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- May 6, 2015
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Hi all,
I'm currently building a graduate school application list and am frankly a bit lost. I'm will be graduating with a BA in psychology next May. Up until a little while ago, I was convinced I should go down the PhD route. I got the general sense that PsyD programs are not worth the debt and have limitations when it comes to job opportunities.
I'd like to eventually work with inpatient populations, particularly forensic populations. I'm currently an extern on a state inpatient psychiatric unit and am loving it. I'm also particularly interested in PTSD/trauma, and so would likely enjoy working at a VA hospital down the line. I enjoy research and am involved in two labs at school now as an undergraduate, but I am pretty sure I don't want to be a career researcher, even though I'd enjoy research during my graduate years. I mostly see myself doing trauma research (which I am very interested in) and going on to work in a hospital and possibly opening my own practice later on.
I have gotten through undergrad on loans and cannot afford 5+ years of an expensive PsyD program. I also don't want to be limited with a PsyD, which I've been led to believe but I'm not sure is true. I generally got the idea that PhDs have more doors open to them in terms of research and teaching, which I'd like to have the option to do.
However, I've also recently been told by PhD professors at my university that they are not interested in students who are looking to do clinical work, since they only want students who are interested in furthering research for the rest of their careers. They basically said I would have to lie at interviews and say I want to dedicate my life to research, or at least say I want to do both clinical work and research.
Does anyone have any inside knowledge on this coming from clinical PhD programs? Or just any general opinions on PsyD vs. PhD when hoping to do clinical work?
Thank you!
I'm currently building a graduate school application list and am frankly a bit lost. I'm will be graduating with a BA in psychology next May. Up until a little while ago, I was convinced I should go down the PhD route. I got the general sense that PsyD programs are not worth the debt and have limitations when it comes to job opportunities.
I'd like to eventually work with inpatient populations, particularly forensic populations. I'm currently an extern on a state inpatient psychiatric unit and am loving it. I'm also particularly interested in PTSD/trauma, and so would likely enjoy working at a VA hospital down the line. I enjoy research and am involved in two labs at school now as an undergraduate, but I am pretty sure I don't want to be a career researcher, even though I'd enjoy research during my graduate years. I mostly see myself doing trauma research (which I am very interested in) and going on to work in a hospital and possibly opening my own practice later on.
I have gotten through undergrad on loans and cannot afford 5+ years of an expensive PsyD program. I also don't want to be limited with a PsyD, which I've been led to believe but I'm not sure is true. I generally got the idea that PhDs have more doors open to them in terms of research and teaching, which I'd like to have the option to do.
However, I've also recently been told by PhD professors at my university that they are not interested in students who are looking to do clinical work, since they only want students who are interested in furthering research for the rest of their careers. They basically said I would have to lie at interviews and say I want to dedicate my life to research, or at least say I want to do both clinical work and research.
Does anyone have any inside knowledge on this coming from clinical PhD programs? Or just any general opinions on PsyD vs. PhD when hoping to do clinical work?
Thank you!