Where do you want to be?

[TMS@1987]

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basically my question is pretty simple: where do you want to be in like 20 yrs? what do you want to do with your degree, and why did you chose that degree for that career path?

p.s. this question is more for current students who are studying for their degrees, not the rest of you old farts 🙂 I kid you of course.

 

[Ollie123]

Tenured at a major university with a strong research focus. Hopefully churning out dozens of publications, traveling the world presenting at conferences, and able to continue working an extraordinary number of hours.

Undecided on whether I want to be in a psychology department or a med school, I could definitely go either way at this point. Given the nature of my research I pretty much need whatever school I'm at to HAVE a med school, but I'm flexible on where my primary appointment is.

I picked it because Clinical Psychology seems to offer the greatest breadth of options. I can do research, practice, or teach. I can do experimental, treatment, or survey research. I can integrate sociology, philosophy, medicine, biology, neuroscience, computer science, engineering, business and law into my career as I see fit.

Basically, I picked clinical psychology because there's too much I enjoy doing, and it saved me from having to make a choice.

 

[erg923]

picture the exact opposite of Ollie for me..... I'm in aPh.D. program, but I just couldn't do research as a career.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

20 years....retired!

Realistically still actively involved in supervising students in the university setting and owning/running a boutique treatment center (not as a day to day person though). I'd love to teach a class here and there and maybe carry a small patient load, though at the rate things are going....therapy may be outsourced. 🙁. I trust that I'll be able to find competent staff to run the day to day stuff, and I'd get to focus on the fun stuff.

 

[deleted176373]

basically my question is pretty simple: where do you want to be in like 20 yrs? what do you want to do with your degree, and why did you chose that degree for that career path?

p.s. this question is more for current students who are studying for their degrees, not the rest of you old farts 🙂 I kid you of course.

Well considering I will be eligible for retirement in 10 years... 😀 I want to be a military psychologist. I chose USUHS partially since it's the best program for military psychology. Obviously, my career path is somewhat set in that for the next 10 years, I will be in the Navy. Fortunately the military fits my career ADHD well, and you can move into new positions every few years.

I would actually like to be a CAPT in the Navy still active in Clinical Psychology approaching my 30 year point in the military (I have already done 10.) This would make me an old fart, true (61).

This also would leave me with a pre-tax retirement income of $85k per year in todays dollars. I would begin my private practice which hopefully would keep me gainfully employed for roughly the next 20 or so years of my professional life. Assuming I make it to 80, I will retire then for sure...

Mark

 

[Psychmeout]

I'm glad that you brought up this question because it leads to a specific question that I have. I enjoy conducting research; however, I don't want to be a tenured track professor. I would like to hold an appointment at a university medical school to conduct research, teach a few classes part-time and provide forensic neuropsych consultations. So........my question is: Can one feasibly do this path throughout their career? I am more confused about holding an academic/research appointment at a university medical school. Any advice would be great😀

 

[deleted176373]

I'm glad that you brought up this question because it leads to a specific question that I have. I enjoy conducting research; however, I don't want to be a tenured track professor. I would like to hold an appointment at a university medical school to conduct research, teach a few classes part-time and provide forensic neuropsych consultations. So........my question is: Can one feasibly do this path throughout their career? I am more confused about holding an academic/research appointment at a university medical school. Any advice would be great😀

This is basically the faculty at USUHS (which is primarily a med school.)

They teach a few classes (1 or 2 per quarter, IIRC)
They do a lot of research
They consult in a variety of areas

I am sure other medical schools have opportunities like this too.

So the answer is YES.

 

[doctoroxygen]

The Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at my university has several research assistant professors that do exactly what you want to do. So, yes 🙂

 

[Cosmo75]

On faculty at a medical hospital. Not sure how heavily academic I want to go yet. I enjoy a balance of research, teaching, and clinical work. I'm a PsyD so client contact is what I really enjoy. I'd be happy with 50% client contact, then 25% research and 25% teaching. I'm doing my internship at a VA, so who knows I might end up being a VA psychologist.

 

[Ollie123]

picture the exact opposite of Ollie for me..... I'm in aPh.D. program, but I just couldn't do research as a career.

I'm used to being the outlier, even among my fellow PhD students😉 I imagine there aren't many that look forward to staying at work til 9PM on a saturday writing an R01.

 

[paramour]

I'm used to being the outlier, even among my fellow PhD students😉 I imagine there aren't many that look forward to staying at work til 9PM on a saturday writing an R01.

Glad I'm not the only one in the lab on the wkends. There 'til 4AM last Saturday and then had to go in again around noon on Sunday. 😴 Sleep doesn't seem to agree with me.

 

[MsPsychDoc2014]

basically my question is pretty simple: where do you want to be in like 20 yrs? what do you want to do with your degree, and why did you chose that degree for that career path?

p.s. this question is more for current students who are studying for their degrees, not the rest of you old farts 🙂 I kid you of course.

I'm only a junior in undergrad and this changes from day to day BUT as of right now...

Twenty years from now along with T4C I would like to be retired LOL! But seeing as how I'll only be 41 realistically speaking I would like to be working in my own practice alongside two other therapist. But l only want to do therapy part time, and do forensic assessments the other part. OH and as a hobby I want to dibble and dabble in real estate. I also want to lecture a class here and there just for kicks but nothing like a tenured professor or anything serious like that. I think thats it..ask me tomorrow and it'll probably be completely different 😕

 

[islandgirl1]

Practicing, supervising upcoming practitioners, lecturing and on the board of an ethics committee.

 

[Ilovecows]

Tenured at a major university with a strong research focus. Hopefully churning out dozens of publications, traveling the world presenting at conferences, and able to continue working an extraordinary number of hours.

.

I want that exact thing - maybe even more.
I want to be a famous professor. I want to have at least four of my works cited at least 103 times (random number).
I want to produce other works that are cited 46, 84, 14, 12 times - nothing less than 6. I want, when people search for me to have at least 160 articles come up. I want to come up with a brilliant theory. One of those seminal works that people cite for years and years to come.
I want to also apply my research to clinical settings, thus I want to be the head of a clinic in some famous mental health centre.
I dream big. Anything else is not an option.

 

[JockNerd]

Tenured faculty at a research 1 in the psych department, producing large numbers of awesome articles with my team, author of a few books, able to turn a good portion of my attention to the political issues I'm passionate about.

...and on the board of an ethics committee.

You know, one of my profs once told me that if anyone ever asks me to be on an ethics board, I should "run away screaming." But, to each their own.

 

[deleted190534]

Similar to some other replies:

I want to be a tenured track professor. I mainly want to research & write, but I'm sure I'll enjoy teaching as well (though I think I'd prefer teaching grad students). I want to publish a great deal...both papers & books, & like others, I'd love to be repeatedly cited. I'd love to be known as one of the "authorities" in my area. I'd love to prove the hypotheses I have now, & I'd love to win a Nobel Peace Prize for my work. (Well, we can all dream, right?)

 

[erg923]

ok, i feel like a slacker! i want a nice comfy career seeing patients and doing what i love. preferably in an environment where when interesting research questions arise, I, or the practice I'm involved with, will have the means and time to do it. I have no desire for a fast paced or pressured academic lifestyle, or to write theories that will "revolutionize" the field. I'd like to be pretty normal really, and have plenty of time to spend with my wife and kids.

 

[LeeS]

I would like to be able to pursue the following opportunities but obviously a lot depends on my path in grad school. Currently thinking of applying for my schools joint JD/PHD program. Already accepted to PhD to study native indigenous populations would like to also get trained in law to work in mental health/ international public policy/immigration law. Would love to work for doctors without borders, complete my post doc in Europe, do clinical internship in the US, possibly return to England and work for NHS while working on international mental health policy or remain in the US travelling abroad working with NGO's on mental health program evaluation, vaccine dissemination. Depending on how personal relationships unfold, I could also see myself completing a military internship and becoming a military psychologist-a career I really respect. I would like to develop many professional skills so I could flexibly research and affect positive change which incorporates the multiplicity of humans national and cultural identities both within psychology, policy and law.

 

[Thrak]

I either want to be a tenured professor, or the head of a research institute. Maybe even the founder of a research institute.

I also want to be an authority in my field. When the media needs an expert, I want to be the one they go to for an answer.

 

[islandgirl1]

You know, one of my profs once told me that if anyone ever asks me to be on an ethics board, I should "run away screaming." But, to each their own.

well my country has no ethical body overseeing mental health practitioners.
no apa-type code of ethics or anything.
so i think it's necessary to step up to the plate.

 

[deleted190534]

I would like to be able to pursue the following opportunities but obviously a lot depends on my path in grad school. Currently thinking of applying for my schools joint JD/PHD program. Already accepted to PhD to study native indigenous populations would like to also get trained in law to work in mental health/ international public policy/immigration law. Would love to work for doctors without borders, complete my post doc in Europe, do clinical internship in the US, possibly return to England and work for NHS while working on international mental health policy or remain in the US travelling abroad working with NGO's on mental health program evaluation, vaccine dissemination. Depending on how personal relationships unfold, I could also see myself completing a military internship and becoming a military psychologist-a career I really respect. I would like to develop many professional skills so I could flexibly research and affect positive change which incorporates the multiplicity of humans national and cultural identities both within psychology, policy and law.

Wow. Your post was pretty cool...& very outside the box! I hope you are able to do all of this. (I LOVE Doctors Without Borders!)

 

[Ollie123]

ok, i feel like a slacker! i want a nice comfy career seeing patients and doing what i love. preferably in an environment where when interesting research questions arise, I, or the practice I'm involved with, will have the means and time to do it. I have no desire for a fast paced or pressured academic lifestyle, or to write theories that will "revolutionize" the field. I'd like to be pretty normal really, and have plenty of time to spend with my wife and kids.

Nothing wrong with this🙂

I'm not going into academia out of drive, I'm going into it because its what I love. I love pressure and thrive under it (maybe I should have been a trauma surgeon), I'd get bored fast with a pure clinical work position.