I am applying for an undergraduate practicum opportunity, which involves interacting with clinical populations, observing therapy sessions and evaluations, and participating in clinical research. I am pursuing this practicum to get some solid experience and to help me get into a graduate school for clinical Ph.D. My question is (a) how important are such practicum to graduate school admissions committees? and (b) does it matter if the focus of the practicum is different than the type of research I want to pursue in grad school? I would really appreciate any help!
Practicum as an undergraduate
- Thread starter McClinas
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The research experience aspect will probably be much more important to admissions committees than the clinical experience. I didn't do a practicum and I got in, but I had other kinds of research experience.
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Research is definitely the biggie. I was a part of 2 different (totally different) research projects during undergrad for total 2 years each. One was sex education research in high school students and the other was down syndrome research in mice. Both are not really my interest beyond that they were both intervention research (the down syndrome was looking at cognitive and behavioral effects of peri-natal choline supplementation), which is my interest.
I also interned at our local mental health clinic, but I did not even feel that experience really factored much into my acceptance.
I also interned at our local mental health clinic, but I did not even feel that experience really factored much into my acceptance.
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I'll PM you where I was accepted. It's not exactly private information because if you go back and see older entries you'll see it, but I'd like to make it less easy for people. 
I had about 2 years of research experience, which included the following: writing IRB proposals, conducting lit reviews, finding and typing up questionnaires, running participants, recoding data, data analysis, etc.
And, yeah, none of my interviews ever brought up my clinical experience. It was all about the research.
I had about 2 years of research experience, which included the following: writing IRB proposals, conducting lit reviews, finding and typing up questionnaires, running participants, recoding data, data analysis, etc.
And, yeah, none of my interviews ever brought up my clinical experience. It was all about the research.
D
deleted270468
what school do you go to mcclinas?
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I will second everything that cara and quynh have said already. Just wanted to add that the advantage to practicum experiences (especially related to your area of interest) is that they may allow you to create a more coherent "story" when you both write a personal statement and talk about the development and pursuit of your interests in interviews.
That said, if you're applying to Ph.D. programs, the research is going to occupy 90% of the interview and be the most important aspect of your application package.
Edit: also, the practicum may be a great opportunity for networking and meeting clinicians who are doing research in your area of interest!
That said, if you're applying to Ph.D. programs, the research is going to occupy 90% of the interview and be the most important aspect of your application package.
Edit: also, the practicum may be a great opportunity for networking and meeting clinicians who are doing research in your area of interest!
