Military Clinical Psychology Program (Page 1)

Program Requirements
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Purpose of Program

military students

The graduate training program in Military Clinical Psychology is designed to prepare broad-based Ph.D. clinical psychologists and to emphasize appreciation and understanding of the needs of the military and public health. The program trains clinical psychologist to be: effective providers of mental health services; creative problem solvers; critical thinkers sensitive to organizational needs and constraints; effective managers and communicators; and professionals with the ability to evaluate processes and outcomes designed to improve quality of health care.
 
This training program includes graduate and medical school course work, relevant research activities, and some teaching experience, but clinical training is the focus of the Clinical Psychology Program.
 
The clinical practical training is directed and supervised by experienced, licensed clinical psychologists who are members of the Department faculty or adjunct faculty.
 
The research training is, initially, directed and supervised by the studen's faculty advisor. Later, the student is expected to develop an original research project and take major responsibility for planning and implementing studies. Basic and applied approaches to clinical psychology, health psychology, and behavioral medicine are emphasized, focusing on the study of psychosocial, behavioral, and psychobiological variables

Military Clinical Psychology Track program

Prerequisites, including Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores
 
Students admitted to the program usually have a background in psychology and are in the military. However, students with varied academic backgrounds, work experiences, and no prior military experience have successfully applied for admission and completed the program. Undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or better and scores (Verbal + Quantitative) on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) of 1100 (out of 1600) or above are preferred. The Advanced Test in Psychology is not required.
 
The Standout Applicant to the Military Clinical Psychology Track
 
To help applicants understand what we look for in an application package, we have created a description of the "standout" applicant to the military psychology track of our Clinical Psychology program. This list is designed as a guide only. Applications with all of these assets will not necessarily result in admission to the program. Our applicant pool varies from year to year, and all aspects of each application are carefully considered in our review. In some cases, weaknesses in one area of the application (e.g., low GRE scores) may be offset by strengths in other areas. Our Department is strongly committed to student diversity and actively recruits students from diverse backgrounds. Minorities are particularly encouraged to apply.
 
The standout application includes all of the following assets:

Coursework

All students in the Military Clinical Psychology track must complete a series of required courses during the four years of study and also take electives throughout their graduate training. The goal of course work is to ensure that each student is knowledgeable in the areas of: biological bases of behavior, cognitive-affective bases of behavior, social and cultural bases of behavior, and individual behavior.
 
The required courses include graduate seminars in:
 
Year 1:
Adult Psychopathology; Clerkship I; Clinical Assessment I and II; Cultural Diversity*: Research and Practice*; Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Research; Ethics in Psychology; Experimental Statistics; Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine; Human Development*; Introduction to Medical Psychology; Research Methods I and II; Personality Theory*; Psychology of Learning*; Physiology
 
Year 2:
Clerkship II; Clinical Skills I; Foundations of Intervention: Cognitive-Behavioral; Foundations of Intervention: Psychodynamic*; History and Systems*; Military Psychology I: Organizational & Industrial*; Psychopharmacology (selected topics)
 
Year 3:
Child Psychopathology & Assessment; Clerkship III; Clinical Skills II; Current Problems & Practice in Preventive Medicine; Electives; Foundations of Intervention: Group Psychotherapy*; Health Systems; Military Psychology II: Clinical Applications*; Planning, Implementing & Evaluating Human Service Programs*; Social Psychology;
 
Year 4:
Dissertation Research; Electives
 
Year 5:
Internship
 
* Offered on Alternate Years
 
Students also are required to attend the Department's weekly Behavioral Medicine/Health Psychology colloquium series for four years, which features scientific presentations by departmental faculty, senior graduate students, other USUHS faculty, and invited outside speakers. In addition, graduate students are required to take a few courses (or designated portions of courses) in the School of Medicine and Graduate School of Nursing: Introduction to Medical Psychology, portions of Medical Physiology, portions of Medical Pharmacology, and at least two courses in the USUHS Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, such as Health Services Organization, Epidemiology I and II, or Occupation and Environmental Health Programs. The Introduction to Medical Psychology is the Department's course for first-year medical students. This course introduces topics such as stress, pain, tobacco use, eating disorders, substance abuse, aging, domestic violence, neuropsychology, psychological variables and cardiovascular disease, medical compliance, and behavioral factors relevant to preventive medicine and health promotion.
 
Along with these required courses, students can take electives that reflect various specialties in psychology and in the study of behavior and health. These electives include: Applied Multiple-Regression Correlation; Appetitive Behaviors; Behavioral Factors in Chronic Disease; Cognitive Psychology; Personality, Psychobiology of Stress; and Psychopharmacology. Special Tutorials in Medical Psychology that focus on specific topics can be arranged depending on student interests. Students also may take courses in other departments or programs as electives.

Ph.D. Qualifying Exams

student studying

Written, closed-book Ph.D. qualifying examinations are administered at the end of the second year of study over two consecutive days. The exam draws from required and elective course work and requires students to integrate across courses. The exam includes required questions on general course work, such as Experimental Statistics and Design and Methods/Complex Human Experimentation, as well as on clinical psychology skills and course work, such as case conceptualization, treatment planning and outcomes assessment, psychopathology, and critical evaluation of outcomes research. The exam also includes a choice of questions in other topic areas such as Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Learning Theory, Medical Psychology, Personality, Physiology and Behavior, and Social Psychology.
 
Exam questions are graded by at least two faculty members with expertise in that subject area. Exam scores are discussed at a faculty meeting called for this purpose. Students receive feedback about their performance after this meeting. Students must pass this examination, the course requirements and necessary number of electives, complete the first year review paper, and complete the second year research project to be advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.

Continue to page 2 of program requirements

Contact Information

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4799


Center for Deployment Psychology
Center for Health Disparities