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Notes from Panel of Clinical Psychology, Psy.D., Counseling Psychology and Social Work Graduate Students

On November 17th, a panel of nine graduate students from clinical psychology programs at Temple, Penn, Hahnemann; Schools of Social Work at Bryn Mawr and Penn; a Psy. D. program at Widener; and a Counseling Psychology program from the University of Nebraska, met with undergraduates. The panelists explained the differences between the various types of degrees available in the mental health field, and covered such topics as preparing for graduate school, the application process, acquiring internships, and the types of jobs that one can get upon completion of the programs.

For undergraduates interested clinical psychology, you should be thinking in terms of a five to six year commitment to graduate study, i.e. four years for coursework and dissertation requirements and a one year internship.< Panelists strongly recommended Sayette, M., Mayne, T. and Norcross, J., Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical & Counseling Psychology (New York and London: The Guilford Press, 1998-9). It describes graduate programs throughout the country with an emphasis on whether these stress research or clinical training. It also provides a good overview of the different career options available in the mental health field. It functions as a good tool for coming up with an initial list of programs for consideration, and also is a good reference book throughout the entire application process.

The speakers noted that an interest in research is an important factor in applying to clinical psychology programs because their curricula are based on the scientist/clinician approach. Top-ranked clinical psychology programs tend to place greater focus on research, while less prestigious programs (only in relative terms) often provide a course of study that is more balanced between research and clinical training.

Many clinical psychology programs have a very narrow focus, e.g. cognitive or behavioral psychology. Others give students broader preparation in a range of methodologies. It is important to figure out what you want. If the department you are considering has a special orientation, make sure that you want to be trained primarily in that approach. An applicant needs to learn about the specific research orientation of the departments that s/he is interested in.

Part of your initial research of prospective clinical psychology programs should include checking out the work and the personalities of the professors who would mentor you. You can get some of this inside information from faculty you are presently studying with in your undergraduate psychology courses, or from supervisors directing research projects that you're assisting on, or from graduate students and teaching assistants who grade your papers. Examples of helpful questions are the following: "Who is doing interesting work in "x" field?" or "Is professor so-and-so supportive and easy to work with?" or "Who has studied under professor so-and-so, what was it like, and where did s/he go after that?" Remember that graduate school is an apprenticeship and you must be able to work well with the person who will direct your training. You will probably also want to do bibliographic searches to check out the faculty publications of different departments.

If you are an undergraduate and are thinking about applying to graduate school in clinical psychology there are a few practical things you can do now. Consider writing an honors thesis, or taking an honors curriculum. It will help, later on, that you have crafted and completed your own research project. Take advantage of all research at Penn while you are here. Check out the Benjamin Franklin Scholars website for information about research opportunities on campus, and, of course, speak to faculty and graduate students in the psychology department. A publication or your name on a poster session at a conference would be very advantageous to a candidacy for graduate school.

You should also think about getting clinical experience and consider volunteering at youth centers, hospitals or mental health programs. Other places to consider are crisis hot lines, centers for homeless or runaway adolescents, schools for emotionally disturbed children or adolescents, summer camps for developmentally or emotionally challenged children, community health centers, college peer programs, women's resource centers and drug and alcohol treatment facilities.

Panelists strongly recommend that students consider taking time off between undergraduate and graduate school in order to get further practical experience to strengthen their candidacy for graduate psychology programs. Professors and graduate students may also have suggestions about what kind of research is going on in other institutions if you are planning to move after college and want to get further experience elsewhere. Check out websites of different university departments, find out about faculty projects. You can contact faculty and programs in other parts of the country and ask if you can work for them. One of the panelists found out about an Alzheimer's study going on at Johns Hopkins University and, because she was in the right place at the right time, she was able to get a job doing grunt work interviewing patients. It paid off because she discovered that she wanted to continue in health and psychology. If you cannot find a job in research or clinical work, then you can volunteer (and work a paid job to support yourself.). The other advantage of taking time off between college and graduate school is that it provides an opportunity for you to assess if you really have the commitment for a rigorous graduate program.

The application process for clinical psychology programs is intensely competitive. One of the clinical psychology programs described by a panelist receives roughly 400 applications a year, interviews about 60 students, admits 12 students into the graduate program and ends up with about 8 new students. It is essential that anyone applying to these programs apply to lots of them (10-15 schools). It is also important to put aside sufficient money to cover the cost of flying to different locations during the two month period of interviews (ca. $1000.00 total cost of application process).

Panelists also recommend being extremely organized during the application process. Create a filing system for your materials on the different programs. Always keep copies of everything. Get your applications out early, by mid-December.

To get into a clinical psychology program individuals need a strong GPA (above 3.0), and strong GRE's. Panelists all agreed that the GRE scores are extremely important for admission to Clinical Psychology programs. Research oriented Ph.D. programs preferred the highest scores with minimums of about 600 for the quantitative, verbal and analytical scores. The average verbal and quantitative score for applicants to all doctoral programs is 1206. It is also important to do well in the Psychology subject test. If you have not taken a broad range of Psychology courses then you should read thoroughly a good introductory psychology textbook, and go through one of the study guides with practice tests available in bookstores.

Finally, to get into a clinical psychology program, it is important to be able to articulate clearly defined goals (even if they change later) and well thought-out research and intellectual interests. You must also convince the admissions committee of your dedication and ability to work with people and of your strong commitment to and understanding of what it means to become a clinical psychologist.

The panelists also clarified what is involved with applying for and completing a Doctorate of Psychology (Psy. D). In this graduate program there is greater focus on clinical training rather than research. (There is some research, but not all Psy. D. programs require a dissertation.) The duration of the program is five years. Typically, in the first three years you do clinical practicums in addition to your coursework, and in the last two years you complete internships. These internships are guaranteed, whereas in clinical psychology and counseling psychology programs you compete nationwide for internships.<

Admission into Psy. D. programs is also quite competitive, although admissions committees puts less emphasis on research. The preparation for applying to these programs is the same as for clinical psychology programs but there is less need for an extensive background in research. You want to be sure to have a lot of experience in clinical settings, however, along with a strong academic record and GRE scores.

The panel also described the doctorate in Counseling Psychology. This five year degree is often obtained through an education department. There is a lot of overlap between the Psy. D. and the doctorate in Counseling Psychology, but the latter has a stronger focus on developmental issues such as the family, child guidance, community mental health etc. Again, the preparation for applying to this type of program also requires a strong undergraduate record, GRE scores, clinical experience and a well thought out personal statement.

Ph.Ds in clinical psychology, counseling psychology and Psy. Ds go on to work in hospitals, as private practitioners often with HMOs, in universities and colleges, corporations, child and family services, correctional facilities, among other places. Clinical and counseling psychologists are routinely involved in psychotherapy, assessment, teaching, research, supervision, consultation and administration.

Graduate students from the schools of social work presented alternatives to the more time-consuming, and sometimes, expensive options mentioned above. Most social work programs take only two years. The curriculum includes a broad range of courses, from social theory and human behavior to client/ practitioner interaction; and internships. Social work coursework structured around a micro-level track trains the student to work directly with clients. A macro-level graduate curriculum focuses on the way institutions impact populations and provides the student tools for community change. Some of the skills you learn in this track involve assessing communities, budgeting and managing agencies, interviewing, surveying, data analysis, lobbying, policy analysis and program evaluation. When you finish your degree you are trained to work with organizations, and in planning and development. A social work degree is considered a practical alternative to the lengthier degrees described earlier.