Philly area PsyD recommendations

[cowboybebop]

Does anyone have recommendations of Philly area PsyD programs? I’m in a life situation where I need to be in the area.
I’ve looked into the difference between a PsyD and a PhD and I’d be fine with either; however, my research into programs shows that I am not considered a competitive student for the PhD programs in the Philly area (ie: Drexel talks about the reputation of your previous programs). I went to a Christian university back when I believed in religion. My undergrad and grad school GPAs are 3.4 and 3.5 respectively.
I did just start a research fellow internship with a local institution focusing on equitable pedagogy. I’m currently working in community ESL as an instructor/advisor. I’ve also worked in refugee resettlement in domestic and international contexts. I’ve worked enough with refugees and migrants to know that I’d like to continue working with them but more in a mental health capacity. I’d like to have the ability to assess clients and not “just” do therapy, groups, IOP, etc.
I know that I want to leave my current profession enough that I’d like to get a doctorate in psychology and I’m fine with debt.
Based on my novel, what would you recommend? Am I missing something as I’m looking at my situation?

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[WisNeuro]

What do you want to do as a job on a daily basis? And what do you mean by "assess clients?"

 

[HopefulPsych21]

West Chester, PCOM, La Salle, Widener, Immaculata, Chestnut Hill, Rutgers (if you can drive) are some that pop into my head. I'm not sure how good these programs are except Rutgers, which is a very respected PsyD program. I think PCOM is pretty good, as I've worked with a lot of PsyD's who come from there. The ones that are in Philly are PCOM, La Salle, and Chesnut Hill. The others require a drive or train ride. Source: I live in Philly

 

[WisNeuro]

PCOM is crazy expensive, has a dismal EPPP passing rate, and accredited internship rates vacillate too much, Westchester is new and harder to judge, LsSalle is crazy expensive but has decent stats, Widener also crazy expensive but decent stats. So, the latter two woudl be good as long as you are ok with never retiring.

 

[HopefulPsych21]

PCOM is crazy expensive, has a dismal EPPP passing rate, and accredited internship rates vacillate too much, Westchester is new and harder to judge, LsSalle is crazy expensive but has decent stats, Widener also crazy expensive but decent stats. So, the latter two woudl be good as long as you are ok with never retiring.

Whoop, yeah I'm not a seasoned professional so I'm not really sure how to judge how good a program is. If their EPPP rates aren't great and their internship data is questionable, then probably don't attend; it's not worth the debt. I think West Chester is the cheapest option out of them all.

 

[MiniLop]

I've known some good graduates of PCOM, but it's come to my attention that some employers in the area may consider it a yellow flag. La Salle is, I believe, much better respected but is, as others have noted, crazy expensive.

 

[Sanman]

Based on what I know about you, have you considered becoming a cowboy? If not and you want to do this psychology thing, I second the question @WisNeuro asked.

 

[WisNeuro]

Based on what I know about you, have you considered becoming a cowboy? If not and you want to do this psychology thing, I second the question @WisNeuro asked.

Silly @Sanman OP would be better suited becoming a space bounty hunter.

 

[cowboybebop]

What do you want to do as a job on a daily basis? And what do you mean by "assess clients?"

I’ve been doing too many student assessments at work. Haha I meant diagnose.
I have some different thoughts about what I’d like to do. Ideally, it’d be great to work at a clinic or center that focuses on refugee or migrant mental health. If that’s not the case, I’d still be open for working with only some refugee or migrant clinic and working with the general population the rest of the time. I’ve never spent time working in the hospital or a counseling center so I can’t really speak to the location. Thanks for getting me to think about that a bit more!

 

[WisNeuro]

I’ve been doing too many student assessments at work. Haha I meant diagnose.
I have some different thoughts about what I’d like to do. Ideally, it’d be great to work at a clinic or center that focuses on refugee or migrant mental health. If that’s not the case, I’d still be open for working with only some refugee or migrant clinic and working with the general population the rest of the time. I’ve never spent time working in the hospital or a counseling center so I can’t really speak to the location. Thanks for getting me to think about that a bit more!

In terms of diagnosis, you can technically do that with some midlevel degrees. As to working with the refugee or recently emigrated mental health, at least in my area, that's mostly SW. Which, if you only wanted to do therapy type services, is the route I'd suggest.

 

[cowboybebop]

Silly @Sanman OP would be better suited becoming a space bounty hunter.

Haha that’s great. Actually, becoming a cowboy sounds like a good gig, especially after this year. I could finally stop living on Zoom.

 

[cowboybebop]

In terms of diagnosis, you can technically do that with some midlevel degrees. As to working with the refugee or recently emigrated mental health, at least in my area, that's mostly SW. Which, if you only wanted to do therapy type services, is the route I'd suggest.

Oh ok, I didn’t realize that. I’ll have to look into LCSW programs some more. Thanks for your insight!

 

[Sanman]

In terms of diagnosis, you can technically do that with some midlevel degrees. As to working with the refugee or recently emigrated mental health, at least in my area, that's mostly SW. Which, if you only wanted to do therapy type services, is the route I'd suggest.

Agreed with this. Also, while you mentioned not concerned about being in debt, the type of work that you are interested in does not usually pay well. I would suggest looking into MSW programs at lower cost public schools. Get out for as close to free as you can because you might find you cannot afford to do the type of work you are interested in and keep a roof over your head with a large loan balance.

 

[PsyDr]

One of the few cities that used to have clinical neuropsychology programs. Ain't nothing wrong with PCOM or Drexel. But I would be scared of Drexel after the entire "surprise closure of the major academic hospital and firing all the medical residents without a lot of warning" thing. Maybe you can ride the coattails of the former esteem of that place. Probably not though.

But Bill Bur has a better opinion on philly.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

Oh ok, I didn’t realize that. I’ll have to look into LCSW programs some more. Thanks for your insight!

I always beat the drum on this but what you want to do can be attained via many routes. The degree you get is what will be the foundation of your understanding for your trade. Education is how you do your trade but the trade can be done via different types of education. Meaning, if you get a social work degree you will take more classes and have a perspective that is social work-centric. While there are few categorical differences, SW tends to be a bit more social justice. Psychology, again not black and white, tends to be more science focused (e.g., evidence-based practices, validity and reliability). Counseling is also a route and so is marriage and family therapy. If you need a license-eligible degree, all the ones I list can get you that at the master's level. But the question becomes what and how do you want to learn while you are in grad school. If you want to be very familiar with validity and reliability of assessments. school psych will get you there. If you want to know which type a lot about theories related to what forces are keeping us down, maybe SW (I say in jest). If you want to know science and evidence-based treatments, find a quality master's psychology program that leads to license as an LPC. Counseling, which is more varied can also work. Families and stuff look for an MFT. Importantly, will a PsyD be worth the investment for the goals you have? I am not sure of that (plenty of threads on this forum discussing the limitations of debt, some PsyD programs, and being geographically restricted).

Maybe some useful threads:

West Chester University Psy.D Program

Hello! I am wondering if anyone has experience with the Psy.D program at West Chester. They are not currently accredited, but in the process of being evaluated because they are a newer program. West Chester is a state university, and the Psy.D program does have many renowned faculty. My...

forums.studentdoctor.net

PCOM PsyD

I am currently working on my LPC license and was wondering if there are any people out there who had an LPC and went on to a doctoral program. Is the PsyD worth it or am I better off working as an LPC? Unfortunately it seems as thought LPC jobs are pretty low paying and won't ever really...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Funded Terminal Masters Programs in Counseling/Social Work?

Hi all, hope you are well. Rather than being the one to ask questions about admissions into a graduate program for myself, I am now asking on behalf of students I am advising! A common thing I see is: Student is finishing undergrad and wants a clinical career, and is thinking about applying to...

forums.studentdoctor.net

LPCs scope of practice challenged in Michigan.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/michigan/thousands-protest-mental-health-provider-changes-in-lansing/ https://wwmt.com/news/local/proposed-rule-change-could-hurt-licensed-professional-counselors-and-patients Apparently in Michigan nothing in the state statue says LPCs are allowed to diagnose and...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Is doing PsyD better than doing a PhD? Which has better job prospectives?

Hi all, I’m new to this particular forum. I’m interested in doing PsyD and I was hoping for some more info. My undergrad gpa is 3.87 and that too with double majors bio and psych. I’ve As in all my psych courses including research design and statistics if that’s relevant. I can’t get into a PhD...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[HopefulPsych21]

From that West Chester thread, it looks to be the best option as it will be APA accredited this year, 100% of their students matched to APA internships, and it's cheaper than all the others in the area. However, it's still a new program that needs to be established so it's up to you. A MSW might be better with your goals, though!

 

[R. Matey]

Counseling is also a route and so is marriage and family therapy. If you need a license-eligible degree, all the ones I list can get you that at the master's level.

Just a reminder that counselors and marriage and family therapists often have less opportunities than social workers due to a weaker lobby and more restrictive licensure.

 

[cowboybebop]

I always beat the drum on this but what you want to do can be attained via many routes. The degree you get is what will be the foundation of your understanding for your trade. Education is how you do your trade but the trade can be done via different types of education. Meaning, if you get a social work degree you will take more classes and have a perspective that is social work-centric. While there are few categorical differences, SW tends to be a bit more social justice. Psychology, again not black and white, tends to be more science focused (e.g., evidence-based practices, validity and reliability). Counseling is also a route and so is marriage and family therapy. If you need a license-eligible degree, all the ones I list can get you that at the master's level. But the question becomes what and how do you want to learn while you are in grad school. If you want to be very familiar with validity and reliability of assessments. school psych will get you there. If you want to know which type a lot about theories related to what forces are keeping us down, maybe SW (I say in jest). If you want to know science and evidence-based treatments, find a quality master's psychology program that leads to license as an LPC. Counseling, which is more varied can also work. Families and stuff look for an MFT. Importantly, will a PsyD be worth the investment for the goals you have? I am not sure of that (plenty of threads on this forum discussing the limitations of debt, some PsyD programs, and being geographically restricted).

Maybe some useful threads:

West Chester University Psy.D Program

Hello! I am wondering if anyone has experience with the Psy.D program at West Chester. They are not currently accredited, but in the process of being evaluated because they are a newer program. West Chester is a state university, and the Psy.D program does have many renowned faculty. My...

forums.studentdoctor.net

PCOM PsyD

I am currently working on my LPC license and was wondering if there are any people out there who had an LPC and went on to a doctoral program. Is the PsyD worth it or am I better off working as an LPC? Unfortunately it seems as thought LPC jobs are pretty low paying and won't ever really...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Funded Terminal Masters Programs in Counseling/Social Work?

Hi all, hope you are well. Rather than being the one to ask questions about admissions into a graduate program for myself, I am now asking on behalf of students I am advising! A common thing I see is: Student is finishing undergrad and wants a clinical career, and is thinking about applying to...

forums.studentdoctor.net

LPCs scope of practice challenged in Michigan.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/michigan/thousands-protest-mental-health-provider-changes-in-lansing/ https://wwmt.com/news/local/proposed-rule-change-could-hurt-licensed-professional-counselors-and-patients Apparently in Michigan nothing in the state statue says LPCs are allowed to diagnose and...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Is doing PsyD better than doing a PhD? Which has better job prospectives?

Hi all, I’m new to this particular forum. I’m interested in doing PsyD and I was hoping for some more info. My undergrad gpa is 3.87 and that too with double majors bio and psych. I’ve As in all my psych courses including research design and statistics if that’s relevant. I can’t get into a PhD...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Thank you so much for your explanation! You’ve given me a lot to think about and weight out. I’ll read through the additional threads, too.

 

[cowboybebop]

Thanks everyone for your input! I really appreciate it. While I have wonderfully supportive people in my life, they’re not really knowledgeable about any of this!

 

[forcefive17]

Thanks everyone for your input! I really appreciate it. While I have wonderfully supportive people in my life, they’re not really knowledgeable about any of this!

FWIW, Immaculata is very expensive. However, many students obtain paid assistantships around campus that cover tuition plus a pretty decent stipend. They're not research/clinical, but can provide pretty unique experiences. For example, there's one in the writing center working with ESL students on their papers, etc. The drive out to Chester County is pretty, but daunting if 76 is backed up.

 

[Dazen]

One of the few cities that used to have clinical neuropsychology programs. Ain't nothing wrong with PCOM or Drexel. But I would be scared of Drexel after the entire "surprise closure of the major academic hospital and firing all the medical residents without a lot of warning" thing. Maybe you can ride the coattails of the former esteem of that place. Probably not though.

But Bill Bur has a better opinion on philly.

Curious if anyone has more information or ideas of questions to ask about this. I have a formal interview with Drexel’s clinical PhD program coming up and wasn’t particularly worried about this - given than I have primarily forensic interests and that they had already secured another hospital partnership that they were planning to move into in 2022 - but now wondering if I’m missing something. Any advice on how to navigate this during the interview process?

 

[DynamicDidactic]

@Dazen
From my perspective, Drexel still has a sound reputation. Not sure how much the psychology program or the university are reflected in the closing of the hospital but there are likely plenty of other practicum experiences that can be pursued.