It’s been quite a struggle for me to find out what major I want to go into. Recently however I have shown some interest in psychology, and as I looked into it neuropsychology seems to intrigue me a lot with the study of brain along with people.
However what I’m most stumped about it the degrees. No matter what field, I am interested in getting a masters to help me out. However with being a neuropsychologist, it is guranteed that I will need a doctoral degree. And I’m not sure if it will be worth it in the long run to take my chance with that? Because I believe that could take 8 years if I’m not mistaken?
There’s also been a problem with both my parents not really comfortable with the idea with me being psychology major. With that being said, what I’m really looking for is
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should I continue on working to be a neuropsychologist despite the long road ahead? Is it really worth it?
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what other majors could I look into in the medical field that could be related to this?
Any help in either questions is really appreciated, thank you for your time.
- Is it worth it?
Length of training: You might still have at least an additional two years of post-BA training to qualify in a related field. A doctorate is only two additional years. (Of course, if you pursue the clinical side of neuropsychology, you might have a year or two of supervised practice until you can get licensed.) While there is an increased opportunity cost, it doesn’t seem so long when you consider that you might be working in your chosen career for another 35-40 years.
Job Prospects: With your parents’ concern about you majoring in psychology, I’m guessing that their underlying concerns are your job prospects. So, as you mentioned you would need a doctorate. If you pursue a research career, obtaining a position is competitive and funding can be unreliable. If you pursue a clinical career, job prospects might be somewhat better.
Accrued Debt: In addition to job prospects, another underlying concern might be the amount of accrued debt. You should not go into a doctoral program unless you receive an adequate stipend. The better programs usually will provide funding. A potential limiting factor is the amount of debt you will have from your undergraduate studies.
So, I think it could be worth it if you have a academic chops to get accepted into a competitive doctoral program with funding and finish that program.
- Other fields to consider:
Speech Pathology/Audiology (MS); Physical Therapy (graduate training DPT); Occupational Therapy (undergrad and/or graduate training); Neurological Nursing (specialize after BSN or MSN); Orthotics/Prostetics (graduate training); Biomedical Engineering (BS); Rehabilitation Counseling (MS); Brain-Injury Rehabilitation (at master’s level, possibly via Applied Behavior Analysis, Special Ed); Gerontology (via nursing or graduate psychology training).
I’m not sure about the current status of this, but you could look into ROTC as a potential source of funding as an undergrad and then look into prospects for graduate funding while in the military. I knew a couple of people who completed their training at the Uniformed Services University. I knew others that had nurse’s training funded via the military, but of course, you’d have a service obligation.
Aren’t PsyD’s and PhDs in clinical psych typically 5 years? Those programs (phd in particular) rarely take people fresh out of undergrad. Don’t see how a doctorate in this field is earned 4 years after college.
^Yes. In order to become a clinical neuropsychologist, one must get a PhD in clinical psychology at a program that has a specialization or concentration in neuropsychology. Those programs typically take 5-7 years after the bachelor’s to complete.
You don’t have to plan your entire life out now OP. If you are interested in psychology, explore the major by taking some classes. You don’t have to choose your eventual career and graduate degrees right now.