, I think something like the above should be avoided.

Absolutely. The best neuropsychologists have solid clinical (interviewing, differentials, etc) in addition to their neuro training. I received interviews at most of the top sites, and my neuro experience was mediocre compared to hardcore neuro people. Instead, I spent my practica and internship time working, in-patient, out-patient, residential, etc....and having a mix of experiences. I worked mostly with severe pathology, but i also had exposure to more vanilla out-patient cases (boring!).

It is still important to gain neuro experience, and it is still important to work under boarded neuro supervisors, but there is more to being competitive than logging hundreds/thousands of hours doing strictly neuro work.

 

[neuro202]

Classes you take will make little difference in terms of admission, and really not much difference in terms of preparation either. Besides neuroanatomy, your just not gonna learn much in an undergrad course that is specifically relevant to npsych. Take whatever interests you the most. Just get a good, broad education in psychology and lots of reseach experience.

You will have to do a 2-year post-doc in neuropsychology to be a neuropsychologist. The only program I know of that is formally titled and touted as a "ph.d in clinical neuropsychology" is at Queens College, and frankly, many argue that such a strictly focused curriculum (and practicum experience) actually can does a disservice to its students. You need good psychiatric skills and good clinical intervention skills as a neuropsychologist. There is more in your job description than doing assessments and writing reports.

The ph.d in behavioral neuroscience is an experimental psych degree that does not provide any clinical training.

Thank you for the clarification! It is extremely helpful. 🙂

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Absolutely. The best neuropsychologists have solid clinical (interviewing, differentials, etc) in addition to their neuro training. I received interviews at most of the top sites, and my neuro experience was mediocre compared to hardcore neuro people. Instead, I spent my practica and internship time working, in-patient, out-patient, residential, etc....and having a mix of experiences. I worked mostly with severe pathology, but i also had exposure to more vanilla out-patient cases (boring!).

It is still important to gain neuro experience, and it is still important to work under boarded neuro supervisors, but there is more to being competitive than logging hundreds/thousands of hours doing strictly neuro work.

Agreed x100. I've learned just as much during my non-neuro externship rotations (community mental health, severe mental illness, low-income patient care, forensic competency assessment, etc.) as I have in my neuropsych experiences and coursework. And when I'm able to effectively intertwine the two, it becomes even more enjoyable--you'd be amazed at the number of staff members who will ecstatically jump at the opportunity to refer you patients when you're offering free neuropsych evals in addition to free psychotherapy...=).

 

[JMae22]

Does anyone know what graduate/ medical school path to go on in order to become certified in Behavioral Neurology or Neuropsychiatry?

Thank you 🙂

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Does anyone know what graduate/ medical school path to go on in order to become certified in Behavioral Neurology or Neuropsychiatry?

Thank you 🙂

You'd probably have better luck with this question in the Neurology and/or Psychiatry forums, as the two specialties you've mentioned are both physician specialties.

I believe both would be acquired via med school + residency in either neurology or psychiatry + fellowship training in the chosen specialty, but I could be very, very wrong.