I have recently decided to pursue a career in clinical psychology PhD and am hoping to prepare for the process. I am not sure what the best methods would be in order to be a competitive prospective candidate. I am posting on this site to hear any advice or opinions regarding this.
A little about my background:
I am a 27 yr old, working at Stanford Hospital as a Licensed Sleep Technologist (RPSGT). I have 10 years of work experience, with 6 years of clinical work experience, as well as 1 1/2 years of experience as a CRA (Clinical Research Assistant).
I have a B.A. in sociology from UC Santa Barbara. My last 60 unit GPA is a 3.7 (I was told this is the GPA that graduate schools will look at).
I am actively working as a Research Assistant as well as an RPSGT so I am working on different research projects. I am unsure regarding whether or not I have to be a Co-Author to any papers that may be published. My involvement with these research projects will result in my name being on the papers, as I am running sleep studies pertaining to the studies.
I am hoping to apply for a masters program prior to applying for PhD, or perhaps directly to the PhD program. I do not have any particular programs in mind yet, as I have not explored the different schools that offer a PhD in Clinical Psych.
My hope is to eventually have an emphasis on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi).
I am studying for the GRE and hope to take it in the next 6-8 months.
What would be the best pathway to be a competitive applicant? Does my work experience allow me to be competitive, despite not having the best GPA?
Any advice helps, I apologize for any brevity or spelling errors, as well as anything I may have left out.
You have a BA in sociology. Do you have any coursework in psychology? If the answer is no, you are not competitive for PhD programs in clinical psychology. You might be for some MA programs which will help you prepare for a PhD program in the field by giving you the coursework necessary. If not, then you can take some psychology classes as a non-degree student or do a post-baccalaureate program in psychology (there are a few - they are somewhat similar to MA programs, but you take undergrad psychology classes instead. They tend to be shorter, focus on the coursework you need to enter a PhD program, and confer a certificate instead of a degree).
You don’t have to be a co-author on papers to get accepted, although it helps. Your clinical and research experience is going to help you - 1.5 years is actually a little low for clinical psych, though, as many clinical psych applicants have 4-5 years of research experience (2-3 years in undergrad plus 2-3 years after college as a lab manager or research assistant). I would say you’d need to push it up to at least 2-3 to be competitive.
Your GPA is fine. You can’t get much higher than a 3.7. (Although the last 60 credits thing is only partially true - some programs will only look at that or will emphasize the last 60 units, but others will look at your entire transcript together.)
For a list of APA-accredited programs that offer a PhD in clinical psychology, visit the American Psychological Association website or do a search for “APA accredited clinical psychology”. You should only attend an APA-accredited program if you want to practice as a licensed clinical psychologist.
Thank you, this is very helpful. I am planning on applying in 2 years most likely, to acquire more research experience. I have 16 units of psychology experience, i was initially a pre-psych major. I have taken abnormal psychology, behavioral, cognitive, and some other classes as well.
