can someone please proofread my personal statement?? due March 1st!

[pjones616]

I have chosen to go into the health-care profession because I was given a chance.

 

Specifically, I am referring to the teachers who not only gave me the tools to supersede my goals, but who instilled the confidence, courage, and bravery to always go a step further. Being one of six to graduate from high school with a diploma and continue my education I still had big shoes to fill, and I still do. Not many people understand what I mean by that, but it is as if I set the precedence for what everyone in my family “ought to be doing.” The truth is, I am doing what I love. Early on in my academic career I had the opportunity of studying abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico for a semester where I worked closely with children with disabilities and their parents. This was the most rewarding experience of my life to date, yet the most challenging experience because I was not able to speak my first language and I was operating off of norms, taboos, and ways of communicating with a culture that was different than my own.

 

I had a taste for this experience again so I took advantage of going on a service-learning trip to Tanzania, Africa. Living on a convent gave me a taste of what true community is. I was able to teach in the schools about various topics such as contraceptives and education. I was also able to work along side “my people” in the kitchen, slaving over hot dishes for hundreds of people. I can easily reflect on both experiences and notice what I learned, but collectively I grasped the true meaning of life, and that is health and family. These foundational values have stuck with me throughout my work career.

 

I work as a mental health practitioner that does behavior analysis and skills training with families based on a treatment plan. Each client I have presents with a different skill set and each family provides a different level of commitment and support to their child, which has been eye opening because I get a first hand view on how the system affects the individual. On another hand I work at a crisis shelter for children and adolescents. This is the most humbling job I have because each week whether I see a new or an old face I experience a new set of empathy each time. Sometimes I wish I had more than one life to live because there is so much I want to accomplish. However, since I only have one life I would love to spend my time working in schools and in the community with at-risk and disadvantaged youth.

 

Reason being, they often lack the support of family members and the community to be successful. I would love to one day open my own practice working with all demographics. My MFT program has exposed me to people from all walks of life and it has been such a tremendous growing experience and something I would be more than happy to continue.  In conjunction with my own practice, I would also love to spend some of my time coordinating an after school program for at-risk and disadvantaged youth.

 

This is something that is extremely important to me because I have been apart of those populations where you wonder whether or not people care if you succeed or fail, and I understand how quickly I could have taken the wrong path, so I want to provide the opportunity for kids to excel in their academics with the guidance of mental health professionals. As the end of my Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program draws near, I have realized that I have only scratched the surface of my training. Obtaining licensure as a Psychologist would provide me with an abundance of opportunities as I search for employment, but more importantly I would have the ethical and multicultural competencies necessary in this field. As my professional identity evolves, my self-concept will as well. I fully understand how important it is to recognize the connection between my professional identities as a psychologist in comparison to my identity. These two identities merge because as I continue to learn and practice, I myself, am growing, and am molding into a more competent practitioner. 

 

The Psyd in counseling psychology has a lot of demands, but within the past two years I have been very successful meeting the demands of my MFT program. I commute almost 8 hours to and from school each week, work multiple jobs, and maintain an above average GPA. So the commitment, time management skills and dedication to my education have proven to be consistent throughout my graduate career. In addition, with tremendous amount of support, encouragement, and prayer from my family, I am always motivated to prevail and succeed my goals. My MFT program has done a phenomenal job of stressing the importance of “self” time to avoid “burnout.”

 

I had some difficulty with that last year, but I quickly learned that I am of little value if I am tired and of low energy. Family and friends are a huge part of my success so being able to invest in those relationships is very important for me to keep my sanity. With that being said, I have learned to balance work and play and use my time more wisely and informing them of my schedule has made my life much easier. Subsequently, because the Marriage and Family therapy program is so demanding in its expectations, I have a greater understanding of what type of dedication it takes to be a successful psyd student. Although I know the expectations of the psyd in counseling psychology are greater, I am confident that my training has prepared me for the challenges ahead. My commitment to my education and resiliency of external factors are strengths that I have not always had, but continue to grow me as I have the opportunity to prove myself time and time again. I am the kind of person who has dreams but chances them. The kind of person who understands how a, “mans reach exceeds his grasp,” but still try. I am the kind of person who wants to do better each time and I do.

 

Experience has taught me that communication is a key element for relationships to function. Additionally, throughout my college career I was fortunate enough to work with different families while studying abroad, and with those experiences I had the opportunity to present my study abroad research on how social economic status can effect ones education.

I am concerned of “burnout.” If I experience “burnout” I will not have sufficient energy for my studies and clients, and will therefore be useful in the program. With that said, I understand how important prioritization, time-management, sacrifice, and endurance are to be a successful doctoral student. This is the biggest endeavor I have ever embarked on, and I would be crazy to think this would be “easy.” Yet, I do not want this experience to be easy, I expect this program to be the most challenging time in my personal, academic, and professional life. With that said, I am looking forward to working along side my peers and my professors. I am immensely excited about the practitioner-scholar model.  In truth, I look forward to the challenges because that is when growth happens. I anticipate myself exceeding my career goals and becoming a competent psychologist.

 

 

Please address each of the following in your statement. Weave your responses into a single integrated narrative. Unless you wish to, you do not need to address the questions in exactly the order they are listed. Most personal statements will be three to five pages in length.

1. What are your long-term career goals? Be as specific as possible. It is understood that these goals may change, and that they may not be clearly formed at this point in time.

 

1. Provide a brief description of your background, training, and experience. Include work and experiences both within and outside of the health care field.
2. How does obtaining licensure as a Psychologist fit into your career goals? What is unique about a professional identity as a psychologist in terms of meeting your goals?
3. The doctoral program in counseling psychology is demanding of both time and energy, and sometimes students underestimate the commitment needed to complete the program in a timely manner. How do you plan to integrate your work as a student in the program with the other demands in your life? How do you anticipate making changes in your life so that you can successfully complete a doctoral program?

 

1. Describe the academic, interpersonal, and/or personal challenges that might hinder your success as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. How do you plan to address these challenges?
2. Describe the academic, interpersonal, and personal strengths you would bring to your work as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology.

 

1. What concerns you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology?
2. What excites you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology?

How do you anticipate (and perhaps hope) that completing a doctoral program in counseling psychology will change you?

[St Andrews Lynx]

I'd be happy to help, if you like. 

I'll PM you. 

[quick1]

I recently got accepted to Psy.D. programs for Fall 2013, feel free to PM me if you want some tips or info on what seemed to work for my SOPs   I took tips from current Psy.D. students on tweaking my SOPs and I'm very certain some of their tips were a big factor.

 

One thing I will say that helped me out with the SOP and then with the interviews is discuss in some way why the particular school and why specifically a Psy.D. You need good reasons or at least an understanding of what a Psy.D. means for your career and why you actually need it. You show you understand time and commitment to the Psy.D. training but you WILL get grilled in interviews on "why do you need a Psy.D. and why from here?" Know that they will challenge your answers "well an MFT can do that, or there are plenty of LPCs out there doing what you want to do without a doctoral degree."  You need to know key differences between a Psy.D. and masters level degrees. Many school will expect you to become a licensed psychologist after you graduate and it would be a kiss of death to even suggest "possibly not getting the highest licensure possible" or having at least some shown interest in key things a licensed psycholgist can do that masters level clinicians can't do (hint: testing and assessment is one).

 

But just PM me if you have any questions, specific details needed, or more info.

Edited February 24, 2013 by quickinstinct

[pjones616]

I really appreciate all of the feedback!!!! Thank you so much!!