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Applying to Grad School for Peds Psych: When and Where

Applying to a doctoral program with the hopes of becoming a pediatric psychologist can be a daunting task. Deciding when and where to apply, submitting applications, and navigating interviews takes time, forward thinking, and persistence. This guide is designed to help you navigate deciding your when and where to apply.

When?

There is no simple equation to decide when you should apply to a doctoral program. There are, however, factors to consider while trying to decide.

  • Do you have enough experience to be a competitive applicant? For those seeking a PhD, it is increasingly unlikely that you will be able to gain enough experience during an undergraduate degree to transition directly from a bachelor’s to a PhD program. This is largely because the nature of these degrees requires that you have gained more research experience than most folks can fit into a 4-year college experience. PsyD programs, which are less focused on research production, are more likely to accept folks directly from undergrad, however the more competitive the program, the more experience you will need prior to acceptance. If you’re worried about having enough experience, especially related to research, consider a post-bacc position working as a research assistant. This can allow you to gain valuable research exposure, the opportunity to disseminate research via conferences and papers, and networking opportunities. Here are some resources to help you search for a post-bacc position:
  • Are you financially ready and able to begin this process? Graduate school applications are often pricey. Between individual program application fees, GRE exams, and transcript costs, things add up quickly. Beyond that, the cost of graduate school continues to rise. PsyD programs in clinical psychology are expensive. For example, the annual cost of tuition to earn a PsyD across the 6 accredited programs in Illinois (The Chicago School of professional Psychology, Adler University, Wheaton College, Roosevelt, Midwestern, and National Louis University), based on available data, is approximately $47,538 (value based on available tuition data and https://psydprograms.org/illinois-psychology-doctorate/). This number does not account for additional school fees, supplies, or housing costs. Many students accrue substantial debt to earn this degree. Working outside of these programs is often discouraged and sometimes not allowed. PhD programs, in contrast, often have some amount of stipend or funding to support their students paired with partial or total tuition waivers. While this means students are not paying for their education, they are unlikely to be earning enough to meet the cost of living in their area. Consequently, funding does not promise financial security throughout the duration of the program.
  • Is your biopsychosocial wellbeing in a place that would allow you to engage in a program in the way you want? Psychology doctoral programs, whether PsyD or PhD require 5 to 6 years of commitment to long hours, lots of learning, and persistence. You deserve to enter this program when you are in a place to follow through on this commitment. Immediately after undergrad, folks are often dealing with academic burnout, uncertainty about the next steps in life, and “what next” questions from everyone in their lives. While there may never be a ‘perfect’ time to start graduate training, it is important to consider how your wellbeing may be impacted, for better or worse, by the application process and starting a program. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for a blog on coping with grad school for ideas of what to do to take care of yourself while you navigate the world of higher education.   

Where

When you decide it’s time to apply, then you are faced with the question of where to apply. Here are some things to help you narrow your search:

  • What are your research and clinical interests? It’s important to find a program that aligns well with your interests. Pediatric psychology is a field that has a wide range of research focuses and clinical niches. You do not need to know exactly what you want to do with your career, but think about your broad interests: do you want to study pediatric pain? Diabetes? Cancer? Sickle cell? Primary care? Prevention? Being as aligned as possible with the focus on the programs and labs you apply to will a) increase your fit on your application and b) increase your ability to get what you want out of the program. Research faculty, clinical placements for practicum and internship of current and past students, and think about how the geography of the program may influence your experiences (e.g., there tends to be fewer practicum training sites in more rural areas, you want to be sure those that are available align with your training goals).
  • What do you want your next 5 years to look like? This is a question I was asked (thanks Dr. Tran!) that made a big impact on my planning. Think about this not just about what you want to learn and do academically, but what you want the environment around you to look like, which leads me to the next point…
  • Where are you okay with living? There are pediatric psychology programs across the United States and Canada. For some, moving across the country is an option. For others, you may only be willing to look for programs near a certain city. The more open you are to moving, the more places you will have to apply. Sure, it sounds simple to apply without geographic worries, but in practice we all have factors that influence where we are able to move. Whether it be your family, health, cost of living, or any other factor limiting your ability to move – know you are not alone! You will just need to consider what you can do to make your applications to the sites you are able to attend even stronger to increase your chances.

Here are some tools you may want to use as you consider different programs:

Chronic pain: What is it? What do we know? What are we trying to find out?

Chronic pain can take many forms: arthritis, consequence of an injury, and migraines are a few. Here in the CHILL Pediatric Lab, chronic pain is one of our main research interests. So what exactly is chronic pain? What do we know about chronic pain? And what do we still need to find out?

What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain is a type of pain that lasts for longer than a few months or longer than we would expect with a specific injury and impacts anywhere from 11 to 40% of the United States population (Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee. 2016). This pain can take many different forms and even within specific diagnosis can vary greatly, making it difficult to give a specific definition of what chronic pain is. Chronic pain is not just something that adults deal with, but also an issue for many youth. Some research in our lab focuses on pediatric chronic pain more generally, and some projects specifically focus on Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), a chronic condition that results in pain, fatigue, and a variety of other symptoms (Levy, 2002).

What do we know about chronic pain?

Chronic pain research broadly and research in our lab has given us a lot of information about these disorders. We know that those with chronic pain often experience other symptoms aside from their pain. For example, our hEDS research has supported previous findings for other disorders that there are other physical symptoms associated with the disorder. Those with hEDS also experience fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, and joint instability. Their chronic pain disorder is much more than just pain. Not only are there other physical symptoms, but there are also psychological consequences. We have found increased rates of anxiety and depression in hEDS patients, which has also been found in other chronic pain conditions. 

What do we still need to find out?

There are still so many questions left about chronic pain, and the questions are different for unique conditions. Can we cure chronic pain? What is the best way to manage each condition? How can we help people regain quality of life? What about mental health? These questions continue to fuel research, which is where the CHILL lab comes in! In the past the lab has analyzed sociodemographic and environmental risk factors for chronic pain in pediatric patients, a parent and child interpretations of their condition, and the relationship between pain, peer relationships, and mental health.  

One of the many projects we are currently working on analyzes responses of children with hEDS and their parents to the questions “What makes living with hEDS easier?” and “What is the hardest part about living with hEDS?”. Our hope with this research is to gain an understanding of the different ways that parents and children view a child’s chronic condition. My Master’s thesis will attempt to see what factors, if any, are associated with psychological outcomes in pediatric hEDS patients. I hope to find both what may help and what may hurt mental health in hEDS patients. 

-KB

References

Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee. (2016). National pain strategy: a comprehensive population health-level strategy for pain. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. 

Levy HP. (2004). Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. In: Adam MP, Ardinger HH, Pagon RA, et al., (Eds.). GeneReviews [Internet]. Seattle, WA: University of Washington, Seattle. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1279/

SPPAC 2019

In April, members of the Pediatric CHILL Lab went to New Orleans for the Society of Pediatric Society Annual Conference.

Attending a national conference every year provides me with exposure to the most recent research being done in my field and allows me an opportunity to build connections.  This past April, members of the Pediatric CHILL Lab attended the Society of Pediatric Society Annual Conference (SPPAC) in New Orleans, LA.  What I love about SPPAC is the exposure to many different areas of pediatric psychology that I might not have exposure to through my research and clinical training.  Last year when I attended this conference, I happened to attend a talk focused on an unfamiliar area of pediatrics, integrative primary care.  Through this presentation, I realized how well this field aligned with my interests; integrative primary care has a community based component and also a focus on interdisciplinary care. 

After gaining knowledge about this field, I made it my goal to learn about the field by attending relevant poster sessions and talks.  SPPAC offers an exciting opportunity for trainees to attend a mentoring lunch to connect with an established clinician or researcher in the field.  I met with a pediatric psychologist who works in integrative primary care which allowed me an opportunity to ask questions about the field and find ways to gain training in primary care. 

Attending a national conference is a one-stop shop place to build connections, learn about research, and connect with old friends.  I always leave conferences feeling inspired and excited to explore new ideas. 

-AJ