[Am I doomed without research publications? (Clinical psych)]

@Hk328 I presented two posters but neither of them were at national conferences, they were small regional ones, which is why I feel like my research experience will be overlooked.  I haven't thought about presenting at future conferences, so that is something i'll look into, thanks! 

[Am I doomed without research publications? (Clinical psych)]

Hey everyone,

I am interested in going to school to become a clinical psychologist. I've read a lot of threads and success stories, and it seems that a person is much more likely to get accepted if they have published research. But really, how realistic is it to achieve that in undergrad? I know there are plenty of other factors that are considered in an app, but research experience carries a heavy weight, and is what I am most concerned about. 

I have my bachelors in psychology, and got two years of research experience in undergrad. I worked under a faculty member on research he was working on, and I also created and conducted an original study with three other students. I was planning on applying for fall 2019, and I have been trying to land an RA position but luck has not been on my side. My best bet is volunteering in a lab, which is fine and i'd love the experience, but that most likely will not allow me to really contribute to something independently. 

I guess what I am wondering is, although I do have experience, is it not valuable because it's not published? Does this matter as much as people make it seem? 

 

Thanks

[Question for prospective Clinical Psych PhD!]

11 minutes ago, Hk328 said:

What is it specifically that you envision yourself doing when you have your clinical license? I think what the previous poster was getting at is if you would be better served doing a license eligible masters instead of a PhD/PsyD. 

I want to be a clinical neuropsychologist. Assess, diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, etc., those with brain damage. The only way to get there is through a doctoral program 

[Question for prospective Clinical Psych PhD!]

53 minutes ago, pataka said:

I agree with other posters here that a PsyD might be a better option for you if you don't like research but want a doctoral degree. I want to ask, though - have you considered Master's programs? Your question (about why some people express disorders while others don't) could be explored through fields like epidemiology/Master's in public health. You could pursue a Master's in psychology, psychological sciences, mental health, mental health counseling, clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, etc. which would allow you to work with different populations of people. There are Master's programs that allow for licensure. 

More to the point of your post: I don't think your research needs to be in any specific, narrow field of interest; the fact that you've done research in psychology will be a huge help regardless. However, it is never a bad idea to look for RA opportunities prior to applying to graduate school. For reference, I have 2.5 years of RA experience in neuromodulation science and neuropsychological assessment administration, and I was admitted to a Counseling Psychology PhD program with a focus in multicultural mental health. I don't have high-percentile GRE scores or anything either; I just demonstrated that my interests, personality, and other experiences (volunteer, etc.) are a good fit with the lab and program. 

I have thought about Masters programs, but hesitant to add an extra year before a doctoral program since I am already taking a year off. However, if I don't get an RA position, that will probably be the best route. I won't have super strong LORs either, so maybe I should go that route regardless - more research experience and more time to make valuable connections? Also, don't get me wrong, I don't mind doing research, I just don't want to make a life and career out of it. 

PsyD was my first interest for graduate school, and I checked out multiple, but I do not think it is worth it to accumulate an incredible amount of debt. I do know there are funded PsyD programs out there, but it seems that they are not much easier to get into than a PhD program - they still are looking for that research experience. I have a decent amount I feel, but I don't think it's "good enough" if I don't have publications.

It is definitely a lot to think about, and thank you for addressing my initial question about specific research interests, as that was a big worry of mine! 

 

 

[Question for prospective Clinical Psych PhD!]

15 minutes ago, Clinapp2017 said:

Also, as a neuropsych trainee I am curious why you are interested in neuropsych if your main inteests are depression and anxiety and what distinguishes why two people of the same background will or will not go on to develop that disorder. I am wondering how you envision neuropsych fitting in with that. as your interests (to me) sound like they would more fit in to the generalist clinical psychologist training model. 

@Clinapp2017 I am not interested in research as a career. Classes I took such as physiological psych and sensation & perception really got me interested in brain-behavior relationships and how those can be damaged, so as a career i'd like to work with people who have brain damage; figure out where the damage is, what it is, how they're affected, and what can be done to help. 

I can't get there without a doctorate, and with that, research. Like I said, my interests are broad and I have always found myself wondering why person a has this while person b doesn't, so that is just a general idea of what I could do I guess. I know that I won't get into grad school without a pretty defined interest and I'm just trying to figure out what that is. 

If you don't mind me asking, how did you get to where you are, what are you interested in, etc? 

[Question for prospective Clinical Psych PhD!]

Hi all! First time poster - have scoured the site and I know many people ask a lot of the same questions, so thank you for reading this

I have a BASc in psychology and my future goal is to become a clinical neuropsychologist. My research interests are broad at this point (which I know is not good) but generally speaking I am interested in the etiology of anxiety and depression and how two people with similar backgrounds will either go on to develop a disorder or not. 

My research experience from undergrad was in evolutionary psychology (looking at gender, sexual orientation, and jealousy patterns), and I also worked on a project that studied the effect of subjective expertise on hindsight bias. 

My main question is, will the fact that my research in undergrad does not fit with my interests and what I will eventually try to get into hinder my chances? Because I don't have any experience in anxiety/depression research, is it likely that whoever I apply to work under wouldn't choose me? 

Also, I am interested in the evolutionary psych research as well, but would it be possible for me to continue that in a clinical program? 

*Just a side note, I am actively seeking RA positions that will broaden my horizons and hopefully help me find exactly what I'm interested in. 

THANK YOU!!!