Research Assistant in Unrelated Field

[GreenPsych]

I will be applying to Clinical PhD programs.

Is a RA (full time and paid with benefits) worthwhile/helpful if it is in Preventative Medicine? It involves psychosocial evals and other psych evals, but is primarily interested in other research questions that are NOT related to Psych.

I have an interview for the position in a few weeks and wondered how it would be looked upon during the Clinical Psych application process. I believe I am the clear front runner at this time per conversation with a Professor I know.

Thanks.

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[VeggieDelight]

First off, good job on (almost) securing a position! My advice is to ask yourself, does this really interest me? If you think you'll enjoy the work, do it. Who knows, you may find yourself wanting to pursue something other than a clinical psych PhD (there's always a possibility). If you're into health psych, then that position sounds very relevant. For other areas, maybe not so much. You can get into a program doing any kind of research and it happens all the time, provided you have a clear idea of what you want to do in graduate school come application time. However, if you have an idea right now about the research questions you want to explore, I'd suggest looking for RA positions in that area. Having a background in the content area for which you're applying is always a plus.

 

[deleted343839]

In general, I think this would be evaluated favorably. Ph.D. programs would be interested to know how you function as a member of a research team, your ability to absorb and apply knowledge consistently, and so forth. It is a risky prospect to accept an applicant with little or no experience by which to gauge these criteria. In fact, when I was in grad school, it was unusual for new students to come into our program without professional research experience of this sort (granted, mine was a research-oriented Ph.D. program at a large research university, but I think research experience looks great in general).

It sounds like your specific job functions would be both psychology-specific and would entail a large amount of responsibility. Both are great things, especially if you can make a strong impression on your supervisor. The fact that the research aims are not primarily psychological would not be of great concern to me. Increasingly, psychologists are working as team members or consultants alongside other types of professionals. It is to your benefit to show that you can be a part of a multidisciplinary team and "represent" psychology well. If you can tie some of your job activities or on-the-job insights into your research or training interests, you'll be ahead of the game.

Jobs are in short supply right now. Unless you're drawing a monthly check from a trust fund, I would take the first opportunity that looks likely to help you develop and grow professionally. Just make sure it fits for YOU and that you will be sufficiently motivated and interested to do a stellar job.

 

[GreenPsych]

Thank you for your replies.

MamaPhD... I am an older applicant with two previous MA's (Philosophy and an MBA respectively). I am currently working as the Director of a mid-sized Non-Profit (501c3) so it would be a large financial shock to our system at home, however it is doable from a budgetary standpoint. Further, I have 2 and a half years of volunteer research experience so it is not as if the this position is the only taste of research I would have been a part of up to this point. I am also very sure of the research fit I am looking for during the application cycle for Clinical PhDs this Fall.

I plan to pursue the application and interview process to the end and make a decision if and when the position is offered. Currently, I'm leaning toward accepting the position if and when offered.

Again I thank each of you for your input.