Things I hate about psychology!

[50960]

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I am happy with being a psychologist, but there are some things about the profession and the people in it that drive me crazy: Old-timers with a 60's era PhD who declare I should not be doing what I do on because THEY are not trained to do it (medical psych); Genograms; People who can't STOP being a psychologist when socializing; APA dogmatists; people who believe accrediting means something useful; counselors who call me by my first name...my message says "Dr. blah blah" for a reason JOE. OK I am done for today, but would love others to keep this thread going 😉

 

[Annakei]

"People who can't STOP being a psychologist when socializing"

I agree. Daily I come across people who just in passing conversation can't seem to do so without flirting with the DSM IV.

"Old-timers with a 60's era PhD who declare I should not be doing what I do on because THEY are not trained to do it (medical psych); "

Im curious to know what the old timers say specifically and what context? Could it be their resistance to change?

 

[50960]

Like, "you really should not be recommending medications/changes", "It's all psychosomatic, otherwise it would have been treated already by the physician" etc.. I even had one person say, in regards to me doing inpatient work at a general acute care hospital as part of my duties on the medical staff, "they just think you are a psychiatrist, that is why they don't question your role". It goes on and on. 🙂

 

[psychgeek]

I HATE IT when I get the psychology equivalent of “would you take a look at this wart?” I do not want to know about my bartender’s bipolar uncle when I am out drinking with my friends, and people never seem to understand that you can’t really help them based upon their woefully incomplete descriptions of their friend’s treatment with “something that begins with an ‘L.’”

 

[50960]

Good one!!! Me too...

🙂

 

[PsychEval]

Great thread Psisci.
1. Old-timers with a 60's era PhD who declare I should not be doing what I do on because THEY are not trained to do it (medical psych). Wow, I can relate to this one. These tend to be the same folks who are not aware of current trends in the field. Read the Monitor, it is not just a coffee coaster!
2. 7 page test reports that provide only ½ page of new information. In a hospital, there is no need to rewrite the H & P. Who has time to read all that?
3. Flakes in the field who make us all look bad by telling patients things like, “hug the teddy bear and get in touch with your inner child.”
4. Psychologists and psychiatrists who only diagnosis Axis I, and put Diagnosis Deferred on Axis II after 10 years of treatment.
5. Mental Health Care Providers who are afraid of evidenced based practice. We had better shape our future or others will shape it for us.
6. Mental Health Care Providers who work part time but then complain about not making $100,000 a year. If you want the bucks, you will likely have to work hard.
7. Everywhere I go I run into someone who has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

 

[Allotheria]

I HATE IT when I get the psychology equivalent of “would you take a look at this wart?” I do not want to know about my bartender’s bipolar uncle when I am out drinking with my friends, and people never seem to understand that you can’t really help them based upon their woefully incomplete descriptions of their friend’s treatment with “something that begins with an ‘L.’”

HAHA, Oh my god I get that all the time. I've come up with a few strategies to deal with this situation. First when people start asking questions I calmly explain that now they’re getting into what I like to call “billable hours” or I just have them buy me drinks for continued services.

 

[amimi]

How about when you tell people what you do and they respond with "oh, that means you can read people's minds, right?" and "so you can tell what I'm thinking right now, huh?"

Because, no, mind-reading and telepathy are much more advanced levels of psychology than I'm at right now...

 

[Ad13]

How about when you tell people what you do and they respond with "oh, that means you can read people's minds, right?" and "so you can tell what I'm thinking right now, huh?"

Because, no, mind-reading and telepathy are much more advanced levels of psychology than I'm at right now...[/QUOTE

I hear that Amimi...The typical response after hearing you are in the field of or studying psychology .."Stop picking my brain." Unfortunately, most of the people who provide this generic response can have their brain picked from across the room w/o saying a single word. 😀

 

[psychgeek]

How about when you tell people what you do and they respond with "oh, that means you can read people's minds, right?" and "so you can tell what I'm thinking right now, huh?"

Because, no, mind-reading and telepathy are much more advanced levels of psychology than I'm at right now...

Ugghhh! I hate that too.

I always have to restrain myself from saying, "yes I can and its filthy. You should be ashamed of yourself."

How about testing referrals that have no referral question? Am I just supposed to test for everything? Should I do a neuro/dementia/diagnostic/axisII/placement/dissability battery?

 

[winnie]

I always have to restrain myself from saying, "yes I can and its filthy. You should be ashamed of yourself."

This I can actually use!

 

[Flutterbyu]

PhD students and recipients who believe they are superior to all PsyD students and professional school students in general. Don't they teach individual differences in PhD programs?

 

[lazure]

I have learned to say that I study experimental psychology at parties....I started to do that after a guy was trying to pick me up by insisting he had social phobia and needed anti-depressants (?!). I also have been yelled at by a stranger that psychologists allow untrained therapists to practice therapy, also at a dinner party...

 

[psyapps]

How about when you tell people what you do and they respond with "oh, that means you can read people's minds, right?" and "so you can tell what I'm thinking right now, huh?"

Ha, i even got this when I told people I majored in psych.

 

[psychapp]

Just to add mine in.....by the way, I do research with people with schizophrenia and I am starting a PhD program this fall........

My favorite is when you say you work in psychology/psychiatry, people then respond with, "Oh, so you work with the nutjobs/crazies/loonies/insert your own stigmatizing adjective for the mentally ill here??"

I guess this will continue as long as we have movies/books that portray mental illness in horrible lights (why do people still think that schizophrenia means multiple personalities?????), or people like Tom Cruise or some other celebrity idiot holding the field of psychiatry (the pseudo-science) back.

 

[amimi]

or people like Tom Cruise or some other celebrity idiot holding the field of psychiatry (the pseudo-science) back.

The gig is up--everyone now knows that our profession is total hackery thanks to the altruistic Tom Cruise. Thank goodness we have actors to read medical journals in between movie scripts and piece through all the neurochemical mumbo-jumbo and out us for the liars we really all are. Pack up your pseudo-science textbooks, stop peddling your adderall and let's all pick up a copy of Dianetics and wait for the aliens to show up.

 

[Shatani]

I HATE IT when I get the psychology equivalent of “would you take a look at this wart?” I do not want to know about my bartender’s bipolar uncle when I am out drinking with my friends, and people never seem to understand that you can’t really help them based upon their woefully incomplete descriptions of their friend’s treatment with “something that begins with an ‘L.’”

OMG! i am so with you on this!!! my number of friends is slowly dwindling while my number of patients slowly rises! and heaven forbid i mention what im in school for in a social setting! crikey! thats my number one pet peeve....






....even though i hate the term pet peeve. 😛

 

[Shatani]

Ugghhh! I hate that too.

I always have to restrain myself from saying, "yes I can and its filthy. You should be ashamed of yourself."

How about testing referrals that have no referral question? Am I just supposed to test for everything? Should I do a neuro/dementia/diagnostic/axisII/placement/dissability battery?

i never EVER restrain myself!!! its good to make people feel dumb occasionally! 😀

 

[ProZackMI]

A few of mine...

1. "I bet you're analyzing me right now and think I'm nuts, right?" Um, no, I'm thinking about pizza, but it's nice to see that you think so highly of yourself.

2. "So, you get paid a ton of money to sit and talk with people about their miserable lives all day? Must be nice."

3. "Psychology/psychiatry isn't real science -- anyone could do it!"

4. "You went to medical school for that?"

5. "So, are you a social worker?"

 

[50960]

Not the most positive thread to have as our first sticky, but I had to learn on something, and I would like to see this thread continue....it's funny. When I first posted I wrote that I hate "genograms" lol...but I meant "anagrams" 🙂 More please!!

I hate when I take the time to explain what my job is to someone and then they say "so you just talk to people?"

 

[psychgeek]

Not the most positive thread to have as our first sticky, but I had to learn on something, and I would like to see this thread continue....it's funny. When I first posted I wrote that I hate "genograms" lol...but I meant "anagrams" 🙂 More please!!

I hate when I take the time to explain what my job is to someone and then they say "so you just talk to people?"

I am sure my internship will be an endless source of material for this thread.

Here are some recent additions.

1. People who use the last WISC/WAIS/WMS scoring form and fail to order new ones. Do they think the forms will order themselves?
2. People who dismiss psychodynamic approaches as unsupported and unscientific without reading any of the research that supports them or even really understanding they are.
3. People who dismiss CBT as a “cookbook approach” without bothering to read any of the alleged “cookbooks.”
4. MDs who think mania is indicated by sleeping less than 7 hrs a night, feeling oddly energetic once in awhile, having a history involving any impulsive act, or a “hunch.”

 

[Annakei]

Not the most positive thread to have as our first sticky, but I had to learn on something, and I would like to see this thread continue....it's funny. When I first posted I wrote that I hate "genograms" lol...but I meant "anagrams" 🙂 More please!!

I hate when I take the time to explain what my job is to someone and then they say "so you just talk to people?"

Great!!! Youve found it!! Now can you add the other threads that would be great sources of info to the Sticky list?

 

[winnie]

When I first posted I wrote that I hate "genograms" lol...but I meant "anagrams" 🙂 More please!!

And I hate hangman 😛 Now, I'm curious --- what is it you hate?

 

[Kevin Psych]

One thing that I've occasionally heard people say to denounce psychologists is "Psychologists aren't real doctors."

 

[lazure]

Med students who say "you just need a BA to be a psychologist, right?"....

 

[psych101]

When parents of children you are treating ask, "do you have kids?" -- if they find out you do not, then they believe you can't possibly understand them or help them. Yeah, guess those 10 years of school are useless in helping you figure out how to get your whining 3 year old to stop tantruming...

 

[lazure]

When parents of children you are treating ask, "do you have kids?" -- if they find out you do not, then they believe you can't possibly understand them or help them. Yeah, guess those 10 years of school are useless in helping you figure out how to get your whining 3 year old to stop tantruming...

I look young and I get that question EVERY time. Funnily enough, a gyno does not have to be a woman and an oncologist does not have to have had cancer to be perceived as competent...

I've learned to answer "not yet" and that goes over better....I find it of great diagnostic value when the parent angrily snarks "after seeing my kid, you'll never want kids"....in front of the child.... 🙄

 

[DaffyDoc]

One thing that I've occasionally heard people say to denounce psychologists is "Psychologists aren't real doctors."

next time ask them, "What is your definition of a real doctor?"

 

[DaffyDoc]

Med students who say "you just need a BA to be a psychologist, right?"....

They're just trying to buy your goat.

 

[NTM]

Hey Guys,
Just wanted to say hi and I enjoy reading all of your threads! I have my PsyD but am currently a 2nd year med student. However, I do love my psych background and dont want to lose touch with my roots! By the way, any of you guys in Miami?

 

[sasevan]

Hey Guys,
Just wanted to say hi and I enjoy reading all of your threads! I have my PsyD but am currently a 2nd year med student. However, I do love my psych background and dont want to lose touch with my roots! By the way, any of you guys in Miami?

Hi NTM,

I'm also a PsyD in Miami currently completing pre-med reqs; planning on applying in 2006 and starting (hopefully) in 2007.
I'm committed to staying in touch with my psychology roots too and intend to go into psychiatry.
Are you at UM or NSU?
Will you be going into psychiatry?

P.S. Its awesome to know that you're in the area; I have about a thousand questions for you...LOL. BTW, we're not alone. When I was completing my psychology residency at UM/JMH I met three other psychologist to psychiatrist individuals, among them the former Chair of the Dept of Psych and Beh Sciences.

Peace, 🙂

 

[QPublic]

I am happy with being a psychologist, but there are some things about the profession and the people in it that drive me crazy: Old-timers with a 60's era PhD who declare I should not be doing what I do on because THEY are not trained to do it (medical psych); Genograms; People who can't STOP being a psychologist when socializing; APA dogmatists; people who believe accrediting means something useful; counselors who call me by my first name...my message says "Dr. blah blah" for a reason JOE. OK I am done for today, but would love others to keep this thread going 😉

The "people who can't stop being a psychologist when socializing" annoy me too... fortunately, it seemed much more prevalent during the first few years of graduate school... or maybe it's that I don't work with too many other psychologists now.... and the first name thing....yeah, that's annoying too (assuming it's not a colleague).

 

[50960]

Getting seriouisly busted
or "pretendinding" toknow somethimg I learned in med school......., and getin sh0ot dowjn for it. If you want info and helo write to me, I will do u best beteween betweem Have thew mrite em hwewwq and I will get them where thjey are goinj


so
speling is a problem........

 

[RainbowTVP]

When parents of children you are treating ask, "do you have kids?" -- if they find out you do not, then they believe you can't possibly understand them or help them. Yeah, guess those 10 years of school are useless in helping you figure out how to get your whining 3 year old to stop tantruming...

Yeah... but when you say "yes" they still dismiss your experience, because your kids can't possibly be like their child.

Tara P

 

[destinydell]

...

 

[Forensic M.S.]

i hate ph.d holding doctors thinking they are superior to those who hold other degrees.

 

[Forensic M.S.]

Think? Perhaps, you meant to say. . . know.

No, not really. I prefer autonomy from a research university setting and its accompanying elitist tendencies, but that's just me.

case in point: conservative ideas of what psychology should be. psychology is not done developing yet. it will change.

 

[Forensic M.S.]

I was, of course, kidding . . .a little.

No, it isn't done developing and never will be, but where will it go. . . towards the Psy.D. which is kind of like getting a doctorate in audiology or occupational therapy or towards the Ph.D.?

I'm not sure what conservative ideas you refer to. Enlighten me.

Psychology should be a science. The practice of psychology should be based directly on research.

General things. .

The reqs to get into psychology should remain high (I like the Ph.D. standard over the Psy.D. standard here). Allowing the reqs to diminish, diminishes psychology.

How are the standards of a Ph.D higher in any way to a Psy.D.? Because you focus more on research and the experiment/empirical nature of psychology? It shouldn't head to either side, in fact it should continue to expand in my opinion. Psychology based on research with no real world application of it is imo absolutely meaningless. I believe both sides are necessary to facilitate psychology and it's a shame that those less inclined towards research and publishing get less respect from the field. It is pure academic elitism at play. I believe psychology to be more than a classroom science and am inclined to its professional aspects. I believe the scientist-practitioner model is in dire need of a resurgence.

 

[Forensic M.S.]

Admission standards are higher. Student to teacher ratios are much lower. Understanding of research is generally higher. This leads to greater depth of understanding of the subject matter in my opinion.




I don't understand this statement. Doesn't it depend on the question? Regarding psychology, I assume you mean clinical practice. Isn't clinical practice based on research by virtue of what it is a real world application? Ergo, this scenario cannot exist.




No, it's a philosophy of training issue, not academic elitism. There are not two sides in the way you mean, I don't think. A good Ph.D. program is, on average, going to be better than a good Psy.D. program at both clinical and research training.





Hmm. I agree that psychology is more than a classroom science. The scientist-practitioner model dominates Ph.D. psychology. It is a model I agree with.

No, the scientist-practioner model does not dominate the Ph.D. program in general. That is a fallacy, as it the fact that more competitive admission rates mean a better program. Ph.D rates are more competetive in that there is a need for funding and recognition to receive said funding, therefore that means the university isn't self-sufficient like a professional school that charges a much higher amount to be able to run in order to ensure a higher admission rate. On average, I would agree that the teacher to student ratio is lower than Psy.D programs, however in general most graduate programs worth their salt have a low teacher to student rate already. Also, how is it possible for a Ph.D student to have a better knowledge of clinical practice if the student has to simultaneously conduct research and worry about being published and also teaching undergrads for a stipend at the same time?

I realize I am overgeneralizing on both ends but in the end I still find your argument to be fundamentally flawed and unconvincing in my opinion.

 

[psycholytic]

You know, the scary thing is that there is so much movement and change within our field , so that newcomers (studywise) like me have a hard time sorting it all out. The great thing is, that all these characters you mentioned will retire soon and will free the way for a different species-----US !!!
I have a few on my campus who behave exactely in the described way and I ask them sometimes when they actually retire. I am pretty sure they know what I mean 😉

I think my reply ended up in the wrong spot. Oh well................

 

[soaringheights]

I hate the way some psychiatrists look down at psychologists and believe that they rule the patient's treatment.
I also sporadically find it amusing, when my head is not blowing off with anger, when psychiatrists offer psychotherapy as one of their services, but raise a hue n cry over psychologists prescribing medication. Any ethical and sensible psychologist would not prescribe medication, and I believe that there is only a miniscule number who do so, and overstep their boundaries. Interestingly, when I was discussing this issue of medicine prescription with a psychiatrist, he was quick to remind me that it wouldn't be correct for me to do so. I agreed that it wasn't ethical, but when I turned over the question of psychiatrists doing psychotherapy, n whether it was ethical for them to do so, he suddenly lost his speech and seemed distracted by the trees outside...... 🙂

 

[PsychEval]

I hate the way some psychiatrists look down at psychologists and believe that they rule the patient's treatment.
I also sporadically find it amusing, when my head is not blowing off with anger, when psychiatrists offer psychotherapy as one of their services, but raise a hue n cry over psychologists prescribing medication. Any ethical and sensible psychologist would not prescribe medication, and I believe that there is only a miniscule number who do so, and overstep their boundaries. Interestingly, when I was discussing this issue of medicine prescription with a psychiatrist, he was quick to remind me that it wouldn't be correct for me to do so. I agreed that it wasn't ethical, but when I turned over the question of psychiatrists doing psychotherapy, n whether it was ethical for them to do so, he suddenly lost his speech and seemed distracted by the trees outside...... 🙂

The American Psychological Association supports prescriptive authority for psychologists.

 

[PublicHealth]

Things I hate about psychology: People arguing about PhD vs. PsyD.

 

[psychgeek]

Things I hate about psychology: People arguing about PhD vs. PsyD.

Can we officially declare a moritorium on this EXTREMELY TIRED DEBATE? Or maybe we should have a sticky titled "Ad Hominem arguments for and against PsyDs."

 

[soaringheights]

The American Psychological Association supports prescriptive authority for psychologists.

I am training in Clinical Psychology from Bombay, India. We don't do learn about pharmacology, physiology, or anatomy alongwith psychology here. Whatever u learn about these subjects here is on your own initiative, you are not formally trained to learn them as Clinical Psychologists. Hence, my statement about recognizing our ethical limits

soaringheights

 

[50960]

I am sorry you do not learn such things. I can't imagine practicing ethically without such knowledge. FYI, psychologists who prescribe in the US have significantly expanded training than a clinical psychologist in order to legally do so.

 

[50960]

MA/MS/MSW's do counselling. They have zero training in bio-bases of Bx, little in differential diagnosis, and none in science. MD psychiatrists are well trained in biological bases of Bx, and not trained in psychological research. The most MD research I see is ghost written for drug companies. Psychologists are so contrary, no cohesiveness. Most psychologists hate what I do (medical psych with med management). I am on staff at 3 hospitals, and this is seen as BAD, giving advice is bad, triaging patients is bad, brief interventions are bad.................. We are held together by our patients (not clients), and all serve a vital need; We are not interchangable! 😉

 

[sasevan]

Thank you!

 

[Psyclops]

MA/MS/MSW's do counselling. They have zero training in bio-bases of Bx, little in differential diagnosis, and none in science. MD psychiatrists are well trained in biological bases of Bx, and not trained in psychological research. The most MD research I see is ghost written for drug companies. Psychologists are so contrary, no cohesiveness. Most psychologists hate what I do (medical psych with med management). I am on staff at 3 hospitals, and this is seen as BAD, giving advice is bad, triaging patients is bad, brief interventions are bad.................. We are held together by our patients (not clients), and all serve a vital need; We are not interchangable! 😉

I'm a fan of this post. And agree with pretty much everything you are saying. The MA/MS/MSWs in my opinion don't seem to take the profession very seriously, which is a horrible generalization to make, but that is my opinion after interacting with them. They seem to epitomize the "I just want to help people, I won't worry about learning all I should know and keeping up with current research, just give me a hug" that the public ridicules the field for. Don't get me started on the MDs, I wouldn't care so much if they weren't so in love with themselves. My favorite is how entusiastic they are about the genetic stuff. News flash guys and gals, everything is genetic to a certain extent, I don't need reserch to tell me that. But is it helping me by providing anything useful to inform my practice? Not really. See the below post on bias when it comes to their research. I agree with you that patients are patients, and lawyers have clients, that title doesn't preclude MH providers from sensetive though. I'm sorry you run into all of that anti bio stuff PS, but I think that's changeing. Give it a little time. It was ony recently that the multidimensional veiw of MH has come into vogue. I hate dualism whe it comes to thinking about mental processes.

 

[Mell-Dogg]

My favorite is how entusiastic they are about the genetic stuff. News flash guys and gals, everything is genetic to a certain extent, I don't need reserch to tell me that. But is it helping me by providing anything useful to inform my practice?

No kidding! This really gets to me also! The essentialist position really just gets us no where in terms of hopes for real positive change (other than positive increase in the pocketbook weight of genetic engineers), not to mention the intellectual irresponsibility of noting genetic effects without recognizing the ways social patterns of response may subtly (but significantly) interact with genetically-determined characteristics. The covariation between social constructions and genetic manifestations cannot be ignored, for the love of God!