Your Journey to a PhD

Odysseus

I just wondering what road people took to their PhD, I have noticed that a lot of people doing psychology PhD’s have mentioned during various maters on the way to their PhD. I’m starting back study in Sept with an MSc in Bereavement Studies with the RCSI and the Irish Hospice Foundation. I have been out of college for about eight years now, and I'm at the stage where I am looking at doing my PhD, plenty of people are suggesting to me to just do the PhD, but I want to gain some qualifications and knowledge in other areas, my BA and Research MA are in psychoanalysis.

My current plan is flexible, but after the above MSc I'm thinking of doing another MSc in Forensic Psychology and Criminology with the Open University. This will mean before I start the process of doing a PhD I will have 3 masters at that stage if things go to plan, whereas in the cases I read here people are doing further post-grad studies due to competition; this would not be the case for me. I’m not saying I would walk into a PhD but within psychoanalysis there is no the same extent of competition.

As most people know I work in the addiction services, the two MSc’s that I am looking at are relevant to the area I work in; in and by themselves. However, I have a theory around loss and addiction which is why I decided upon the MSc in Bereavement Studies, there is very little psychoanalytic content, but what I want out of the course is an understanding of other models of bereavement and grief and what I can get out of the research methodologies.

With the OU programme it’s open to people with a cognate background which will allow me to access it, here again the course by itself it relevant to my work. However, I’m interested in the research and psychometrics side of it, and I believe they will stand to me when I do get to the actual PhD side of things.

So that’s my rough plan, I’m starting the Bereavement Studies in September, so that’s the first step started and of course the plan is only a plan, it’s open to change on route. I interested in how others went about their PhD and how much post-grad study people did before they actually started their PhD. I’m also interested in people’s experience, e.g. did those who done two or three post-grad courses find them useful when the time came to do their PhD. I know everybody’s experience will be different, and there is a big different in the application process between psychology and psychotherapy/psychoanalysis at PhD level. Anyway I hope this makes some sense.

p.pete

Not of too much relevance, but I completed a degree in engineering and then a degree in psychology (several years later). I managed to get a PhD advertised as a cross-over between the areas without a masters. My supervisor who specialises in AI (computer engineering side of things) is now taking retirement so I'm going to drag the direction more firmly towards psychology as I'm not too far in and I think I'd be lost without his expertise. My degree results were 2.2 and then 2.1, my psychology degree was very strongly research based which I think was an asset. I think you need to consider what you want to get out of the process, I haven't done a masters but I know they are different in format and different in what skills you need and develop, and different in terms of outcome / achievement at the end.

Odysseus

p.pete wrote: »

Not of too much relevance, but I completed a degree in engineering and then a degree in psychology (several years later). I managed to get a PhD advertised as a cross-over between the areas without a masters. My supervisor who specialises in AI (computer engineering side of things) is now taking retirement so I'm going to drag the direction more firmly towards psychology as I'm not too far in and I think I'd be lost without his expertise. My degree results were 2.2 and then 2.1, my psychology degree was very strongly research based which I think was an asset. I think you need to consider what you want to get out of the process, I haven't done a masters but I know they are different in format and different in what skills you need and develop, and different in terms of outcome / achievement at the end.

Cheers thanks for that. My MA was a Research one, though this is different to traditional psychological research, the topic was dual diagnosis in addiction. So basically I reviewed the relevant psychological material on the area, as well as looking at the ICD-10 and DSM for the following disorders, addiction, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and psychotic disorders. The is was a contrast with psychoanalytic diagnoses for the the above disorders. It was a lenghty work 55,000 words, but it would not have considered much of what psychology would consider to be research methodologies, if you get my point.

Hence, I'm hoping that between the two above MSc's I should get a better understanding of current research methodologies, as well as getting a understanding about non-psychoanalytic approaches to enhance my knowledge about them, in order to facilitate contrasting these approaches to psychoanalysis when I do start the PhD.

I don't want to do a PhD just to have one; career wise it won't make much difference, unless things change I'm quite happy working in my current position and there is no career ladder for me in the Addiction Services that would keep me involved at the clinical side. I do some teaching so a PhD may facilitate some extra teching work, I currently don't engage in any private work, and won't be seeing any private patients for a few years. So really the only benefit that it will have on my current position, is hopefully a better quality service for clients.

It's terrible when you catch yourself thinking like this, but the MSc I'm starting next Sept, is run by the RCSI and the Irish Hospice Foundation. So I'm thinking that the RCSI will look good on my CV, I haven't had to do it for years so maybe it has changed somewhat: but I remember having to explain where I studied at a few interviews [I studied at DSB]. However, with saying all of that I'm not looking at changing my employment, it is about being a better therapist.

So really what I'm hoping for is that the above plan will help my formulate a better PhD, giving me a better understanding of current research methodologies, and current psychological approaches to treatment and diagnosis that would be applicable to the general area of addiction. As I have said I have a bit of a theory around depression, loss and addiction, a former lecturer and supervisor is suggesting that I have enough of a theory about it, to start a PhD on that area.

However, I want my PhD to include other disciplines other than psycholanalysis. Psychoanalysis is my main form of treatment, it's where I draw most of my clinical insights form, and will do a psychoanalytic PhD. However, one of the symptoms psychoanalysis sufferes from is a lack of understanding from and interest in other cognate areas, hence, my interest in trying to use other disciplines.

It looks like whatever road I do take its going to be a long one:) Thanks again for your reply

Edit: The reason I'm asking is I'm interested in other opinions from people outside psychoanalysis. I know a few people currently doing psuchoanalytic PhD's; but I'm trying to gather opinions and experiences from people in other modalities of treatment

jokettle

My route has been a bit different than most; I got my BA in 08 and spent a year volunteering as both a research assistant and an assistant psych. The research team got to know me and one of the primary investigators told me he was looking for a PhD student and that I should apply if I were interested. My long-term goal is Clinical Psychology but I didn't have enough experience/qualifications at the time for that doctorate, so I applied for the PhD and got it. I've one year down and 2 to go. The PhD is in neuroscience and I want to work as a Clinical Neuropsycholgist, so it'll all be relevant when I go to apply for the D.Clin.
I know it's unusual to get into a PhD without a Masters, but I'm told volunteering for a year helped me earn my entry