PhD/PsyD Tips/Advice on career path

[Fontvella]

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Hi all! I'm not *quite* sure if I'm doing this whole forum thing correctly- I'm new here so if I posted this in the wrong section, I apologize.
Anyway I know there are many people on this site who are reaching the end of their doctorates/are already working in the field they love. I just want to ask if anyone has any tips for us who are still in their undergrad- anything you wished you knew/did but didn't when you were an undergrad? I find that after I experience a new thing I end up wishing I could go back in time so as to not make as many mistakes..

A little bit about me:

• currently an undergrad in NYC- I'm studying both Nutrition and Psychology
• Looking into PsyD programs (and possibly PhD programs that are not research based- doubt that there are too many of those) that are fully-funded
• Willing to go to any state in the US if it means saving $200,000 and not hating what I learn (e.g research in my case)
• Also looking into more volunteer opportunities
  

Any advice you all may have would be very helpful!

 

[erg923]

What would you like your doctorate in psychology to be based on/in, if not research? Crystal balls?

 

[Fontvella]

Yes, thanks for noticing.

 

[bre333]

well, i mean really, why are you interested in a doctorate in clinical psychology if you hate research? why not look into social work?

 

[erg923]

It was rhetorical, son.

You are, apparently, already in the mindset that you only want to learn what you want to learn. Resistance to learning what it takes to be a well informed clinician/clinical scientist before grad school even starts is not a good sign. What professor would want to work with somebody with that attitude? Doesn't work like that...

 

[cara susanna]

Hi all! I'm not *quite* sure if I'm doing this whole forum thing correctly- I'm new here so if I posted this in the wrong section, I apologize.
Anyway I know there are many people on this site who are reaching the end of their doctorates/are already working in the field they love. I just want to ask if anyone has any tips for us who are still in their undergrad- anything you wished you knew/did but didn't when you were an undergrad? I find that after I experience a new thing I end up wishing I could go back in time so as to not make as many mistakes..

A little bit about me:

• currently an undergrad in NYC- I'm studying both Nutrition and Psychology
• Looking into PsyD programs (and possibly PhD programs that are not research based- doubt that there are too many of those) that are fully-funded
• Willing to go to any state in the US if it means saving $200,000 and not hating what I learn (e.g research in my case)
• Also looking into more volunteer opportunities

Any advice you all may have would be very helpful!

I wish I'd known that getting in is the easiest part.

 

[Lisa44201]

Here's my advice: Psychology is not the field for you.

Everything in psychology has its basis in research. Why is DBT the treatment of choice for BPD? There's research behind that. Why is CBT useful for depression but not, oh, schizophrenia? (Folks who know: don't give away the answer!) Look it up - there's research that will support that. Who is Tan, and what does he have to do with certain types of aphasia? He may be a case study, but it still comes back to research.

You cannot get away from research in Psychology. It cannot be done. If you don't want to go into research as a career choice, that's fine - many people don't. But the idea that you can get away from it by going into a pure practitioner program is incorrect. Even if you had the money laying around to purchase a PsyD at Argosy/Alliant/Forest/etc., the field of Psychology as a whole constantly changes as research points the way to new treatments; if you cannot critically examine a research article to determine whether the study is any good, and by extension, whether what you're doing is any good, you will not be any good as a practitioner.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Here's my advice: Psychology is not the field for you.

Everything in psychology has its basis in research. Why is DBT the treatment of choice for BPD? There's research behind that. Why is CBT useful for depression but not, oh, schizophrenia? (Folks who know: don't give away the answer!) Look it up - there's research that will support that. Who is Tan, and what does he have to do with certain types of aphasia? He may be a case study, but it still comes back to research.

You cannot get away from research in Psychology. It cannot be done. If you don't want to go into research as a career choice, that's fine - many people don't. But the idea that you can get away from it by going into a pure practitioner program is incorrect. Even if you had the money laying around to purchase a PsyD at Argosy/Alliant/Forest/etc., the field of Psychology as a whole constantly changes as research points the way to new treatments; if you cannot critically examine a research article to determine whether the study is any good, and by extension, whether what you're doing is any good, you will not be any good as a practitioner.

Completely agree. Even physicians, who're by and large in 100% practice-based degree programs, understand the importance of digesting research information and incorporating it into their daily practice. And they've basically got 100's of years' worth of "maturity" on us as a professional discipline. Psychology is too young to not be actively incorporating research into everything it does.

If you don't want to actively be involved to some degree in research, in all honest, psychology probably isn't going to interest you as a field.

Although to answer your question--for volunteer positions, seriously consider working as an RA in a psychology lab (or three). If you find a topic in which you're truly interested, you may find that your stance on research will substantially change.

 

[erg923]

"Scholarly Productivity" is the 3rd item on my annual performance evaluation. I am in, basically, a 100% clinical service position in the VA (Primary Care/Family Practice outpatient clinic). Think about it.

 

[T Brown]

As everyone else stated it's no way to get around research in psychology PsyD or PhD. At the very least you have to understand why you are doing what you are doing and be able to explain it in case you get sued 😉 and complete your dissertation.
If you aren't interested in the intuition of learning I don't believe ANY doctoral program is for you. Doctors of any field are life long learners, they don't just learn stuff they want to know. If you just want to counsel or help the world get a masters get licensed and go to work.
My advice get some work experience in the field you are interested in and figure out what you want to do in life. You didn't say what you "wanted to be when you grew up" which is a red flag for me. Get a focus and figure out what education matches your goals, don't seek a PsyD or PhD or any other doctoral level training/education until you know what you want to do.

 

[denimfan]

Don't see any passion and "PsyD programs that are fully-funded."