Studying abroad while earning a PsyD

[Erica1990]

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I'm currently a psych undergrad (junior) learning both Spanish and French and plan to become fluent in both. Unfortunately, I only have room in my schedule to study abroad for a semester in a Spanish-speaking country and right after graduation I'm going to go straight to graduate school for a PsyD. Would I be able to study abroad while in grad school for a semester in France? Is it advisable?

On another note: Does anyone know the job market for PsyD grads in NYC? Whats the starting salary?

 

[Marissa4usa]

I'm currently a psych undergrad (junior) learning both Spanish and French and plan to become fluent in both. Unfortunately, I only have room in my schedule to study abroad for a semester in a Spanish-speaking country and right after graduation I'm going to go straight to graduate school for a PsyD. Would I be able to study abroad while in grad school for a semester in France? Is it advisable?

On another note: Does anyone know the job market for PsyD grads in NYC? Whats the starting salary?

Well, first off you don't know whether you will getting accepted into a doctoral program right away. Moreover, I don't think it has anything to do with being advisable rather than possible.
I don't that is has never, ever happened that somebody went abroad during their psychology graduate education but it's not like there are exchange programs like there are for undergraduate students, let alone anything that allows you take transferable credit.
My concern would also be studying in a different language. It's one thing to take courses as an undergraduate exchange student and potentially barely pass them (even if you had that language in school for many years). It's another to do graduate work. And especially in PsyD program you'll need to speak with clients. You'll need to be fluent, you can't learn that as you go.

If you can pull it off, though, go for it.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Would I be able to study abroad while in grad school for a semester in France? Is it advisable?

No and No.

99%+ of doctoral programs start in the Fall, and you will need to be on campus for it. The <1% would be for transfer students who may start in the Spring, and they are such a small minority, it really isn't an option.

Completing doctoral training is not a part-time thing. I'd be very hesitant to even mention this idea to programs because they will most likely view you as a liability because you aren't fully committed to your training.

 

[wigflip]

I'm currently a psych undergrad (junior) learning both Spanish and French and plan to become fluent in both. Unfortunately, I only have room in my schedule to study abroad for a semester in a Spanish-speaking country and right after graduation I'm going to go straight to graduate school for a PsyD. Would I be able to study abroad while in grad school for a semester in France? Is it advisable?

Are you already accepted? Is it an online degree? If the latter, I'm afraid you probably won't hear many kind words about online education at sdn.

 

[psychology24]

+1

There are some PhD/PsyD programs that have study abroad components (I think SUNY-Albany, Counseling PhD is Portugal and for some reason I am thinking either Virginia Commonwealth or another Virginia program is a Spanish-speaking location). There are also specialty bi-lingual programs. Off the top of my head I am thinking Our Lady of the Lake, Psy.D program and Duquesne University Clinical PhD recently opened a Spanish-Speaking Psych Clinic where they offer such services.

As for the French, I would agree with everyone else that it is pretty uncommon to have a study abroad placement during school. However, I am sure you could arrange it if you are pretty dedicated (for instance, doing your dissertation while abroad), Fulbright scholarship, etc.

Well, first off you don't know whether you will getting accepted into a doctoral program right away. Moreover, I don't think it has anything to do with being advisable rather than possible.
I don't that is has never, ever happened that somebody went abroad during their psychology graduate education but it's not like there are exchange programs like there are for undergraduate students, let alone anything that allows you take transferable credit.
My concern would also be studying in a different language. It's one thing to take courses as an undergraduate exchange student and potentially barely pass them (even if you had that language in school for many years). It's another to do graduate work. And especially in PsyD program you'll need to speak with clients. You'll need to be fluent, you can't learn that as you go.

If you can pull it off, though, go for it.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

There may be an opportunity to do field work overseas (study a specific aspect of diversity or a rare genetic anomoly that contributes to a specific disorder), but those are very hard to come by and I'd expect those opportunities to be incredibly sought after by students. Attending an international conference somewhere is probably as close as 99% of people will come to doing any work overseas....besides studying in Canada.

 

[jessa1984]

There may be an opportunity to do field work overseas (study a specific aspect of diversity or a rare genetic anomoly that contributes to a specific disorder), but those are very hard to come by and I'd expect those opportunities to be incredibly sought after by students. Attending an international conference somewhere is probably as close as 99% of people will come to doing any work overseas....besides studying in Canada.

Ya I have to agree, very highly unlikely, although not impossible. Maybe try finding a POI that does collaborative research with others in another country?? Where I work we have a little bit of that but it's with Germany, not France. Even so, we aren't traveling back and forth or anything like that. I think you could check out Yeshiva U too. There is one professor in the health division who actually does this type of thing (Sonia Suchday). Students go to India/Israel I believe but I'm not 100% sure. But again, it's not France.

With that said, I think it is a shame there isn't more international collaborations/cross cultural research. It happens but not as often as one would hope for.

 

[wigflip]

I'm going to go straight to graduate school for a PsyD

Well, if you're a junior now, it sounds like things may change between now and graduation anyway (what if, for example, you don't get in to any PsyD programs straight out of undergrad?). If you enjoy travel, consider deferring the long grad school slog for a year and taking time to live and/or work overseas. You won't get that opportunity back once you head down the doctoral study path.

 

[Erica1990]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'll just add on another year of undergrad and study abroad then.