ventiamericano

School: University of British Columbia at Okanagan (UBCO)
Type: PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 19th, 2018
Type of invite: Email invite to on-campus interview day
Interview date(s): February 15th
POI: PM me
Has anyone ever travelled far to their interview day? I live in Ontario and was hoping for just a Skype interview invite.

@Clinicalpsyc12 @ClinPsyc19 @TrindStarr
Hey guys, thought you might want to know - I emailed my POI at uOttawa asking about a general timeline, and he advised that uOttawa is generally a bit later in the game (unfortunately for us). He said that profs aren't notified about which students applied to their labs until February, so we should expect news in February/March. Ughhh!

Hi there! I totally agree with what everyone has said so far re: getting more research experience, going back and doing a Psych-oriented undergrad, as well as racking up your GPA as much as possible. I can't stress enough how important these three pieces are in your application - when applying to Clinical psych, you're entering a pool of applicants who have been aiming towards this goal for YEARS. That means, they have already done an undergrad in Psych (or sometimes even a Master's in another relevant field such as stats), probably have a killer GPA as well as years and years of research experience, publications, etc. It wouldn't be fair to yourself (or your application) if you didn't pull enough time out to adequately address each part. The chances each year get slimmer and slimmer (no exaggeration lol) because the pool gets more competitive. 
However, I came specifically to comment on this post (and add my two cents) on your reasons for pursuing Clinical. While it is true that you will receive rigorous and gold-standard training in clinical settings, this program is NOT (and I really want to stress the not) geared for individuals who just want to be a clinician. There are many college programs out there that are way more well-suited for people who want to be a clinician - social work, counseling and therapy programs etc. Being honest with you, if you really want to "help" people, this is where your energy is best used. There's a misconception going around that Clinical psych is somehow the only way to practice therapy or interact closely with patients with debilitating mental disorders and that is so not true. Mental health nurses to occupational therapists to social workers etc (you get it) - they are ALL professions that work closely with these populations and they are really the people that "help". 
PhD programs (especially in the states) are EXTREMELY research-intensive and there's almost a push to produce more academics than people who will work more in the clinical setting. I'm Canadian so our programs are slightly more towards 60% research and 40% clinical practice, but there is again more of an encouragement for people in this program to move towards research/academia then there is the other way around. This is because the level of education along with the intensity of research training you're receiving would be (for lack of better words) "wasted" on someone who wanted to go strictly into clinical practice. In the words of one of my supervisors, "Clinical psych grads are made for academia or they are made to be expert consultants who foresee multiple clinical practices and inform treatment/prevention practices in these settings". Essentially, with the amount of work you're putting in and with the level of expertise you come out with, you are crafted to be a scientist or someone who is making/informing treatment/prevention/intervention practices on a high level. Not saying you wouldn't ever get clinical exposure in either realm, but that exposure might be less than you'd like.  Again, I don't mean my post to sound harsh but it just seems like your passion is to really be more involved at the hands-on level with patients, and I just want to stress (alongside my peers here) that there are more fast-tracked ways of doing that than to sign yourself up for what is basically hell for 5+ years LOL. 
ALSO, I want to finish off with this: if you do decide to apply to Clinical, I would reaaaaaallly stray away from mentioning mental health issues (within either yourself or your family) as motivating factors for pursuing this line of research. I have consulted MANY people on this, from PIs to grad students, and they say that mentioning personal facets like that is a huge turn-off for grad school committees/POIs. Your motivating factor for pursuing Clinical grad studies should be that you love the area of research and you can see yourself building on it, not that you were inspired based on your own experiences. I want to stress that there's nothing wrong with that being one of your motivations, and I'm glad that you had such good experiences with the mental health system that you see yourself in it, but you want to stray away from mentioning this to your supervisors/fellow peers. 

Hi there! I totally agree with what everyone has said so far re: getting more research experience, going back and doing a Psych-oriented undergrad, as well as racking up your GPA as much as possible. I can't stress enough how important these three pieces are in your application - when applying to Clinical psych, you're entering a pool of applicants who have been aiming towards this goal for YEARS. That means, they have already done an undergrad in Psych (or sometimes even a Master's in another relevant field such as stats), probably have a killer GPA as well as years and years of research experience, publications, etc. It wouldn't be fair to yourself (or your application) if you didn't pull enough time out to adequately address each part. The chances each year get slimmer and slimmer (no exaggeration lol) because the pool gets more competitive. 
However, I came specifically to comment on this post (and add my two cents) on your reasons for pursuing Clinical. While it is true that you will receive rigorous and gold-standard training in clinical settings, this program is NOT (and I really want to stress the not) geared for individuals who just want to be a clinician. There are many college programs out there that are way more well-suited for people who want to be a clinician - social work, counseling and therapy programs etc. Being honest with you, if you really want to "help" people, this is where your energy is best used. There's a misconception going around that Clinical psych is somehow the only way to practice therapy or interact closely with patients with debilitating mental disorders and that is so not true. Mental health nurses to occupational therapists to social workers etc (you get it) - they are ALL professions that work closely with these populations and they are really the people that "help". 
PhD programs (especially in the states) are EXTREMELY research-intensive and there's almost a push to produce more academics than people who will work more in the clinical setting. I'm Canadian so our programs are slightly more towards 60% research and 40% clinical practice, but there is again more of an encouragement for people in this program to move towards research/academia then there is the other way around. This is because the level of education along with the intensity of research training you're receiving would be (for lack of better words) "wasted" on someone who wanted to go strictly into clinical practice. In the words of one of my supervisors, "Clinical psych grads are made for academia or they are made to be expert consultants who foresee multiple clinical practices and inform treatment/prevention practices in these settings". Essentially, with the amount of work you're putting in and with the level of expertise you come out with, you are crafted to be a scientist or someone who is making/informing treatment/prevention/intervention practices on a high level. Not saying you wouldn't ever get clinical exposure in either realm, but that exposure might be less than you'd like.  Again, I don't mean my post to sound harsh but it just seems like your passion is to really be more involved at the hands-on level with patients, and I just want to stress (alongside my peers here) that there are more fast-tracked ways of doing that than to sign yourself up for what is basically hell for 5+ years LOL. 
ALSO, I want to finish off with this: if you do decide to apply to Clinical, I would reaaaaaallly stray away from mentioning mental health issues (within either yourself or your family) as motivating factors for pursuing this line of research. I have consulted MANY people on this, from PIs to grad students, and they say that mentioning personal facets like that is a huge turn-off for grad school committees/POIs. Your motivating factor for pursuing Clinical grad studies should be that you love the area of research and you can see yourself building on it, not that you were inspired based on your own experiences. I want to stress that there's nothing wrong with that being one of your motivations, and I'm glad that you had such good experiences with the mental health system that you see yourself in it, but you want to stray away from mentioning this to your supervisors/fellow peers. 

Ok so I think I need to find a way to block gradcafe from my browser for like a day... I swear when this whole process is over I will STILL be checking every 30 minutes out of habit. Because, you know, knowing about one of the schools I applied to contacting applicants RIGHT NOW is so much more important than getting shit done in my day ?

Hi all, just came here to echo all the positive vibes about rejections! I myself just received a mass rejection from UBC and although it wasn’t a school I saw myself at, the sting was still there. A reminder that even though we are all stressed during applications, that our psyche is still important!! You guys are all amazing and have something to offer - don’t forget that even if you get a shitty mass e-mail. You chose this stream for a reason and don’t forget it!! Love how we are out here supporting each other - rejection isn’t a sign for you guys to quit and lose hope. If you guys are lookin for a sign that you should keep going - this is it!!!

Hi all, just came here to echo all the positive vibes about rejections! I myself just received a mass rejection from UBC and although it wasn’t a school I saw myself at, the sting was still there. A reminder that even though we are all stressed during applications, that our psyche is still important!! You guys are all amazing and have something to offer - don’t forget that even if you get a shitty mass e-mail. You chose this stream for a reason and don’t forget it!! Love how we are out here supporting each other - rejection isn’t a sign for you guys to quit and lose hope. If you guys are lookin for a sign that you should keep going - this is it!!!

Hi all, just came here to echo all the positive vibes about rejections! I myself just received a mass rejection from UBC and although it wasn’t a school I saw myself at, the sting was still there. A reminder that even though we are all stressed during applications, that our psyche is still important!! You guys are all amazing and have something to offer - don’t forget that even if you get a shitty mass e-mail. You chose this stream for a reason and don’t forget it!! Love how we are out here supporting each other - rejection isn’t a sign for you guys to quit and lose hope. If you guys are lookin for a sign that you should keep going - this is it!!!

Hi all, just came here to echo all the positive vibes about rejections! I myself just received a mass rejection from UBC and although it wasn’t a school I saw myself at, the sting was still there. A reminder that even though we are all stressed during applications, that our psyche is still important!! You guys are all amazing and have something to offer - don’t forget that even if you get a shitty mass e-mail. You chose this stream for a reason and don’t forget it!! Love how we are out here supporting each other - rejection isn’t a sign for you guys to quit and lose hope. If you guys are lookin for a sign that you should keep going - this is it!!!

Hi all, just came here to echo all the positive vibes about rejections! I myself just received a mass rejection from UBC and although it wasn’t a school I saw myself at, the sting was still there. A reminder that even though we are all stressed during applications, that our psyche is still important!! You guys are all amazing and have something to offer - don’t forget that even if you get a shitty mass e-mail. You chose this stream for a reason and don’t forget it!! Love how we are out here supporting each other - rejection isn’t a sign for you guys to quit and lose hope. If you guys are lookin for a sign that you should keep going - this is it!!!

Hi all, just came here to echo all the positive vibes about rejections! I myself just received a mass rejection from UBC and although it wasn’t a school I saw myself at, the sting was still there. A reminder that even though we are all stressed during applications, that our psyche is still important!! You guys are all amazing and have something to offer - don’t forget that even if you get a shitty mass e-mail. You chose this stream for a reason and don’t forget it!! Love how we are out here supporting each other - rejection isn’t a sign for you guys to quit and lose hope. If you guys are lookin for a sign that you should keep going - this is it!!!

Hi all, just came here to echo all the positive vibes about rejections! I myself just received a mass rejection from UBC and although it wasn’t a school I saw myself at, the sting was still there. A reminder that even though we are all stressed during applications, that our psyche is still important!! You guys are all amazing and have something to offer - don’t forget that even if you get a shitty mass e-mail. You chose this stream for a reason and don’t forget it!! Love how we are out here supporting each other - rejection isn’t a sign for you guys to quit and lose hope. If you guys are lookin for a sign that you should keep going - this is it!!!

Hi all, just came here to echo all the positive vibes about rejections! I myself just received a mass rejection from UBC and although it wasn’t a school I saw myself at, the sting was still there. A reminder that even though we are all stressed during applications, that our psyche is still important!! You guys are all amazing and have something to offer - don’t forget that even if you get a shitty mass e-mail. You chose this stream for a reason and don’t forget it!! Love how we are out here supporting each other - rejection isn’t a sign for you guys to quit and lose hope. If you guys are lookin for a sign that you should keep going - this is it!!!

Ryerson faculty have until Friday to submit their short list to admin. Those short listed will be invited to an open house on Feb 11.  FYI  

Ahhhhh. This wasn’t someone I applied to work under but excited nonetheless!!!
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email for Skype interview
Interview date(s): Day between tomorrow to Sunday morning  
POI: PM me  

Yayyy!!!!
School: University of Calgary
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan. 9/2019
Type of invite: Email from graduate program administrator to attend open house
Interview date(s): Feb. 8-9th
POI: pm me
 

Just got a second offer from my first choice - still trying to catch my breath ?
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email from POI for Skype/phone interview
Interview date(s): Either Jan 14th or Jan 15th
POI: PM me 

Just got a second offer from my first choice - still trying to catch my breath ?
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email from POI for Skype/phone interview
Interview date(s): Either Jan 14th or Jan 15th
POI: PM me 

Just got a second offer from my first choice - still trying to catch my breath ?
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email from POI for Skype/phone interview
Interview date(s): Either Jan 14th or Jan 15th
POI: PM me 

Just got a second offer from my first choice - still trying to catch my breath ?
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email from POI for Skype/phone interview
Interview date(s): Either Jan 14th or Jan 15th
POI: PM me 

Just got a second offer from my first choice - still trying to catch my breath ?
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email from POI for Skype/phone interview
Interview date(s): Either Jan 14th or Jan 15th
POI: PM me 

Just got a second offer from my first choice - still trying to catch my breath ?
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email from POI for Skype/phone interview
Interview date(s): Either Jan 14th or Jan 15th
POI: PM me 

Just got a second offer from my first choice - still trying to catch my breath ?
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email from POI for Skype/phone interview
Interview date(s): Either Jan 14th or Jan 15th
POI: PM me 

Just got a second offer from my first choice - still trying to catch my breath ?
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email from POI for Skype/phone interview
Interview date(s): Either Jan 14th or Jan 15th
POI: PM me 

Just got a second offer from my first choice - still trying to catch my breath ?
School: Ryerson University
Type: MA/PhD Clinical Psychology
Date of Invite: Jan 9th, 2018
Type of invite: Email from POI for Skype/phone interview
Interview date(s): Either Jan 14th or Jan 15th
POI: PM me