Students graduating from the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program are celebrating the next step in their professional journey. Here they share what has inspired them along the way and what advice they would give to new students.
Where did you match?Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (PCOM) Center for Brief Therapy in Philadelphia, PA.
I matched in clinical psychology, focusing on health psychology. I have a passion for working with patients and caregivers facing chronic health concerns. I have completed rotations in outpatient community mental health and inpatient medical and believe that primary care will offer a unique mixture of these experiences—focusing on short-term strategies to help this population cope with their diagnoses.
I was very excited; I was happy to find out that PCOM will be my home for another year!
My path to psychology wasn't linear, I didn't really discover what I wanted to do until I went to college. I then started learning more about health psychology and recognized how it fits with my personal experience. Growing up, my father was diagnosed with stage 3 laryngeal cancer; I personally witnessed the effects of treatment on both my father and my mother (his primary caregiver). I now have taken that passion and funneled it into my work with patients with chronic illnesses and their caregivers.
In the beginning, I had to frequently remind myself to take things one day at a time. At times, the amount of school work, job demands, friends, etc. seems overwhelming so it's important to just focus on one little piece at a time. And also, the time goes by very fast so try to soak in as much experience as you can throughout the program!
