DCX said:
Anyone out there who is working as one or in the field? I would love some information as to what are the steps for getting into this career. I'm extremely interested in becoming one and i would love some info, thanks in advanced.
DCX
I'm a School Psychologist (psychometrics, IQ testing, special education determination, group counseling, intervention strategy), I only have a Masters Degree, but I can still tell you about the psych process as I've been through it (B.S. Psychology, M. Ed. School Psychology).
The two professions have very different career tracks.
Psychologist
Get an undergraduate degree in psychology (I recommend a B.S. as opposed to a B.A.), along with some hard science classes like biology, physiology and chemistry. Make sure you get involved in undergraduate research (getting published, although very difficult at this stage, greatly helps your chances of getting into a PhD program right off the bat) and present your findings at conferences.
Take the GRE and the Psych GRE in the fall of your senior year and apply to Clinical Psychology PhD. programs. More than likely you won't get accepted as they prefer to take people who have Masters degrees, so think about that. Good Clinical Psych programs are very hard to get into. It might be a good idea to get a Masters in Counseling or something prior to applying for a Doctoral Clinical Psych program.
Psychiatrist
Similar track but you'll be going premed as an undergrad, so get ready for loads of bio, chem, physics, physiology, etc. You should major in Bio, Chem, or something like that. You won't be so much fixated on psychology at this stage, that happens more when you get to med school.
Take the MCAT your junior or senior year of college, and pray you did well enough to get in.
I don't know what after that, I think you specialize later on during medical school.
