doctormelody
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Posts posted by doctormelody
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On 11/10/2020 at 3:28 PM, ArchieJones said:
Is the PhD program just as bad?
I can’t speak to this as I am a master’s student.
On 11/11/2020 at 1:39 AM, Sigaba said:Before investing in the guidance offered by a graduate student dissatisfied with a program, consider the benefit of taking a look at previous posts to develop context.
IME, first and second year graduate students who spend a lot of time praising or bashing their programs are not always the most reliable sources for information about the program they're attending.
The purpose of this post is not to invalidate the OP's experiences or feelings. The purpose of this post is to suggest that those looking to make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives should do their due diligence before accepting (or rejecting) strongly held opinions that are offered as absolute fact from an insider.With respect, I don’t know what your point is. Is my opinion less valid because I have been uncertain about my career path in the past? I definitely think that people should do their own research and I can acknowledge that I was quite upset when I wrote this. However, I can support each of the claims that I made here if folks are interested.
My only aim in writing this was to help other students. I never would have considered Pitt if not for grad cafe, so it was important to me to reach other potential out-of-state students who might not have anyone they can talk to who has firsthand experience of the program.
If you had done a little more digging in my post history, you would have seen that I was accepted to Columbia’s MSW program in 2018. I have a friend who attended that program, and while I don’t think they would say it was perfect, these broad systemic issues were simply not present. Am I, on some level, bitter that I turned down an Ivy League school to attend an overpriced store-brand institution? Sure.
If an adult reads my post and decides not to apply to Pitt solely based on the words of a stranger from the Internet, I’m sorry, but that’s not my problem. I simply wanted to provide another perspective so that students can make an informed decision. Judging by your post history you are neither studying social work nor working in the field, so again, with respect - maybe just stay in your lane.
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On 10/28/2020 at 9:16 PM, Diamond said:
University of Pittsburgh? What's your issue with the program?
Yes. Honestly, I don't even know where to begin but I'll try and sum up my main grievances below:
1)The financial aid is horrible
2) The administrative staff are actively cruel towards students for no reason
3) The quality of instruction is consistently appalling
4) The field opportunities and field advising are also appalling
5) The price of tuition combined with the lack of adequate financial aid and zero name recognition outside of this region make it a terrible investment if you are ever planning to live anywhere besides western PAIf you have more questions about any of these or want specifics, feel free to respond here or DM me. I can't say that I regret coming to Pitt because I have made some great friends throughout my time in the program, but if not for that, I absolutely would.
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Does anyone know if any Canadian programs accept transfer applicants from the US? Any advice would be very much appreciated!
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Hi all. So, I had asked this question in a couple other threads but it doesn't look like it's going to get a response there, and maybe it was the wrong place to put it, anyway.
My situation is this: I am a second year MSW student in the US. Frankly, this year has been a shitshow thus far with everything being online (not saying it's the wrong choice, just that it's hard) and I'm very scared of what's happening with the political situation in the US right now. Therefore, I was thinking about trying to transfer to a program in Canada to finish out my degree.
I know that this probably sounds crazy considering that I am so close to the end of my program, but things are not going well at my field placement and part of me wants a way out. I cannot rely on my school's admin to help me as they are extremely slow in responding to concerns. Is there anyone here that has transferred from an American social work program to a Canadian one? Is it even feasible at this late stage of my degree? After this semester I will have 45 credits, but I assumed that I would have to take extra classes if I transfer to a program in another country, anyway.
The other thought I was kicking around was the idea of applying to this program
https://www.h-brs.de/en/sv/study/master/analysis-and-design-social-protection-systems
or something similar. I know that there are scholarships for American students to study in Germany but Idk if I would be competitive for any of them. I know this all sounds insane, but I am somewhat desperate to leave the US and this school, if possible. Please help if you can.
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I have no advice to give, but you seem like a great applicant. Why not go for the joint PhD?
I am not trying to be dismissive, but I think you will figure this out. If you aren't certain, you could apply to PhD programs in Social Work and in Psychology and see what your offers are/what schools best suit your interests.
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Does anyone know if DSW programs are easier to get into, generally speaking? I assume they would be, but I don't know for sure. I do know there's no way I would get into a PhD program as I haven't done any independent research. Any answers that anyone could provide would be tremendously helpful.
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Hey, I’m sorry to bother you all, but has anyone successfully transferred from an American program to a Canadian one or know someone who has? I’d be so grateful to have any kind of answer.
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Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on transferring to a Canadian program as an American? I’m extremely serious and would be grateful for any advice anyone can provide.
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On 7/23/2020 at 1:44 PM, Gelibutter said:
I'm a first year coming into UW MSW program. They basically sent out a questionare asking us if we prefer online classes or in person classes to get a feel for what the demand is so that they can try and accomodate everyone. (for instance they have two in person classes for 155, but the questionare showed that more students wanted to do it online, they would use that info to adjust the class style) They told us that most likely they are aiming at two classes being online, two in person and also giving students the choice to be online completely if they choose ( this includes field placement.) I know a few who are going to do fall completely online and stay home and most likely move mid-fall for winter quarter since they emphasized that Fall is guaranteed online if we wanted it but Winter not so much. They will go back in person for all classes AS SOON as they hear its safe to do so.
Hey, sorry for the late response, but this is so interesting! We got a survey from the university but not from the SSW specifically. Have there been any updates since then? I know a lot of schools are changing their strategies now that things are looking so bleak. ?
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How much debt are you considering taking out for this degree? I don't know much about medical social work but if you're already working in the field and don't want to do something specific like therapy which absolutely requires another degree and professional licensure, I would question the wisdom of attending, for sure. I'm sorry to hear about the local program screwing you over.
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Hi all! Sorry, I didn't see this thread before posting mine. I'm in the second year of my MSW program at Pitt and we haven't heard anything from the school of social work regarding fall in two months. I'm gearing up to send an email to the program director today but I wanted to get a sense of what other schools of social work are doing/how people are feeling about the situation before I do so, if possible.`
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Hi all. I'm just wondering how other schools of social work are handling the coronavirus situation. I am currently a second year student in Pitt's MSW program. I gave them a lot of grace in the spring because the situation was so unprecedented but at this point I haven't heard anything directly from the SSW in TWO MONTHS and according to the general Pitt schedule our classes are supposed to begin August 19th. More importantly, no one knows what is going on with internships. I still don't have a placement which is partially my own fault but it seems like Pitt is just leaving it up to individual field sites to be remote or not which feels kind of... insane? I personally am VERY skeptical that I will be able to get useful experience out of a remote field placement, especially seeing as it's my concentration year and I will be interning at this site for 720 hours. I don't want to pay $30,000 for a sub-par experience so I am thinking about taking a year off and trying to get a job working from home. I'm really curious to hear from other second year students but also those who are just starting their first year. If I take a year off and Covid is still a thing I feel like I might apply to transfer, too? If my degree is gonna be all online anyway, I might as well get it for much cheaper. Any thoughts?
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On 2/21/2020 at 7:31 AM, anelab said:
First, I would say get a new therapist if you are able. Don't stop looking until you find a good fit.
Second, the debt is going to be there whether you stop going or not. If you finish, the three letters after your name will help you get a job (it's elitist and capitalist but what can you do?). Is there a Dean of Academic Affairs you could talk to? Or a trusted professor? When I was having doubts about my MSW, I talked to the only professor I had liked at that point and she completely changed everything for me.
No one can make the decision but you, and no one here will have to live with the consequences of this choice either way. I'd encourage you to look into the diversity of the field before you decide though. Have you thought about macro? Policy? Research? Evaluation? Private sector? Medical social work (both case work and not)? Public health social work? School social work? There are so many options for people who don't want to be therapists, I have no idea why therapy is presented as the main option.
Good luck! (Oh and if anyone is making you feel shitty for having debt and being unsure of your life path, dump them from your life. This is normal and not something to be shamed about)
Thank you so much for your reply. I'm sorry it took me so long to respond; life has been crazy lately.
If you don't mind me asking, what were your doubts and what did your professor say to change your mind, if you can recall it with any specificity? I don't really have anyone I can talk to about this besides my friends and my partner. My one professor that I really like and trust sits on the committee for a fellowship that I am applying to, so I can't really let her know how unsure I feel about everything. I haven't even told my friends in the program how I'm feeling because I'm too ashamed. If I don't get the fellowship, though (which at this point seems likely), maybe I'll see if she has time to meet with me.
Your point about there being many other avenues in this field that I could pursue besides therapy is a good one. I guess I am scared that if I go the macro route I will be less employable because I feel there is nothing inherently special about me that would make me stand out to an employer, whereas it seems that more traditional social work jobs are usually pretty high in demand. I also hear your point about how having finished a degree looks better than dropping out halfway through in our elitist society. At this point I am really just doing a cost-benefit analysis as to whether having those three letters after my name is worth an additional 20,000 to 35,000 in debt, especially if I don't plan on following a career path where it would be required (for instance, if I was planning on getting my LCSW). It's a lot to consider but as I said before I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to leave such a thoughtful and helpful response to a somewhat incoherent post made in the throes of desperation. Thank you.
Oh, also, for what it's worth, no one is making me feel shitty about my life choices but me, but I appreciate the encouragement! Perhaps I should dump negative me.
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On 2/26/2020 at 3:27 PM, AlabasterSeas said:
I won't start my MSW until Fall 2020 (still trying to decide which to attend), but am also concerned about student loan debt. For reference, I'm a few years out of undergrad and have had a variety of work experiences and have also had the pleasure of living paycheck-to-paycheck while working in positions related to social work. I have a helpful therapist and have discussed all my worries about money with her, as well as the nagging question, "is this the right choice/path for me?"
Here's what I'd say for you: keep in mind you might be depressed/anxious which could be weighing you down. If you are depressed/anxious, I doubt any career change will make you feel better -- in other words, the issue might not be that you've selected the wrong career path (even though it feels like that right now), but that you're dealing with a tough mental health condition.
In terms of debt, yes, it's a lot of money. I am also facing six-figure debt to do an MSW. But, keep in mind a lot of people have debt nowadays. And some kinds of debt are okay to have. If you're racking up a ton of credit card debt on stuff you don't really need, then that's one thing. It's another thing for an education. Going into debt for an education or for a house/car tend to be more common kinds of debt that people expect to pay. While a career in social work might not pay as much as other careers, a MSW does lead to a paying job. I'm not sure what kind of social work you're interested in, but an MSW graduate (before becoming a LCSW) can expect to make around $50k/year in NYC if they're working in a clinical role. There's usually a $10-15k bump once they become a LCSW. I'm not sure about other cities or non-clinical social work; at least other cities would have lower cost-of-living.
Additionally, the payback period for student loan debt is long. That can feel like a burden, but that can also be a positive -- you can have really low monthly payments. Remember that lots of people with student loan debt are still able to live happy, contented lives, and even take a vacation now and then! You'll just need to come up with a budget that works for your situation. Investing in yourself is a good thing, it's the kind of thing that is worth the debt.
It sounds like you have a lot of self-doubt -- that feeling that you've messed up your life and that you're on the wrong path; a sense that you're just this messy human being who can't get their shit together. Additionally, your debt-anxiety might be making your brain play a trick on yourself: it sounds like you're trying to zoom into the future and figure out whether or not the MSW was the right choice, and your anxiety is predicting/saying, "The MSW was the wrong choice." For starters, anxiety is a really bad fortune teller. It doesn't know what your future will be like. There's still the possibility you graduate and think social work was the best decision of your life, debt and all. That's just as much a possibility as anything else. The hard part is that you won't know until you're there. That might seem scary; you might want a guarantee up-front that social work will be fantastic and everything will work out. But, such guarantees don't exist, and keep in mind there's no guarantee any other career will be fantastic or better than social work.
Because dropping out / changing paths seems to be coming more from a place of anxiety/doubt/criticism, it seems reactionary; it doesn't sound like a decision that is coming from a place of balanced-perspective.
I'd encourage you to not interpret your past, present, or future decisions as right or wrong. That's black-and-white thinking. Life's more complex and more interesting than right or wrong. You didn't make the wrong choice going into debt for undergrad, you didn't make the wrong choice with the MSW path; if you had made different choices, they wouldn't have been the right choices, just different choices. The best we can hope for is not to make the right choice but to try to make compassionate choices, for ourselves and for others. Holding yourself to the standard of right or wrong could lead to a harmful relationship with yourself. It's not about figuring out how to fix your life or yourself by doing x, y, or z. It's about how you can love and appreciate yourself as you are at this moment, even in the presence of pain.
Finally, don't think you have to be perfect to be a social worker. A lot of people who are attracted to social work do it because they are very familiar with all the messiness of life, including their own messiness. If anything, your experience of self-doubt, depression, anxiety, hardship, etc. can be the very stuff that makes you a wonderful and effective social worker.
If any of this is helpful, it is largely because of the therapy I received. It took me a few tries to find the right therapist for me, but once I did, it has been life-changing.
Firstly, I just want to say thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful, nuanced, and quite frankly beautiful reply. I am so sorry it took me so long to get back to you, but I want you to know that not only did I find this very comforting to read, I think you make a lot of sense. I know that I have a tendency to view things in black-and-white, and yet, no matter how many times I think I have eradicated that particular unfortunate habit, it keeps popping up in new and different ways. So thank you so much for that insight; it is very well-taken.
I like your point about anxiety being a bad fortune-teller. You're absolutely right that I do want some assurance that everything will be okay if I continue with social work - that I'll be happy and fulfilled and make decent money or at least be able to get by. And it is very hard to separate whether I have a genuine dislike for the work or whether it is my self-doubt and anxiety that is making me feel like I'll always feel miserable and incapable and that I've made a terrible mistake. I will say that my internship right now is very hard on me mentally (my field placement is in a community mental health agency) and that it may not be representative of the field as a whole. That being said, I feel different from my peers in that I don't have a passion for mental health; the DSM is boring to me and I'm more concerned with what material improvements can be made to people's lives rather than the specifics of their particular disorder. It's possible I might enjoy a macro-focus more, but I'm worried that this would lead to more uncertain employment prospects, and it's probably too late to change my concentration.
My boyfriend said something the other day about how social work is kind of like bailing out a boat using a thimble and it struck me as very poignant. Maybe this is just my depressed brain talking and I certainly don't intend to be discouraging, but if my experience thus far in the field has taught me anything it's that the people I am trying to help would benefit far, far more from big structural changes in the way our society functions than from any support I might able to provide. I've always been a big picture, can't see the trees for the forest type of person, and I think I'm struggling to conceptualize dedicating my life to helping one person at a time with their individual problems, as noble and necessary as a pursuit that undoubtedly is.
All that being said - you've helped me tremendously, and I appreciate it more than I can say. You seem like you're very good at this already, and whatever MSW program you choose (or have already chosen) will certainly be lucky to have you. Thank you.
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So, long story short, I’m almost halfway finished with my first year in an MSW program and I’m having serious doubts about whether this field is for me. Ever since I started thinking about pursuing this path I wanted to become a therapist, but I’m not even sure I believe in therapy anymore. I know there are many other possible career paths in the field, but tbh, I’m not sure I want to be involved with mental health at all anymore. It’s not my passion; it never has been. I pursued this because I thought it was practical (hilarious, I know, but my other idea for my life was to become an academic) and because I thought I might be good at it. I know it’s too soon to tell whether I’m capable, but I don’t know if I’m interested enough to find out. It feels like a bad sign that I already feel this much trepidation when it seems like everyone I know in the field is burned out, underpaid, and sad.
I don’t really have another ideas for what I would do besides some half-baked dreams of becoming a journalist. I know I wouldn’t make any money in that field either if I was lucky enough to “make it” in some small way, and I’m not sure whether I possess the work ethic, talent, or intelligence to succeed in that industry. I have around 80k in student loan debt currently and it will be at the very minimum 100k by the time I am done with this program. I know it must seem like I’m obsessed with money, but I’ve never made more than 12,000 in a year and I am so tired of being poor. I would like to make at least 50k a year SOMEDAY and ideally more so that I can pay off my student loans and possibly even help my dad with the PLUS loans he took out for my undergrad in the sweet, misguided hope that I would amount to something in life. I would also like to not be a fucking albatross around my boyfriend’s neck for the rest of my life.
I have tried to explore these feelings in therapy and it does not help. All my therapist does is say “wow, you’re really hard on yourself.” Last week she recommended a mental health IOP where some of my peers work. This is part of why I’m losing confidence in therapy, but it’s not just her; I haven’t made any significant progress in that arena in years. It seems all my therapists do is listen to me vent and collect a check. I have had a couple wonderful ones; but they have been few and far between, and I am starting to believe I am simply too broken to be helped. Which, of course, makes the idea of idea of me thing to help anyone else laughable at best and unethical at worst.
I apologize if this doesn’t fit here, but I am desperate and grad cafe has helped me in the past. I know I am depressed and possibly not seeing things clearly, but it also seems evident that I have made quite the mess of my life. If anyone has any insight or has been through something similar and come out the other side ok and is willing to share that with me, I would be eternally grateful.
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I would recommend looking into some cheaper schools if an online program is your only option. I did extensive research on this back in January-February of this year and the cheapest ones I found were Boise State University, University of Central Florida, West Virginia University, and Louisiana State University. But you should do your own research, too. The info is sometimes hard to find but if you sign up to receive more information from certain schools they will try and set up an appointment to call you and sell you on their school, and you can use that phone call to ask them about the tuition per credit hour as well as any other questions you may have.
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What is your end goal and what are your other options? If you’re sure you want to be a social worker in the NYC area, it may be worth it. But you are doing the online program, correct? My understanding is that that would lead to fewer networking opportunities. Full disclosure, I turned down Columbia because of the debt, but I also only received 11,000 per year in scholarship funding.
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On 6/6/2019 at 4:04 PM, Enyo said:
Hi there. I'd advise everyone to be very careful about taking out extra loans. There is a reason why student loan debt is all over the news and has even become a platform for politicians. Social workers don't make a lot of money, especially when we first come out of school. Trying to manage a meager salary and paying back thousands of dollars worth of loans at the same time can be not only overwhelming, but long lasting. You can only deffer for so long before the lenders are after you. Plus, the debt can work against your credit history. i speak from experience.
I did it, but it was a struggle because of the practicums being during the day. I tried to find an evening/weekend job, but those are hard to come by in my area since the cost of living is so high that people with day jobs are also looking for night/weekend gigs. I ended up asking my parents for help which was embarrassing at my age (over 30), but I didn't want to take out more loans. Are you moving to NYC for school or do you already live there? If you're not already a resident, I'd advise against going to school in such an expensive area when you don't have the ability to work full time. I did this and it was probably the biggest mistake I made in terms of my MSW experience.
I have no choice but thanks for the warning. I’m very aware of the risks.
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On 5/29/2019 at 2:45 PM, Rwww said:
Hi all!
I plan to apply to MSW programs in NYC for Fall 2020. My plan was always to attend grad school full time, but the reality has settled in that I can't afford to not work for two years while in school (shocker!). Has anyone done an MSW program full-time and also worked at least part time? I need to pay rent somehow, but I also don't want it to get in the way of my school plans.
Thanks!
I don't have any advice on whether it is possible to work full time while doing an MSW, never having done it, but as for the "paying rent somehow" - a lot of people take out loans to cover rent and other living expenses. This is probably what I'm gonna end up doing, in addition to working part time. It's not ideal, but I want this degree, lol.
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10 hours ago, FeministDreams said:
Hi I am starting my MSW in September. I am really anxious that finding good and stable employment at the end will be as hard as it was after undergrad. What did you do that made the best of your experience? Or helped you figure out what where you wanted to be headed? Or what landed you your dream job?
I don’t have any answers but I am also curious about the answer to this question!
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13 hours ago, harpert1 said:
The best advice that I could give you is: Everything will be fine, and it’s totally normal to be a bit fluxed after graduating from undergrad (congratulations!!!). A gap year is a good way to hone in on your focus and also take a breather from school; I would actually say take two years off to get some post-college experience, which can help differentiate you from other candidates. I would also recommend volunteering a little bit in addition to working full-time so that way you could vary up your recommendations and resume. I don’t want to be cliché when saying this but the adage is true: “The only way to fail is if you don’t try.” The worst that any school could do is reject you, and that would be fine, not finitely life altering, while conversely an acceptance could be life changing. I don’t think I did anything too special for admittance to grad schools; if you offer a compelling personal statement, have good recommendations and a solid resume, I’m sure most grad schools would love to have you. I’m attending UChicago SSA, and thinking of pursuing a PhD, so I hope to see you around on-campus someday, perhaps.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”
I completely agree with this. It's pretty normal to feel insecure and worn out after completing your undergrad - I certainly did. Personally, I found asking for recommendations to be the most challenging part of the process for me. The personal statement wasn't fun but I'm a strong writer so I think that helped. Everyone has their strengths, and it sounds like one of yours is definitely your extensive volunteer and leadership experience. I agree with @harpert1 that taking two years off to work and volunteer in the field could be beneficial, but I also recognize that that's easier said than done. In the end you just have to do what's right for you, but I definitely recommend applying to more than one program just in case. There are several good ones in the Chicago area if that's where you wanna be. Good luck to you! You got this.
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4 hours ago, Adrianna said:
Guys I'm 26 and trying to get into grad school. It's not the end of the world Lol (just trying to give you a perspective)
Seconded. I understand the anxiety, believe me, I do, but one year isn't gonna make a huge difference in the grand scheme of your life.
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18 hours ago, MayorBobbledoodery said:
I need help deciding between VCU and Hunter. VCU would be in state tuition and about 20k less than Hunter (including cost of living estimates). Additionally, at VCU you don't need to specialize until your second year which appeals to me as I am attracted to both macro and micro social work. However, I have lots of family in NYC, plus all the culture and opportunities in the city are hard to say no to. I also feel like my career prospects would be better going to school in NYC, and that could justify the debt I would have to go in to. Any thoughts? Is NYC worth about ~25k in debt?
This is just my two cents but if you're considering staying in VA at all I think you should go to VCU. I've heard from multiple people that VA has some of the strictest licensing requirements in the country (also heard that about NY and California, but it was corroborated by fewer people) which makes it very difficult to practice in VA if you didn't get your license in the state. My old therapist, for example, had to take I think two or three additional classes at VCU after being licensed for ten years in Maryland in order to practice in VA. You may already know this, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware.
As @ML878 said, it really just depends on where you want to end up. You should think about where you see yourself living and working long-term and make a choice based on that. Both schools have good reputations in their respective areas so it just depends on where you wanna be. It's a tough choice! Best of luck.
don't come to Pitt
in Social Workers Forum
Posted
If you have a problem with me, state it. Otherwise, I have more important things to do with my time than get in a flame war with a stranger who has no experience with social work on Grad Café, of all places.
As for this sarcastic and unhelpful comment, suffice it to say that these concerns have been raised with the administration many times and that the response has been less than ideal. I do not feel comfortable saying more here, but if folks who are thinking of applying to Pitt have questions, please feel free to private message me. I’m also fine with continuing this discussion here, just not with you as you have contributed nothing of value thus far.