Educating health psychologists in traditional graduate training programs.

Discusses potential resources to enhance subspecialty training in health psychology. These include resources within the psychology department, the university, and the community, and also those beyond the geographical area where training is based. Suggestions are offered for assisting students who choose to work toward a subspecialty in health psychology. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Length of graduate training for experimental and clinical psychologists.

Tabulations of data on Division 3 (experimental) and Division 12 (clinical) members listed in the 1959 "American Psychological Association Directory" are reported. It "takes the average experimental psychologist slightly over 2 years to receive the MA after he receives the BA, but over 3.25 years are spent by the average clinical psychologist… . It also takes the average clinical psychologist much longer to progress from the MA to the PhD degree"—about 3.5 years for the experimental psychologist and over 6 years for the clinical psychologist. From Psyc Abstracts 36:02:2AM78V. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Opportunities for psychologists in health maintenance organizations: Implications for graduate education and training.

This article highlights current roles and functions for psychologists in health maintenance organizations in the areas of teaching, research, and clinical service. Implications for graduate education and training are detailed. The author focuses on strengths and weaknesses of current models with respect to program content, role models, and the socialization process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The professional nonpsychology graduate program for psychologists.

Describes a graduate program designed to train people for public affairs careers that maximizes the effective use of psychological skills and knowledge. The program covers such areas as community structure and social systems; interorganizational relations; social forecasting and intervention; and research methods and qualitative skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Undergraduate training for psychologists.

"The chairmen of the psychology departments of the 167 institutions listed in the December 1956 issue of the American Psychologist as offering graduate work in psychology were surveyed as to their opinions regarding an ideal undergraduate curriculum for prospective graduate students. One hundred and forty-nine (89%) of the questionnaires were returned… . A large majority of the chairmen (85%) agreed that the best undergraduate major would be psychology." Biological science and mathematics were listed most frequently as the best minor. Tables are presented of the preferred undergraduate nonpsychology courses for graduate training applicants and preferred undergraduate psychology courses for graduate training applicants. The preferred nonpsychology courses listed by at least 70% of all the chairmen were algebra, anthropology, physics, physiology, and sociology. Preferred psychology courses were beginning statistics and experimental psychology (indicated by 96% and 95% of the chairmen, respectively). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What do counseling psychologists think about their graduate training? Some positive and negative reflections.

Summarizes the positive and negative comments of counseling psychologists about their graduate training and suggestions for improvement, collected as part of a previous study by the authors and C. D. Himmell (see record 1986-28363-001). The desire for a more applied emphasis in training is reflected in many of the suggestions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personal therapy in the training of psychologists.

Surveyed 185 clinical and counseling psychologists in British Columbia about their opinions on personal therapy as a component of professional training, and about the circumstances under which personal therapy had been provided to them while they were in graduate school. Ss identified potential benefits and risks of personal therapy. 88% saw at least 1 benefit for the experience, and 83% saw at least 1 risk. 41% of Ss had undergone therapy as part of their clinical training, and in many cases this experience was provided in a manner inconsistent with ethical guidelines. Of those receiving personal therapy, 46% reported that therapy was required rather than optional. Ethical issues concerning therapeutic interventions in the training of psychotherapists are discussed. A French summary of the article is also presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How Canadian coordinators of graduate psychiatric education view psychologists.

Investigated the views toward psychologists as expressed by 16 Canadian coordinators of postgraduate education in psychiatry. The majority of Ss opposed psychologists holding senior administrative roles in departments of psychiatry and believed that psychologists should continue to be organized in divisions within departments of psychiatry. Considerable respect was evident for the clinical and academic skills that psychologists possess, and there was nearly unanimous support for psychologists holding academic appointments in departments of psychiatry. Most Ss approved of psychologists conducting psychotherapy as well as supervising psychiatric residents on psychotherapy cases and supported psychologists' involvement in the training of psychiatrists and vice versa. Views about eligibility of psychologists for senior administrative roles in psychiatry departments were related to views on other issues concerning psychologists. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Crisis in training pediatric psychologists.

Examines the shortage in the US of personnel who are trained in child mental health care that results in underservice to children, youth, and families. Doctoral programs offering specialty training are in short supply, as are pediatric psychology training programs. In addition, many clinical psychology programs are ill-equipped to offer curriculae for the development of skills and knowledge bases required by child psychologists. It is concluded that a training conference is needed to communicate the issues involved in this mental health provider crisis if children are to have access to psychological services. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A training model for psychologists with prescription privileges: Clinical pharmacopsychologists.

Presents a training model for prescribing psychologists. Training for independent psychology practitioners is modeled after a training program drafted by the International Neuropsychological Society-Division 40 Task Force for Neuropsychology. In the proposed model, the prescribing psychologist is trained as a specialist within clinical psychology. The term used to describe this specialist, clinical pharmacopsychologist, emphasizes psychology as the underlying field and is homologous with clinical neuropsychologist. Not all clinical psychologists will have this privilege because it is a specialty in its own right, which requires specific didactic and experiential training. During the transition period before the appearance of clinical pharmacopsychologists on clinical psychology faculties, prospective prescribing psychologists will obtain specialty training primarily in medical settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The training of psychiatrists and psychologists.

Compares the training of psychologists (PSLs) and psychiatrists (PSTs) and concludes that PSTs have little formal training in the study of human behavior and little contact with problems and methods in science, while PSLs have a more extensive background in the study of human behavior and formal training in science. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does the Graduate Record Examination predict meaningful success in the graduate training of psychologists? A case study

The authors consider the empirical validity of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as a predictor of various kinds of performance in a graduate psychology program, including 1st- and 2nd-year grades; professors' ratings of students' dissertations; and professors' ratings of students' analytical, creative, practical, research, and teaching abilities. On the basis of the triarchic theory of intelligence, the GRE was predicted to be of some use in predicting graduate grades but of limited or no use in predicting other aspects of performance. In fact, the test was found to be useful in predicting 1st-year grades but not other kinds of performance, with one exception--performance on the GRE Analytical test was predictive, but only for men. The authors conclude that there is a need to develop better theory-based tests.     

A note on the training of clinical and counseling psychologists.

"In June of 1958, letters were sent to the department chairmen of the 24 institutions approved by the APA Education and Training Board to train PhD psychologists in both the clinical and counseling specialties… . One-third of the 24 institutions are known to differentiate definitely in course requirements between the two specialties, while only one-eight are known to differentiate definitely in the preliminary examinations used for the two specialties… . Only three of the institutions definitely differentiate between the specialties in terms of both course requirements and preliminary examinations… . it seems obvious that little differentiation is being made between the two specialties in our major training institutions even though these institutions are approved to train for each of the specialties." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A symposium on family therapy training for psychologists.

Presents 5 articles on family therapy (FT) training. R. J. Green generally describes the lack of formal training and the abundance of informal training programs in FT. A curriculum for the family-centered clinical psychologist is outlined. Green and the 4 other participants in the symposium then discuss different settings: an interdisciplinary university family studies clinic (L. R. Ferguson), an academic department of psychology (J. L. Framo), an independent family institute (K. La Perriere), a department of psychiatry in a medical school (R. J. Shapiro), and an independent graduate school of FT and marital therapy (Green). Interrelated issues in training are also examined, including teaching and supervision methods, personal and countertransference aspects of acquiring a family orientation to treatment, the influence of the professional-organizational context of FT training, and the place of family systems theory, therapy, and research in training professional psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychoanalytic psychologists evaluate their academic training.

Responses to a questionnaire surveying the attitudes of psychologists were obtained from four training analysts, two recent graduates, and six candidates in training at the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Psychology. "The heterogeneous character of psychologists' prepsychoanalytic training and the varying evaluations they accord it is a reflection of a rapidly changing field." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Time management training for school psychologists.

Describes a program for training school psychologists in time management, which was derived from a behavioral problem-solving framework and can be used by a practitioner either alone or with initial assistance from a supervisor. It consists of 4 steps: orientation to time management, time management problem analysis, plan development and implementation, and plan evaluation. Utilization of the program by 2 school psychology practitioners appears to have increased the amount of time devoted to behavioral counseling and to planning and evaluation of individualized education programs, without decreasing quality of assessment services. The program was judged to be socially valid by 10 outside practitioners. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some comments on a revolution in the training of professional psychologists.

In commenting on the proposals by R. E. Fox et al (see PA, 73:12821) concerning the training of professional psychologists, the present author supports their suggestion for establishing a 2-yr training program and their rejection of the freestanding professional school, but also indicates the value of a comprehensive program that incorporates both basic and applied psychology. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian graduate training in psychology.

As a result of a questionnaire sent to all Canadian graduate training schools in psychology, a tabulation was made of a) qualifications for admission to each programme, b) graduate training specialty in each department, c) broad numerical comparisons of size of university with number applying and accepted for study. Overall the results indicate that the minimum qualifications for entry are a B average in 7 or 8 undergraduate psychology courses including basic experimental psychology and statistics. Qualifying years are usually offered to those who do not reach these minima. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychologists in the 1970s.

Reports a survey of 855 members of the Division of Clinical Psychology. Among the topics surveyed were professional activities, occupational setting, theoretical orientation, primary professional self-view of respondents, and satisfaction with the APA, graduate training, and choice of career. An ideology scale was administered to appraise attitudes along an intuitive-objective dimension and in terms of psychodynamic and behavioral value orientations. In general, the sample was very positive toward their choice of career and relatively so with regard to their graduate education. Approximately 41% of the respondents' time was devoted to clinical acitivities, 35% to training and research. Certain differences between subgroups are found with the greatest divergence noted between academic clinical psychologists and private practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internships vs. field training for industrial psychologists.

It "… is better to take advantage of opportunities for training that now exist in industry than to sell industry on the merits of internship programs." Practical difficulties of organizing, developing, and maintaining psychological internships in industry are indicated. The merits of a work-centered program are discussed. Twenty-five years of "experience… (with a great variety of college graduates including psychologists) indicates that internships for industrial psychologists are unnecessary." "An internship can be described as a weaning period… . Few industrial employers are interested in weanlings." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)