Where to start?

[ezridax]

Hi all, 

I see lots of posts of people trying to decide between specific programs, but I'm wondering if anyone has some advice about where to even start looking. I have some schools on my radar already, mostly places that clinicians I admire went or that are highly ranked. I'm worried that this is not really a thorough way to be looking at schools. Furthermore, I find reading the websites mostly unhelpful for learning about the intangibles that I really want to know about-- of course everywhere will say they are social justice oriented, for example, but where is the work actually being done well? Where will I find peers & professors with a clinical lens that I can feel comfortable working with? (Where am I going to avoid homophobia for real). 

Where / how did people start their searches? Are there any resources for finding out information that I'm missing?

 

[green_dots21]

I started looking into programs in geographical locations where I knew I could feel comfortable living, then I looked into the racial makeup of students and faculty. Once I found a program that best suited my personal needs, I looked into faculty and their research to find people with expertise in my interest areas. I also looked into additional resources for students such as student groups.

And if a program seemed overwhelmingly white and heterosexual but demonstrates social justice values (obviously needing to do more considering), I looked into off-campus resources to answer the following: Could I build a support network outside of my program? Would I be able to find allies among my cohort and the faculty even if they do not share my identities? Would I gain enough from my fieldwork to feel it is worth sacrificing my comfort for 2-3 years in this program? 

A lot of the information can found on the program's website. Of course there's no guarantee a program will be 100% perfect or always safe for me, I want to find enough to make a well-informed decision and not feel like I have to sacrifice my identity for a degree.

I am still narrowing down programs and trying to keep those factors and questions in mind. Hope that gives you a place to start. 

[Miss_Camilly]

I agree with a lot of what green_dots21 is saying. 

To add, a lot of institutions will let you e-mail a current student for insight on the program. I know that that was the case for the University of Michigan. I would also think that calling the office of student services for any prospective uni would be helpful as a lot of students in the department are employed there.

Outside of that, this forum is a pretty insightful. Also, websites of most universities have a lot of information. Important things to note: costs, amount of financial aid given (and availability), diversity of course offerings (you should be able to view previous terms), field placement options/locations, & student composition. 

After you have looked at some schools that seem of interest, try to go to information sessions or look into talking to a current student. Current students tend to be very honest yet objective about their experiences.   

Best of luck to you in your search!

[SW_PHD]

I think one of the most important considerations, especially for clinically focused candidates, is where (in terms of location) do you see yourself practicing. During your two years of field work, you will likely begin building an important network of supervisors, clinicians, and fellow students (that will soon become local clinicians). Unless there is an extremely compelling reason to enroll out-of-state, I think students that graduate close to the location they want to work have a definite leg up on students moving back from outside programs. In fact, some students are offered jobs directly from their second-year placement. Just my two cents. Good luck.