psychology_student_

Apply to more schools if you can afford it. You'll see on this forum many people applying to 8 or so schools and getting zero interviews (and thus zero acceptances). The clinical psychologist supervisors in my work life told me to apply to 16 schools (I applied to 15). In applying to more schools, you should add schools that are more diverse in geography (midwest, heartland) and more diverse in terms of competitiveness. Those are all top notch universities you're looking to apply to (nothing wrong with that), but they are all each going to literally receive a bijjilion applications, and I'd say there's a chance you'd receive zilch interviews if you exclusively apply to such competitive programs.

Can I still get into a PhD/PsyD in Clinical Psychology program with an MA that is not clinical psychology? Would I be disadvantaged if so? Yes. No you wouldn't necessarily be disadvantaged. Should I enter TC instead of UBC because it's more relevant to clinical psychology? Or should I wait another year and try again? Don't go in debt, go to UBC. I went to a cheap no name master's program and got into a great funded PhD program off of that. Does a Masters really help? As the above poster said, if you're lacking in research and lower grades (and solid letters of references from licensed psychologists/professors), then yes, a masters helps A TON Does an international applicant stand a chance to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology with funding? Lol, yes

I didn't have any fun questions from PIs, but in a student-led interview the interviewers asked me "what job (in the non-helping professions) i'd pursue if not psychology?". i said something that'd make a lot of money

I think I mean psychometrician tech because that was literally what my job title was.

Hi Anita, I unfortunately imagine there would be many legal practicing/licensing hoops to jump through to obtain a "technical" internship in clinical neuropsychology in the USA. However, a very viable alternate you could pursure would be working as a psychometrician tech (or "neuro-psychometrician tech") with your credentials. My first job out of undergraduate university here in the U.S. was working as a neuropsychometrician. If administering assessments under the supervision of a licensed clinical neuropsychologist is what you're after then I would simply go to job search sites (indeed, monster, etc) and search for "psychometrician" and "neuropsychometrician" jobs.

Don't know the program, but based on what you've said about it (and if you have to pick one or the other), just ask yourself which would be more beneficial: 15 months or 2 (2.5 at the most?) months conducting research. Also, just eye test, ask yourself what looks better to potential clinical PhD programs: "Summer Intern in a lab focused on depression" OR "Master of Arts, Northwestern University, Thesis/research project: 'Yadaya yada fancy cool study I got to independently conduct versus being an intern for a summer: A quantitative approach'". I'd say the latter.

In my master's program I for sure had one (imo) unqualified professor (earned her doctorate online...) for a research methods class. I wasn't as proactive and organized as you are, so I never really contacted administrators. I essentially just got through the semester and found that while she may not have been the most top notch canidate to teach high level statistics, she taught out of a book that I could use as an effective tool for learning various methods. So, I don't think it'd be worth it to contact Division 14, master's programs are of course held to some kinds of standards but there's nothing in all master's programs as wide sweeping as being simply an "APA-Accredited" program. This may sound defeatist, but if the assistant dean is defending their selection then I would sort of try to listen to that decision. I know if I was a dean and had a student telling me the hiring I made/approved was wrong or questionable I probably wouldn't be super receptive to making any kinds of promises about changing such a person. Unfortunate as may sound to you, my advice would be to just muster through the semester, gleaning as much trustworthy info as you can from the "unqualified" instructor, and supplementing whatever material you feel is lacking with the wealth of information available online. Learn what you can, pass the class, graduate in a timely manner, and move ahead.

I would definitely just reach out. As I'm sure you've put together, it's generally a little late for acceptances (although certainly not out of question), but when you've applied (and probably paid money to do so) to a program and you still don't have an answer than it more than reasonable to directly reach out to them.

i got into vocational psych because my assigned advisor was into it and i looked up to her. if she was expert in something else then i probably would have just latched onto whatever that thing was too tbh ? #follower

If the Master's program is fully funded then I'd for sure roll with that. If it's not fully funded, then trying to get a job as a research assistant in addition to your Master's program would be ideal (this is what I did).

I just sent them wine

I had a similiar experience of having a Human Bio w/ concentration in Psych undergrad degree. 3.3ish overall GPA. Just got Master's in gen psych last spring and got into a very good phd program this year first time applying.

I would potentially do this but also keeping an open mind to the possiblity of having the POI not accept you into their PhD program. I don't think it would hurt at all, but certainly no guantees. I wouldn't be straight up with your POI about what happen AFTER you're done volunteering with them (I'd imagine your POI would think "whoa, let's just see how this volunteering works first") But I do also like this idea from the standpoint that if you're volunteering with someone conducting research that interests you then you'll inevitably hear about other similiar people/opportunities at other programs where you can then apply for a PhD and have a super strong LOR from your connected POI who you would have been volunteering with.

I'd say yeah it sounds like a screw up. Sucks that some of these programs we pay for just to submit an application can't keep their own financials/email listservs/clerical stuff in line.

Talk to your university's academic advisors about this

That many interviews and no offers is not uncommon at all. It looks like I'll end up with only 2 acceptances from 9 interviews myself.

You can obviously use R on anything, my partner and I both have macs and we've used them for R without any problems. Same with SPSS on my end, no problems that I can think of at all with a mac. I also like using university supported computers, lets me keep work at work to an extent.

Idk if you should be concerned or not. But if you are concerned, simply and briefly outline those potential issues (while not addressing them as issues) in your cover letter That's impossible to answer without personally knowing the PI and his/her personality. For my two paid research assistant jobs I applied directl through the university application portals. That being said, I safely assume most PIs are decent people and imo think this PI wouldn't respond negatively to a little e-mail after you submit your application. Sort of like a baby cover letter, maybe just a "Hi, Dr. So and So, I recently applied for your listed position. I look fwd to u reviewing my app yada yada fit yada yada very interested etc etc." If u want to shoot me ur resume in a PM or have questions about the format/organization of it, I'm more than happy to give u some feedback

If you wanted a school with a more "clinical" focus, just to apply to the programs with greatest variety/number of practicuum opportunites. Otherwise, finding schools with such a focus would be a really hard thing to quantify/do. I just don't think a school that is labeled scientist-practitioner would focus on the clinical side of their training significantly more or less than other scientist-practitioner program. If you just want clinical work, I'd advise pursing a terminal Master's.

I had a similar undergraduate (Biology major, 3.3ish GPA, did HORRIBLE in Ochem 1). For sure paid research experience is generally more valued over paid clinical-y experience. I just searched and searched for research assistant jobs on all the job sites. Cold calling professors may work, but if they have a position it'll most likely be listed on their university's job listing site. I additionally pursued a Master's program in psychology to compensate for my less than stellar grades and lack of research experience. But if a Master's is not an option, for sure keep looking for those paid research jobs and then resort to volunteering some of your free time to work in a research lab if you can't find one. I can't/don't want to speak to if graduate school would be detrimental for your mental health (this would best be/most ethically answered by a licensed counselor/therapist, and you should defeintely consult one yourself with such concerns). But if one had a history of depression and was to pursue any further graduate schooling, psychology sure seems like the most accomodating discipline to pursue.

That is a very broad request of programs. In America, and as stated above, traditionally PsyD programs have more of an emphasis on clinical experience, but this is such a general request in a program that there is no way you could find specific programs that are truly more focused on practice. All doctoral programs emphasize practice to the point that their graduates are prepared to pass the EPPP to become licensed psycholgoists. Pass rate metrics would be the closet measurement you could use to objectively see which programs most emphasize clinical experience, and even then this would be a horrible way to judge how much programs emphasize practice. All programs "emphasize" clinical experience, hence upon graduation they become clinical psychologists (and most states term psychologists coming from counseling programs as "clinical").

"Pros: the professor is friendly and always reply email quite quickly. Cons: the professor rarely gives feedback for his students about their dissertations. One student from his lab dropped out the school last year due to lack of support." These seem a little contradicting, unless you are meaning financial support. If I were in this situation I would continue on into the program, your POI "The current students also told me that this professor does not have funding to give students. Most students have to do TA ships" This is very common practice among APA clinical and counseling psychology PhD programs. None of what you said would concenrn me enough to not matriculate into this Clinical Psychology program.

no, you shouldn't be worried. people drop out of phd programs across all academic disciplines all the time. and everytime someone does, the cause for the dropout certainly should not be automatically attributed to the POI.

Nice! Similarly, the "scariest" thing I've heard from people about the small town I'm moving to is that I might actually end up falling in love with it ?

of course it's appropriate, just ask whatever you're wanting to know in a polite and professional manner