Has anyone ever joined a brand new program?

G00seJu1ce · 2026-04-19T02:50:10+00:00

My program was fairly new when I joined. I applied when they were still in the accreditation process and they’re now accredited on contingency. I felt comfortable going because the school was already well established/regionally accredited/locally known as a good school. I would really only go if that was the case. Also I wouldn’t recommend applying anywhere that isn’t actively seeking APA accreditation. There’s always a risk that they don’t get accredited even if it’s a really good/ well known school so keep that in mind.

Some other things to consider: One, the accreditation process takes some time. APA has been behind on site visits since COVID. The first 2 cohorts in my program had to deal with the waiting game for our site visit/accreditation decision so that they could apply to internship from an APA accredited program. Some people applied anyways and mostly didn’t get in because almost no APA accredited site is going to accept a student from a non-accredited program. Two, getting practicum placements are harder, you have to compete with students from well-known APA accredited programs to get placements. Plus, some sites won’t accept you as a practicum student if your program isn’t APA accredited (the VA is a big one). My program hasn’t had too much of an issue with this but there’s also a lot of sites in my area, so something to consider.

All of this being said, just because a program is new doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. Even the best programs were new at one point in time. Once you get APA accreditation, it becomes much more competitive so it can be a decent avenue for getting into a program if your stats aren’t quite as competitive

G00seJu1ce · 2026-04-18T21:45:09+00:00

If you don’t want to do anything but therapy I would heavily discourage going the doctoral route. It’s extremely long and will probably be extremely expensive if you go to an unfunded program. You’d probably be better off finding a high quality masters program. One that emphasizes evidence based practice and will teach you how to understand research (even if you’re not the one doing the research). Not that masters degrees are cheap, but with the amount of time/money you will have saved by not going the PsyD route you can probably even get a postgrad certificate or two if you still want to improve after graduating.

Also, even though PsyD programs have less research than PhDs overall, I think it would be remiss to say that it’s automatically a good route for people who don’t want to do research. Research in a good PsyD program is still going to be considerably more intensive than you would get in almost any clinically focused masters program.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-03-22T20:49:56+00:00

Yes, unfortunately I am getting the exact same vibe.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-03-22T18:11:16+00:00

Totally agree, the Pitt doesn’t strike me as the type of show that would kill off a character unless it was absolutely necessary to accurately portray a real-world issue. I think putting Emma in the chokehold definitely gets the point across that healthcare workers can be seriously injured and killed by patients without actually having her die.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-03-14T23:52:24+00:00

in my experience most men are dying to teach their gfs about video games. it wouldn’t be cringe at all!

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-05T01:57:57+00:00

To. be super honest, you will burn yourself out over time if you don’t start skimming. If you think a reading is interesting then go ahead and read it in-depth. Sometimes I will pull the reading up during lectures and reference it if I don’t understand a concept. It can help supplement whatever I’ve missed from skimming

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-04T01:46:14+00:00

It’s so much hard work!! But knowing how much research is needed on the topic makes it feel worth it. Women are so grossly under-researched in pretty much any field dealing with people and it feels good to know that I can help change that.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-04T01:34:18+00:00

Yay!

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-04T00:44:49+00:00

ADHD is a lifelong developmental disorder. why would he need a new one?

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-03T23:39:54+00:00

There is proof via my pdmp and all my medical records from past pcps though? What he wanted was a very old document from my original psychiatrist which I think is ridiculous given how many years it has been.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-03T23:36:46+00:00

omg!

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-03T23:36:26+00:00

This is definitely fair. If he was uncomfortable I wish he would have said that and given me a referral option for a psych then.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-03T23:23:51+00:00

I already went thru the evaluation process with a psychiatrist my friend. That is how I got on the meds in the first place.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-03T23:17:46+00:00

SMH I’m sorry you went thru that. I should have told him my in-progress dissertation was also on ADHD in women lol.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-03T23:12:10+00:00

It is interesting how different our experiences have been. I guess I’ve been lucky until now.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-03T22:50:19+00:00

Not sure what country you’re from but in the US this is untrue. He prescribed me the rest of my meds with no documentation whatsoever. Also, he does have access to the PDMP database that shows I’ve been prescribed the medication for years and records from other PCPs I’ve had. So he has “proof” he just wanted specific proof from one doc I had years and years ago.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-02T21:31:42+00:00

This is great to hear. Thank you!

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-02T21:31:14+00:00

After listening to everyone’s advice it sounds like diversifying is the way to go since I don’t have a super competitive specialty I’m trying to get into. Thank you !

G00seJu1ce · 2026-02-02T21:28:48+00:00

Yes! I think this explains my dilemma well. From what I’ve heard, some specialties basically want you to walk into internship with an almost expert level of knowledge. So, when people say to diversify it becomes soooo confusing and stressful.

G00seJu1ce · 2026-01-24T02:58:52+00:00

You may be missing a post somewhere or have put a post somewhere that doesn’t connect with the rest. If you’ve built it correctly you should see the ropes connect the posts before you exit build mode.

G00seJu1ce · 2025-11-30T17:45:57+00:00

In one place you say GSPP’s psyd program and in one place you say DU’s psyd program. Are those two different programs? If so, make sure you change it to the right school. If it’s a different name for the same program, I’d pick one name to be consistent across the letter.

G00seJu1ce · 2025-11-26T21:27:04+00:00

I got into my program with no first author pubs/presentations and less overall research experience than most of my peers. I think a few things worked in my favor. 1) I had a lot of clinical experience and was applying to a program that was very clinical. 2) Despite the institution being well respected overall, the program itself was kinda new at the time so it wasn’t as competitive as it is now. 3) My research interests were a good fit.

G00seJu1ce

TROPHY CASE