Process of becoming a psychologist?
From point of Undergrad.
Let me see if I get this correct... Undergrad, Grad school then apply to professional school?
Answer:
I'm going to give you the process for clinical psychology, since that's where my experience is:
You have 4 years of undergraduate college, majoring in psychology. Some schools also have a behavioral sciences major, which will also work. Find a grad school you are interested in and find out what their undergraduate prerequisites are, so you don't end up having to take them when you get into grad school. After graduation, you should get some real experience before heading onto grad school. It will prepare you in more ways than one. While you are working, begin researching graduate schools. Look at everything from the program, to costs, to the internship placement rate. Then apply to a program, call for questions and go on an interview. Oh, some schools may or may not require the GRE, so prepare for that.
When you are accepted, your first year will consist of only classes. Many schools suggest that you only focus on education and not work part-time (although I worked full-time and it was a nightmare). You will take the basic courses your first year. Before you head to your second year, consider getting your masters. Some grad schools allow you to get a terminal master's degree. Do it. Some clinical internships will only consider you if you have a master's. The second year, you will have a lighter load of classes, but will take your first practicum. This is basically a 9 month internship doing either therapy or testing. Third year, you will take a second practicum (this varies, some school do not require the second practicum) and begin studying for your comprehensive exam and writing a dissertation proposal. In the spring/summer of your third year, you will take your comprehensive exam (or comps) to assess and apply everything you learned in the past 3 years. If you pass, during your fourth year, you will start looking for clinical internships. This is a nationwide search and highly competitive. About 400- 500 students will not get an internship and will have to wait until next year, delaying their graduating another year. Your fifth year, you will be at an internship for 12 months, 40 hours a week, while also completing your dissertation. After you complete this internship AND your dissertation, you will graduate with a PsyD or PhD. You then have 2 choices: you can try to find a place that will let you work as an unlicensed psychologist while providing supervision or you can get a formal postdoc. After practicing for awhile under a licensed psychologist, you can then apply to take your licensure exam (the EPPP). The number of hours of experience required depends on your state. If you pass your EPPP, you are then technically a clinical psychologist.
Something like that. But how you go about it depends on what you want to do.
For example, if you're interested in experimental psychology and are wanting to do pure research, then you may have a more academic path to follow. As opposed to someone who is interested in clinical psychology and wants to actively interact with clients, helping people with their mental problems. The second career path would also entail some internship-like training as well as licensing.
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Let me see if I get this correct... Undergrad, Grad school then apply to professional school?
Answer:
I'm going to give you the process for clinical psychology, since that's where my experience is:
You have 4 years of undergraduate college, majoring in psychology. Some schools also have a behavioral sciences major, which will also work. Find a grad school you are interested in and find out what their undergraduate prerequisites are, so you don't end up having to take them when you get into grad school. After graduation, you should get some real experience before heading onto grad school. It will prepare you in more ways than one. While you are working, begin researching graduate schools. Look at everything from the program, to costs, to the internship placement rate. Then apply to a program, call for questions and go on an interview. Oh, some schools may or may not require the GRE, so prepare for that.
When you are accepted, your first year will consist of only classes. Many schools suggest that you only focus on education and not work part-time (although I worked full-time and it was a nightmare). You will take the basic courses your first year. Before you head to your second year, consider getting your masters. Some grad schools allow you to get a terminal master's degree. Do it. Some clinical internships will only consider you if you have a master's. The second year, you will have a lighter load of classes, but will take your first practicum. This is basically a 9 month internship doing either therapy or testing. Third year, you will take a second practicum (this varies, some school do not require the second practicum) and begin studying for your comprehensive exam and writing a dissertation proposal. In the spring/summer of your third year, you will take your comprehensive exam (or comps) to assess and apply everything you learned in the past 3 years. If you pass, during your fourth year, you will start looking for clinical internships. This is a nationwide search and highly competitive. About 400- 500 students will not get an internship and will have to wait until next year, delaying their graduating another year. Your fifth year, you will be at an internship for 12 months, 40 hours a week, while also completing your dissertation. After you complete this internship AND your dissertation, you will graduate with a PsyD or PhD. You then have 2 choices: you can try to find a place that will let you work as an unlicensed psychologist while providing supervision or you can get a formal postdoc. After practicing for awhile under a licensed psychologist, you can then apply to take your licensure exam (the EPPP). The number of hours of experience required depends on your state. If you pass your EPPP, you are then technically a clinical psychologist.
Something like that. But how you go about it depends on what you want to do.
For example, if you're interested in experimental psychology and are wanting to do pure research, then you may have a more academic path to follow. As opposed to someone who is interested in clinical psychology and wants to actively interact with clients, helping people with their mental problems. The second career path would also entail some internship-like training as well as licensing.
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