How do I start the application process to become a clinical psychologist?

Okay - now on to the important bit.... actually becoming a clinical psychologist!

The road to becoming a clinical psychologist is a long and highly competitive one. Registered clinical psychologists tend to have a primary psychology degree, followed by three to five years of postgraduate experience and further university training. This will likely consist of a masters degree, at least one year of clinical experience, and a clinical psychology doctorate. Nowadays, in order to become a clinical psychologist it is absolutely necessary that you obtain a doctorate in clinical psychology. In the UK, the vast majority of clinical trainees are trained by the NHS, and may go on to be employed by the service when they receive their qualification.

Employment prospects vary according to geographical region and the popularity of the particular field. Some clinical psychologists will go on to work as teachers or researchers, particularly in universities. Job opportunities abroad may be limited due to requirements for practicing in different countries, which may consist of further training or examinations.

Training as a clinical psychologist

Postgraduate training consists of three busy and very demanding years, filled with clinical placements, academic study and research, which will make up your thesis. Your work will be expected to be of a high standard throughout the course of your training. The workload is recognised as being a big step up from that of your undergraduate degree, requiring a lot more independent learning, and a thesis of approximately 100,000 words. The experience of completing a Masters degree can help make the work seem less daunting, although the clinical placement may still initially pose a challenge. As a trainee, you will need to be well-organised in order to balance academic and clinical placement demands. Rather than being the end-goal, you should view training as being the first step of your journey, as you will continue to learn throughout the duration of your career.

Although clinical training programmes tend to follow the same overall curriculum, there is some variation from university to university. For example, trainees on the D.Clin.Psy programme at Oxford University will complete five different placements over the course of three years, while trainees at King’s College London will complete six placements in different clinical settings over a three year period. The majority of clinical training programmes are funded by the NHS, and many institutions will not take on any students who are self-funded due to lack of places. It is also unlikely that overseas candidates will be accepted if they intend to return to their home country following graduation. You will receive a minimum salary of approximately £25,783 per year, paid by the NHS, which is at the bottom of Band 6 on the ‘Agency for Change’ pay scale. This figure is from April 2013.

D.Clin.Psy trainees will usually spend approximately three days a week on placement, one day a week in teaching, with the final day allocated to either teaching, private study, or research.

Clinical trainee placements will require you to work in a broad range of settings with people from varying backgrounds and difficulties such as young children and adolescents, adults, families, older people, and individuals with learning disabilities. Other available placements include forensic services, health psychology, neuropsychology, oncology and palliative care, and pain management, among others. All placements are carefully monitored and trainees are usually visited by a tutor several times over the course of each placement. Trainees may also learn different therapeutic approaches including cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis, mindfulness, and acceptance and commitment therapy. As different placements may take place over a large geographical region, it is recommended that you have the use of a car in order to ensure that you can reach each location with minimum difficulty. On some courses you may have the opportunity to claim for local accommodation if the placement is too far away from your home.

Applications for clinical programmes are accepted and processed by the Clearing House website (see "Useful Links") where you can find all kinds of information about clinical psychology programmes in the UK, and the relevant application processes. This website contains information about entry requirements, funding, data protection, and international applications. This is also where you will learn about when and how to apply for courses, references, interview dates, and so on. Currently applicants may apply for four clinical psychology courses a year through the Clearing House.

Entry Requirements

Candidates are normally required to have a 2:1 degree or higher before applying. It is also recommended to have at least one year’s relevant clinical or research experience, although depending on the institution, this may need to be a paid position. You will likely also be asked to provide relevant references. It is important to ensure that your application form is strong, with  evidence of good psychological mindedness. Due to the high quantity of applicants applying for limited positions the admissions tutors are ruthless with applications. Although they will not knowingly discriminate against anyone, some admissions tutors will not consider an applicant if there are any grammatical errors in the application. Therefore, it is imperative that in your D.Clin.Psy application there are no errors. This information is especially relevant to any applicant who may have dyslexia or some other similar condition. If you are not confident that you will notice all errors it is highly advised that you have your work proof read by at least two people, so you can be confident that your application is not going to be disregarded on the grounds of a misspelt word. Suitable candidates will be required to complete a rigorous interview process before being offered a place.