RA job vs. Master's program

[cardsXC]

I hate to clutter the board, but I am struggling big time with this decision. I got rejected from all my PhDs (and justifiably so) and need to get research on my resume before I have a serious shot. That said, I need to decide between two (fairly solid) master's programs and my current internship that has offered to pay me if I stick around.

This is how it plays out in my mind

RA job (small private practice, but the executive director is cutting back her evals to focus on research, so it would just be the two of us)

• Probably break even considering living expenses, as opposed to taking on student loans
• Publications
• I won't mind a small break from academia
• The populations are very similar to what I want to focus on, though not completely exact

Master's

• Thesis - possibly transfer it into a PhD program
• Transfer a couple credits
• More rounded training
• Both research and practicum are part of the curricula

I would love to hear from others that may have been in this situation. Would a master's student have more of a chance then someone out of the work force? Is hoping things transfer in from a master's even significant enough to be a priority?


Thanks for any and all input

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[lava12345]

I hate to clutter the board, but I am struggling big time with this decision. I got rejected from all my PhDs (and justifiably so) and need to get research on my resume before I have a serious shot. That said, I need to decide between two (fairly solid) master's programs and my current internship that has offered to pay me if I stick around.

This is how it plays out in my mind

RA job (small private practice, but the executive director is cutting back her evals to focus on research, so it would just be the two of us)

• Probably break even considering living expenses, as opposed to taking on student loans
• Publications
• I won't mind a small break from academia
• The populations are very similar to what I want to focus on, though not completely exact

Master's

• Thesis - possibly transfer it into a PhD program
• Transfer a couple credits
• More rounded training
• Both research and practicum are part of the curricula

I would love to hear from others that may have been in this situation. Would a master's student have more of a chance then someone out of the work force? Is hoping things transfer in from a master's even significant enough to be a priority?


Thanks for any and all input

I personally would lean towards an RA job. A thesis from a Masters may or may not transfer, not all PhD programs accept them. Same thing with practicum hours. Also, most Master's require you to pay full tuition.

The only reason I would suggest someone go to a Master's is if they had a low undergrad GPA. You didn't mention what yours was?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

While I haven't heard of many cases in which a thesis didn't transfer over (at least in my program), the number of credits that did were very limited. In and of itself, the thesis transferring doesn't save people much, if any, time. Same goes with credits/classes--even if they transfer, you might have to "make it up" by taking other classes (e.g., if intermediate stats transfers, you may have to take advanced stats just to get the credit hours).

Thus, I agree with the above poster. Unless your undergrad GPA was on the low end, the RA job sounds like it would be the better deal overall. You won't get the coursework, but it sounds like you'll be adequately involved in research, and will actually be paid as opposed to having to come up with $10-20+k/year in tuition and fees.

 

[Pragma]

I normally would say RA job all the way, but pp and research don't always mix. I assume the practice is doing well if they can afford to cut back on billable practice.

You might get more recognition with an RA job affiliated with a particular grant or institution. That said, it is what you make of it and it sounds like you are confident you will get pubs. However, if it is just you and your boss, expect to work really hard!

 

[cardsXC]

I personally would lean towards an RA job. A thesis from a Masters may or may not transfer, not all PhD programs accept them. Same thing with practicum hours. Also, most Master's require you to pay full tuition.

The only reason I would suggest someone go to a Master's is if they had a low undergrad GPA. You didn't mention what yours was?

My undergrad will end up around 3.6, along with an independent study that I'll present at our university research conference and then this current internship. I think my main reason for a master's is possibly knock off a year of a potential PhD while still helping my resume, but I'm beginning to think that's a gamble.

I normally would say RA job all the way, but pp and research don't always mix. I assume the practice is doing well if they can afford to cut back on billable practice.

You might get more recognition with an RA job affiliated with a particular grant or institution. That said, it is what you make of it and it sounds like you are confident you will get pubs. However, if it is just you and your boss, expect to work really hard!

I never thought of this. My supervisor has been talking about her grant application that's is still in the works, but is it worth asking about where it's coming from? Would that be appropriate?

 

[zensouth]

There is one main benefit from doing a Master's and that is getting experience doing therapy. That experience might not help too much in applications, but there were several students in my Master's who, after actually doing counseling, decided that it wasn't for them. Going straight from a BA/BS into a PhD program you might not get that until a year or more into your training, and at that point you have probably invested a lot of effort/money/loans. I would hate to find out that counseling/therapy isn't for me after being that far into a program.

On the other hand, it sounds like you're a research oriented person, so even if you don't like therapy a PhD gives you the option of having a career around research.

 

[Pragma]

I never thought of this. My supervisor has been talking about her grant application that's is still in the works, but is it worth asking about where it's coming from? Would that be appropriate?

Sure why not? They may even let you see a copy of the grant so that you know what it is about and if you are interested.

However, some people are stingy about those kinds of questions. But if you are making a decision here about your future, it is good to have information. If this is a grant just being submitted, you are likely multiple years form having data to publish.

 

[lava12345]

Sure why not? They may even let you see a copy of the grant so that you know what it is about and if you are interested.

However, some people are stingy about those kinds of questions. But if you are making a decision here about your future, it is good to have information. If this is a grant just being submitted, you are likely multiple years form having data to publish.

Ooh, "in the works" is not a good sign. If it is an NIH grant, those take months to approve even after submission, and depending on the level of the grant (R01, K award, etc) the number that are actually funded is in the 20% range.

When I posted before, I was thinking more of an RA job in an established lab.

 

[Psychgirl757]

To be honest - I did both. 2 years of RC experience and Master's degree before applying to PhD programs. If I had to weigh which experience strengthen my application, it would definitely be the RC position only because I had two publications out of it and my experience included both clinical and research aspects. However, while getting my master's, I went to my first APA conference and presented a poster. I think it depends where you find your RC position. I would take that factor into consideration. The fact that your supervisor is still unsure about the funding might not look so great.

 

[cardsXC]

Thanks for the input everyone, it is much appreciated! Yes, the practice I'm at is by no means on the same level as a research institute. It does a lot of forensic work; court ordered referrals from Juvenile Services and Child Protective services, and also referrals from the county board of education, but the research area is very minor. I didn't know that research, like schools, had varying levels of prominence so I think I'll continue to look elsewhere for RA jobs, and hold off on acceptances if nothing comes up.