A Survival Guide for Ethnic Minority Graduate Students

Nabil Hassan El-Ghoroury,
State University of New York at Binghamton
Diana Salvador,
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,
The Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Roxanne Manning & Tanya Williamson,
State University of New York at Binghamton

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Table of Contents

Forward by Dr. Richard Suinn, President of the American Psychological Association

Introduction

General Graduate School Issues

• Mentoring
• Networking
• Managing Stress and Maintaining a Balance in Life

Issues for Ethnic Minority Graduate Students

• Dealing with the Impostor Syndrome
• Dealing with Racism
• Creating Meaningful Change

Specific Tasks in Graduate School

• Research
• Teaching
• Funding
• Comprehensive Examinations
• Dissertation/Thesis Management

Preparing for the Future

• Becoming a Clinician
• Applying for Internship
• Professional Development

Foreword

Welcome to what could be one of the most useful material you will see as a graduate student. This writing is a guidebook as you journey on the road toward earning a graduate degree in psychology. It was written by the experts: graduate students themselves! These authors, members of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS), have organized their individual and group experiences, published resources, and reports from university multicultural committees to provide you with their very best personal advice. Hence, it is an insider's road map for staying the course, avoiding wrong turns, and bypassing potential road blocks.

This guide book is a product of my commitment during my term in 1999 as president of the American Psychological Association, to the interests and needs of students, particularly students of color. This commitment derives from my being only the third ethnic minority to serve as APA president over the 107 years of existence of the Association. It also derives from my long personal career as a faculty person in higher education and the importance I give to collaborating with students.

In some ways, the history of this document originates from the APA Commission on Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention and Training (CEMRRAT). This Commission was established by the APA Board of Directors in 1994 in response to an Association resolution that identified "the recruitment, retention, and training of ethnic minorities in psychology as one of the Association's highest priorities...".

As part of its charge, CEMRRAT determined that the pipeline of students of color entering psychology continued but at a low rate. In turn, this would mean that the numbers of ethnic minority psychologists available to enter the professional, scientific or academic arena would also be limited.

Several actions were taken on by CEMRRAT members, including the creation of several advisory brochures available as the "Psychology Education and Careers Guidebook Series" . These brochures include the Guidebook for High School Students of Color, the Guidebook for College Students of Color, Applying to Graduate School and Professional Programs, and Recruiting Students of Color. This series and other resource materials are available from the APA Office of Ethnic Minority affairs (website: www.apa.org/pi). In addition, with the collaboration of the Committee on Women in Psychology, CEMRRAT also produced the booklet, Surviving and Thriving in Academia: A guide for Women and Ethnic Minorities. Therefore the current guidebook represents an important part of materials aimed toward a common outcome: that of enhancing the numbers of persons of color who can become psychologists.

This guidebook is organized around important academic milestones facing you as graduate students as you progress toward earning your graduate degree. It identifies strategies to support you in meeting intellectual and emotional challenges. And it directs you to resource materials to further help you anticipate, understand, and successfully engage in the academic world and experiences ahead of you. Although it is directed to students of color, much of the information can be directly valuable to non-minority students.

So I offer you my personal welcome to what may be the most important and the most rewarding step in your life: graduate school! Use this guidebook as you enter new vistas to help you advance into the excitement of a future career as a psychologist. In some ways, it will not be an easy journey...but I guarantee you that you will experience a unique sense of achievement when we can formally welcome you as colleagues in psychology!

Richard M. Suinn, Ph.D.
President
American Psychological Association
December, 1999

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Introduction to the Ethnic Minority Survival Guide

In 1999, Dr. Richard Suinn became the first Asian-American and the third ethnic minority to become President of the American Psychological Association. As President, Dr. Suinn established as one of his initiatives a focus on ethnic minority psychologists and graduate students. One component of this initiative included the mentoring of ethnic minority graduate students in psychology. During the spring of 1999, Dr. Richard Suinn approached the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) and asked us to develop a graduate school survival guide. As a committee with a strong interest in ethnic minority issues, we enthusiastically agreed to take on this project.

In April 1999, we began working on the survival guide. Our overarching goal was to solicit information from the front line; from ethnic minority graduate students, new professionals, and psychologists who had wisdom to share based on the obstacles they faced as graduate students. We spoke to students and professionals from different programs across the nation and simply asked: "What is helping (or helped) you survive graduate school?" and "What suggestions or tips do you have for other ethnic minority graduate students?". The areas delineated in the guide were dictated by the suggestions, tips, and strategies proposed by those surveyed. We believe that this adds to the utility of guide in meeting the needs of ethnic minority graduate students.

We have organized this survival guide into four sections. General Issues in Graduate School describes suggestions for mentoring, networking, and managing stress/maintaining a balance in life. Issues for Ethnic Minority Graduate Students includes strategies for dealing with impostor syndrome, dealing with racism, and creating meaningful change. Specific Tasks in Graduate School provides recommendations for conducting research, teaching, funding, preparing for comprehensive examinations, and dissertation/thesis management. Preparing for the Future lists ideas for becoming a clinician, applying for internship, and professional development.

We hope that you will find these recommendations valuable in navigating your graduate school experience, whether you are a first year graduate student, an advanced student, working on your dissertation, applying for internship, and/or applying for jobs. Although many of the suggestions we offer are not exclusive to ethnic minority graduate students, there are some unique concerns specific to this population of students that we have tried to address in greater detail.

This survival guide is the result of a combination of contributions. We would first like to thank the APA President, Dr. Richard Suinn who had the vision for the project and provided APAGS with support critical for the development of the guide. Jennifer Fleming, the APAGS Coordinator, has contributed hours of editorial and personal support in the development of this guide. Finally and most importantly, we would like to acknowledge all the graduate students who responded to our surveys. What is not evident in the guide is the enthusiasm and excitement of those who were eager to selflessly share their personal setbacks and triumphs for the benefit of others. We truly appreciate all of your outstanding ideas and suggestions!

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Mentoring is a critical issue for graduate students. An effective mentor can help guide you through the graduate school process; provide support for you when you need it most; or answer questions you may have as you study for your doctorate. A strong relationship between a mentor and a protégé can make graduate study an enriching experience.

A critical question is where to find such a mentor? One useful resource is your graduate institution. Ideally, your advisor could serve as your mentor. Your advisor may have similar research, clinical, or educational interests. These commonalities may provide a base for developing a mentoring relationship. Other faculty in your department, more advanced students, and alumni can also serve as mentors. For ethnic minority graduate students, it may be helpful to have a mentor who is also an ethnic minority; such mentors may have particularly useful suggestions for navigating the graduate school and academic climate as a person of a diverse background. The perspective of an ethnic minority mentor, whether a faculty, student, or alumni may be invaluable.

Look outside of your department for a mentor

It is important to consider that mentors do not have to be from your graduate department. There are many additional sources for mentoring. Clinical supervisors from your externships, practica, and placements may be excellent mentors for clinical and non-clinical areas. For those in applied fields, having a mentor who is a clinician may be beneficial because they can teach you about the realities of practicing psychology in the current marketplace. Faculty from your undergraduate institution, who helped you get into graduate school, are an additional resource for identifying mentors. Outside your department, potential mentors may exist in faculty from other departments in your university, or even outside the university (such as churches, local organizations, local businesses).

Given today’s technology, mentors need not be geographically nearby. Through email, it is possible for you to develop effective mentoring relationships with faculty from other universities. When pursuing such a long distance relationship, the match between your interests and the mentor’s interests may be necessary; a common interest in research or clinical work may provide the foundation for developing a mentoring relationship. There are many sources for meeting potential mentors (see Networking section for listing of possible resources). APA has numerous divisions and sections that offer potential mentors; other psychological organizations, especially ethnic minority organizations, may be helpful as well.

When beginning a mentoring relationship, it is important for you to identify what you are seeking from that relationship. What are your goals for the mentoring relationship? What are your mentor’s goals? What kind of support do you need? For example, do you want a mentor with whom you can comfortably discuss issues of race and discrimination, or a mentor to discuss what courses or experiences to take? Once you have identified your goals, clarify them with your mentor, as well as delineating their expectations of you. With an increased match between the mentor and protégé, the potential exists for an increasingly beneficial relationship.

Keep in mind that it is possible for you to have more than one mentor. Each mentor will have their own unique perspective as well as strengths and weaknesses in meeting your needs. For example, your research supervisor may be excellent at providing you with support for research projects, but may not be as interested as you may be in clinical work. In this case, it may be worthwhile to identify a mentor for clinical work. Having multiple mentors will allow you to borrow from the strengths of each mentor’s unique skills.

Because mentoring is so critical in the professional development of students, it is important for you to become a mentor yourself! Undergraduate students, particularly ethnic minority students, often seek mentoring and guidance. As you teach and work with undergraduates, think about providing them with the assistance that you would have found helpful when you were an undergraduate. For more advanced graduate students, mentoring junior students in your department may be useful as well. Mentoring undergraduates and other graduate students may prepare you for your future as a mentor when you are a professional.

References

American Psychological Association (1999). Making APA work for you: A guide for members. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Bogat, G. Anne, Redner, Robin L. (1985). How mentoring affects the professional development of women in psychology. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 16(6), 851-859.

Hill, R. D., Castillo, L. G., Ngu, L. Q., & Pepion, K. (1999). Mentoring ethnic minority students for careers in academia: The WICHE Doctoral Scholars Program. Counseling Psychologist, 27, 827-845.

Kelly, S., & Schweitzer, J. H. (1999). Mentoring within a graduate school setting. College Student Journal, 33, 130-148.

Gilbert, L. A., & Russman, K. M. (1992). Gender and the mentoring process for women: Implications for professional development. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 23, 233-238.

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Networking is an excellent way to meet and speak with people who share your interests in the field as well as an opportunity to share resources. Talking with colleagues may help you develop ideas for research projects and/or clinical interventions. In addition, it may help you to develop a collaborative relationship beyond your initial meeting that may prove helpful when applying for an internship, a post doctoral position, and/or permanent job.

Conferences are great places to network. Because people wear badges, you might be able to meet the people you cite in your own research or clinical work. For example, one author of this survival guide met the researcher on whose work he based his master’s thesis; the student spoke with this professor for 30 minutes at the conference. Social hours at conferences are another place to network; organizations often provide refreshments and a room to socialize. At these times, it may be easier to introduce yourself to a professional. Poster sessions are an ideal place to talk to researchers, because they are forums that are conducive to individual or small group interactions, as compared to symposia or paper presentations. Chatting with a poster presenter, particularly one whose research is parallel to your own, is a great way to meet others. At the end of a symposium or paper presentation, you can go up to the speakers and introduce yourself; many people do this at conferences. Finally, at any conference, you can meet people out of the meetings, such as in the elevator, in local restaurants, or local stores. Remember, this is no time to be shy! Conferences are set up to enhance professional exchanges.

Being active in organizations that conduct conferences is an excellent way to network. Joining organizations such as APAGS (The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students) or Division 45 (The Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues) is the first step. Other organizations include your school’s psychology club, or your state psychological association. Attending conference meetings and sessions is a second step. Becoming a student representative of a division or organization is a more advanced step. For example, several authors of this survival guide have attended business meetings of ethnic minority interest groups at conferences and as a result were selected as student representatives. This allowed these students to meet and dialogue with elected officials about issues that were important to ethnic minority students.

Outside of conferences, there are numerous ways to network and meet other professionals. Contacting researchers about their studies is one method. On most publications, a contact address, and often an email address, is provided. You can write to an author asking for a reprint and asking questions about the study, or if they have any other related studies. People are often willing to talk to others interested in their work. When speakers come to your department, such as for a workshop or colloquium, you can speak to them afterwards to discuss your interests as it relates to their work.

The advances in electronic communications have made it possible to network with professionals around the country, and even around the globe. Listservs and email communication are an outstanding way of initiating and maintaining contacts with others.

Listed below are a number of organizations where ethnic minority graduate students may find excellent opportunities to network with other ethnic minorities. This list is not meant to be comprehensive, but is reflective of the wide variety of sources for networking.

• APA Division 45, The Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues
• APA Division 12, Section 6, The Clinical Psychology of Ethnic Minorities
• APA Division 35, Psychology of Women
• APA Division 17, Counseling Psychology
• Association of Black Psychologists
• National Hispanic Psychological Association
• Society of Indian Psychologists
• Asian-American Psychological Association
• Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy - Special Interest Groups: Hispanic Issues, African-American Issues, Asian-American Issues, Women’s Issues

American Psychological Association (1999). Making APA work for you: A guide for members. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Franzini, L.R., & Rosenberg Zalk, S. (1997). Convention survival techniques: Practical strategies for getting the most out of your professional association's meetings. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs. (1994). Directory of ethnic minority professionals in psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Sinderman, C. J., & Sawyer, T. K. (1997). The scientist as consultant: Building new career opportunities. New York: Plenum.

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Starting graduate school certainly can be a stressful period. It may mean moving to a new part of the country, making new friends, leaving old friends behind, getting used to a new educational system (graduate as opposed to undergraduate education), in addition to numerous other stressors. There are several tips and strategies that you can use to help ease the transition as you begin graduate school.

It may be helpful to drive around the town, do some exploring, to get comfortable with your new home before you start to get busy. Find out what resources and extracurricular opportunities exist in your community and how to get there. Keep an ongoing list of restaurants, stores, museums, and parks that you would like to explore. The Chamber of Commerce often provides maps and descriptions of potential activities and places to go. Some student newspapers or your community’s newspapers report an annual survey of "The Best of ___" places; consider this when trying to learn about your community.

Social support in graduate school is critical to maintaining a healthy balance. As a new student it may be helpful to identify existing programs within your department that will help you interface with people who are familiar with the school and community. Some departments have informal or formalized buddy systems arranged to pair up first year students with advanced students. These can be helpful in the personal and professional orientation of new students to department specific issues and the larger community. For example, at Binghamton University a buddy program has been developed to help new students with such tasks as finding an apartment, locating food restaurants and coffeehouses, and even finding a place to cut your hair. Other schools, such as the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University provide interpersonal groups (GSAPP.COMM) for first year students to discuss issues such as how graduate school impacts one’s personal life. However, it should be noted that it may be necessary for you to be proactive in their identification and your participation, as many are voluntary in nature.

Social support may be available from the larger university community. If you are seeking connections with other ethnic minority students, you might want identify minority organizations that may exist at your school, such as the Black Student Union, Latin American Student Union, or Asian American Students Association. It is important to remember that even though an ethnic/minority organization may not exist within your department, it may exist in the larger context of the entire graduate student body.

Within your new community, there may be alternative sources for social support and connections. Many graduate students find it helpful to build on their existing religious interests; local church and religious organizations may be excellent opportunities to seek social support. Local cultural organizations may also provide avenues for developing connections with people in the community.

Maintaining balance in life while in graduate school is critical in the management of stress. For graduate students, it is important to know what your priorities are, and to make time for them. These priorities may include health, significant family relationships, friendships, or favorite hobbies. There are several ways to maintain a healthy balance between school and personal life. One strategy is to get involved in at least one activity that is not department related (e.g. sports team, exercise class, club, volunteering). A second strategy is to devote time for keeping or developing relationships. This allows you to maintain connections with friends and family, particularly those not in school. Participating in an extra-curricular activities and connecting with friends and family on a regular basis can help to reenergize and reward you for all of your hard work.

As you progress through graduate school, it may become clear that while the stressors of the first year may diminish, new stressors may emerge. Beginning clinical practicum and seeing clients, conducting thesis and dissertation research, preparing for comprehensive exams or teaching all can contribute to stress. Seeking personal counseling or therapy may be a helpful method for managing problems that you may encounter during graduate school.

Often students are not aware that they can obtain counseling or therapy at little or no cost in their own community. For example, many schools have counseling centers that provide free or low-cost individual and group psychotherapy to students. In addition, your faculty members and/or supervisors may be able to refer you to local psychotherapists who are willing to treat graduate students at a reduced cost. For students who are planning on becoming therapists, participating in psychotherapy can provide invaluable insight into the process and treatment issues.

El-Ghoroury, N. H., & Hillig, J. A.. (in press). Cognitive-behavioral strategies to improve the graduate school experience: Applying what we have learned. the Behavior Therapist.

Hawley, P. (1993). Being bright is not enough: The unwritten rules of doctoral study. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomass.

Karon, B. P. (1995). Becoming a first-rate professional psychologist despite graduate education. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26, 211-217.

Mitchell, L. (1996). The ultimate grad school survival guide. Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s Guides.

Peters, R. L. (1992). Getting what you came for: The smart student’s guide to earning a master’s or a Ph.D. New York: The Noonday Press.

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Many students begin their graduate career in a state of disbelief. You may be surprised that you actually were accepted into a graduate program. You may be waiting for someone to discover that you really do not belong there because you feel as if you are not smart enough, or have enough experience. These feelings of insecurity are characteristic of the Imposter Syndrome and are not uncommon. While many students experience these feelings, ethnic minority students are particularly vulnerable. Ethnic minority students have reported that some professors and students in their undergraduate programs have expressed doubt about their academic abilities. For instance, one student recalled a professor who accused her of plagiarism because her paper was "too good." Other students reported hearing comments from their peers that they were accepted because of affirmative action quotas. Even if you did not directly experience similar events, the belief that ethnic minorities lack academic ability is pervasive in this country. Facing this kind of discrimination may cause you to begin to doubt your own abilities. It is important to address these feelings as soon as they arise; the strategies below may help you do so.

Accurately understanding your strengths and weaknesses is crucial in developing a positive self-image. You may be overestimating your weaknesses and underestimating your strengths. In addition, you may be overestimating the strengths of your peers and underestimating their weaknesses. Take time and identify the reasons why you came to graduate school. Look at your graduate school application – what were the positive qualities portrayed on that application? Why do you belong in graduate school? Remember, you were chosen to attend your program. Students who are accepted to a graduate program meet rigorous academic standards, regardless of whether they benefit from an affirmative action program.

Similarly, identify your weaknesses. What would you like to change about yourself? What is your weakest academic skill? Are these deficits based on a realistic appraisal of what a graduate student at your level of training should be, or are they based on a comparison to an ideal, an unreachable standard. Once you have identified your weaknesses, you can make a plan to address them. Perhaps you can take a writing class? Maybe you need a math refresher before you take that graduate statistics course? Perhaps you need to re-evaluate whether the study habits that worked during undergraduate years are still applicable to graduate school demands? By examining yourself and making a plan, you move from a nebulous, but often debilitating fear that you do not belong to a proactive stance that allows you to achieve your best.

It is important to recognize that feelings of inferiority are common! Talk to other graduate students about these feelings. You will be surprised to realize that other students, including those you may admire, feel the same way. In addition to talking with students, you may want to discuss these feelings with ethnic minority professionals who have completed their graduate training; they may be able to provide you with some perspective. Some students find it hard to complete tasks because they doubt their ability to do so. Talking with people who have completed graduate school can help remind you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that these feelings do not have to be an interference.

If these feelings are very intense and lead to procrastination or other concerns, you may want to discuss them with a therapist. Look for a therapist with whom you feel comfortable. Ask fellow students for referrals to therapists they may have seen. It may even be easier for you to discuss these issues if you find an ethnic minority therapist. If the counseling center of your institution has a therapeutic group for ethnic minority students, consider joining it. This will help validate your concerns and provide a safe forum to discuss such issues.

We understand that this strategy may not fit your personal style and this might not be the right time to consider this action. However, some students find it empowering to address those who question their presence in graduate school. Instead of fuming quietly or becoming depressed when someone makes a comment, you might want to let the person know that the remark was inappropriate and hurtful. Do not feel pressured to defend yourself – the burden of proof is not upon you! If you feel this suggestion may be helpful to you, but are unsure of how to do this, consider obtaining some assertiveness training or role-playing a non-defensive response with a trusted peer or professional.

Blickauf-Hughes, C., & Mehlman, E. (1995). Narcissistic issues in therapists: Diagnostic and treatment considerations. Psychotherapy, 32, 213-221.

Clance, P. R., Dingman, D., Reviere, S. L., Stober, D. R. (1995). Impostor phenomenon in an interpersonal/social context: Origins and treatment. Women and Therapy, 16, 79-96.

Langford, J., & Clance, P. R. (1993). The impostor phenomenon: Recent research findings regarding dynamics, personality, and family factors and their implications for therapy. Psychotherapy, 30, 495-501.

Thompson, T., Davis, H., & Davidson, J. (1998). Attributional and affective responses to impostors to academic success and failure outcomes. Personality and Individual Differences, 25, 381-396.

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DEALING WITH RACISM

Ethnic minority students report experiencing both overt and subtle forms of racism. Students have been the target of denigrating remarks and jokes. There is often the experience of others drawing generalizations about you. Some people may assume that because you are ethnic minority, you are automatically interested in issues of diversity. You might find that your peers or professors turn to you to get the "Hispanic" or "Native American" perspective. You may be asked to join a committee or conduct research on ethnic minorities simply because of your minority status. Such requests have the foundation on the generalization that you are an expert in your own culture simply based upon you being a member of that culture. Although this generalization may place you in an uncomfortable position of having to correct others, it is not based on negative racism. On the other hand, there might be some in the department who might devalue diversity. Some students also report experiencing racism in other domains outside the department. Students on clinical practicum may have to cope with negative beliefs held by their supervisors, coworkers, and clients. Those involved in teaching might have to deal with prejudicial beliefs of their students. Because racism is so pervasive, it is essential that you prepare yourself to cope with any that you may experience. Below are some suggestions for you to consider.

Find ways to confirm or test your conclusion that you are facing racism directed at you. Consider what you are noticing and the circumstances leading you to this conclusion. Ask someone you trust to take an objective look at your analysis. Is there any other possible interpretation? If what is happening to you is not because of racism, determine what the source is and take steps to resolve the issue. If it is indeed racism, then consider the steps below.

If you are faced with racism, it is helpful to be prepared to deal with possible specific situations before they arise, such as preparing for what to do if you hear a racist remark. The strategy of stress inoculation may be particularly useful. This strategy suggests several steps: preparing for encountering a stressful situation, confronting and coping with the situation, coping with potentially overwhelming feelings of the situation, and evaluating your performance afterwards. Consult with others about what they did, about how they dealt with their feelings, about how they determine the results of their actions. If you are comfortable with some friends, you may want to practice various strategies of how you yourself might interact with someone who acts in a racist manner.

When you experience racism, it is critical that you have an opportunity to discuss your reactions and feelings about the situation. Talking to trusted friends, colleagues, and family can be extremely helpful. While you may feel more comfortable talking to other ethnic minorities, particularly those of your own ethnic background, it is important to recognize that many non-ethnic minorities can empathize with your experience, and provide you with the support you may need. Some universities have a staff person known as an ombudsperson (or ombudsman). This person is there to help students confirm their conclusions and determine possible courses of action. Sometimes this staff person has been aware of prior similar situations and can be helpful in suggesting how to deal with your situation.

This suggestion can be particularly stressful to you, especially when the transgressor is a person in power over you. We recognize that not everyone may want to challenge someone in these types of situations. However, if you feel prepared, it can be empowering to confront the person acting in a racist manner. Practicing with trusted colleagues may be very helpful, so you can learn how to respond in an appropriately assertive manner. Again, using the services of an ombudsperson to discuss your desire to confront the transgressor can be a useful first step.

University and employment settings typically have grievance procedures for dealing with racism and other inappropriate behaviors. It can be helpful to know with whom in the administration you can discuss any racist interactions that you may encounter. Some programs have personnel designated specifically to deal with issues such as racism.

Becoming active can help empower you as an ethnic minority, help you deal with the feelings that may arise from past experiences, and may possibly lead to the prevention of future racism. You might want to join ethnic minority sections or committees in your university, or in organizations such as APA or APAGS. You might want to consider becoming active in your community on a grassroots level, such as joining local chapters of the Urban League or NAACP. Additional suggestions are provided in the Creating Meaningful Change section.

Elligan, D. & Utsey, S. (1999). Utility of an African-centered support group for African American men confronting societal racism and oppression. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 5, 156-165.

Journal of Counseling and Development (1999), Volume 77, No. 1. Special issue on personal narratives of racism.

Mohamed, C., & Smith, R. (1999). Race in the therapy relationship. In M. Lawrence, M. Maguire (Eds.), Psychotherapy with women: Feminist perspectives (pp. 124-159). New York: Routledge.

Suinn, R. (1993). Minorities: Myths & misconceptions - only twins look alike. The Behavior Therapist, 16, 243-246.

Suinn, R. (1999a). Progress on ethnic minority psychology: an overview & challenge, or "when you wish upon a star". Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 1, 37-42.

Suinn, R. (1999b). Scaling the summit. APA Monitor, 30, 2.

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CREATING MEANINGFUL CHANGE

Many ethnic minority graduate students are committed to contributing to society. There are many ways to create meaningful change in organizations. By being proactive, you can take the initiative and develop strategies for helping other ethnic minority graduate students. Getting involved and creating change can help you contribute and create a better environment for the future. There are possibilities for creating meaningful change both within your university and outside the university. Keep in mind, however, that ethnic minority students may get involved in too many activities, and this may interfere in your ability to work on your school requirements or delay your progress.

In your own program, there are numerous ways to get involved and create meaningful change. For ethnic minorities, you can create or get involved with an existing multicultural committee committed to addressing the needs of ethnic minority and other diverse groups. In addition, you can represent ethnic minority interests on student advisory committees. You may advocate for ethnic minority applicants on student admissions or faculty search committees. Developing a workshop or presentation series on ethnic minority concerns and other diversity issues is a way to introduce diversity to the curriculum. You can start a psychology ethnic minority group, such as the Boston University Minority Collective, which provides support for ethnic minority students in the psychology department.

Within your graduate institution, there may be numerous means to advocate for creating positive change. You might serve as a student representative on standing university committees, such as a committee on undergraduate university requirements. You might join the graduate student organization of your university and advocate for funding for ethnic minority students. You might want to develop a mentoring program for undergraduates to get into graduate school, or provide workshops to university ethnic minority organizations. Programs such as Equal Opportunity Program and McNair Scholars Program may provide opportunities for you to serve as a mentor to ethnic minority undergraduates. Getting involved in these ways may be excellent opportunities to create change in your university setting.

Local and national organizations offer excellent opportunities to create meaningful change. The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) has a Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs which holds regional conferences on ethnic minority issues. Getting involved with these conferences is one strategy to create positive change. Other organizations (see networking section) have student representatives, and by becoming a student leader, you can advocate for ethnic minority concerns. Presenting at conferences on ethnic minority issues is another strategy for increasing opportunities to learn about ethnic minority issues.

Bernal, M. E. (1994). Integration of ethnic minorities into academic psychology: How it has been and how it could be. In E. J. Trickett, R. J. Watts, & E. Birman (Eds.), Human diversity: Perspectives on people in context (pp. 404-424). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Commission on Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention, and Training in Psychology. (1997). Visions and tranfsormations: The final report. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Myers, H. F., Wohlford, P., Guzman, L. P., & Echemendia, R. J. (Eds.). (1991). Ethnic minority perspectives on clinical training and services in psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Conducting research is a key component of graduate school, and required in all Ph.D. and many Psy.D. programs. Developing competencies in research will help prepare you for a career in academia and professional practice. However, many challenges can arise in developing and conducting research, including identifying a possible line of research, developing a methodology, gathering the resources to conduct a study, analyzing the data, and writing it up. There are several strategies that can be employed to help you develop your research ideas and identify and diffuse potential roadblocks.

Speaking with your advisor/mentor or other faculty can help you in many ways: pointing you in the right direction; developing an idea into a practical project; or learning the specific techniques or computer package to analyze or present your data. Peers are another resource with whom you can consult to develop research ideas. You can talk to peers before speaking to your mentor/advisor to develop an idea more fully. Also, peers may have useful suggestions, such as where to conduct the study, how to recruit subjects, or where to find resources. Consulting with professionals who have published or are conducting research in your line of interest is another strategy. Other professionals are often willing to provide suggestions or feedback on studies, and may share with you preprints or reprints of current studies. Volunteer for research teams that a faculty member may have organized to conduct his/her research studies. This experience can give you ideas for your own research.

Conducting a research project involves many resources. Apply for funding for your project! Having money makes it far easier to conduct research (see funding section for specific strategies on funding).

Research is often a collaborative effort, because it may take many resources to complete a study. If you can obtain the assistance of undergraduates who volunteer as research assistants, it is important to select the best undergraduates possible. Consider their references, grades, and experience prior to selecting them. It may be helpful to recruit some students of color to serve as research assistants. Through helping undergraduates of color, you can mentor future psychologists of color, and provide participants of color with research assistants who are similar to them on one sociocultural variable.

It is critical that the research projects you define for yourself reflect topics that you are personally interested in and to which you are committed to. This will make the project much more enjoyable than a project to which you are not attached. Many students of color may want to conduct research on issues relevant to diversity or people of color. If this is what interests you, then pursue it! For those who do this type of research, identify potential sources of subjects. Student organizations on campus (Chinese Student Association), local community organizations (Urban League, NAACP), churches, specific schools and neighborhoods may all be helpful places for recruiting ethnic minority participants in studies. If you are interested in community research, then developing positive relationships with community leaders and organizations are critical.

Organization is critical when completing a research project. It may be useful to keep all your materials in one binder, so all the relevant information on one project is easily accessible. Because research can take a long time, it is important to work consistently on a project, even minimally. Working on a daily basis on a project keeps the project in the forefront of your mind, and helps you remain focused on that project.

Becker, H. S. (1986). Writing for social scientists: How to start and finish your thesis book, or article. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Hailman, J. P., & Strier, K. B. (1997). Planning, proposing, and presenting science effectively: A guide for graduate students and researchers in the behavioral sciences and biology. London, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Stock, M. (1985). A practical guide to graduate research. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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TEACHING

Most of us must teach a course or part of a course as a teaching assistant or as part of our doctoral degree requirements. Teaching can often seem overwhelming at first. However, there are several strategies that can make teaching fun as well as useful for our professional development.

There are several good reasons for this. When you are excited about your subject material, you translate that excitement into dynamic, interesting lectures and class activities. We have all had teachers who taught the same subject so often that they were bored by it. When they droned on and on, we tuned out. Those teachers who were impassioned by their materials sometimes taught over our head and talked too fast, but they were always interesting.

In addition, when you teach a subject, you get to learn it very well. Some students choose to teach a class that gives us an introduction to an area of psychology in which their department may be weak. For instance, one student who was interested in multicultural issues in psychology taught an upper level undergraduate seminar in that area. Although her department did not have offer any graduate multicultural courses, she was able to gain some knowledge in this area and can now also document her interest and knowledge in this on her vita. Other students choose to teach an area of psychology that can contribute to their research. If you are interested in child psychology, for instance, teaching developmental psychology is a great way to freshen your knowledge of child development and, depending on the level in which the course is taught, may help you to generate new research ideas.

Students often struggle to develop a teaching pedagogy and style. If your department has a great teaching course, take it. Also check to see if your department offers training for teaching assistants. While a TA training course may not cover some of the deeper pedagogical issues, it will get you thinking about some of the more practical issues surrounding teaching such as grading and attendance. If you feel that the training offered by your department is scant, look outside your department. Many universities offer seminars and trainings in college teaching - take them if you are interested. Call the provost or director of graduate studies to find out what is available. For example, the school of education at most universities also offers courses on developing pedagogy, creating a syllabus, grading, and many other of the nuts and bolts of teaching. Your university may have programs for undergraduates such as the McNair Scholars program, an Equal Opportunity Program (EOP). These programs often provide instruction on pedagogy for their instructors (Note: If you are interested in working with ethnic minority students, teaching an EOP or McNair course is an excellent way to get involved).

As you develop your teaching style, don’t forget to learn from your own experience as a student! What was your favorite class so far? What did that instructor do that made it your favorite class? Did they offer lots of experiential activities? Was the lecture style interesting? Was the instructor especially accessible? Model the practices that made that class great to you. Even though it may feel difficult at first, try to experiment with different teaching styles. Move beyond a strictly lecture mode. If your course topic allows it, try to get students involved in activities other than lectures…experiments, demonstrations, small group discussion, large group discussion. The APA publishes several handbooks with activities and class demonstrations covering almost every topic in psychology. Most courses are lectures. If you have the opportunity to allow alternative modes of teaching - GO FOR IT!

It takes a while to choose a textbook, gather all the materials you will need, design the syllabus, select activities, write lectures, and so on. Give yourself a month more than you think you will need since you will most likely be doing other tasks while you prepare to teach. When choosing a textbook, consider that the textbook include topics and issues related to diversity, even when the course is not specifically on diversity issues.

When you write your syllabus, examine the syllabi of those who have taught the class before you. Many departments keep a file of syllabi from previous courses. This will help you decide what materials are typically covered, how difficult the course usually is, and how much work is generally assigned. You will also get great ideas from perusing previous syllabi. In addition to getting copies of syllabi, see if you can borrow notes and lectures from previous instructors. While you will still want to write your own lectures, having access to previous notes will be helpful. Buy a planner just for teaching to keep track of exams, assignments, demonstrations, guest speakers, class presentations, etc.

There are several good resources for those interested in teaching psychology on the Internet. Here are some to get you started:

• APAGS and BEA maintains EDTEACH, a listserv for those interested in teaching psychology – contact APAGS or ask your APAGS campus representative how to join. Several other organizations maintain links. Use the list below to get you started:
• APA Division 2 – Society for the Teaching of Psychology: http://teachpsych.lemoyne.edu/
• Teaching in the Psychological Sciences: http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/
• MegaPsych Bookmarks: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/bookmarks.html

Teaching of Psychology– an APA journal with articles aimed at instructors of high school, college, and graduate courses.

Benjamin, L. T., Nodine, B. F., Ernst, R. M., Brocker, C. B. (1999). Activities handbook for the teaching of psychology, Volume 4. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

McKeachie, W. J. (1994). Teaching tips: Strategies, research and theory for college and university teachers. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath and Company

Sternberg, R. J. (1997). Teaching introductory psychology: Survival tips from the experts. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Funding graduate education requires a great deal of money. While it is possible and sometimes necessary to pay for your education with loans, doing so places a mortgage on your future income. This can impact your ability to pay back the money that you have borrowed. There are several ways to find funding for your education. First, you should be aware that there are two major types of funding available. One kind is funding for your graduate education itself – getting money to pay for tuition, books, fees, and such. The other kind of funding helps you get your research done. We will talk about obtaining both kinds of funding here.

Your department may have tuition scholarships and stipends for you if you agree to work as a teaching or research assistant. When you apply to graduate school, find out what is available in the department and how you can gain access to those funds. Some schools fund all of their graduate students. Others may not be able to fund everyone and therefore establish criteria (e.g. you may have to apply by a certain date; it may be based on financial need, etc.). Some professors may also have funds available, especially if they have received a large grant to conduct research. This funding source is often temporary, so it is still beneficial to continue searching for other resources, even if you do get funded at the departmental level.

Many departments have a dissertation fellowship set aside to support a student who is working on his or her dissertation. Ask your advisor if your school has one, and find out if you meet the criteria used to select the recipients of such a fellowship.

Try to find out what resources are available in your school. Many schools have tuition fellowships and stipends for ethnic minority graduate students. Some universities also have programs that may fund dissertation research for ethnic minority students. Some schools also employ people who attempt to help ethnic minority students fund their education; one university has an Assistant Provost For Recruitment & Retention who, among his other duties, helps ethnic minority student find pre-doctoral and post-doctoral scholarships and fellowships in their fields. In addition, some schools have staff who maintain a list of grants and fellowships programs throughout the country and who can help you to apply to any for which you qualify. The office for graduate studies at your school may be able to tell you if there is someone in a similar position at your school. Even when there are no fellowships for ethnic minority students, many schools have work-study positions available.

There are three well-known fellowship programs for ethnic minority doctoral students: the APA minority fellowship, the National Science Foundation minority fellowship, and the Ford Foundation fellowships. These fellowships generally provide support for graduate study as well as dissertation year support. Thus, you should apply for these fellowships at the start of your graduate school career, and again when you are writing your dissertation. The APA also maintains a both a book that lists funding opportunities for graduate students as well as a web site with links to funding sources both within and outside of APA. Numerous other organizations also provide fellowships to which you can apply. Call any organizations to which you belong and ask if they have any funding available for your tuition, thesis or dissertation research. If you are employed, ask your employer if they can provide tuition assistance or research funding.

Many of the sources described above will give you information about research grants, at the local, regional, and national level. Don’t feel intimidated about applying for these grants! Regional and specialty organizations such as the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) and the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT) also offer dissertation awards or grants. Contact any special interest group or organization to which you belong and ask them about any dissertation awards or grants they may have.

Go to the library and look for references on funding agencies. A number of reference books exist that detail thousands of agencies that fund various types of projects. One example is the Foundation Directory or Foundation Handbook. This literally lists thousands of agencies, both public and private, non-profit as well as profit, that fund all types of projects. It is organized by general area, and one can look at each program to see what types of projects it funds.

If your research is relevant to a certain group, go to that group and ask for help. One ethnic minority student doing medically related research for his master’s thesis approached a doctor at a local hospital about soliciting participants. The doctor was impressed enough to support him in applying for funds from the hospital and the student received $5000! Are you doing research on teen violence? Maybe a church group or school board can help fund your research. Be creative when you think of who might want to hear about the results of your research. The worst thing that will happen is that someone might say no; the best thing is your research may be funded!

Graduate school is a busy time and we often feel we cannot fit any more activities into our schedules. However, finding time to take a grant writing workshop or attend a funding information seminar at your school can have far-reaching benefits. Learning how to develop successful grant proposals can help you not only in graduate school, but in your career as well.

There are now several scholarship search programs on the internet which are free. Many of them are annoying since they are peppered with advertisements, but they do provide good information. In addition, you can find out requirements for the major fellowships (e.g. APA and Ford) online and download the application at the same time. Here are some websites to get you started:

• APA’s list of funding sources for graduate students, both within and outside of APA: http://www.apa.org/students/grants.html
• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities: http://www4.nas.edu/osep/fo.nsf/web/fordpredoc
• Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Fellowships: http://www.sreb.org/Programs/Doctoral/doctoral.html
• Fast Web: http://www.fastweb.com/
• Scholarship Resource Network Express: http://www.rams.com/srn/

Coley, S.M., & Scheinberg, C.A. (1990). Proposal writing. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.

McWade, P. (1993). Financing graduate school. Princeton, NJ: Peterson's Guides.

Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs. (1992). Financial aid resources for ethnic minorities pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral study in psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Ries, J.B., & Leukefeld, C.G. (1995). Applying for research funding: Getting started and getting funded. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Steinberg, J., & Kennedy, C. (1991). Writing Successful Grant Applications. APS Observer, 4, 1-4.

Women's Programs Office. (1997). A directory of selected scholarship, fellowship, and other financial aid opportunities for women and ethnic and minorities in psychology and related fields. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

One of the most stressful periods for many graduate students can be the comprehensive examination. Often used as a prerequisite to becoming advanced to doctoral candidacy, these exams may take the format of written papers, timed written exams, and oral defenses. Each graduate program has its own format and its own name for the process. In some schools, comprehensive exams are completed by students at the same time on the same topics; in others, students can schedule them independently and can define personalized topics.

Perhaps the most important resources are your peers and faculty in your program. Faculty will be able to tell you what the expectations are for the comprehensive examination. Your peers may tell you from a student perspective what it was like to complete the exam. Furthermore, your classmates who are taking the exam at the same time can provide you with much needed social support. Important questions to ask more experienced peers include the following:

• What were the exams like?
• What questions were they asked?
• How much did they study?
• What would they do differently if they could do it over again?
• What would they do the same?

Be realistic about the time and energy you have to devote to studying for your exams. If possible, try to plan your schedule so that you can minimize other work obligations. For example, when studying for doctoral exams, try not to take any additional courses or extra clients. By reducing your work load, you may be able to devote more time to studying for the comprehensive exam.

Behavioral strategies you may recommend for clients, such as self-monitoring and self-reinforcement may also be useful strategies while studying for comprehensive examinations. If you keep track of the amount of work you put into studying for comprehensive exams, it will help you realize how much time and energy you devote to the project. For regular progress, reward yourself, with such activities as watching TV or phone calls, watching a movie, or a personal reading break. Rewarding yourself may make it easier to continue studying. Study breaks will enhance your concentration and energize you when you return to working.

Before the comprehensive examination, practice exams can be very useful. One specific strategy is to develop and write specific questions that you might be asked in the exam. Creating conceptual, methodological, and applied questions can help you develop appropriate answers. Another strategy is to practice delivering your answers in the way that you will be tested. For written exams, practice writing your answers; for oral exams, answer your questions aloud. If possible, practice with friends who can pretend to be the committee asking you questions. These practice exercises can help you get comfortable with the format of the exam and minimize your anxiety.

Many graduate students become extremely anxious about comprehensive exams. Learning how to cope effectively with your anxiety is one particularly useful strategy. Relaxation skills and deep breathing techniques are some quick strategies that can be performed discreetly to help you cope with your anxiety, both while preparing and taking your exams. Imagery and visualization can help you when you feel stressed while studying. Cognitive restructuring may help you to combat irrational beliefs and faulty thoughts that might interfere in your ability to study effectively for your exams.

If English is not your native language and you struggle with it somewhat, discuss this with your faculty. Ask them if it is possible for some form of special accommodations during the comprehensive exam (such as a dictionary, more time on timed exams). Remind them of your concerns, because they may not remember when it is time for your exam.

Jenkins, S. J., & Dovzeni, C. (1998). Factors related to master’s comprehensive exam performance. College Student Journal, 32, 370-373.

Keable, D. (1997). The management of anxiety: A guide for therapists. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

Kuhlenschmidt, S. L. (1992). Teaching students to manage the oral defense. Teaching of Psychology, 19, 86-90.

Marshall, W. L. (1993). Anachronistic obstacles to effective training in research: The dissertation, the thesis, and the comprehensive examination. Canadian Psychology, 34, 176-183.

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DISSERTATION/THESIS MANAGEMENT

The master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation can become insurmountable hurdles for many of us. You may have heard stories of students who are ABD years after finishing their internship because they could not complete their dissertation. Or, while you may feel confident you can actually do the research, every question you ask seems huge, as if it will take years, or trivial, as if it were not worth doing. The following tips will get you started towards completing this last major task of your graduate career.

You do not want to spend years doing your thesis or dissertation. While your project should not be trivial, it also should not take years to complete. If your advisor appears to be asking you to design a very large project, sit down with him or her and talk frankly about your goals and a reasonable time-line. Discuss any project from the perspective of whether or not it meets your goals and fits within the time-frame you mutually agreed upon. Regardless of the size of your thesis or dissertation, you get the same degree!

Are you having trouble clarifying an idea, developing stimuli, establishing limits on your question, etc? Talk to other people in the field! Articles routinely list contact information for the authors – feel free to call these authors, let them know what you are doing, and ask for their advice and thoughts!

When you think of all that is necessary to complete the thesis or dissertation, you may feel overwhelmed. Break the project into meaningful and manageable parts (e.g developing idea, reading for lit review, writing lit review, writing proposal, official proposal meeting, etc.). Focus on one section at a time and reward yourself for completing that section. It is a lot easier to notice the progress you’ve made when you focus on one small part at a time! Before you know it, you will be on your way!

Even if you only spend five minutes thinking about it one day, and three hours the next, try to get something done each day. This will keep you focused on the task and prevent you from procrastinating too often. Setting personal deadlines will help you keep working on your thesis/dissertation.

Don’t be discouraged if you find that the completion date you had in your mind has come and gone. There are many outside factors that can influence your progress. You may have difficulty recruiting subjects, especially if you are doing research on ethnic minority populations; you may need to wait for someone to send you stimuli; it may take a while to get through an institutional review board. Set a goal for yourself, then add at least two months to that goal.

Your dissertation is not, and should not be, the best project you will ever conduct. In fact, one ethnic minority professor told her students that the dissertation should be the quickest project your committee will let you do. The purpose of the thesis and dissertation is to demonstrate your ability to conduct research independently. You will have time to do all the brilliant research projects you think of after getting your Ph.D. Consistent with this thought, you should not obsess about your writing style when you work on the dissertation. Writing is a process – you will always need to make changes.

Before you move on to internship, a post-doctoral position, or a job (in academia or applied settings), it is critical to complete your dissertation. Once you begin work in a new setting, it may become very difficult to finish your dissertation. It is best to complete it before starting in a new work setting. If the dissertation is completed, then you can focus on the new setting more fully, and know that you do not have the dissertation hanging over you.

Your peers have a lot of information that can be useful to you. Find out how students who had your advisor, or your committee member, handled their dissertation and thesis. Does your committee have any quirks that you might need to know? Does your advisor always want a certain style of writing? Also turn to your peers for social support. Meet with your colleagues who are going through the dissertation process to reinforce each other and provide support. Do not let these meetings turn into complaint sessions, rather, try to generate some positive energy to see you through the next stage.

Take some breaks from the thesis or dissertation. Remember to nurture all of you – get some exercise, meditate, do something relaxing, call your loved ones.

Cone, J. D., & Foster, S. L. (1993). Dissertations and theses from start to finish: Psychology and related fields. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Davis, G.B., & Parker, C.A. (1997). Writing the doctoral dissertation: A Systematic Approach (2nd ed.). New York: Barron's Educational Series.

Locke, L.F., Spirduso, W.W., & Silverman, S.J. (1993). Proposals that work: A guide for planning dissertations and grant proposals (3rd ed.). Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.

Rudestam, K.E., & Newton, R.R. (1992). Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to content and process. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.

Stock, M. (1985). A practical guide to graduate research. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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Many of us pursue psychology as a career because we want to contribute and help. One way to do that is by becoming a clinician and seeing clients. Helping an individual, couple, family, or group of individuals can be an incredibly enriching and exciting opportunity to contribute and help. However, the process of learning how to see clients can be challenging. Many of us psychology trainees feel anxiety and concern that they are not experienced enough to assist our clients. In this section, we will provide some strategies for how to become a clinician while learning the most possible.

Clients may respond to many different variables and factors, including your own ethnic background. They may be surprised to be assigned an ethnic minority therapist. Or, you may find it difficult to work with clients of a different ethnic background. When situations like this arise, it may be helpful to discuss them with your supervisor. Having a minority supervisor may facilitate this process, because they may have experienced similar issues with their own clients, or because you may feel more comfortable discussing these issues with them. Some supervisors may be unaware of how race/ethnicity can affect the therapeutic relationship; however, if you are willing to discuss it, many supervisors will be able to help you process such issues as they arise.

As an ethnic minority psychology graduate student, you may chose to seek out experiences with ethnic minority clients. It is critical that you are familiar with the issues surrounding ethnic minorities and psychology. Do the psychological tests that you want to use have norms for a particular ethnic group? Does the treatment manual you are using for your intervention have specific suggestions for members of different ethnic minority groups? Consider how ethnic minority status may affect the availability and utility of assessment instruments and therapeutic techniques.

Many ethnic minority graduate students want to help people of their own or other ethnic minority groups. However, ethnic minority clients may not be found in every university’s departmental clinic or counseling center. They may be found in community settings, such as community mental health centers. If you are interested in working with ethnic minority clients, request opportunities that may increase the chances of treating ethnic minorities.

One of the most effective ways to learn therapy is to watch other people conducting sessions. As a beginning therapist, observing can be a way to learn how different therapists have different styles. While observing a session, you can write down notes, and consider what you might have said if you were guiding the session. Having an idea about what a psychotherapy session is like may reduce your feelings of anxiety about your initial sessions.

Even in the most consistent graduate program, you will be exposed to supervisors of different styles and orientations. You may have supervisors who are more directive and others who are more unstructured in therapy settings. You may be exposed to therapists from psychodynamic and psychoanalytic traditions to others who are cognitive-behavioral or family systems. You may want to develop your own individual style and theoretical orientation that encompasses aspects of your supervisors’ and peers’ styles and orientations. Another effective way to develop your own style is to read books about psychotherapy, and learn about different approaches. As you develop your own style, you will probably become more comfortable with your role as a clinician.

Many of us are afraid to make mistakes while in a therapy session. But mistakes will happen; we may forget to ask a particular question, or we may not implement a technique in the correct manner. The most important thing is to learn from every session that we conduct. If we understand that mistakes will happen, then we may be more willing to try a new technique for the first time. Remember, while you are training, you have the opportunity to learn different strategies from a licensed psychologist; once your training is complete, it is more challenging to get supervision.

One specific strategy that may minimize potential mistakes is to define goals you want to reach in an assessment or therapy session. What do you want to communicate to the client(s)? What do you hope to accomplish? Plan for enough time to accomplish those goals within a therapy session.

As a graduate student, there are so many requirements and projects that we are working on. It is easy to procrastinate on writing your notes and reports, especially when supervisors and practicum sites do not require notes immediately. However, it is really beneficial to complete your notes and reports as soon as possible. Completing these requirements soon after a session will allow you to recall the details of the session much more easily. Waiting until the end of the semester may lead to confusion over the details of multiple sessions that might have occurred. Getting in the practice of completing your notes quickly may also prepare you for internship, when notes may be required in a timely fashion.

Karon, B. P. (1995). Becoming a first-rate professional psychologist despite graduate education. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26, 211-217.

Kottler, J. A. (1993). On being a therapist. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Ownby, R. L. (1997). Psychological reports: A guide to report writing in professional psychology. New York: Wiley.

Pipes, R. B., & Davenport, D. S. (1990). Introduction to psychotherapy: Common clinical wisdom. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Applying for a predoctoral psychology internship is a terrifying and exciting time. As you fill out the applications, you realize that you are near the end of your graduate school career! In most cases only the internship and the dissertation remain. At the same time, you have no doubt heard all the horror stories about how many students do not get placed each year. Don’t worry! Most students will find an internship, and being prepared is one of the best ways to make sure you are one of those who get placed.

It is never too early to start the application process!

There are things you can begin doing from the first year in graduate school that will make the year you apply go much more smoothly. Keep your vita updated – at least once a year, add everything you’ve accomplished to your vita. Keep track of your hours! Go to the APPIC web site (www.appic.org) and download a copy of the APPIC application. Reading this will familiarize you with the types of information you will need to provide about your practicum experiences. It is much easier to collect that information while you are on practicum than several years later.

If you start early, you can break the task into manageable pieces. This will help you not feel overwhelmed in October and November.

Several great sources (see the resource section) exist that can help you get started on the internship application process. Read them! They can help you conceptualize your needs and training goals and show you how to capitalize on your strengths and diminish the importance of your weaknesses. Most of all they will help you place the internship application process in perspective.

Most clinical training programs receive brochures from internship sites. Ask your program where such brochures are stored. Also feel free to request brochures even if you are not applying that year. If you read brochures early, you can get an idea of the type of internship that is appealing to you and learn their selection criteria early. If they have certain requirements, such as having had a course on personality assessment, you will have time to arrange to get that training.

The internet can be a great source of information and support. APPIC hosts several listservs which provide information about the matching process, gives students a forum to ask questions of and commiserate with each other, and notifies students of travel discounts and other arrangements APPIC may have made. In addition, many sites now have their program brochures online and at least one site allows students to submit the application via email. Finally, there are several sites that give great strategies to help you with the application process. See the resource section below for some places to get you started.

It is useful to get together with a few people from your program who are also applying to internship the same year. They can give you feedback on your essays, provide emotional support, and even make you aware of sites that you did not consider.

Graduates of your program may now be on the faculty of sites in which you are interested. If so, they know the strengths and weaknesses of both their internship and your program and can tell you if you would be a good match. They, as well as previous interns, can also give you information about the sites – how many hours do you really work, how good is the supervision, what opportunities are available, etc. In addition, you can call current interns at sites in which you are interested. Most will be able to tell you an insider’s version of the internship experience.

Many conferences such as APA and AABT have small internship fairs. This is a great opportunity to meet current interns and program staff in a non-threatening atmosphere. Ask questions then. If you attend before the year you apply for internship, you get an early feel for what the places are seeking. Also talk to students you meet at conferences. Ask them questions about sites you are considering. Even if they have not gone on internship yet, they may have done a practicum at that site or know someone who did.

Try not to limit yourself geographically. In addition, consider where the previous students of your program have gone. You may have a better shot there than at other places that have never interviewed or accepted someone from your program. However, do not let this deter you from applying to a place to which nobody from your program has ever applied.

Give high consideration to places where your ethnic, bicultural, or bilingual skills and background will be appreciated and sought. Most places will say this, but few will walk their talk. Find out through informal networks (talking to people at conferences, especially other ethnic minorities).

Professors in your department or whom you have met while networking may know someone at an internship. Ask them to contact the internship for you or mention their name to the person they know at the internship. If your relationship with the faculty member is extensive enough, ask for a letter of recommendation from that faculty for that particular program.

APPIC: http://www.appic.org/ also contains information on APPIC MATCH NEWS listserv

Student's Online Guide for Seeking Psychology Doctoral Internships: http://web.utk.edu/~sylve/intern/home.html

Lopez, S. J., & Draper, K. (1997). Recent development and more internship tips: A comment on Mellott, Arden, and Cho (1997). Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 28, 496-498.

Megargee, E. I. (1997). Megargee’s guide to obtaining a psychology internship: Third edition, revised and expanded. Washington, DC: Accelerated Development.

Mellott, R. N., Arden, I. A., & Cho, M. E. (1997). Preparing for internship: Tips for the prospective applicant. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 28, 190-196.

Oehlert, Mary E., Sumerall, Scott, Lopez, Shane J. (1998). Internship Selection in Professional Psychology: Comprehensive Guide for Students, Faculty, and Training Directors. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas Publisher.

Stewart, A. E., & Stewart, E. A. (1996). A decision-making technique for choosing a psychology internship. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 27, 521-526.

Stewart, A. E., & Stewart, E. A. (1996). Personal and practical considerations in selecting a psychology internship. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 27, 295-303.

It is easy to forget that all these years of graduate training have a goal in mind: becoming a professional and finding a job in the field of psychology. Transforming ourselves from the student mentality to that of a professional is not an effortless step. There are several strategies that can help you make the transformation painlessly.

We know that it is expensive to join many professional organizations. However, they provide a wealth of information difficult to obtain from other sources. For instance, APAGS provides information on changing trends and hot issues in psychology that will have an impact on your future. You want to keep abreast of this kind of news. We recommend joining one national organization, one regional organization, and at least one organization specific to your training interests and goals. For instance, if you are interested in teaching, I recommend joining APA, and APA’s Division 2: Society for the Teaching of Psychology, in addition to your regional organization (Eastern Psychological Organization, Western Psychological Association, etc.). Joining a special interest organization is very beneficial because you not only get access to the latest theories and research in the field, but you also learn about funding opportunities, student awards, grants, and other resources.

In addition to joining an organization, budget some money to attend their conferences! You can present your research at these meetings, but you also have a wonderful opportunity to meet the people who read about. You can also learn about the newest advances in the field. Often unpublished reports are presented at workshops and conferences. Many professional organizations also have special interest groups that hold annual meetings during the professional organizations annual convention. For instance, during the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, special interest groups for African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and Women all have their own meetings. Attending one of these special interest group meetings at AABT is a great place to not only meet ethnic minority professionals, but also to meet ethnic minority professionals in your area of psychology if you’re a behavior therapist! You may be able to attend workshops or conventions for free or for a reduced fee if you volunteer to help with activities such as registration.

When you join an organization, you also have an opportunity to become a leader in that organization. Most organizations have a student branch or at minimum a student representative. Find out what is needed to run for a position in the student branch or to become a liaison. You will be surprised at how easy it is! When you become a leader in an organization, you will learn the latest news, you get perspective on your field beyond the confines of your graduate program, and you have an opportunity to influence the lives of other graduate students. In addition, you get to meet current professionals who are often willing to mentor you and clarify some of issues affecting the decisions you will be making about your future.

Definitely learn from those who have gone before you. Most professionals are willing to give advice to their colleagues in training. Ask questions! Find someone who is doing what you might want to do, and ask them what path they took to get in that position. Or, find someone who is doing something unusual in psychology and find out how they conceptualized their jobs. Ask people to describe the trends in their part of the profession. Some students find that the issues change when one ventures outside of academia. And remember, the key to finding jobs is relationships - who you know, and who they know. Many jobs may not necessarily be advertised, or it might be possible to create positions where one was nonexistent before.

Ethnic minority professionals often do a great job of mentoring the next generation. Try to join formal or informal groups that discuss professional issues specific to ethnic minorities. Find out if your professional organization has such special interest groups. You can also form your support network on your campus by establishing a group for students in your program or department and having speakers in your community come to address the group about professional issues. The APA Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs has significant amounts of information and resources for new and experienced ethnic minority professionals, such as the Survival Guide to Academia for Women and Ethnic Minorities and a directory of ethnic minority psychologists; contact them for more information. APA currently has a listserv for new professionals; consider joining the listserv to learn about opportunities for new psychologists and to network with other emerging professionals.

Read professional organization newsletters/journals. Each organization to which you subscribe will send you a newsletter or journal. You should also go to the library and read any that you do not receive which are in your field. We suggest you read the APA Monitor as well as Professional Psychology: Research and Practice to keep up to date on current issues and get information on professional issues in several subspecialties of psychology. As you read journals, don’t forget to read the classified ads. Find out what kinds of jobs are available and what the job criteria are. This is especially important when you are getting closer to the degree. You may even want to cut out ads for jobs that you are interested in. Perhaps they will have another opening when you are ready to apply, or perhaps you will find a job that matches those characteristics. You can use the information you gleaned from the classified ads to help shape your training and graduate experience.

Brainstorm all the ideas you have about what you would like to do. Do you want to teach, treat clients, or conduct research? In what kind of setting would you like to work (hospital, psychology dept, education dept, community mental health clinic)? Where would you like to be geographically? Keep track of those ideas. Revisit them at least once a year – look at the classified ads for those activities and see what you need to do in order to be competitive. If your program does not offer training in an activity in which you are interested, see if you can attend a workshop or seminar. Knowing your goals, even if they have not been narrowed down yet, will help you notice what’s out there that can help you achieve them – conferences, workshops, meetings, research opportunities, professional organizations, etc.

Make sure to keep your vita up to date and list all your professional activities, otherwise you might forget. You might want to add update your vita each time you do something new. Or, you might keep a file in which you add all the professional activities you have done, then update your vita once a semester. Keep copies of certificates you received from conferences or workshops that you attended. These can go on your vita also!

The profession of psychology is changing as we are pursuing our degrees. Future psychologists need to think of psychology as a business, and utilize business principles to develop a meaningful career. You may find it useful to plan ahead and create a business plan for your ideas in psychology. Think about where you would like your career to be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years. What will it take to get you to those goals? What kind of niche would you like to develop? How will you market yourself? Taking a business class may be very helpful in this regard. Conceptualizing your career path as a business plan may help you develop the strategies you need to succeed in a changing field.

Resources

Professional Organizations

American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org

American Psychological Society: http://psych.hanover.edu/APS/

Association of Black Psychologists: http://www.abpsi.org/

Eastern Psychological Association: http://www.easternpsychological.org/

Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy. (1997). Your career: 7 ideas to get you started. New York: Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy. (contact AABT at 212-647-1890).

Hayes, L.J., & Hayes, S.C. (1989). Writing Your Vita. APS Observer, 2, 15-17.

Olson, S. K., Downing, N. E., Heppner, P. P., Pinkney, J. (1986). Is there life after graduate school? Coping with the transition to postdoctoral employment. Professional Psychology-Research and Practice, 17(5), 415-419.

Plante, T. G. (1998). How to find a first job in professional psychology: Ten principles for finding employment for psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows. Professional Psychology-Research and Practice, 29(5), 508-511.

Sternberg, Robert J. (1997). Career paths in psychology: Where your degree can take you. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

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