I just discovered this site a couple days ago. I was wondering if any of you were pursuing a career in forensic psychology.
Psy.D. Forensic Track Students?
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I am, however I think it depends on what you mean by "forensic psychology." I'm currently on internship at a state hospital and will be beginning a formal forensic evaluation fellowship for post doc next year. Forensic treatment vs. evaluation are two completely different constructs, and it is important to keep them separate for specific ethical reasons (see Greenberg and Shuman, 1997). You can do quite well in forensic assessment if you develop good, working-professional relationships with your referral bases (mostly attorneys). In terms of work, forensic evaluation as a field is nice in that you can work 10-15 hours a week in private practice, while also working a standard 9-5 for a prison, state hospital, or VA. The most successful forensic psychologists I know work 4 ten hour days and use the fifth for private practice endeavours. If your interests are largely in forensic assessment (i.e., competency to stand trial, mental state at time of offense, custody evaluation, violence/sex risk assessment, expert testimony), formalized training is a must, and can be gained through mentorship and formal fellowship after internship. This will allow for you to apply for boarding with ABPP sooner than most (there are approximately 300 boarded forensic psychologists in the country). With forensic treatment (i.e., working for the Bureau of Prisons, inpatient psychiatric hospitals), you will most likely be able to gain enough experience during practicum and internship to be competent for a job in those settings.
