Clinical Psychology as a Second Career

John B. Fleming
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

So, you’ve decided you want to become a clinical psychologist. The only problem is you’re oh, say, thirty-something and sort of established in another career. You’re not sure where to start, or if it’s even possible for you to go down this road at this point in your life. I’m here to tell you that it’s definitely possible! It’s a ton of work, but if it’s what you want, it is definitely possible. I’m… well, let’s just stick with thirty-something… and I’ve spent over a decade in the IT field. Six years ago, I decided that I wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and I went from knowing almost nothing about the process to starting a Ph.D. program three years later at my first choice school. In that time, I took a bunch of courses, and worked in two labs and as a teaching assistant, all while holding down my full-time job. I was definitely blessed with a lot of opportunities. With some flexibility and creativity, you should also be able to get the experience you need to start down this path.

If you know that doctorate level clinical psychology is the road you want to go down (and it’s a long road!) my first tip is to seek out and follow all the advice given to undergraduates and others pursuing clinical psychology as a first career. You will at first be competing with them to get into a program, but you will eventually be classmates and ultimately colleagues. You’ll have to follow the same rules to get into a program, and you will have the best chance of success if you actively seek out all the information you can find on the admissions process (see the end of this article for some resources). Whether you want to pursue a Ph.D. or a PsyD., strategies for when to take and how to study for the GRE, getting lab experience, and how to get good recommendation letters are all vital parts of this process.

That said, if you are considering clinical psychology as a second career, you are unique in some ways, and that’s where I hope I can help. First, you may or may not have an undergraduate degree in psychology. If you don’t, don’t worry! It’s not necessary (though of course you do need to have an undergraduate degree). Each doctorate program has slightly different requirements for prior psychology coursework, so do your research, but basically what you will need is roughly enough credits to be the equivalent of a psychology minor, including some basics like undergraduate statistics and research methods, abnormal psychology, and a psychobiology class. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have that coursework. If you live near any major university you should be able to enroll easily as a continuing student and take the coursework you need (though unfortunately, it may not be kind on your bank account!)

Just as for all potential applicants, getting some prior research experience is vital. Again, it helps if you are near a major research university. Contact some of the psychology professors there and see if you can volunteer to work in their labs a few hours each week. Many researchers look for additions to their lab, and as a more mature student, you may be particularly attractive. You will have to be able to devote time to this volunteer work, but it will pay off when it comes time to apply to doctoral programs. Once you are involved in a lab, you can almost forget about all the advice you’ve sought beforehand: you will have the best resources you can find in the graduate students in your lab who have already been through the process.

When it comes time to get recommendation letters, it may be tempting to get recommendations from people you currently work with in your first career. As a very last resort, it might be okay to get one (but only one!) recommendation from a long-time manager or supervisor that can speak eloquently to the quality of your work and your character. But, what admissions committees are really looking for are letters from other doctorate-level clinical psychologists who you have worked directly with in a research, teaching, or clinical context. So it is absolutely vital to spend your time cultivating these relationships in the time between now and when you are ready to apply to programs.

You may find yourself feeling a little out of place during this process, depending on how old you are and how long it’s been since you’ve been out of college. Don’t let it get to you! Capitalize on your past experience, but remember that you are starting over in some ways, so a certain humility is warranted as you learn the ropes in your new field. If you are sincere in your desire and put in the hard work, you will be accepted no matter where you’re coming from.

My final bit of advice is that, as you know, graduate students aren’t known for being rich. Use every minute between now and starting your graduate program to do your best to plan how to adjust to your new financial situation. Save if you can, talk to a financial advisor if you think that will help, and start thinking about a budget early. If you have an IRA, remember that you can withdraw money from it to pay for educational expenses without paying the “double penalty.” Although there are good arguments for not doing so, it’s always good to know and understand all of your financial options, especially if you want to avoid student loans.

Now, take a deep breath. Just applying to these programs is a huge undertaking. Once you’re in, you have at least five or six years of more hard work to get through it. But, if it is what you want to do, you can do it!

References

Norcross, J. C. & Sayette, M. A. (2016). Insider’s guide to graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology: 2016/2017 edition. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Young, J. (2012). Getting in, getting out, and getting on with your life: The complete cynics’ series to and through graduate education in clinical psychology: Getting in. Las Vegas, NV: CreateSpace.

Author Note

John is a third-year student in the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, in the behavioral medicine track. His research centers on using technology to make mental health care more accessible to sexual minority populations. John is pursuing clinical psychology as a second career after spending many years working in information technology.