I have a PsyD and after 45 years of clinical experience I am getting ready to retire. I knew I wanted training in providing therapy and assessment and the training in this area with a PsyD is beyond intense as you know. I worked in a psychiatric hospital for 7 years so I was familiar with clinical work and with severe mental disorders. I was interested to hear you speak about the differences between the PsyD vs the PhD. The one thing that I found out during my practicum years ( One year in providing psychotherapy to mixed populations and one year in neuropsychological assessment) was I was surprised that the PhD. students had no training in therapy or testing. All their classes were in the “theory” of psychotherapeutic techniques and the “theory” of assessment so the supervisors were concerned about giving them any complex cases or they were more heavily supervised or saw less patients overall. My understanding was as you explained that they wanted to be researchers or teach instead of working with patients in the field. So I was surprised again when all my friends who graduated with Ph.Ds started private practices or provided therapy in clinics or hospitals as soon as they finished school and never returned to research or teaching. Is that still the case? In your program are your courses still only theory? Thank you for explaining some of the differences. Its good for prospective students to know this. Its also true more students are accepted into Psy.D. programs than PhD programs but the ratio of those entering to those graduating in PsyD programs is much lower. The intensity of the programs and the amount of clinical work is more than many students expected. At graduation less than half the people I started with graduated. I heard that things are different now in that both the PhD and PsyD programs are easier than each previous decade's programs. What is your area of research? Do you plan to teach as well? I would love to have a chat with you. The changes in the field are so great now due to external factors that in the future you will see less and less doctorates in psychology. The masters degree will become the standard because the insurance companies and Medicare no longer want to pay us the amount of money we bill for services. They have already passed a bill to allow “counselors?” and others with two-year degrees to become providers because they will accept less than half of what we are reimbursed and we only receive less than half the amount we bill for. For the first 16 years of my private practice career I ran a cash only practice and my files were absolutely confidential. Then the economy changed and people were relying on insurance more and more so I joined BCBS PPO only. In hindsight I regret starting any relationships with insurance or Medicare, but I wanted to accommodate my existing patients. I wish you all the best in your career. Except for my above regret I had the most amazing career. I accomplished more than I ever dreamt of and became involved and skilled with populations I never really thought about. I hope you will publish more videos about your experiences. Thank you. MWF
Thank you for your comment! I'm over 35 and plan to at some point get my Psy.D. I have done research and Psy.D is more in alignment with what I want to do. In undergrade we had to do a research study basically like what PhD's do and I remember thinking this major should be called research because that's what it's all about. We used SPSS for our research. I didn't like it. I love counseling, I lover therapy, I love doing assessments, gathering information and analyzing that information. But there are no PsyD close to me and I'm actually starting a private practice. I would say research can be interesting and it's nice to know but very much want to learn more on counseling, therapy, diagnosing, and assessments and working directly with people.
Hi Danika, thanks for this video. I graduated medical school (MBBS) and I want to be a clinical psychologist. Do I need to do masters first? I have no one to ask for guidance and I’m hoping UA-cam might help.
Hi! Congratulations on graduating! If completed a four-year medical program in the U.S., you would need to apply for doctoral programs. Most programs do not require a master's degree, as there are terminal programs that award a master's degree after completing the pre-requisites.
Wow what a wonderful and comprehensive picture of this decision-making process. Thank you for providing such a great resource!
I have a PsyD and after 45 years of clinical experience I am getting ready to retire. I knew I wanted training in providing therapy and assessment and the training in this area with a PsyD is beyond intense as you know. I worked in a psychiatric hospital for 7 years so I was familiar with clinical work and with severe mental disorders. I was interested to hear you speak about the differences between the PsyD vs the PhD. The one thing that I found out during my practicum years ( One year in providing psychotherapy to mixed populations and one year in neuropsychological assessment) was I was surprised that the PhD. students had no training in therapy or testing. All their classes were in the “theory” of psychotherapeutic techniques and the “theory” of assessment so the supervisors were concerned about giving them any complex cases or they were more heavily supervised or saw less patients overall. My understanding was as you explained that they wanted to be researchers or teach instead of working with patients in the field. So I was surprised again when all my friends who graduated with Ph.Ds started private practices or provided therapy in clinics or hospitals as soon as they finished school and never returned to research or teaching. Is that still the case? In your program are your courses still only theory? Thank you for explaining some of the differences. Its good for prospective students to know this. Its also true more students are accepted into Psy.D. programs than PhD programs but the ratio of those entering to those graduating in PsyD programs is much lower. The intensity of the programs and the amount of clinical work is more than many students expected. At graduation less than half the people I started with graduated. I heard that things are different now in that both the PhD and PsyD programs are easier than each previous decade's programs. What is your area of research? Do you plan to teach as well? I would love to have a chat with you. The changes in the field are so great now due to external factors that in the future you will see less and less doctorates in psychology. The masters degree will become the standard because the insurance companies and Medicare no longer want to pay us the amount of money we bill for services. They have already passed a bill to allow “counselors?” and others with two-year degrees to become providers because they will accept less than half of what we are reimbursed and we only receive less than half the amount we bill for. For the first 16 years of my private practice career I ran a cash only practice and my files were absolutely confidential. Then the economy changed and people were relying on insurance more and more so I joined BCBS PPO only. In hindsight I regret starting any relationships with insurance or Medicare, but I wanted to accommodate my existing patients. I wish you all the best in your career. Except for my above regret I had the most amazing career. I accomplished more than I ever dreamt of and became involved and skilled with populations I never really thought about. I hope you will publish more videos about your experiences. Thank you. MWF
Thank you for your comment! I'm over 35 and plan to at some point get my Psy.D. I have done research and Psy.D is more in alignment with what I want to do. In undergrade we had to do a research study basically like what PhD's do and I remember thinking this major should be called research because that's what it's all about. We used SPSS for our research. I didn't like it. I love counseling, I lover therapy, I love doing assessments, gathering information and analyzing that information. But there are no PsyD close to me and I'm actually starting a private practice. I would say research can be interesting and it's nice to know but very much want to learn more on counseling, therapy, diagnosing, and assessments and working directly with people.
Love this video thank you for sharing as a fellow psychologist it makes me happy to see a another black queen 👸🏿
Thank you for the love sis! Glad you enjoyed 😊
Me too I love seeing black people get their degrees and excel successfully in life. Especially a black beautiful woman. ❤
Great informations
Very informative
thank you so much for this literally
Thanks for such an informative video! I know it’ll help some people make their choice.
Great information
Thank you! Super helpful
Hi Danika, thanks for this video. I graduated medical school (MBBS) and I want to be a clinical psychologist. Do I need to do masters first? I have no one to ask for guidance and I’m hoping UA-cam might help.
Med students become Psychiatrists. Not Psychologists. What?!
Hi! Congratulations on graduating! If completed a four-year medical program in the U.S., you would need to apply for doctoral programs. Most programs do not require a master's degree, as there are terminal programs that award a master's degree after completing the pre-requisites.
Thanks for sharing