PhD/PsyD Complete newbie on a Psyd program hunt, help needed!

[aspiringsike]

Hello members of the SDN community! I have been doing a lot of searches and read up on various posts from many knowledgable experts here, but I decided in order to more accurate information it would be best to share my own circumstances. Please help in any way you can with tips/advice/personal experiences and thoughts!

So I am currently working as part of an AIDS relief program in the Dept. of State (PEPFAR, for those who may know), but recently I've decided I would not be committed to the field of public health after all-- after dipping feet into the area, I've realized the work centered very heavily on data analysis and number-crunching, which is not exactly what I am interested in.

That being said, to speak a little about my background:
I finished undergrad at GWU last fall of 2014 with a bachelors degree in the terribly general and useless subject of political science (I very much regret this, in case you can't tell already). I know most people who apply to Psy.D. programs have already acquired a bachelors degree in psychology, but I have not. I am also aware that it is necessary to have some sort of background in either clinical/research work related to psychology, and this is something that I do not have yet either. On another note-- I did not focus on my studies very much in school because I chased after internships and jobs (previous work experiences include South Korean Embassy, private patent law firm, World Bank, and now at Dept. of State), so my undergrad GPA is very low... like, under 3.0 low I've gotten by with applying for jobs without worrying about my gpa so much, but now that I am thinking about applying to grad schools, it is biting me back in the butt! It is only recently that a good friend suggested that I look into psychology as a career path, but because it seems like I lack so many prerequisites already, I am not sure if it is worth trying out for. Still, I did a lot of research within the past few weeks to get a better idea-- boy, the field of psychology is a lot broader than I had thought it would be! After reading up on the different areas, I've narrowed down my interest to clinical psychology. I like the idea of practicing with and helping patients directly and I like that a hospital setting is an optional work environment for this area. I've also read that most Psy.D. programs incorporate clinical work to prep for professional training as well as research dissertation projects-- best of both for me!

Now that I got that far, the part that stumps me is the fact that there isn't a whole lot of solid information on what the best programs are for Psy.D. (regarding quality, funding, etc.). I have read that while searching for programs to apply to, it is important to see how high the APA accredited internship match rates are, but there seem to be a lot of other parts to consider and many different opinions that reflect that (some say university-based programs are better, "avoid professional psychology schools, Argosy, Alliant"). I've also seen many people say it's important to find a well-funded program because otherwise you will graduate with a ton of debt and it will take forever to pay off because the starting-median income for clinical psychologists is not a lot.

SO! Since there is no specific ranking list for best Psy.D. programs like there are for J.D./MBA/MPH programs (at least not to my knowledge), I figured it'd be best to get information from other people in the psych field directly. Please help by first providing your honest thoughts on whether I even have a chance or not, and if I do-- what programs might be the most fitting for me, and what are some things I can do to better my chance of getting into programs? What kind of clinical work experiences should I be looking to acquire before applying to programs? I apologize for the wordiness of my post, kudos to those who read and made it through the entire thing! and thank you in advance for your help!!

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[Ollie123]

With a sub 3.0 GPA, you will likely want to pursue a master's in psychology first. This will enable you to get some additional experience in the field to make you more competitive for doctoral programs and also demonstrate that you can handle graduate level coursework. The process is longer, but at this point I think the only schools that would accept you are ones that we would generally discourage you from attending (200k debt/poor job prospects).

I'd rethink whether or not a PsyD makes the most sense for you. I think a balanced PhD program would be equal or better for your goals. They are far more likely to be funded. PsyD programs rarely are (with a few notable exceptions) and are usually extremely expensive to boot. Any PhD program in clinical or counseling psychology will incorporate both research and practice. Not all PsyDs really include a research component (i.e. the professional schools you mentioned rarely have significant research going on and what they do is usually of low quality).

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Being that I try to be a blunt person I am going to point out a few things (some of which you, the OP, have already pointed out) to consider before making a decision and then put down a few suggestions for you.

Few things:
1) Psychology is a field that is deeply rooted in statistics (aka number crunching) and research methods. If you do decide to go the PsyD route then you should have a solid foundation in research methodology and statistics (especially since you mentioned at one point your interested in practice and some research)
2) Most PsyD programs are pretty expensive and graduates have obtained a lot of debt (anywhere from 30,000-200,000 dollars)
3) You need to take the GREs and they could be pretty brutal from what I have heard
Now My Suggestion:

I'd say you should look at post-bachelors program in psychology or do a masters degree if you can get in with your GPA and after taking the GREs. I also agree with Ollie with looking at balanced PhD programs.

 

[aspiringsike]

Being that I try to be a blunt person I am going to point out a few things (some of which you, the OP, have already pointed out) to consider before making a decision and then put down a few suggestions for you.

Few things:
1) Psychology is a field that is deeply rooted in statistics (aka number crunching) and research methods. If you do decide to go the PsyD route then you should have a solid foundation in research methodology and statistics (especially since you mentioned at one point your interested in practice and some research)
2) Most PsyD programs are pretty expensive and graduates have obtained a lot of debt (anywhere from 30,000-200,000 dollars)
3) You need to take the GREs and they could be pretty brutal from what I have heard
Now My Suggestion:

I'd say you should look at post-bachelors program in psychology or do a masters degree if you can get in with your GPA and after taking the GREs. I also agree with Ollie with looking at balanced PhD programs.

Thanks Ollie and PsychMajor, for providing your honest input. I've decided that Psy.D. is definitely not right for me after all-- most of these programs do seem to be pretty expensive and extensive in terms of time that needs to be invested (as are most higher education programs). That being said, I've looked deeper into other areas and found an interest in School Psychology masters programs. Apparently, most states do allow for licensed practice at the masters level! NASP has a list of schools that are accredited with their masters programs, but they seem to vary from school to school (i.e. Tufts has a unique program that offers a MA/Ed.S. degree, and Columbia offers an Ed.M. degree). Quite honestly, all of them seem similar to me, but I suppose that just requires more research on my part.

GRE's will not be a huge concern for me-- I've taken a practice test before and it was a total joke; basically a slightly more fleshed out rendition of the SAT's (which I got a 2290 on with barely any preparations, so with a bit more practicing, hoping GRE's will be the same). I just wish I had put more effort into my undergrad academics because most schools ask for minimum GPA of 3.0... oh well, guess I'll have to make up for it with everything else I've got. As a final question, anyone know anything in particular about School Psychology masters programs then?

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Yes I do know about School Psych programs . First of all a lot of the states have different requirements to become a school psychologist. Some states only require a Masters degree while others require a combination MA/Ed.S program (i.e. NJ). If you like spending a lot of time doing paperwork and assessing for IEP plans for students and can take a whole lot of stress then go with school psych (the benefit being you will have a good starting salary after grad school with less time in comprasion to a PsyD/PhD program)

If you have any questions feel free to PM me with any questions you have

PsychMajorUndergrad18

 

[psych844]

The "whole lot of stress" can be said about all of clinical psych. I'm not sure there is any more stress in school psych, in fact the school psychologists I know are some of the happiest people out there. If you love working with kids, then it's great.

 

[aspiringsike]

Yes I do know about School Psych programs . First of all a lot of the states have different requirements to become a school psychologist. Some states only require a Masters degree while others require a combination MA/Ed.S program (i.e. NJ). If you like spending a lot of time doing paperwork and assessing for IEP plans for students and can take a whole lot of stress then go with school psych (the benefit being you will have a good starting salary after grad school with less time in comprasion to a PsyD/PhD program)

If you have any questions feel free to PM me with any questions you have

PsychMajorUndergrad18

Thanks again, Psych MajorUndergrad18! I see, so the example you gave for NJ's state requirement of MA/Ed.S. would be the kind of program that Tufts offers... I'm actually from NJ originally, so that's good to know should I choose to go back to my home state (I'm in DC as of now). I don't mind doing paperwork and assessing of plans-- I actually do a lot of that at my current job already. I think if I were to have a little more passion and sense of meaningful purpose in what I do, I would mind doing all that type of work even less, which is why my interest went towards school psych. Greater salary benefits are always a plus, of course! Thanks again, I will def PM you with other questions!!

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Well I gotta help out my fellow New Jerseyian lol.I'd say if you are looking to go back to NJ look at Kean or Riders School Psych programs! They are pretty good and they meet NASP requirements if I remember right

 

[aspiringsike]

The "whole lot of stress" can be said about all of clinical psych. I'm not sure there is any more stress in school psych, in fact the school psychologists I know are some of the happiest people out there. If you love working with kids, then it's great.

Yes, I agree with you on that psych844-- stress comes with any job, really... or just life, for that matter
I guess it's really what you make of it, whatever profession you choose to pursue! I do love kids, thank you for the encouragement, now I really am looking forward to going this route!