Getting the Most out of Graduate School
in Clinical Psychology

George M. Slavich, Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco

The Clinical Psychologist

The graduate school years can be among the most interesting and formative of your entire career. Like other stages of professional development, grad school is marked by a high degree of intellectual freedom. Unique to these years, however, is the simultaneous provision of extensive support from peers and faculty mentors. The combination of freedom and ample advice creates an environment that is ideal for exploring new ideas and learning new skills. Here are some suggestions for realizing your full potential during this crucial period of professional development.

(1) Work with the right advisor for you! Most professors are good advisors. However, not every professor will be a good match for you. Some advisors, for example, are very involved in the work that their graduate students do, and others are more hands-off. Some advisors are very busy; others less so. Because your graduate advisor will be your professional reference and colleague for life, it is important to find someone you work well with. Almost all advisory relationships are helpful. Great ones, however, can be career changing.

(2) Be open and honest with your advisor! Describe your strengths and weaknesses, your goals for the future, and your plan for realizing that future. Check in regularly to make sure you’re making progress on your plan. Most importantly, tell your advisor how to help you realize your plan. Backward engineer the strategy. If you aim to submit three publications before you graduate, what general topics will the papers be on? How often will you need to meet? What types of practical, financial, and emotional assistance will you need? What should he or she expect from you? And, what do you hope to gain from him or her?

(3) Make time to write! Determine whether you focus better in the morning or at night and then schedule a minimum of three 2-hour writing sessions per week during which time you cannot be interrupted. Make sure the days and times work for most weeks so that you keep the schedule. Turn your phone off, don’t check email, and go to a place where other people will not interrupt you. There is no substitute for making continual progress on a paper. It’s the only way they get done.

(4) Challenge yourself as a clinician! Few opportunities have as much growth potential as learning to be a therapist. You will learn a lot about how other people think and behave, but remember that the psychological principles you are learning also apply to you. Use the opportunity to learn more about your own characteristics, tendencies, and behaviors. How do you view other people? How do other people view you? If you second guess yourself, why? If you overwork yourself, why? Learning about yourself is not a required part of any graduate curriculum, but there is probably no better time to safely explore your thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs.

(5) Acquire skills that broaden your abilities! Learning one new standardized interview, therapeutic approach, statistical technique, or experimental paradigm is great, but learning more is always better. It makes you more knowledgeable, but also more interesting and valuable to future labs and departments. If you are unable to do this in the context of your relationship with your current advisor or clinical supervisor, ask to work with those who can provide you with the competencies and skills you desire.

(6) Go to conferences! Conferences provide a great opportunity to hear about cutting-edge research. However, they also provide a chance to see old friends, to meet new friends and collaborators, and to generally enjoy the social aspects of the profession you are entering. Approach people, voice your interest in their work, and ask if they are willing to exchange email addresses with you. Then, when you get back to your office, write them and say how nice it was to meet them. If appropriate, send them a paper of yours, or request one from them. Attending conferences is a good way to support your professional organization, but it’s also a great way to sustain your interest and engagement in the field.

(7) Pursue leadership roles! Every department and professional organization needs another bright mind to head committees and organize events. The benefits of pursuing these roles may not always be readily apparent, but giving back to your professional community is critical for helping to sustain the conferences and organizations that promote your development. If you can serve on the student council of a regional or national psychological association, that’s even better.

(8) Teach! As universities experience financial hardship, more departments are strongly encouraging students to apply for grants from organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Although getting a NSF or NIMH grant is outstanding, it often comes at the expense of teaching less. Thus, as your research career takes off, don’t forget that becoming a good classroom instructor is both valuable and rewarding. The classroom is a great place to get new ideas and research assistants, and the more you teach, the better you’ll become.

(9) Mentor others! Although mentoring is a type of teaching, it deserves its own category. Just as you have benefited from good mentorship, there are many undergraduate and graduate students out there who could benefit from your support and guidance. Often times, it takes only one inspiring person to change someone else’s life trajectory. Be the influential mentor that someone else was for you.

(10) Be a generalist at heart! Long gone are the days when you could afford to know a lot about everything. Departments are simply not hiring generalists these days. So, while you definitely need to be an expert in your dissertation topic area, keep a small space in your heart for other areas of psychology. Read broadly, attend the meetings of other department areas, and choose collaborators who stretch you in different directions. Being a generalist at heart will only add additional novelty and insight to your teaching and research.

(11) Maintain your priorities! The downside to being bright is that you are in high demand. So, while you are striving to become a better researcher, teacher, clinician, and community member, remember to protect your priorities. Be flexible, but don’t compromise on your basic principles. Prioritize your time according to your goals and graciously decline opportunities that do not align with your professional development plan.

(12) Finally, enjoy yourself! Rare are the times when you realize just how lucky you are. You can be excused for that since graduate school is known for keeping people very busy. In this context, therefore, it is important to search out activities and opportunities that restore perspective. You are pursuing a very interesting and noble path in life. Don’t forget to enjoy the trip!

George M. Slavich, Ph.D. :: Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology
UCLA Medical Center Plaza 300, Rm 3156 :: Los Angeles, CA 90095-7076
+1 310-825-2576 :: gslavich at mednet.ucla.edu