To land the top jobs, tap practical training

By Bridget Murray
Monitor staff

Graduate students can no longer expect that a traditional clinical psychology education will land them rewarding jobs, said psychologist Robert Ax, PhD, voicing his opinions on the field's future job outlook at APA's 1999 Annual Convention, Aug. 20 - 24, in Boston.

To be more marketable, students instead must consider themselves savvy consumers seeking "the best possible return on their education," said Ax, director of the psychology internship program at the Federal Correctional Institution in Petersburg, Va., in the Aug. 24 session "Are we being trained today for the jobs of tomorrow?" Ax emphasized that his views on job preparation don't necessarily represent those of his employer.

In addition, his viewpoint was one among many offered at the convention and applies mostly to students in clinical psychology, rather than academic research and other areas. At other sessions, for example, speakers advised students interested in academic careers to seek research mentors and recommended that students pursuing human factors jobs take courses in basic computer programming and find internships with corporations and consulting firms.

But for clinical students, the best preparation may be coursework that builds on teaching about critical thinking and psychological theory with exploration of jobs in psychology's growth areas, according to Ax and several other speakers.

For example, coursework in brain biology, business skills and psychopharmacology prepares students for the booming areas of neuropsychology, health-care administration and teamwork with physicians.

Speakers also urged students to strengthen the profession by becoming politically active in such causes as the fight for prescription privileges and mental health parity. "You've got to be advocates of your own profession," said Ax.

Above all, Ax said, students should align their training with the demands of the marketplace. He advised those committed to traditional service in clinical psychology to seek business know-how and solid understanding of empirically supported treatment--good background for work with managed care. He noted that ethnic-minority and rural populations are among those who need psychologists' services most.

On the other hand, Ax said, students interested in stepping outside the traditional mold--entering, for example, behavioral and primary health care--can tap into training in the biological bases of behavior, psychopharmacology and team treatment of patients.

It's a wise move to take at least one three-hour course on psychopharmacological medications, said Maj. James M. Meredith, PhD, of Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, another speaker at the session and the first psychologist to gain prescription privileges in the U.S. Air Force. "Learn how to identify and be aware of medications, treatment trends, levels and doses," said Meredith.

Meanwhile, students interested in policy and administration could seek training in health-care regulation and business management.

The field needs training programs to create alternative career tracks, said Ax. That's beginning to happen. For example, Nova Southeastern University's Center for Psychological Services recently added tracks in clinical health psychology, forensic psychology and treatment of the seriously mentally ill.

In addition to getting the most from their education, students need to protect and maximize their investment in it, said Ax. He urged students to advocate for legislation and policies that support mental health--among them prescription privileges, hospital privileges, mental-health parity and licensing across state lines.

Get involved, he advised, by becoming one of APA's Congressional Fellows or by joining advocacy groups such as APA's Public Policy Action Network, state associations and the American Association of Graduate Students (APAGS).

By helping to reshape health-care policy, Ax said, "you'll get a greater return on your educational investment."Y



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