PSYD Nova University

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sylviat

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Does anyone go to Nova for their PSYD? My Personal Psychologist went to school there and loved it. Daughter graduating Penn State next year, wants to come home to FLA, and open her own practice one day.
Only interested in hearing from people who actually go there.Wants to work in private practice with chronically ill and terminally ill children like her sister.
Thanks

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Does anyone go to Nova for their PSYD? My Personal Psychologist went to school there and loved it. Daughter graduating Penn State next year, wants to come home to FLA, and open her own practice one day.
Only interested in hearing from people who actually go there.
Thanks
I remember you posted before looking into schools for your daughter. If she’s really interested and motivated, shouldn’t she be doing her own research into programs? I would think if she is really into the idea of being a psychologist she wouldn’t be relying on her mom to check things out for her. It really doesn’t come off well to have mommy doing all her work for her. Coming on here with “only interested in hearing from people who actually go there” isn’t exactly a nice attitude when you’re asking for help. Encourage your daughter to do her own research and look into things. Unless you plan to go to grad school with her and do all her work, she should be the one asking the questions.
Nova has a pretty low licensure rate considering it’s a PsyD program. This means the people are working towards clinical careers and their licensure rate is around 82%. Huge cohorts and expense makes it meh.
 
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Um, not very nice. she is doing a semester abroad, very little and spotty computer access until May. She is applying to a few schools this summer, but since I am paying, I wanted to learn a bit about Nova. Thought I would get some input from students. I only know a few people who graduated there PSYD, but years ago. If you don't care for my question, don't engage. Picking a school takes a lot of insight, research, and any advice is welcomed. I have 3 kids in 3 pretty amazing colleges, and they did a world of research as did I, as did their counselors, and family. It takes a village, and we are a close family. She wants to come home to Florida. Why do you care if she wants to go to Nova? I was just seeking advice from current students. If I found students were dissatisfied there, I would advise her to stay put at Penn State.You obviously did not go to school there so please do not engage further. You are no help.
 
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I remember you posted before looking into schools for your daughter. If she’s really interested and motivated, shouldn’t she be doing her own research into programs? I would think if she is really into the idea of being a psychologist she wouldn’t be relying on her mom to check things out for her. It really doesn’t come off well to have mommy doing all her work for her. Coming on here with “only interested in hearing from people who actually go there” isn’t exactly a nice attitude when you’re asking for help. Encourage your daughter to do her own research and look into things. Unless you plan to go to grad school with her and do all her work, she should be the one asking the questions.
Nova has a pretty low licensure rate considering it’s a PsyD program. This means the people are working towards clinical careers and their licensure rate is around 82%. Huge cohorts and expense makes it meh.
Also, geography is not a great basis by which to choose a doctoral program. I'd venture that most students would like to attend programs near their family and friends, or in desirable locations (NYC, CA, Chicago, FL, etc.), but this generally isn't all that feasible, nor advisable. You should get the best training you can while balancing quality of life issues. There are a whole slew of programs, mostly PsyD, which rely on students not realizing this or being geographically inflexible, and therefore be willing to pay a huge premium (>$100K) for the convenience without the guarantee of quality training.

Fit is also very important, and location is just one aspect of this. A program with huge cohorts and insufficient or poor quality mentoring (which is reflected in their outcome statistics) is likely not going to be quite as enjoyable as one where there is more support and greater compatibility between the students and their peers and faculty. Grad school is long and difficult enough without being miserable, because you don't mesh with the people there or the overall program.

If it's an imperative to live in a particular geographic area for grad school, it would be better to spend time maximizing research experience (including publications and conference poster presentations), GRE scores, and other qualifications before applying to quality, funded programs in the area. Speaking as someone currently in grad school, geography may seem important at first, but grad school is so demanding that there really isn't all that much time to do things outside of it.
 
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It's clear you want an echo chamber answer. Why not just call the school. They'll tell you what you want to hear and you wont have to hear anything you dont like about your daughters future career, which you are planning out for her. This approach minimizes dissent for you.
 
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Um, not very nice. she is doing a semester abroad, very little and spotty computer access until May. She is applying to a few schools this summer, but since I am paying, I wanted to learn a bit about Nova. Thought I would get some input from students. I only know a few people who graduated there PSYD, but years ago. If you don't care for my question, don't engage. Picking a school takes a lot of insight, research, and any advice is welcomed. I have 3 kids in 3 pretty amazing colleges, and they did a world of research as did I, as did their counselors, and family. It takes a village, and we are a close family. She wants to come home to Florida. Why do you care if she wants to go to Nova? I was just seeking advice from current students. If I found students were dissatisfied there, I would advise her to stay put at Penn State.You obviously did not go to school there so please do not engage further. You are no help.
With all due respect, you asked about this months ago and received plenty of helpful responses after you asked very similar questions.
Nova Southeastern or Florida Tech PsyD?

This is just a rehash of that looking for more charitable answers to the same questions. They aren't going to change just because you ask them later, try to limit the responses to other NOVA students and grads, etc.

And professionals care about this, because it's contributing the decline of the field and tangible harm to patients to have more and more poorly trained psychologists enter it. They also care about the wellbeing of students and don't want them to be taken advantage of by programs that clearly don't have their best interests at heart (e.g., the massive cohorts NOVA has).
 
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isn't it smart to go to school where to plan to practice? Or does that not really matter? PsyD Program is at least 5 years long, the school you pick would be a big commitment. Doesn't each state have their own requirements to get licensed?
 
With all due respect, you asked about this months ago and received plenty of helpful responses after you asked very similar questions.
Nova Southeastern or Florida Tech PsyD?

This is just a rehash of that looking for more charitable answers to the same questions. They aren't going to change just because you ask them later, try to limit the responses to other NOVA students and grads, etc.

And professionals care about this, because it's contributing the decline of the field and tangible harm to patients to have more and more poorly trained psychologists enter it. They also care about the wellbeing of students and don't want them to be taken advantage of by programs that clearly don't have their best interests at heart (e.g., the massive cohorts NOVA has).

so you are saying that Nova poorly trains their students?
 
Ex
Also, geography is not a great basis by which to choose a doctoral program. I'd venture that most students would like to attend programs near their family and friends, or in desirable locations (NYC, CA, Chicago, FL, etc.), but this generally isn't all that feasible, nor advisable. You should get the best training you can while balancing quality of life issues. There are a whole slew of programs, mostly PsyD, which rely on students not realizing this or being geographically inflexible, and therefore be willing to pay a huge premium (>$100K) for the convenience without the guarantee of quality training.

Fit is also very important, and location is just one aspect of this. A program with huge cohorts and insufficient or poor quality mentoring (which is reflected in their outcome statistics) is likely not going to be quite as enjoyable as one where there is more support and greater compatibility between the students and their peers and faculty. Grad school is long and difficult enough without being miserable, because you don't mesh with the people there or the overall program.

If it's an imperative to live in a particular geographic area for grad school, it would be better to spend time maximizing research experience (including publications and conference poster presentations), GRE scores, and other qualifications before applying to quality, funded programs in the area. Speaking as someone currently in grad school, geography may seem important at first, but grad school is so demanding that there really isn't all that much time to do things outside of it.
Exactly. I am currently a master’s student and researching doctoral programs. Yes, there are some areas I am sure I would not love living, but if they have a good program and I get accepted, I’m going. I can always relocate after that. Are there a few places I absolutely won’t apply? Maybe. But I also have good stats and know I am competitive for the places I DO want to attend. I have networked and met potential advisors. I am making final application decisions based on fit and funding, not proximity to the beach.
 
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OMG you Psychologists are really not very nice people. I just wanted to hear from students who went there to see if they liked the program.
WOW, just WOW. Everyone is so angry. The Psychologists at Penn State are amazing, and so helpful to students and families. You people are terrible, and you are not even students there. What is it about Nova that you are so angry about?
 
Um, not very nice. she is doing a semester abroad, very little and spotty computer access until May. She is applying to a few schools this summer, but since I am paying, I wanted to learn a bit about Nova. Thought I would get some input from students. I only know a few people who graduated there PSYD, but years ago. If you don't care for my question, don't engage. Picking a school takes a lot of insight, research, and any advice is welcomed. I have 3 kids in 3 pretty amazing colleges, and they did a world of research as did I, as did their counselors, and family. It takes a village, and we are a close family. She wants to come home to Florida. Why do you care if she wants to go to Nova? I was just seeking advice from current students. If I found students were dissatisfied there, I would advise her to stay put at Penn State.You obviously did not go to school there so please do not engage further. You are no help.
Yep. I don’t go there, not would I. And being abroad doesn’t need preclude her from doing her own research unless she is somewhere without internet. It sounds like you want everyone to say it’s awesome. So it’s awesome for people who feel entitled to become a psychologist and money is no object. It’s aweosme if you don’t care about career prospects or good education. It’s awsome if your helicopter mom is willing to find out about it, fill out your application, and pay for it all no questions asked. It’s not aweosme for her potential clients. My son is in college. He is finding his own internships etc because, you know, he’s an adult and knows he is responsible for his future. He’d be aghast if I was posting on forums asking advice for him. He’s only a freshman, but seems to get he is in charge of his life, not me. And when you post on a public forum, you’re going to get answers you may not like. Just life.
 
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OMG you Psychologists are really not very nice people. I just wanted to hear from students who went there to see if they liked the program.
WOW, just WOW. Everyone is so angry. The Psychologists at Penn State are amazing, and so helpful to students and families. You people are terrible, and you are not even students there. What is it about Nova that you are so angry about?
Yes everyone here is awful. Go to your nova therapist and complain about people not blindly endorsing bad programs. Make sure to play the victim to get the most bang for your buck. You came with attitude so that’s what you may receive back. If you want to hear how aweosme the program is, talk to their admission’s office. If you want real advice, this is a good place to come. Yes, it can get salty sometimes. And sometimes it’s unwarranted. This time it’s not.
 
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again, I just asked 1 question. I was just interested. She WANTS to go there. Just wanted to see what kind of rep it had, and whether people liked it. that's it. Who said anything about doing her application?
 
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OMG you Psychologists are really not very nice people. I just wanted to hear from students who went there to see if they liked the program.
WOW, just WOW. Everyone is so angry. The Psychologists at Penn State are amazing, and so helpful to students and families. You people are terrible, and you are not even students there. What is it about Nova that you are so angry about?

Wait, how do you know this? Are you talking to the faculty at your daughters’ university?
 
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again, I just asked 1 question. I was just interested. She WANTS to go there. Just wanted to see what kind of rep it had, and whether people liked it. that's it. Who said anything about doing her application?
Then, she should come on here and ask questions, not mom. It doesn’t make the best impression. And since you’re doing all her research I assumed you’d be filling out her applications and writing her personal statements too. (Shrug)
 
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Every admissions office says their program is the best. That is why I wanted to see what Nova is really like. Something she won't get from the school.
 
Wait, how do you know this? Are you talking to the faculty at your daughters’ university?
yes, I met a few of her professors over the years, amazing programs, just amazing. They are very close with their students, and families when they visit.
 
isn't it smart to go to school where to plan to practice? Or does that not really matter? PsyD Program is at least 5 years long, the school you pick would be a big commitment. Doesn't each state have their own requirements to get licensed?

“... the school you pick would be a big commitment.” This is exactly it - the school matters because what comes with the school can be a help or a hindrance: fit, support, individualized training (I.e., not having to compete with 30+ other students for supervision, consultation, instruction), preparedness for internship, licensure, etc.

It is more important to go a high-quality program than to go to school where you hope to be licensed.
 
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what FLA schools do you suggest would be better and also APA approved? She has her mind set on NOVA however. Should I try to at least steer her to visit a few others? and which ones?
 
I did not go there (nor would I have considered it, personally), but one of my former students is a student there currently. I don't think she is getting what she was hoping to get out of the program - not much individualized training/supervision, fewer opportunities, etc. The licensure rates there are also concerning for a PsyD program as are the attrition rates, not to even mention the astronomical costs.

You don't need to go to school where you hope to someday practice. There are also typically several moves associated with the process, including internship, post-doc, and so on, so it is rare for anyone to be able to stay in one particular geographical location. I would have your daughter focus on where she can receive the highest quality training, as opposed to any one particular geographical region. I, too, would have loved to stay near family, but it just wasn't realistic for receiving the training I wanted/needed to get.
 
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Thanks for the input. It's hard to know which PSYD programs are good. There are so few that are APA approved, I think only 50 or so. She had been working in a Neuro lab at school and not a fan of working for the school, which is why she wanted to go PSYD. She has a summer internship in Stuart Florida as well.
 
what FLA schools do you suggest would be better and also APA approved? She has her mind set on NOVA however. Should I try to at least steer her to visit a few others? and which ones?
A few things

1. the only programs people will advocate here are APA-accredited. It's a minimum bar (but not a sufficient bar) to select a program.

2. There are a lot of great ones in Florida to pick from (UCF, UF, and FSU are all top notch). They are also competitive because of their reputation.
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation

3. The price difference if you are willing to pay for NOVA is worth paying her a full year to volunteer FT as a RA at a FL lab to increase research productivity. The outcome in earning difference of not sinking 150k+ in lost financial capacity AND having better research/intervention training is notable. Even if you are positioned to drop the money and not have it matter, she will have better connections long term to keep her career options far more open.

4. She may want to do private practice now, but it is typical that goals change during training so selecting a program with the greatest and best training outcomes is critical to ensuring that sort of long term flexibility.

5. If she is abroad for a semester, she is well primed with plenty of time to do her own research this summer.

6. I would encourage your daughter to post here/read here when she returns. She has limited exposure during her UG to be informed about the choices she thinks she will make because of the terminal nature of the field's degree.
 
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I would love for her to stay at Penn State PHD, but she does not want to. Trying to at least recommend a few other schools other than NOVA to her since so many on this forum seems to view the program as inferior for the $. I can at least suggest...She probably won't listen but I can try.
 
I would love for her to stay at Penn State PHD, but she does not want to. Trying to at least recommend a few other schools other than NOVA to her since so many on this forum seems to view the program as inferior for the $. I can at least suggest...She probably won't listen but I can try.
If I might offer some advice that will benefit her in many ways throughout her life, allow her to do this on her own in every way with your only role being to offer advice to seek consultation from the numerous places it is available (here, books on grad school, etc.). It sounds like she, and you, are not fully informed about the nature and process of grad training/admission.
 
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That is what I am trying to do. She is really wanting to go to NOVA, but I wanted to suggest she look at other programs, and wanted advice about NOVA and others so I can offer assistance. She researched the 50 APA approved PSYD, her Psych Advisor at school gave her the list, and a few professors suggested Loyola, but not to disregard Penn State. Just wanted to get other opinions outside of the Penn State Community.
 
That is what I am trying to do. She is really wanting to go to NOVA, but I wanted to suggest she look at other programs, and wanted advice about NOVA and others so I can offer assistance. She researched the 50 APA approved PSYD, her Psych Advisor at school gave her the list, and a few professors suggested Loyola, but not to disregard Penn State. Just wanted to get other opinions outside of the Penn State Community.
I think this came up last time you posted. Clinical psych is arguably the most selective type of post grad training in the US, with admission rates typically <10%. Penn state in particular is particularly competitive, as they get hundreds of applications more than other programs based on the statistics they publish on their website. Thus, it's not really just a matter of applying to a program and getting in. Even some of the most competitive applicants need to apply across multiple cycles, especially if they are just applying to highly competitive programs. Admittedly, I don't know your daughter, but I'm betting that her professors are more just being encouraging than indicating that she's a shoe-in to get admitted to their clinical program, especially if they are not part of the clinical faculty.
 
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I think this came up last time you posted. Clinical psych is arguably the most selective type of post grad training in the US, with admission rates typically <10%. Penn state in particular is particularly competitive, as they get hundreds of applications more than other programs based on the statistics they publish on their website. Thus, it's not really just a matter of applying to a program and getting in. Even some of the most competitive applicants need to apply across multiple cycles, especially if they are just applying to highly competitive programs. Admittedly, I don't know your daughter, but I'm betting that her professors are more just being encouraging than indicating that she's a shoe-in to get admitted to their clinical program, especially if they are not part of the clinical faculty.
Also, I believe OP said previously the daughter hates research. This will not make her competitive for Penn State or any other funded PhD program if she doesn't have much research experience. A better bet may be a LCPC Master's program. Shorter in duration, cheaper, and no research.
 
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I think this came up last time you posted. Clinical psych is arguably the most selective type of post grad training in the US, with admission rates typically <10%. Penn state in particular is particularly competitive, as they get hundreds of applications more than other programs based on the statistics they publish on their website. Thus, it's not really just a matter of applying to a program and getting in. Even some of the most competitive applicants need to apply across multiple cycles, especially if they are just applying to highly competitive programs. Admittedly, I don't know your daughter, but I'm betting that her professors are more just being encouraging than indicating that she's a shoe-in to get admitted to their clinical program, especially if they are not part of the clinical faculty.

yes. true. definitely encouraging. not at all a shoe in. 3.8gpa though, and lots of research so not so shabby.
 
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Also, I believe OP said previously the daughter hates research. This will not make her competitive for Penn State or any other funded PhD program if she doesn't have much research experience. A better bet may be a LCPC Master's program. Shorter in duration, cheaper, and no research.
Sending her this info now by what's app, to research that avenue. thanks for that. yes, she does not like research. Required to do quite a bit of it for her undergrad, and a whole summer internship. I love that idea of LCPC masters, but can you go into private practice with that?
 
She said she called Wakeforest about their Masters program, and they told her that Florida would not recognize their Masters degree for licensure. Wakeforest suggested she get her degree where she plans to practice. Is that true? is that good advice?
 
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She said she called Wakeforest about their Masters program, and they told her that Florida would not recognize their Masters degree for licensure. Wakeforest suggested she get her degree where she plans to practice. Is that true? is that good advice?
WF does not have a clinical degree in psychology. Their experimental program is designed to place people into PhD programs. So no, what your daughter believes is not correct... or rather her understanding is not correct in that no where will take the degree because that isn't what it is for.

Graduate Program » WFU Psychology
The Department of Psychology offers graduate work leading to a research-oriented general MA degree, not a clinical or counseling degree.
 
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It is very difficult to separate research from good-quality doctoral-level training. Programs range from more research-heavy to more clinically-heavy, but research is still a component of doctoral studies. Good clinical practice is based on research, and in order to be an effective clinician, it is important to have a strong understanding of research processes in order to be able to independently evaluate clinical research for effective practice. Sure, your program is going to (hopefully) be teaching you evidence-based treatments, but new evidence is constantly coming out, and when you are out of school and doing your own thing in a private practice, it is even more important to have a strong understanding of research and how to critically analyze it in order to separate the good science from the junk science (and there is a ton of junk science).

Also, you've stated that your daughter has a fair bit of neuro research experience as an undergrad and hates it. The question I have is, does she have an interest in neuropsych? A lot of times, undergrads may just kind of end up in a research lab or they may be interested in something and then that interest shifts. Research can be incredibly tedious when it is on a subject you may not be passionate about. Also, the types of research responsibilities assigned to undergrads is usually a fair bit more menial than what someone does on a graduate level. I would encourage your daughter to maybe think about the type of clinical population she wants to work with (is she interested in teens with eating disorders, people with psychotic disorders, depression, etc.) and try to get involved in a research lab that does that type of research.

Additionally, when evaluating programs, you want to look at outcomes. APA-acccredited programs are required to report their outcomes. Tell your daughter to look at the licensure rates and the EPPP pass rates (without the EPPP you cannot be licensed). See how many people are getting licensed after graduating from the program, and in a PsyD, that number needs to be high. With a PhD, not everyone may need to get licensed in order to meet their career goals (although even most people going into academia will still get their license), but an individual going through a PsyD program has already committed themselves into a practice-oriented career, so if 18% or so of these people aren't licensed, what are they doing with their very expensive degree? Also, graduate school is not like undergrad. There aren't giant lectures where your professor barely knows your name. My classes essentially consist of my cohort and the professor sitting around a conference table and talking about the subject at hand (ethics, clinical foundations, etc.). It is impossible to get the kind of individualized attention necessary to grow as a clinician when you are fighting with 85 students in your cohort (sure the faculty may teach the same class a few times so not all 85 are in the same class, but yikes!). Eighty-five people is more than my entire program combined (and that includes students in every cohort and all the faculty put together). For the record, I am at a university-based PsyD, and I am in my research lab 3 days a week (all of us are in lab multiple days a week). Your daughter can pursue a PsyD, but the better-quality ones will include a significant amount of research and a dissertation at the end of it.

A master's level licensure, such as mental health counseling or social work, is a good option if she really can't stomach the thought of doing research (although even those students have research opportunities as well). The MSW is more portable from state to state. The laws for mental health counselors have a lot more variability across states, so that is a degree she should probably seek out from a Florida institution. Plenty of people go into private practice as mental health counselors and clinical social workers.

One final thought: programs with the higher price tags and larger cohorts often don't have the best outcomes. The school just isn't invested in the success of each, individual student. The programs that have the best outcomes offer funding because they are invested in their students' success, both academically and financially. Yes, you do work for that funding (RA, TA), but those activities are also part of your training as a clinician and a scholar.
 
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WF does not have a clinical degree in psychology. Their experimental program is designed to place people into PhD programs. So no, what your daughter believes is not correct... or rather her understanding is not correct in that no where will take the degree because that isn't what it is for.

Graduate Program » WFU Psychology
Counseling Graduate Program - Wake Forest Department of Counseling
this is the one. counseling degree, they said its not approved by Florida Licensure. They prepare you for a North Carolina license.
 
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It is very difficult to separate research from good-quality doctoral-level training. Programs range from more research-heavy to more clinically-heavy, but research is still a component of doctoral studies. Good clinical practice is based on research, and in order to be an effective clinician, it is important to have a strong understanding of research processes in order to be able to independently evaluate clinical research for effective practice. Sure, your program is going to (hopefully) be teaching you evidence-based treatments, but new evidence is constantly coming out, and when you are out of school and doing your own thing in a private practice, it is even more important to have a strong understanding of research and how to critically analyze it in order to separate the good science from the junk science (and there is a ton of junk science).

Also, you've stated that your daughter has a fair bit of neuro research experience as an undergrad and hates it. The question I have is, does she have an interest in neuropsych? A lot of times, undergrads may just kind of end up in a research lab or they may be interested in something and then that interest shifts. Research can be incredibly tedious when it is on a subject you may not be passionate about. Also, the types of research responsibilities assigned to undergrads is usually a fair bit more menial than what someone does on a graduate level. I would encourage your daughter to maybe think about the type of clinical population she wants to work with (is she interested in teens with eating disorders, people with psychotic disorders, depression, etc.) and try to get involved in a research lab that does that type of research.

Additionally, when evaluating programs, you want to look at outcomes. APA-acccredited programs are required to report their outcomes. Tell your daughter to look at the licensure rates and the EPPP pass rates (without the EPPP you cannot be licensed). See how many people are getting licensed after graduating from the program, and in a PsyD, that number needs to be high. With a PhD, not everyone may need to get licensed in order to meet their career goals (although even most people going into academia will still get their license), but an individual going through a PsyD program has already committed themselves into a practice-oriented career, so if 18% or so of these people aren't licensed, what are they doing with their very expensive degree? Also, graduate school is not like undergrad. There aren't giant lectures where your professor barely knows your name. My classes essentially consist of my cohort and the professor sitting around a conference table and talking about the subject at hand (ethics, clinical foundations, etc.). It is impossible to get the kind of individualized attention necessary to grow as a clinician when you are fighting with 85 students in your cohort (sure the faculty may teach the same class a few times so not all 85 are in the same class, but yikes!). Eighty-five people is more than my entire program combined (and that includes students in every cohort and all the faculty put together). For the record, I am at a university-based PsyD, and I am in my research lab 3 days a week (all of us are in lab multiple days a week). Your daughter can pursue a PsyD, but the better-quality ones will include a significant amount of research and a dissertation at the end of it.

A master's level licensure, such as mental health counseling or social work, is a good option if she really can't stomach the thought of doing research (although even those students have research opportunities as well). The MSW is more portable from state to state. The laws for mental health counselors have a lot more variability across states, so that is a degree she should probably seek out from a Florida institution. Plenty of people go into private practice as mental health counselors and clinical social workers.

One final thought: programs with the higher price tags and larger cohorts often don't have the best outcomes. The school just isn't invested in the success of each, individual student. The programs that have the best outcomes offer funding because they are invested in their students' success, both academically and financially. Yes, you do work for that funding (RA, TA), but those activities are also part of your training as a clinician and a scholar.

great advice. yes, she spends time in lab with neuro - but she said she wants to work with chronically ill and terminally ill kids - like her sister. Our family spends lots of time in hospitals - we have met lots of really sad kids over the years. She wants to work with them. Masters may be a better fit as a mental health counselor? I am going to suggest she research this avenue this summer. Such great advice. Thank you so much for the lengthy response.
 
Everyone thank you so much.....great advice. yes, she spends time in lab with neuro - but she said she wants to work with chronically ill and terminally ill kids - like her sister. Our family spends lots of time in hospitals - we have met lots of really sad kids over the years. She wants to work with them. Masters may be a better fit as a mental health counselor? I am going to suggest she research this avenue this summer. Such great advice. Thank you so much for the lengthy responses.
 
Does anyone go to Nova for their PSYD? My Personal Psychologist went to school there and loved it.
I wanted only to mention that NOVA used to be a very different program. If your psychologists graduate not too recently they probably had a very different experience than one would have nowadays.

She probably won't listen but I can try.
Perhaps you can encourage her to talk to mentors at Penn State. They would have the best perspective on your daughter's abilities and likelihood for success in different types of graduate programs.
 
Wants to work in private practice with chronically ill and terminally ill children like her sister.

Hi there. I didn't attend Nova, but I do work with chronically ill and seriously ill patients (in my case, adults), and that is my specialty. If your daughter wants to train in Florida, a great training site would be the University of Miami, which has a strong focus in clinical health psychology including pediatric health: Child Division Overview. Miami's doctoral program has a much better reputation than Nova's. Again, I say this as someone who does this kind of work and is familiar with many of the training programs within this subfield.

If your daughter is not interested in scientific training (ie, research), then I would recommend clinical social work as an alternative career path. She could still have her own practice with this degree/license combination, but would also be eligible to work in many hospital settings such as children's hospitals and cancer centers. Best of luck.
 
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Your daughter sounds like she could be a good fit for a master’s in social work (MSW). There are plenty of options in Florida, and many have a strong clinical focus. She could get licensed as a clinical social worker and open her own private practice. She could also work in a variety of settings if she decided against private practice (schools, hospitals, CPS, etc.). Definitely look into this. It’s a much cheaper and shorter option.
 
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I also would vote that your daughter seems to want to work in mental health, but does not appear to want to be a psychologist. The former does not automatically equate to the latter. We needs more people who are beholden to and passionate about science and research in clinical psychology (and mental health in general), not less.
 
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Um, not very nice. she is doing a semester abroad, very little and spotty computer access until May. She is applying to a few schools this summer, but since I am paying, I wanted to learn a bit about Nova. Thought I would get some input from students. I only know a few people who graduated there PSYD, but years ago. If you don't care for my question, don't engage. Picking a school takes a lot of insight, research, and any advice is welcomed. I have 3 kids in 3 pretty amazing colleges, and they did a world of research as did I, as did their counselors, and family. It takes a village, and we are a close family. She wants to come home to Florida. Why do you care if she wants to go to Nova? I was just seeking advice from current students. If I found students were dissatisfied there, I would advise her to stay put at Penn State.You obviously did not go to school there so please do not engage further. You are no help.

You’re right that was rude. It’s a common theme on this site. Anyways, I wanted to go to Nova for my PsyD but people scared me away from it because of lack of funding and large cohorts. However, I’m in almost the same amount of debt from a university based PsyD program, and recently matched to internship alongside Nova students. That being said, I would have had the same opportunities if I stayed in my home state like I wanted to. I also was dealt a crappy cohort and would welcome a large cohort now. As long as she works hard she will be able to get an internship and have success. The faculty there is amazing. Also, I think it’s wonderful you’re helping your daughter. My parents never helped me with undergrad or anything.
 
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Florida Tech also has a solid program. Again, students from that program got the same interview and placements for internship as I did so that says a lot. Argosy had a chain of professional schools and thankfully they finally closed, I would avoid similar programs which I believe are mostly in California such as Alliant.
 
I'd also recommend the MSW route. I ended up pursuing a fully-funded PhD in clinical psychology because I was interested in providing mental healthcare and working as a scientist and/or professor. Like others have reported, my program accepted <10% of applicants (e.g., an incoming class of 8 out of 200 applicants).

However, had this not been the case, then I would not have sought doctoral training within the field of clinical psychology. I never considered training in a PsyD program due to their (more often than not) high cost, large cohorts (e.g., less individualized/tailored training), and (at least stereotypically) less robust research training -- Although, as others have mentioned here and in other threads, reputable PsyD programs will generally offer research training (e.g., require research involvement from your daughter) commensurate to that of most clinical psychology PhD programs.

Had I been interested in providing mental healthcare but not interested in working as a scientist or professor, then I would have pursued an MSW. The MSW requires way less time than either a PhD or PsyD, is less expensive than an unfunded doctoral degree, offers way more in terms of geographic stability/flexibility, is still a generally respected degree within the field of mental healthcare, and generates individuals eligible for independent clinical licensure (e.g., LCSW, LMSW) in all 50 states (e.g., they can go into private practice, work for a hospital, etc.), who also earn comparable $$ from insurance companies to psychologists when billing for things like psychotherapy.

Keep in mind that there are some doctoral programs that will be happy to take your money and your daughter's time, so that she can call herself "doctor" while essentially providing the same services that she could have provided for less cost (e.g., time, money) with an MSW (or other "midlevel" degree -- the MSW just seems to be the most flexible/portable IMO).

I am a proponent of students pursuing doctoral training in clinical psychology when they are able to receive full funding (which is essentially the norm not the exception!!) and have professional goals that clearly require doctoral training in clinical psychology; otherwise, it doesn't seem to make financial/professional sense. Others may disagree with me on the stringency of these criteria, but this is the feedback that I generally provide to undergraduates interested in entering the field of mental healthcare.
 
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Hold up for a second. Let's take a step back.

OP, you say that your daughter wants to work with children. Are we talking chronically mentally ill, autism spectrum, etc?

Also why does she want a PsyD and why does she want to go to NOVA?

The arguments here are jumping the gun a bit IMO. Going to grad school in psychology is a lot like going to med school. You get the general knowledge, but unless you have mentors that work in the area you want to work in, you will not get specialized training and are less likley to end up at the very competitive child psych sites that are needed for internship and post-doctoral residency. Without those experiences, it is like a family medicine doctor that wants to work in a pediatric specialty. You are not the expert and you won't have the career you think you will have.

My suggestions:

1. Get the book the Insiders Guide to Clinical and Counseling Psych by Norcross. It has a listing of all the programs. Find the ones with the best child psych training that are not too research intensive (the guide give you a ball park scale for this). Consider applying to those programs, regardless of geography.

2. If your daughter is not into research and doesn't want to slog through the doctorate, look into good programs in Applied Behavior analysis. It is in demand for children on the spectrum and she will be more of a specialist in that area than if she went to a general PsyD/PhD program with no specific child training.
 
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Agree with those who say that social work seems like it would fit with what your daughter wants to do. Child Life might also be a great fit.
I had the same thought about Child Life. I know a psychologist who works as a child life specialist, but I also worked with many who had other training. They did wonderful work.
 
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follow up to thread - decision PsyD Nova - starts fall 2020
 
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