JoePianist
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Posts posted by JoePianist
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18 hours ago, Romedy said:
I've applied to 12 programs each of the last 3 years, reapplying to certain places (Programs and PIs I really like: Tennessee, Kansas, Ole Miss) but changing the others. This will mark year 4, and to say I am frustrated is putting it mildly. I've continued to be active in research labs where I got my master's, but none of these have led to publishable articles (It is a very small, terminal master's program at a very small midwest university.) However, many of these projects have resulted in posters and oral presentations. I've also conducted mock interviews with the faculty at 2 different universities to improve my interviewing, as I received 7 interviews last year (but zero offers). I have 13 poster/oral presentations (3 more pending this fall), an unpublished empirical master's thesis, and 1 manuscript about to be submitted for publication (although the faculty advisor thinks it is likely to be rejected.)
My metrics are quite good:
B.S. Mathematics (2005) 3.53 GPA
B.A. Psychology (2015) 4.0
M.A. Psychology, clinical emphasis (2018) 4.0 GPA
GRE 163 Quant, 162 Verbal, 5.5 writing
This year I am applying to: Kansas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kent State, Toledo, Missouri-Columbia, St. Louis University, Alabama-Birmingham, and Southern Miss (Counseling). Research interests in the areas of depression, anxiety, and emotion regulation, specifically in adolescent and young adult populations. Additional interests in technology, mobile devices, and gaming as potential vehicles for intervention. My career goal is to be a university professor.
A Ph. D. is a lifelong goal, but I'm seriously wondering if it is time to accept that I am not meant to get into a clinical program. Is the only way to improve my application through getting 3-4 publications? I'm not convinced that is doable in my current environment, and so I am looking for other alternatives.I'm grateful for any feedback.
I’m surprised to hear this will be your 4th time applying to PhD Clinical Psychology programs, given your background. I’m a third-year student in the UAB (Alabama-Birmingham) Medical-Clinical Psych PhD program myself, and many of our incoming students don’t have a first-author publication or oral presentation under their belt aside from a few posters — that’s the same case at similar PhD Clinical Psych programs where I know other colleagues.
I assume you’ve done this, but my first suggestion would be to ask for feedback from the potential mentors at the institutions you interviewed at the last time you applied. Perhaps there’s a key factor or two beyond your objective grades/research productivity/GRE or interview style that’s been impeding your placement.
My second advice is to see if your research mentor or other faculty in your Psychology Department has any connections to faculty at a PhD Clinical/Counseling Psych Program; and if that’s the case, see if they can introduce you to these individuals at these programs. I feel that a factor that often gets ignored about this application process is that it favors those with the right social connections within the field — professors seem more willing to take in a mentee if a colleague they know well can strongly vouch for the student.
In any case, I sincerely wish you the best on the process!
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24 minutes ago, liznlex said:
I would caution you from comparing yourself to others on this site....people on here tend to be extreme overachievers haha. I can guarantee people would laugh at my credentials, but I am applying anyway because I know I have a lot of strengths and want to give myself the chance. I am not very familiar with Canadian schools, but I have noticed that many people on grad cafe apply to very prestigious schools that get 300+ apps and only take like 5 people . So, if you are applying to that kind of school, then yes...I think everyone is worried and doubts their application!! However, I think you have a great gpa and outstanding GRE scores. Having a solid year as an RA will def work in your favor...just go easy on yourself , all you can do is give it your best shot.
As a successful applicant with worse stats than @CuringNihilism who got into a funded & APA-accredited doctoral Clinical Psychology program, I second @liznlex's post.
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@ae616 I actually think your GRE scores are fine - they won't get you into an ultra-competitive tier like Harvard or UCLA, but your scores are good enough for getting into most APA-accredited Ph.D Clinical Psychology programs. Your M.S. in Clinical Psychology with background in both research and clinicals will give you a bit of an advantage in your application too. Good luck!
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Your verbal score on the GRE is definitely not competitive for an accredited clinical psychology doctoral program – you’ll need to get that up to 150 at least
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Exactly what kind of career are you wanting? If you're only interested in therapy work, maybe you can consider just doing a Master's in Counseling – you can still become a licensed therapist, and those graduate programs aren't nearly as competitive as doctorate Clinical Psychology programs.
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Hi Miiit, congratulations on your decision to pursue a PhD in Clinical or Counseling Psychology. It's certainly a rewarding career path, though earning admission into a high quality PhD Clinical/Counseling Psychology program is quite the challenge.
My first question is this: what Psychology classes have you already taken in college? Before you can apply, you'll need to have already taken a few classes like Research Design in Psychology, Introduction to Statistics for Research, Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology, etc.
My second question is: do you have any experience working in a Psychology lab? In order to be a competitive applicant, you'll need to have worked or volunteered in a Psychology lab for at least 1-2 years. Ideally, you'll need to have worked in a lab that specifically focused on your interests in cultural & social identity issues in Psychology.
If you're lacking in Psychology courses and research, then I'd recommend pursuing an MA in Psychology.
However, if you've already taken all the basic undergraduate Psychology courses and you just need research experience, you don't necessarily need to pursue an MA in Psychology. Rather, you can volunteer as a Research Assistant in a Psychology lab at a nearby university, which is a cheaper option. You can also try to apply for paid Research Assistant positions in a Psychology lab if you can find openings, but those paid research jobs are very challenging to obtain without a MA in Psychology (or a related Social Science like Sociology).
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Hi JuneDreams, good to hear you're back in school exploring your career options! First of all, I'd like to mention that there are plenty of "non-traditional" doctorate psychology students similar to you who are a bit older or making a career shift. It's doable, and your status as a non-traditional student shouldn't impede your goals.
Have you tried looking up other nearby colleges and universities in your area that may offer a Social/Personality Psychology department? Ideally, it would help if you can ally yourself with a Social/Personality Psychology professor who's willing to mentor you in their lab and connect you to other professors accepting students at their PhD Social/Personality Psychology program.
If that isn't an option, perhaps you can reach out to a previous psychology professor at the school you're currently attending (doesn't matter from which subfield) and talk to them about your predicament and goals. Perhaps they might be able to connect you to the right resources as well.
Best of luck, and feel free to reach out anytime!
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On 4/9/2018 at 12:50 AM, abnumber5 said:
This is my second application cycle, last was Counseling Psych 2017. I'm in a Clinical Psych Master's program and will be doing a combo of Counseling and Clinical Psych programs, with a few research PhD's.
- University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Clinical Psych (dream program)
- UTSW Clinical Psychology (another dream but not ideal funding)
- TAMU Counseling Psychology(re-apply)
- University of South Alabama Clinical/Counseling (safety)
- SMU Clinical Health(reach)
- Texas Tech Counseling Psych
- University of Texas at Arlington Health Psychology
- Ohio State IDD Psychology
This is my first time applying to Clinical, so I'm nervous! I will have a Psych Master's but non-psych undergrad. Retaking the GRE and getting absolutely as much research experience as I can.
I'm still searching for more Counseling programs, and considering a few research PhD programs as well.
I noticed that you plan to apply to UAB's Medical Clinical Psychology program as your top choice, and I'm actually a 2nd year in that program right now! I'm doing research in chronic pain & health disparities with my mentors there. If you want to reach out for any information or advice about the program, feel free to PM me
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16 hours ago, clinical_chicana said:
how do people feel about accepting a waitlist offer? I decided not to accept an offer from a school because I felt like since I was not the first choice, I wasn't truly wanted in the program.
Like others have said, I'd also feel "butt-hurt" about the prospect of accepting a waitlist offer as a "second choice" candidate. That being said, with how competitive it is to get admitted into a respectable, funded Ph.D Clinical Psychology program, I'd suggest swallowing one's pride and taking that waitlist offer if it's a good program or in the case that you have no other offers.
- PokePsych and Applicant4788
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A colleague of mine went to San Diego State University for their M.A. in Psychology, which specifically prepares students to become competitive for Ph.D programs. She's now a doctoral student at the University of Alabama's Ph.D Clinical Psychology Program. I've also heard that the M.A. Psychology program at Wake Forest University is quite solid, though it's more geared towards those who are strongly considering a research career.
Hope this helps!
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I'd suggest emailing the Program Director at Yeshiva's Clinical Psychology program to explain your financial situation and ask for suggestions. Perhaps they may provide funding through assistantships (e.g., teaching, research, or clinical part-time work) within the program, though I don't whether the Clinical Psychology program at Yeshiva provide such opportunities. Good luck!
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3 hours ago, Becks_Psych said:
I've received 3...THREE...rejection emails from the same school in a 2 1/2 week period. Like, I get it. I'm rejected. Please no more emails.
haha
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15 minutes ago, 2ndTimeHopeful said:
I have been invited to an upcoming interview day. The invitation states that I will be interviewed by two faculty members. They did not specify which professors would be conducting the interviews. I was well prepared for my previous interviews but not sure what to do for this one. Do I need to familiarize myself with every professor on staff or just focus on my requested POI’s even though I’m not sure if I will be meeting with them. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
It might be helpful to skim over the broad research areas offered by that particular program; but really, focus more on calming your nerves and treat the upcoming interview as just a meaningful conversation with two people. From what you had described, it sounds like they aren't expecting you to overly prepare - just talk to them as regular people while being engaged in the conversation. Also, make sure you try to weave anything related to your career field that you're particularly passionate about, and you'll be fine
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13 hours ago, KeepOnBrewing said:
Thank you for your response, @JoePianist. I'm curious to hear little bit more about your knowledge/experience of PCSAS. I know that there are 50+ programs under Academy of Psychological Clinical Science but not all of them are part of PCSAS, which was bit odd for me. There were also programs that are NOT part of Academy but also in PCSAS. PCSAS FAQ by Mcfall seems to give a good overview of PCSAS but still doesn't answer my question of the purpose of Academy if they were going to create PCSAS. I'd appreciate hearing your observation/experience of PCSAS programs and their benefits (and even downsides if you've seen them). Thank you!
So, I can't say that I know much about the Academy vs PCSAS, though from my understanding, PCSAS is the accreditation entity under the Academy umbrella. And, I do know that several Clinical Science programs are pushing for using PCSAS as the training model's accreditation standard, with the hope of distancing themselves from the APA accreditation standard (though, I can't say I know the specifics as to the reasoning for this). PCSAS is still a relatively young accreditation standard, too, and has not yet been widely adopted.
Long story short, all you need to be concerned about right now is whether your prospective programs are APA accredited. In addition, you need to look into the percentage of students from your prospective programs who were successfully matched with an APA-accredited internship, which will clue you in to how well that particular program will prepare you as a competitive career candidate after graduating with your Ph.D
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19 hours ago, KeepOnBrewing said:
Reputation of the program: I know that having a super star PI would definitely give me UPs for my future in all I do. But what about the reputation of the program itself? How is the reputation of the program perceived after graduation when getting jobs in medical/academic settings? Aside from obvious names such as Harvard/Yale/UCLA, I'm wondering how others are perceived. I'm thinking about the schools that may be listed 60-70 in US NEWS clinical psych rank. (The methodology that was used in this ranking system is obviously not the most scientific but it seems like it gives a general ranking of the program in the US)
R1, R2, R3: I'm curious to hear about peoples' perspectives (especially the ones who have been in the field after grad school) on R1,R2,R3 system of the school. In my brief research, this system meant more back in the days. Would R1 recognition give one more advantage in either academic or medical settings?
Clinical vs. Scientist-Pracitioner: I am planning on pursuing research/clinical work (and also teach on the side) in medical school or children's hospitals affiliated with universities upon graduation. I'm aware that a lot has to do with my own productivity during the program. But I wondered if attending Clinical Science modality program (rather than Scientist-Pracitioner model) would give me more advantage.
Academy of Psychological Clinical Science: Lastly, GENERALLY, among clinical science programs, would the the ones that are part of Academy of Psychological Clinical Science, be more prestigious than the ones who are not part of the program?
1. You'll come to find that the US News' Clinical Psychology Ranking list is rather deceptive. Almost all the programs ranked 1-100 are actually solid, including those between 50-100. Within the Clinical Psychology field, "brand name" recognition (e.g., Yale, Harvard, UCLA, etc.) is secondary to actual student outcomes and quality of training. When applying for internships and jobs within Clinical Psychology, the people hiring will recognize the programs with solid training and excellent student outcomes too.
2. If you're interested in going into research or academia (i.e., professor) for a career, then you'll want the programs with the R1 distinction. Specifically, R1 schools will typically offer the most opportunities to get involved in research and publications due to their volume of research grant funding.
3. Clinical Science vs Scientist-Practitioner: Either training model will properly prepare you for your specified career interests. More importantly, though, I'd suggest you ask your prospective programs for data on what types of jobs and settings that their graduates typically go into, which should clue you in to the program's strength. There are some programs within BOTH training models that primarily focus on producing full-time researchers and future professors, and there are some programs from BOTH training models that might have an even mix of researchers, professors, and clinicians produced.
4. I'm actually more familiar with the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) as the "premier" membership to which Clinical Science programs should be a part of. It's the equivalent of the American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation for the standard of quality for all Clinical Psychology programs overall.
Hope this is a bit helpful - good luck on decisions!
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1 hour ago, inneedofadvice2018 said:
Hi @Oshawott! I'd say it's the $ and the fact that my current advisor won't let me use any existing datasets to write my thesis and/or dissertation are the two factors preventing me from staying where I am now and publishing with external collaborators
@inneedofadvice2018 So I see you've received a lot of different advice on this forum and on StudentDoctorNetwork - have you gotten closer to deciding on a plan of action?
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On 2/3/2018 at 10:33 PM, Sherrinford said:
HAHA. Actually, that totally happened to me. And we were applying for the same lab as well. We were direct competitors, but she was one of the nicest people I've ever met. Kind of distracted me the whole interview weekend. I wonder what became of her.
You could have asked for her email address to stay in contact at least. That's what I did during my interviews with a few fellow applicants.
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25 minutes ago, nicokren said:
I've applied to Social programs! I suppose I'll come up with a Plan B then haha
Ah, got it! Either way, I believe most graduate psychology programs have sent interview invites, but I'd recommend just waiting one more week before starting to make alternative plans. If you need some input at that stage, feel free to message me ?
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2 hours ago, nicokren said:
I've heard nothing from my programs (other than UC Davis). I have emailed POIs for an update with nothing in return. Is this normal? I feel like that is just a precursor to the rejection letter.
I'm assuming you've applied to doctorate Clinical Psychology programs? I believe interview invites for most programs have been sent at this point, but I'd give it one more week before worrying about it
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7 hours ago, Neuropsych24 said:
Hi all, I'm assuming some/most of the PhD clinical programs have sent out interview invites, but can anyone give an update on the following:
UAB
UCSD/SDSU joint doctoral program
Alabama Tuscaloosa
Vanderbilt
Wash U St Louis
Any info would be greatly appreciated!
The admissions committee in the Medical Clinical Psychology program at UAB are currently deliberating final interviewee choices – I'd expect invitations to go out within the next week or two.
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I'm sorry to hear that, @Itzik. I had also struggled with standardized exams including the General GRE. Your Quantitative and Verbal scores are honestly above the average cutoff for most graduate school disciplines. Instead of re-taking the GRE again, perhaps you can show your strengths in math and reading in other ways? For example, if you had taken college-level courses in high level math/statistics classes (ex. Calculus, Advanced Statistics), highlight those classes on your CV especially if you made A's in those classes. That's what I had to do when I kept getting around a 151 Q and 156 V, and that strategy worked well with me.
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Similar to others have posted, I got admitted into my first-choice Ph.D Clinical Psychology program that provides full tuition funding and stipends with a 151 Q, 156 V, and 4.5 AW on the GRE, plus similar GPA and research experience as you. I was also invited to an interview at Wayne's State Ph.D Clinical Psychology program with those stats back in 2016 too!
- Psych_Law and crystalcolours
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10 hours ago, KingRAJ said:
I asked if the letter would also include my self awareness of my weaknesses and my efforts in learning but never received a straightforward answer about it.
Honestly, there's your answer, man. If this professor isn't willing to provide a straight-forward response, take it as a red flag and move on. It would be best to provide letters of recommendation from people who are essentially your "cheerleaders" with clear positive praise for you, even if they're not exactly affiliated with your research interests.
Plus, you have to consider that the professors' own reputations are at stake when he/she endorses a student with a letter of recommendation. Frankly, it sounds like this professor isn't sounding confident enough in providing an all-around positive endorsement.
Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!
in Psychology Forum
Posted
If you’re coming from a Master’s program in MSW or Counseling, you will more than likely start from square one when starting a Psy.D program. You might be able to transfer a few classes from your MSW or Counseling program, but that depends on each Psy.D program.