Experience relevant to obtaining a place in a Clinical Psychology course
Work experience is always very important when applying for any job in the field of Psychology, so we aimed to find experience specific to the field we are interested in.
From this we moved onto the actual entry into the field. Unfortunately, training is quite limited here in Ireland, so we expanded our search abroad to the UK. From an examination of the level of experience advised for those applying for Clinical Psychology PhD courses, and from talking to experts in the field it became apparent that more than a good honours degree in psychology is required to obtain a place in the course. To say the competition for places is spirited would be a serious understatement exemplified by the fact that over 70% of applications in both the U.K and Ireland turn out to be unsuccessful. To be in the ‘lucky’ 30% one must focus on obtaining the experience selectors look for. Relevant clinical and research experience is of essential significance to those selecting successful applicants to the course. Selectors favour candidates with the basic skills for establishing working relationships with clients or patients, and professional colleagues. Psychology students are best to set in motion efforts to obtain this experience during their undergraduate course.
As an undergraduate:
Working as a Research Assistant
Researchers in the Psychology Department are constantly under pressure from their significant workloads and many would greet the offer of free labour from an undergraduate positively. Working as an undergraduate research assistant usually involves carrying out experiments, handing out questionnaires, number punching and any of the more elementary aspects of research or experimentation. While this position may not offer much responsibility, or opportunity for creativity, it does provide familiarity with the research and experimentation process’s.
Working with Voluntary Organisations
There are numerous voluntary organisations in the Dublin area. Their purposes are to increase public awareness of mental health/mental illness, and to inform people who have a mental illness and the general public of the various self help groups and other sources of help available. These organisations include AWARE, Schizophrenia Ireland, OANDA, Headway Ireland, but there are many others. Being involved with these organisations in many cases gives students hands on experience of working with mental illness and the problems this involves.
Working in a Clinical Setting
Often it is possible for an undergraduate to work with a qualified Clinical Psychologist in a hospital or other clinical environment. These opportunities are not advertised and in the main depend on the students initiative in writing, with C.V enclosed to the Principal Psychologists in health boards, hospitals or clinics in search of clinical experience.
As a Graduate:
Having graduated it is a standard assumption that you obtain a years experience in a field closely related to clinical psychology before applying for a place in a Clinical Psychology course. To make full use of this year and to obtain the most relevant experience one should either acquire a position as an Assistant Psychologist, or complete a Masters Degree ensuring that clinical work and research are an integral part of it.
Working as an Assistant Psychologist
Some hospitals and universities are offering places for Assistant Psychologists. In these positions graduates are part of projects which involve both research and evaluation components, liaison with GPs and other primary care staff, as well as clinical contact with patients under supervision. There may also be opportunities for successful applicants to work on developing additional projects and to become involved with other ongoing work. An Assistant Psychologist position is beneficial in that it provides valuable experience for people aiming to progress to both clinical psychology training or health services evaluation and research, as well as providing a respectable wage (e20-25,000).
Obtaining a Masters Degree (MSc)
There are several Masters Degrees relevant, and beneficial to anyone intending on applying for a postgraduate course in Clinical Psychology. It may be possible for a student with a relevant research proposal to do a masters degree in an area of her choice, but this requires that she is supervised by a member of the lecturing staff who takes an interest in her work.
There are also several set Masters courses. In Ireland there is a course in the Psychological Science of Health Psychology (MPsychSc) in NUI Galway. This is a 2 year course however and a shorter alternative may be the MsC in Applied Psychology in the University of Ulster, which takes only a year. There is also a course in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) in NUI Maynooth, an area of ample relevance to Clinical Psychology. A similar course in ABA is available across the waters in the University of Wales. There are several other relevant courses available in the U.K including Masters in; Clinical and Community Psychology, Clinical and Experimental Psychopathology, Foundations of Clinical Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy, and a course in Addictive Behaviours. Having one of these qualifications to your name greatly enhances your chances of acceptance into the Clinical Psychology course.
Potential employers
As clinical psychology covers is an extremely wide field, qualified proffesionals work in may different areas. Because of the low number of qualified proffessionals there is a huge shortage of clinical psychologists in Ireland. Currently up to 75% of the positions offered by the Heath Boards in Ireland are vacant! Therefore the employment oppertunities in this field are not only extremely diverse but they are also abundant. This section aims to give a brief overview of the emplyment oppertunities that exist.
The Health Board
In Ireland clinical psychologists are primarily employed by the health boards who sponsor students to do postgraduate courses. The health board pays students a salary of E30,000 p. a. during this time and graduates in turn are required to work for the health board for a subsequent three years after qualifying. The clinical psychology services provided by the health board aim to facilitate health and social development using psychological interventions in a number of different areas. Services include therapeutic assessment, education, training and intervention. They are provided in a number of different settings such as health centres, community centres, and residential centres for children, social services facilities and family homes. A considerable amount of the work carried out by clinical psychologists centres around children where they are the primary therapy providers for children with behavioural, emotional, cognitive and abuse problems.
General Employment
Clinical Psychologists also work for the courts and government comitees of enquiry where they are involved in drawing up risk assessments and court reports under section 20 of the child care act, 1991. This concerns children who have been victims of emotional, physical, sexual abuse and neglect. In addition clinical psychologists work in conjunction with Speech and Language Departments and hospitals such as Temple St. children’s hospital as well as in prisons and schools.
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Private, Volunatary and Religious Organisations
Clinical psychologists also work for voluntary organisations such as Schizophrenia Ireland, the ISPCC and Down Syndrome Ireland or religious organisations such as the Sisters of Mercy. Much of this work overlaps with the work done by clinical psychologists for the health boards. Finally hospitals owned by private organisations such as St. John of God also employ clinical psychologists.
Universities
As well as working in applied fields clinical psychologists are also employed as lecturers in universities and they are also actively involved in research funded by both the government and private organisations.
In conclusion it is evident that the work of clinical psychologist covers an extremely wide and varying number of areas. This diversity allows professionals in the field to choose between specialising in one specific area of interest or to move and work in several different areas and thus it offers an extremely flexible, extensive and exciting career path. The huge number of unfilled jobs also means that there is abundant employment for newly qualified graduates of clinical psychology courses.
How to succeed as a clinical psychologist: The skills, abilities and characteristics required
The hierarchy of clinical psychologist positions in the health board is as follows:
1. Basic Grade Clinical Psychologist 2.Senior Clinical Psychologist
€41,884 - 66,063 €61,332 - 72,091
3. Principal Clinical Psychologist 4. Director of Psychology
€71,579 - 82,979 €79,066- 91,884
The process of promotion in the Health Board usually involves a clinical psychologist applying for a higher grade position advertised. Relevant experience is a pertinent issue, but selectors also examine the characteristics, skills and abilities of candidates. As the various forms of experience which could be required for various positions are too broad to cover here, this section will focus on general traits, skills and abilities, which are highly sought after in applicants for clinical psychology positions.
Important skills and abilities:
Academic experience and knowledge required
Throughout both undergraduate and postgraduate courses clinical psychologists acquire a vast amount of knowledge in statistical, therapeutic and research technique. This basis can be expanded on through clinical work and further education whilst one is working as a clinical psychologist. The amount of knowledge the applicant has acquired and his/her ability to apply what has been learned in a clinical setting is vital to progressing as a clinical psychologist.
Research
Research is an essential, ever evolving component of clinical psychology. Possessing the ability to identify and formulate research design, measure and analyse changes and draw valid conclusions from, and present results is a skill which is of utmost value to a clinical psychologist applying for promotion. These skills are again acquired through undergraduate and postgraduate courses and experience in the field.
Interpersonal and communication skills
Interpersonal characteristics are perhaps the most important as clinical psychologists spend much of their time working in teams with other professionals for example social workers and occupational therapists. Having a keen awareness of group dynamics and individual interaction processes is essential to succeeding as a clinical psychologist, as are excellent written and oral communication skills.
Personal characteristics
Many of the skills aforementioned can be developed through training and education, but the following are inherent driving forces which are highly desirable in clinical psychologists, and are those which the ‘best’ clinicians possess.
- A concern for the well being of others
- A desire to improve the quality of life of others
- A flexible and resilient nature
- Enthusiasm, motivation and imagination
- Sensitivity and perseverance
- A strong work ethic
Conclusion
To summarise the findings of this report this section will give a brief overview of some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with a career in clinical psychology.
Firstly it must be recognized that postgraduate courses place a great amount of emphasis on placements and research, and therefore provide students with a huge amount of practical experience. The skills learned here prove invaluable when one is working as a clinical psychologist, and because of the diversity of the field, these skills are highly transferable. This also means that the work involved in clinical psychology is extremely generic and flexible; clinical psychologists are free to work in a number of very different areas, for example, with child or adult populations, physical disabilities, mental disorders, and so on.
An additional attraction to the career is the constant encouragement to continue one’s own personal development and learning. One’s education does not end with a postgraduate course, rather, it evolves over the lifetime with different courses, workshops, and seminars. Clinical psychologists also have the opportunity to work in and with teams of people from various different professions, and this added diversity contributes further still to developing one’s interest and education in the field.
A further advantage to a career in clinical psychology is the salary involved. From an early stage clinical psychologists earn a very competitive salary ranging from €42,000 p.a. to €62,000 p.a. Added to this is the fact that when one is completing their postgraduate course, they are financed to the sum of €30,000 p.a. by the Health Board.
This aspect leads into some of the disadvantages which exist with clinical psychology. Due to the financial support received from the Health Board, one is obliged to commit themselves to working for this organisation for three years. The problem here lies in the fact that one is at the mercy of their employer. However, it is not all bad news. Due to the shortage of clinical psychologists, the Health Boards are usually very accomodating when assigning one to an area, as they wish the person to remain in their employment after the initial three years have been completed.
As has been highlighted before, there is a vast amount of work experience expected of any clinical psychologist postgraduate applicant. However, even with this experience and the relevant educational requirements, one still not guaranteed acceptance into a postgraduate programme. This is due to the limited amount of postgraduate places available, especially here in Ireland, with a small number of places offered in only three universities. Consequently applicants must have a strong work ethic and perseverance to succeed. This is also the case after access is gained into a postgraduate course as these are also extremely demanding and challenging on the students.
A further drawback in clinical psychology is the fact that work experiences abroad are extremely limited; this is because training requirements vary in different countries and therefore additional training is usually required to work abroad.
This section has highlighted some of the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a career in clinical psychology, both throughout one’s education and in one’s career. However, no occupation is perfect, and one must decide if they are willing to accept the limitations and concentrate on the positives. Obviously, one’s career choice is a very personal decision, however, based on the findings of this report clinical psychology offers an exciting, flexible, and generic career to those willing to put in the effort and hard-work needed to pursue it.
Sources of Information
The Internet:
St John of Gods:
Midland Health Board:
North Eastern Health Board:
South Eastern Health Board:
The Prison Psychology Service:
UK- ‘PospectsWeb’:
Ireland- ‘Graduate Careers Ireland’:
Psychweb:
The British Psychological Society:
The American Psychological Society:
The Clearing House-
Texts:
Marzillier, J. & Hall, J., (1992). What is Clinical Psychology? 2nd ed., Oxford University Press; New York.
Interviews:
Mrs. Cait Navin – Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Ian Grey – Clinical Psychologist, Trinity College Dublin
Appendices
Clinical courses in U.K
Clearing House for Postgraduate Courses in Clinical Psychology - the CHPCCP co-ordinates applications to most of the courses.
1. University of Birmingham
2. University of Bristol
3. University of Coventry and Warwick
4. University of East Anglia
5. University of East London
6. University of Edinburgh - East of Scotland
7. University of Exeter
8. University of Glasgow - West of Scotland
9. Institute of Psychiatry - King's College London
10. University of Lancaster
11. University of Leeds
12. University of Leicester
13. University of Liverpool
14. University of Manchester
15. University of Newcastle
16. North Thames - University College London
17. North Wales - University of Wales, Bangor
18. Oxford
19. University of Plymouth
20. Royal Holloway - University of London
21. Salomons - South Thames
22. University of Sheffield
23. University of Southampton
24. South Thames - University of Surrey
25. South Wales
26. University of Teesside
The following courses have their own application procedures, separate from the main Clearing House route:
* University of Hertfordshire
* University of Hull - undergraduate entry
* Queen's University Belfast
Clinical Courses in the Republic of Ireland
1. University College Dublin
2. Trinity College Dublin
3. NUI Galway
4. PSI Diploma in Clinical Psychology
