Professor Andy MacLeod from Royal Holloway
The Course
- Clinical Psychology and Psychology are based in the same department. There is a focus on applied psychology.
- Placements are shared with UCL and UEL in the North Thames region.
- Trainees are in band 6 and receive inner London weighting.
- There is a focus on CBT and systemic models.
- It is an evidence based course.
- The course is fairly research-oriented, encouraging a good discipline in thinking and acquiring specific research skills.
The Application
- Minimum requirements for the course include:
- 2:1 undergraduate degree
- GBR status
- At least one year of clinical experience (at the point at which you start the course)
- The application forms are rated internally and externally by a clinical psychologist working in the NHS. They are rated in four categories:
- Academic performance
- Clinical experience
- How the form is written
- References
- The top scorers are invited to interview.
The Interview
- There are two interview panels – research and clinical.
- Candidates are given research and clinical vignettes with 30 minutes to prepare.
- Candidates receive a score out of 20 from each panel and the two scores are added together. However, both scores must be above a certain threshold.
Answers to questions:
- Royal Holloway does consider EU applicants. There are a number of international trainees currently on the course.
- If possible, a reference should be provided by a clinical psychologist rather than another health professional. Referees are asked how many references they have given previously, so this provides an indication of how well the referee understands what the course is looking for. Ideally the referee should have previously written at least five references.
- The length of the reference is important.
- You would not necessarily be at a disadvantage without UK clinical experience. It depends on the quality of your experience and what you have learnt from it.
- Again, if you have non NHS experience you will have to work harder to demonstrate your understanding and knowledge. Is the experience comparable?
- A-levels are included in the academic rating. You do not have to explain any low results on your application form, although some people do and this can be successful if it is written in a clear and simple way.
- We want candidates who are bright and nice! We are looking for people who demonstrate clarity and depth of thinking as well as having specific knowledge about clinical psychology. Personal qualities are important – the interpersonal impact is rated by the panel.
- Publications are included in the academic rating. Lots of applicants are very similar so publications can help to lift you above the crowd.
- Having a first class degree helps.
- Overseas qualifications are not really a disadvantage but it may be helpful to explain on your form.
- A master’s degree also helps!
- It is not a disadvantage to have a lot of experience in one area.
- If your reference is written by another health professional, such as a psychotherapist or a psychiatrist, you will need to make sure that they understand what is required and what the course is looking for.
- Hypnotherapy may look “flaky”! However, a well written account should be fine.
- There are no elective placements but factors such as individual preferences and where you live are taken into account.
- All of the trainees who qualified in 2006 found jobs by February/March 2007.
Sue Rutter from the Institute of Psychiatry
The Course
- The IOP course is the oldest course in clinical psychology. It used to only be 13 months in duration and only became a three year doctorate in 1993.
- The course follows the core competency model and trainees complete core competency log books.
- Placements are available within the South London and Maudsley (SLAM) NHS Trust, including the London boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham and Croydon. There are six six-month placements throughout the duration of the course.
- First year: adult and child mental health
- Second year: learning disabilities and older adults
- Third year: elective placements
- Some placements are shared with Salomons. It is also possible to have a placement outside of SLAM, either in other parts of London or in places further a field such as Dublin!
- The emphasis is predominantly on CBT. This strong orientation can be seen as an advantage as trainees develop one particular area of expertise. However, there is teaching on other models and trainees may gain experience of other therapies on placement.
- The BPS now requires experience in a second psychological model.
Support
- Trainees are allocated a buddy, a trainee from the year above.
- Trainees have a Personal Tutor (who is not a core member of the course staff) to talk to about the course, placement or any personal matters.
- Each cohort also has a Year Tutor, who monitors each trainee’s clinical and academic achievements.
Selection
- There are 20 places and three people are interviewed for each place.
- There are three panels – all employees from SLAM and IOP.
- The panels do the initial short listing. Non EU applicants and those with lower than a 2:1 degree are sifted out.
- The remaining applications are then divided between the panels who rate on the following areas:
- Academic performance
- Clinical experience
- How the form is written
- References
The Interview
- Successful candidates demonstrate good academic and clinical skills as well as a sound knowledge of NHS and broader issues in clinical psychology.
- We are keen to recruit men! We want trainees who represent the people we serve.
Answers to questions:
- You can choose when to take two weeks of leave in the summer but there is not much flexibility the rest of the year. Trainees take leave at Christmas and Easter.
- The application forms are rated out of 100 points, 70 of which are based on academic performance.
- If your academic record is strong enough, it is not necessary to have a lot of clinical experience.
Dr. Neil Rees from the University of East London
Answers to questions asked to Sue Rutter:
- Unlike the IOP there is not a 70% load towards academic performance! There is no point system. UEL value life experience and what sense people make of their experience.
- It is highly unlikely anyone would get onto the course straight after graduating from university! You need a certain amount of experience in order to be ready for the training. On average trainees have two to three years of clinical experience.
- Think about how to best prepare yourself for the training rather than seeing it as a race to get on.
- However there are no rules!
- The course is very structured and trainees must attend ALL teaching.
The Course
- Placements are in the North Thames region.
- Trainees receive inner London weighting.
- The course orientation is different from Royal Holloway and the IOP but all courses must follow strict guidelines as they are closely monitored and evaluated.
- UEL values culture and diversity.
- There are two or three EU candidates in a year.
- Can psychologists really be pure scientists in human relationships?
- There is not one way to see the world and people’s problems. You can’t assume that you know how someone feels because you have the same experiences – look at yourself and your position on things.
- There is a strong emphasis on developing reflexive and critical skills. The course is critical of traditional approaches and the medical model.
- Service users are involved in teaching and the selection process. UEL has consulted with service users on what qualities to look for in interviewees:
- People oriented and down to earth.
- Willing to be challenged.
- No “them and us” mentality.
- Don’t make assumptions about clients’ backgrounds based on own background and experience.
- Don’t just give PC responses – an honest “don’t know” is more impressive.
- Ability to reflect on what wasn’t successful and what you learnt from it. Recognising your own limitations is a sign of maturity.
The Application
- It’s all about standing out! The standard is so high that most forms are more or less the same.
- Try to make the panel wake up and want to interview you! Sound like a human being rather than a robot.
- Show that you have opinions and don’t just mention issues.
- If you’re brave enough talk about any problems you’ve had yourself (e.g. sexuality, ethnicity, and mental health), what you’ve learnt and how it helps you understand how people cope or how they may feel.
- The form is double rated on a scale of 1-4 by a member of the team and an external clinical psychologist in the following areas:
- Knowledge
- Experience and motivation
- Realism
- Clarity of communication
The Interview
- 70 people are interviewed for 25 places.
- There are two panels of three people:
- Research
- Clinical and personal
- Each interview is 35-40 minutes.
- UEL has produced a selection criteria document, which is available on request from the course administrator. Contact details can be found on the UEL website: http://www.uel.ac.uk/psychology/programmes/postgraduate/clinical-pd.htm
At the end the three speakers were thanked and some members met socially to discuss the talks and a lot more.
The next group will meet on 27th November 2007, we hope to see you there!