Psych Opportunities Dilemma- Which Summer Opportunity is best for Counseling or Clinical/Community PhD Admission

[psychtnt]

Hi all,

I am a prospective applicant for Counseling Psychology and Clinical/Community Psychology programs in this upcoming cycle. After an unsuccessful first application cycle, I have refined my research interests enough to know that Counseling psych and clinical/community psych are more aligned with my long-term career goals. Here's my dilemma, while I was still gung-ho about applying to Clinical Psych programs, I applied and was accepted to conduct research at a well-known R1 institution this summer. It is a fully funded experience with a well-known PI who conducts community-partnered research. However, my participation requires me to quit my job.
I currently work full-time (remotely) as a research coordinator for a company that creates psychological assessments while completing my master's in psychological research. My job provides me with much-needed financial stability, and after the summer program, without my job, I will not be able to pay my bills. I have been hired as a lecturer at my Masters granting institution for the fall, but I will be making about the same as I was as a Graduate TA, so I need to stay on with my full-time job. The research program has shared that there is no flexibility in its no-work policy.

Should I quit my job and maybe find a position that will provide more hands-on therapeutic experiences or a nonprofit mental health org in the fall to better prepare me for admission into a Counseling or Clinical Community program? Or should I keep my job and pass on the research opportunity? All opinions are welcome, I have been stuck with this dilemma for a while, and I need to make a decision soon.

*note I already have years of research experience, but the appeal of this opportunity is the chance to work on a community-partnered project with a renowned PI*

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[albatross_at_crossroads]

Hi there,

This sounds like a very difficult decision.
As you already know, a research experience in your area of interest would really boost your application. However, it's short term, so that will also be taken into account during admissions. Is there a way to join this lab for longer term - as in at least a year? Quitting your job and then scraping by to make ends meet might be very stressful in the fall. Another take would be spending a big chunk of the summer doing the funded research while also doing a big search for other roles. It might be easier to get another full-time research role once you have the endorsement of a "renowned PI". The PI could also help with their contacts if they are nice enough.

Research experience is probably the one that will make a difference in your application (+ research products + a good research reference). I wouldn't bother with trying to find more "hands-on therapeutic experiences" unless you can do those part-time and just to add more flavor to your overall app/interests. So quitting now and going all in for research could be a possibility, but it has to extend beyond this summer. Another option would be giving up on this summer opportunity and trying to look for a full-time research coordinator role in your area of interest. If you only do this summer and then a little bit of teaching in the fall, that might not change the outcome too much for your next application season.

 

[Ollie123]

I don't know your situation, geographic flexibility, current job, etc. There are tons of research openings. Hiring qualified coordinators is still hard as heck. If you can subsist off ~35-40k/year and are willing to move you can almost certainly finding something, potentially something involving similar work to what this summer experience would provide. Whether its worth the anxiety and complexity of multiple moves is a separate discussion. This sounds like a great opportunity but if logistically it doesn't work I wouldn't stress about it. You don't "have" to take this opportunity to be a competitive applicant.

TLDR - There are many ways to get research experience and no guarantees that said experience will get you in somewhere. I would not do anything that puts your well-being and ability to sustain yourself in jeopardy.

 

[psychtnt]

Hi there,

This sounds like a very difficult decision.
As you already know, a research experience in your area of interest would really boost your application. However, it's short term, so that will also be taken into account during admissions. Is there a way to join this lab for longer term - as in at least a year? Quitting your job and then scraping by to make ends meet might be very stressful in the fall. Another take would be spending a big chunk of the summer doing the funded research while also doing a big search for other roles. It might be easier to get another full-time research role once you have the endorsement of a "renowned PI". The PI could also help with their contacts if they are nice enough.

Research experience is probably the one that will make a difference in your application (+ research products + a good research reference). I wouldn't bother with trying to find more "hands-on therapeutic experiences" unless you can do those part-time and just to add more flavor to your overall app/interests. So quitting now and going all in for research could be a possibility, but it has to extend beyond this summer. Another option would be giving up on this summer opportunity and trying to look for a full-time research coordinator role in your area of interest. If you only do this summer and then a little bit of teaching in the fall, that might not change the outcome too much for your next application season.

Thank you so much for this response! I was curious about the "hands-on therapeutic experiences" because it seems like the Counseling psych programs I am interested in require that applicants have a master of counseling coming in. I am completing my MA in psychological research, so I am assuming that I will already be coming in with much more research experience than their typical applicants. (This is less relevant for clinical/community programs). I plan to apply in this upcoming cycle, so maybe the summer research opportunity might not move the needle much. Still, the program also provides professional development skills and GRE prep classes. I am not sure if I can extend this work into a longer role. I do have a history with this lab as I was an undergraduate RA with this same PI if that might improve the weight of this experience. I appreciate your input!

 

[psychtnt]

I don't know your situation, geographic flexibility, current job, etc. There are tons of research openings. Hiring qualified coordinators is still hard as heck. If you can subsist off ~35-40k/year and are willing to move you can almost certainly finding something, potentially something involving similar work to what this summer experience would provide. Whether its worth the anxiety and complexity of multiple moves is a separate discussion. This sounds like a great opportunity but if logistically it doesn't work I wouldn't stress about it. You don't "have" to take this opportunity to be a competitive applicant.

TLDR - There are many ways to get research experience and no guarantees that said experience will get you in somewhere. I would not do anything that puts your well-being and ability to sustain yourself in jeopardy.

Thank you for this perspective! I am really trying to anticipate my workload as I prepare to teach my class in the fall and apply to PhD programs again. Adding a job search to all that feels burdensome. I just want to put myself in a position to be the best candidate I can be.