What Next? A guide to choosing the best Psychology graduate school

What Next? A guide to choosing the best Psychology graduate school for you?

OVERVIEW General tips Psy.D. Programs – Dr. Jason Steadman Clinical Ph.D. Programs – Dr. Diana Morelen Experimental Ph.D. Programs – Dr. Gerald Deehan Master’s and Health Psychology Programs – Dr. Julia Dodd Counseling Programs – Dr. Nikki Hilton Break out/Discussion sessions

OVERVIEW Each presenter will present for about 5 minutes and give a quick overview of programs, and then each will answer 2-3 questions for the whole group After all presenters are done, we will break out into individual subgroups, where you can ask more questions about specific interests. You can feel free to move between groups for this section, so you can hear about multiple topics, if you wish. At the end, we will have about leave about 5 more minutes to wrap up together and address any additional questions or comments to the group as a whole

GENERAL TIPS

MANY CHOICES People with psychology training can do many different things. You can Do clinical work (therapy, assessments, medicine, etc.) Research Teach Consult Work in business (Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology) Be a school or guidance counselor Job training Other social services Public policy Etc.

MANY DEGREES With so many job choices, there are also many degrees: Behavioral Genetics Biological Clinical Cognitive Community Comparative Consulting Counseling Developmental Educational Environmental Evolutionary Health Industrial-Organizational Legal Media Occupational Health Personality Quantitative Religion/Spirituality School Social

I CAN’T DECIDE WHAT I WANT TO DO A first step in choosing graduate school is choosing a career interest You don’t necessarily have to always stick to your original plan, and you can always respecialize (e.g. switch from Experimental to Clinical), but an efficient path is a less expensive path, so it’s important to do some thought up front Psychologists can help you with this One specialty application of I/O psychology is matching interests and aptitudes to jobs For example, Holland Career Code Test can suggest some jobs based on your interests ( http://www.truity.com/test/holland-code-career-test)

I CAN’T DECIDE WHAT TO DO Tests aren’t always right, but can still be helpful Answering questions on such tests can force you to think about what you like and don’t like Thus, even if you pay no attention to the “personality traits” assigned to you by these tests, they can still prompt you to think in about different opportunities You can always talk to faculty and other experts in the field. We’re here to help! APA also provides a helpful resource http://www.apa.org/education/grad/applying.aspx

SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS PSYCAS is a centralized application service for graduate study in psychology http://www.apa.org/education/grad/psycas.aspx You can use this website to apply to multiple graduate schools You only have to request transcripts once, which are uploaded into the system – this saves time and money You can track admission requirement and information requests You can send messages to program directors You can waive fees if you meet certain qualifications More info here: http://www.apa.org/education/grad/psycas-students.asp x

PSY.D. PROGRAMS Jason Steadman, Psy.D.

DISCLOSURE I went to Baylor (#1 Psy.D. program in nation! Woot! Woot!), so, I may be partially biased to Baylor and programs like it. I will try to be fair though. )

PSY.D. PROGRAMS Are generally practice-oriented Practitioner-Scientist Model of training As opposed to scientist-practitioner or scholar-practitioner Training focuses on clinical skills and clinical practice Some training in scientific methods, in order to be able to properly digest research Dissertation requirements vary – some programs allow non-empirical dissertations (e.g. a comprehensive lit review, write a treatment, but don’t have to test it, etc.); others require empirical dissertation

PSY.D. PROGRAMS Most students graduate with more clinical hours than Ph.D. Clinical students Average Ph.D. clinical hours, 700-1200 Psy.D. programs average 2000 At Baylor, I graduated with 4200 face-to-face clinical hours ( 1000 per year) This means that you work in community placements 20 or more hours per week, while in school More competitive programs also have higher research requirements – In addition to 20-hour-per week clinical placement, you may also conduct 1020 hours per week in a research lab, while also maintaining courseload.

PSY.D. PROGRAMS Usually don’t provide as much financial aid as Ph.D. programs Ph.D.’s generally provide full tuition remission and a small stipend to most, if not all, students This is rare in Psy.D. programs (only about 17% do so). Many do not provide any financial aid! Only about 3 or 4 provide full ride Thus, it is easy to incur massive student loan debt, 250,000 Are easier to get into 2010 study found that average acceptance rate was 50%, while average Ph.D. acceptance rate was about 7% Some programs are very good though – competitive

HOW DO I KNOW IF A PROGRAM IS GOOD OR BAD? Go to their website. Check if program is accredited! All programs should post Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data to their webpage. If they don’t, be cautious! http://www.baylor.edu/psychologyneuroscience/inde x.php?id 870047 IMPORTANT TABLES Time to completion (tells you how long students take to get their degree, and how many students are admitted) Program costs (and whether there is financial aid) Internship Placement – low %age is a bad sign Licensure and EPPP Pass Rate – Low %age here is even worse

HOW DO I KNOW IF A PROGRAM IS BAD? Check rankings. These can be useful. http://www.bestcounselingdegrees.net/best/psy-d-pr ograms-clinical-psychology/

HOW TO PREPARE PsyD programs tend to value clinical experience higher than research experience They ask, “Can this student come into this program, start seeing clients in an ethical and effective manner?” “Can this student handle being around people with mental illness?” “Can this student be trained?” “Does this student have the personality of a clinician?” Research experiences do help a LOT! Join a lab and learn about science!

QUESTIONS? Remember, only time for 2-3 questions right now, there will be more time later

PHD IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Diana Morelen, Ph.D. [email protected]

QUICK STATS (Norcross et al., 2010)

DO I REALLY WANT THIS? Average of 5-6 years Required clinical internship that likely requires an additional move Minimal wages and benefits Full time job Full course load Research Clinical work Thesis Dissertation RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH

ADVANTAGES OF A PHD IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Tend to be funded

QUICK STATS (Norcross et al., 2010)

ADVANTAGES OF A PHD IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Tend to be funded Slightly higher internship match rate than free-standing Psy.D. programs

ADVANTAGES OF A PHD IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

ADVANTAGES OF A PHD IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Tend to be funded Slightly higher internship match rate than free-standing Psy.D. programs APA Accreditation http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/ Flexibility of career options Beware of being a “back-door” clinician

AM I QUALIFIED? GRE scores GPA Letters of recommendation Research experience Look at specific program requirements and statistics by program

AM I QUALIFIED?

AM I QUALIFIED?

APPLYING AND GETTING IN At least 1 year before you want to apply seek out research experiences. Spring before you want to apply-–talk to mentors and advisors about whether this is the right time. Start to consider letter writers ChoukasBradley 2011

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES American Psychological Association (2016). APA-Accredited Programs. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/ Choukas-Bradley, S. (2011). A Student’s Perspective on Applying to Graduate School in (Clinical) Psychology: A Step-by-Step Guide. Retrieved from: http://www.unc.edu/ mjp1970/TipsForApplyingToGradSchool.pdf Goldling, J. & Lippert, A. (2016). Choosing between a PhD and PsyD: Some Factors to Consider. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/careers-in-psych/201603/choosing- betweenphd-and-psyd-some-factors-consider Norcross, J. C., Ellis, J. L., & Sayette, M. A. (2010). Getting in and getting money: A comparative analysis of admission standards, acceptance rates, and financial assistance across the research–practice continuum in clinical psychology programs. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 4, 99-104. Norcross, J. C., & Sayette, M. A. (2014). Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology: Revised 2014/2015 Edition. Guilford Publications. Prinstein, M. (2012) Mitch’s Uncensored Advice for Applying to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology. Retrieved from: http://www.unc.edu/ mjp1970/Mitch's %20Grad%20School%20Advice.pdf

Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology Gerald Deehan, Ph.D.

Hope is not lost! Behavioral Neuroscience Start as early as you can! - Intrinsic motivation - Research experience is great! Skill development Is this something you like? Letters of reference - Professional Networking Conferences Get to know people in the field Insider Info - Start researching programs as early as possible (know who you want/can to work with) - Don’t be afraid to move away - Research judging criteria – programs are different – what are your strengths?

Master’s Degrees in Psychology

Master’s Options M.A. or M.S. in diverse array of areas Experimental Clinical Counseling Forensic Industrial/Organizational Social Work This

What can you do with a Master’s? Run a research lab Work in the field of I/O psych (Master’s is often terminal degree for I/O) Teach at community college or as adjunct professor at a university Get licensed as LPC/LPA, in some states Have to be supervised by doctoral level provider Work at a school, in some states Not use the term “psychologist”

Benefits of a Master’s Easier to “try out” a career path Great gateway into a doctoral program Build up some experience May be all you need depending on what you want to do

Health Psychology

What is health psychology? Health psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on how mental, emotional, and social factors affect a person's physical well-being. This field, also sometimes referred to as medical psychology, also focuses on a patient's mental and emotional reaction to an illness or recovery from an illness. Health psychologists study how patients handle illness, why some people don’t follow medical advice and the most effective ways to control pain or change poor health habits. They also develop health care strategies that foster emotional and physical well-being.

Types of health psychology Clinical health psychology is an area of health psychology that focuses on treating individuals. Professionals pursuing clinical health psychology careers often focus on how an individual's lifestyle and behavior might affect his overall health. Clinical health psychologists will also usually work with individuals to help change bad habits or overcome lifestyle problems that may be affecting their physical health. Pediatric school psychology utilizes principles of both school and health psychology to design interventions and preventions to improve children’s health in schools, medical systems, private practice, or other areas; prepares school psychologists to meet the complex needs of children suffering from health-related disorders.

Types of health psychology Community health psychology focuses on the health of a community as a whole. Individuals pursuing community health psychology careers will typically study the prevalence of diseases in certain communities, and what might cause them. Occupational health psychology focuses on the individual's job and his overall state of health. Professionals working in this area might work with companies and businesses to help create happier and healthier employees. This might involve restructuring workplace policies or counseling individual employees. Public health psychology is concerned with public and government health policies and programs. These types of professionals might work with low-income individuals, influence government health policies, or help organize public health awareness campaigns.

Where can a health psychologist work? Primary care clinic Specialty health clinics, such as a cancer, Huntington’s, or pain clinic Inpatient medical hospital Inpatient psychiatric hospital Rehabilitation centers Emergency rooms Community health center Community mental health center Long-term residential care facilities VA hospitals Schools Developmental evaluation centers Businesses Research centers Universities

Educational requirements Most careers require a doctorate, either Ph.D. or Psy.D. Schools with a doctoral degree in clinical health psych: http://cchptp.org/ ETSU (Clinical, rural primary care focus) East Carolina University (Clinical, Pediatric School, and Occupational Health tracks) UNC Charlotte (General, Clinical, and Community tracks) University of Memphis (Clinical Health track) For non-clinical health psych programs: https://societyforhealthpsychology.org/training/programs/p rograms-in-health-psychology-non-clinical/

Earning Potential The American Psychological Association’s 2009 salary survey found that health psychologists working in direct human services earned an average of 80,000 per year. Many who work in large universities or health systems earn more.

Dr. Nikki Hilton Assistant Professor of Psychology at ETSU – Sevierville Licensed Psychologist Doctorate in Counseling Psychology at University of Tennessee - Knoxville

What is Counseling Psychology? – Formalized as a profession in the 1940s and 50s. – Grew from the field of Personnel and Guidance. – Emphasis is on overall well-being throughout the lifespan. – Focus more on "non-clinical" population; i.e., people without serious or persistent mental illnesses.

What do Counseling Psychologists do? – Employed in college/university counseling centers; mental health agencies; academic settings, both in research and teaching; independent practice; health care settings and hospitals (e.g., Veterans' Administration); organizational consultant groups; industrial and business settings; etc. – Licensed for independent practice in all 50 states.

What is the difference between a Clinical Psychologist and a Counseling Psychologist? – History: clinical psychologists studied disturbances in mental health, whereas counseling psychologists' provided vocational guidance. – Often perform similar work as researchers and/or practitioners and may work side by side. – Research conducted and published in counseling literature is oriented toward people without serious or persistent mental illnesses; focus on multicultural issues and social justice. – More similarities than differences.

How do I choose? – Why do you want to go to grad school? – What would you like to explore as a career? – Have you explored these careers? – Volunteering, jobs, internship – http://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/psychology/ – https://www.onetonline.org/ – Do you need to be funded? – Where do you want to live? – Do your research: Look up programs online (courses you take, internship stats, etc.); read about the cities (cost of living, climate, crime rates, etc.); contact programs with questions. – Apply to both (I did), including masters as well as doctorate programs.