ll2332

@PsyDuck90 Thank you so much for writing back! It seems like research is a must if you want to get into grad school. I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by getting products. Do you mean saving research papers? Or saving momentos of sorts from the research facility as proof of you conducting research?

Hey there! I'm a high school senior (sorry if I'm on the wrong forum!) who has found an interest in becoming a clinical psychologist. But I'm relatively confused about the whole process from undergrad to full fledged clinical psychologist. I know that in California, applicants need 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience, with a minimum of 1,500 hours from postdoc. 1. What does it mean to have pre-doctoral hours? Does that mean research that you did in undergrad or during your doctorate program? 2. The California Board of Psychology states that "applicants for licensure... must possess an earned doctorate degree in psychology... from a college or institution of higher education THAT IS ACCREDITED BY A REGIONAL ACCREDITING AGENCY RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION." What is that supposed to mean? If I want to work as a clinical psychologist in California, do I have to take a PhD program in California? Or can I take a doctorate program from any APA accredited university in the United States??? This law has been effective since Janurary 1, 2020 and the board has also provided a list of approved schools: https://www.psychology.ca.gov/applicants/apprvd_schools.pdf Are those select few institutions the only places where I can get my doctoral degree from if I want to get my license in California? 3. What is the different between an internship, fellowship, and research? 4. How do you count the hours that you've done in a supervised professional setting? 5. Do students have to apply for pre-doctoral internships on their own, or do they get help with finding these opportunities with the university that they're in? 6. Are all clinical psychology PhD programs funded in the US? 7. Are there any doctorate programs that you'd recommend that I look into? 8. Any advice on what an incoming freshman college student should do during their 4 years of undergrad to help them apply for graduate school? 9. What types of internships and volunteer/work experiences should a college student be looking for if they want to go into psychology? Sorry if there are too many questions! The whole process of becoming a clinical psychologist is pretty daunting.