non-psych major looking at phd vs. psyd options

[LoRezSkyline]

ok, all you present and future clinicians - i need some advice

i've posted my basic predicament on this board before, but here's the crux of it - i'm a 27-year-old cultural anthropology graduate currently working in an unrelated field. i originally began my schooling as a psych major, only to eventually segue into anthropology. i did and still do have a love for the discipline, though - or else i'd never consider the idea of going back to school at this point in my life. unfortunately i don't have publications, research experience, or recent academic references i can draw upon. i've recently enrolled in a psych class at ucla extension out here with plans to take others, and am trying to get some more experience relevant to psych under my belt with a counseling-related volunteer opportunity or two. i don't think i'm currently competitive to gain admission to a phd program, but i'm hoping to change that. the gre doesn't scare me, as i've always fared well on standardized tests - and i kept up a gpa of 3.5 in my undergrad years, so hopefully that's respectable enough. the nuts-and-bolts psych experience is what i lack though, and as a mature student looking to return to school i'm not finding much advice on how to get this experience elsewhere - every resource, book, site i've read seems to be geared towards 20-year old sophomores. what can i do to get research experience, publications, academic references, anything to better compete with all these fresh-faced 22-year olds looking to get into clinical programs out there?!? i know this is possible; i just need a path to follow and i'm willing to do the grunt work to get there.

i originally wasn't even considering phd programs for this reason, but the apa-accredited psyd programs i'm coming across will put me well over 100k in debt. that's a staggering amount of money, considering that i could graduate straight into a job that pays about 40k a year. i want to do this, but i also want to get the best education possible for the least amount of money and i'm wondering if a psyd program is the way to go in that case? i'm more interested in being a clinician/teacher than a researcher, but i'm not so opposed to research that i'd take on 100k in debt to avoid sitting in labs when i could potentially get a phd from a program that would fund a good portion of my studies and get me out of school with a much lighter debt load! my relative inexperience at the moment combined with the steep admissions curve to most clinical programs (it's easier to get into med school!) is what scares me, though. but even if it takes a year or two, i think i'd rather beef up my credentials and *try* to gain admissions to phd and psyd programs alike - rather than dive headfirst into a psyd program and a mound of debt it'll take me over a decade to pay off

any advice appreciated - if you've been in this position yourself, are currently, or just see a way i might be able to become more competitive given my age/circumstances - i'd be grateful for the help...

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[MJD503]

Excellent question. Unfortunately, I have no answer for it. For some reason I always thought you needed a Psych degree to get into the Master/Phd or PsyD programs. Not that I am very informed on this topic, or any for that manner. You would think the 'nuts and bolts' Psych classes you refer to would be a needed tool to gain admission.

 

[Hammer]

I don't understand your question.

UCLA extention is a waste of time. But fun.

I completed my Ph.D. without any debt. I worked a job and was a TA.

Time becomes your enemy. Focus on 2 questions and your goal.

GL.

 

[Janusdog]

My personal feeling is to avoid substantial debt at all costs. However, you might have other options besides the two you mentioned.

Have you considered part-time? The professional schools are good for that. If you are shifting gears career-wise, you might need to take certain prereqs, like personality theory, test construction, etc, that's something you could do now. There are some programs, like Northwestern's MA in Counseling, that provide these things for individuals who were not psych majors.

Please keep in mind that perhaps all you need is a MA, depending on what you want to do (practice vs. teaching). The fact is that MAs are increasingly being sought after by managed care for provision of therapy services, versus doctoral level clinicians. Masters' are much less expensive and unless you want to be a university professor/lecturer, I'm not sure the doctorate buys you much more.