Clinical Psych Exam #3- Professional Issues and Graduate School

Professional Training History

Prior to the 1940s, the only “training” available was experience. World War II, VA, and US Public Health Service helped clinical psychology establish training programs.

Dr. David Shakow

Most influential psychologist in founding training programs, chaired Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology that prepared a report for APA (1947)

Boulder Conference and Vail Conference

Established PhD and PsyD programs

PhD

prepare students to work in both academia and practice, require RESEARCH-based dissertation, provide maximum funding to a small number of students (harder to get accepted)

PsyD

training focuses on clinical practice, enroll a lot more students and don’t offer much financial support, less accredited, typically don’t require masters nor research dissertation

Training Today

All university-based clinical psychology graduate programs offer training in both clinical and research, emphasis differs

Different training models

Clinical scientist model (emphasis on scientific research)

Scientist-practitioner model: (Boulder model, most common), equal emphasis on research and application to practice

Practitioner-scholar model: (Vail model), stresses human services

Internship Crisis

APA accredited programs require their students to intern at an APA approved site, internship imbalance, may not match

Professional Regulations

Standards of competence that members of the profession must meet before they are authorized to practice

Licensure

More restrictive, specify the services a psychologist is authorized to offer.

State board examination for licensure

Consists of 225 questions, including an oral part, an additional ethics exam, and an additional special area exam

Requirements for State board examination for licensure

administrative requirements: age, US citizenship, and no major crimes.

Education: doctoral degree in relevant subfield of psychology from accredited university. (differs by state)

Experience: 1,000s of hours of supervised practice. (differs by state)

PhD vs. PsyD: similarities

both emphasize EBPs, both prioritize CBT

Why not PsyD

less emphasis on research (impacts job opportunities and inclusion of research in practice), often not affiliated with a psychology department or even a university, often very expensive and little to no financial support, PsyD students tend to score lower on the EPPP and have a harder time getting internships.

Why PsyD

shorter than PhD, easier to get into because they accept more students

Research Options

PhD in clinical psychology, other PhD programs may be appropriate

Pros of PhDs other than clinical (developmental, social, cogneuro)

often less competitive than clinical programs, often get same financial support if it’s a PhD program

Cons of PhDs other than clinical (developmental, social, cogneuro)

won’t get any clinical service training or experience, can’t get licensed.

Average debt for PhD vs. PsyD

$60,000 vs. $120,000

Independent Practice

Clinical psychologists used to be able to easily open a private practice and make six figures, now the average income of a PhD psychologist in private practice with 20-24 years experience is $89,000.

Options for practices

Solo practice, group practice, mixed-model practice

Solo Practice

owns entire practice and responsible for everything.

Group Practice

2+ clinicians join forces and offer services together and share the costs

Mixed-model Practice

2+ clinicians work together, but are financially independent.