Hello, everyone.
We're just waiting just a few moments to allow for our study student to get here.
He's actually coming from class, and, he'll be joining us shortly.
My name is Ebony Schamberger.
I'm the marketing and communications manager here at Divine Mercy University, and it's always nice to know where everyone is joining us from.
So we actually have a chat feature.
You can submit your, city and state into the chat.
And if you have any questions now that we can just go ahead and prepare for, feel free to leave them in the chat as well.
Let's see.
What is the cost of the program?
Okay.
I see one question coming in now.
So that is actually something that we went over a little bit last night.
So the program is a hundred and twenty two credit hours, and each credit hour is, a little over a thousand dollars, and that's for the span of five years.
So the full cost of the program I'm gonna pull it up so that you can actually see that.
Here it has, the actual total cost without the fees and indirect expenses.
We also allow you to have the federal aid program accommodate you veterans' aids, internal scholarships, and different cash plans, private funding, agency organizations.
So, here's a list of our scholarships, and we're actually currently promoting our early admissions scholarship, which is in a bonus scholarship.
We don't offer that all of the time, but if you were to apply before October 29, you would qualify for that $3,000.
Great.
Alright.
So I'm happy to have you here, Isaiah.
I think that you do a great job of introducing yourself.
I was just here, in the meantime, but I'll stick around in the background, and allow you to answer all the questions that's here.
Okay.
That sounds great.
Yeah.
I'll just introduce myself briefly.
My name is Isaiah Lamb, second year PsyD student at DMU, Originally from South Dakota, so the East Coast has been a fun adventure for me and a and a change.
So happy to be here and answer some questions.
First one I see, do students work while in the program part time?
So I I don't know, Ebony, if if the, assistantships were mentioned, but that is an opportunity for society students is to, through the university, have an opportunity to work, ten hours a week and get, money added to their tuition or taken away from their tuition costs, basically.
So that option is available for people.
If you're asking more about part time outside of the university, that's something that is, it is possible, but it's very, very difficult to pull off in a lot of ways, just because you would have to have very, very flexible scheduling, with whoever you're working for.
Your first year, when you're not doing as much clinical work, it's it's more feasible.
But as you, go through the program, it becomes a lot more clinical based.
And so your responsibilities, get more they they they get more clinical, and so you're gonna have to be spending more time in the clinic doing work like that.
And so it gets a lot harder to work part time outside of outside of the university.
So the assistantships are helpful in your third and fourth years because you're TA ing for classes.
It's already kind of related to what you're doing as opposed to doing something completely separate.
So, hopefully, that answers that question.
Okay.
Here's one.
I already have a degree in psychology.
What else can I do to qualify me for the PsyD program?
Yeah.
So, that's a great question.
Obviously, the base knowledge of psychology is going to be incredibly helpful.
We actually don't that's not a prerequisite for joining the PsyD program.
Obviously, you have to have some sort of desire and passion, to to work in the field of psychology.
But as far as yeah.
That's it's not necessarily, a requirement to be in the program.
So if you're looking for other things to qualify you, I would say, interpersonal, like skills or something that you might wanna look at.
And just, yeah, just really examining how you relate to other people because the site is clinical based and clinical focused.
So you go through this program with the intent to be a clinical psychologist, doing therapy.
And even if you don't end up doing that full time, it is a part of the program.
Like, you're going to have to be giving therapy to people.
So I think what's gonna be really helpful is your interpersonal style, and and just taking a look at that.
When you go through your interviews, that's something they're assessing.
Like, how do you relate to other people?
Because psychology is a field of of relationship and and understanding between each other.
So that's really important.
There are statistical, like, realities of the program.
So a PsyD is not research based like a PhD, but there are, like, research requirements.
You're gonna have to be doing a dissertation.
There are research design classes, where you know, don't worry.
You don't have to be, you know, incredibly gifted with stats, but it is something you're gonna have to be prepared for.
So just having a sense of of numbers and that sort of sort of thing can be really helpful for that.
I would like to ask if, maybe you could share, a little bit about your gap year, from undergrad to grad and maybe how you think some of your your experience may have attributed to being a strong applicant.
Yeah.
Of course.
So, for me, between my undergrad and and applying to DMU, I spent a year, doing homeless outreach in Denver.
And and for me, that that really, for one, it solidified my desire to do psychology and to pursue it as a career.
Because when you're working with the homeless, I mean, oftentimes, you come across, mental illness in very profound ways, sometimes in ways you wouldn't even see in a clinic because it's just so severe.
So for me, that really strengthened everything.
I had the opportunity to go out every single day and, just sit and have conversations with with people living on the street and experiencing homelessness.
So for me, actually, having an opportunity to see mental illness firsthand was very helpful.
And that was definitely that's experience that I will pull from for the rest of my life.
But especially in this program, that's been really helpful to actually get out there and and find ways where you can encounter the suffering that people are experiencing in the world and and learn how to sit with that and and be with people in that.
So that might be an example of of things you can do to help prepare, is yeah.
Just starting to build those relationships with other people.
Okay.
Let's see here.
What are the key things I need to focus on when it comes to the admissions process?
Okay.
So probably related to that last question.
Let me think about this.
Been a while since I did my own admissions process, so I have to think back to it a bit.
I think some of the things I was just saying, just being aware of your inner personal relationships and and how you relate to other people is is very important.
I think there are some essay questions that really just talk about and ask you about your desire for this field and to identify the reasons why you want to pursue psychology.
So that's really important.
I would say don't go into that just thinking, you know, I'll just write something down and hope it goes through.
I it's something you really do need to think about deeply because, the PsyD program is it's five years.
It's intense in a lot of ways.
And you'd wanna set yourself up for success by really taking the time to ask yourself.
Okay.
Why am I doing this?
And what it what do I plan to do?
And how do I plan to incorporate this into the rest of my life?
So I think that's a very important thing.
They're gonna ask you about it in in interviews is, okay.
Well, why psychology and why not counseling?
So if you don't know all the differences between those two, that's something we need to look into.
They're just kind of they they're they're similar in a lot of ways, but there's there's differences that really set them apart.
So being able to articulate why, and and how you plan to to pursue those things is really important when looking at admissions.
Okay.
Let's see here.
How do you balance personal life and your education?
You know, that's a great question, and that's a question that I think we should all be asking ourselves, whether it's education or just jobs in general.
How are we taking care of ourselves and giving ourselves the best opportunities to succeed in things?
For me, I'm a very social person, so it's really necessary for me to just find events even if it's just once a week or once every two weeks to just go out with with people.
Sometimes it's just going out to eat.
Sometimes it's just one on one conversations with other people.
There are certain moments where you have to sacrifice that and just get your work done.
But for me, I've found if I if I have discipline in my routine, I'm able to actually uphold a personal life, and enjoy the the company of people around me and also do well at my work.
So I think discipline is probably kind of the answer to that, and that's something you can start thinking about is how can I become more disciplined in in my work and, yeah, and to focus on the things that need to get done?
And I I thought that I I just jump in and say, you know, you're also the president of the student leadership committee, and I'm sure it requires a little bit more discipline than normal.
Maybe even just, sharing a little bit about, how, you're able to work with your cohort or even the the student body and, provide entertainment for them or just educational, events.
I know that that's also another thing you're balancing.
Yeah.
Exactly.
Yeah.
So for me, the student leadership committee is, yeah, kind of this organization within the program that advocates for students, and and it's, like, meant to develop, the students professionally and academically.
And a huge part of that is taking care of yourself and finding that balance.
So for me, I have the the it's kind of interesting, the paradox of I have this extra responsibility to be on this this committee, which advocates for, the care of students in a lot of ways.
So that's just kind of an interesting thing.
But I think what's important is finding the things that bring you life and and fulfill you.
And so for me, organizing things and having kind of an administrative role in things really brings me life.
And so that's important to me.
And in some ways, even though it's a responsibility, it actually helps me do well in other things because I'm doing something that I love when I do that.
So, yeah, we'll put on events.
We have one coming up.
It's kind of a professional development where we're gonna be looking at resumes, and getting some input from faculty on, you know, how do you tailor your resume to this particular clinic?
Questions like that.
We have, a service event as well.
Like I I said, I did homeless outreach.
So we're planning in a home a homeless outreach day, I think next week.
And so, yeah, having that responsibility to find these opportunities for others to really engage in the community and tap into that that inner desire to to serve, to be with others, and to to be excellent in the things that we do.
So let's see here.
A lot of good questions.
Holy cow.
They just keep coming.
This is awesome.
Okay.
What is the age range of people in your cohort, and what has helped you most in your preparation for this program?
So age range, my cohort in particular, I would say most of us are between there's some of us that came right out of undergrad.
I was not one of them, but there's a few.
So probably anywhere from 22 to I think we may have one person that's maybe early forties.
Don't tell them.
I can't I can't tell what their age is.
I think it's either late thirties or early forties.
And so that is pretty typical.
There's no age limit, really.
I mean, you have to have a bachelor's degree, so that's kind of the one requirement, for the program.
But, generally, most cohorts, I would say, are in that mid twenties to mid thirties range, with a few exceptions.
So I would say that's the majority.
Most in what has helped me most in my preparation for this program.
Honestly, being on the streets with people, doing homeless ministry, that prepared me because I saw it.
I saw the mental illness that was there and present, and it allowed me to grapple with, yeah, is this something that I can do going forward?
And and for me, feeling like I could, that that really prepared me in profound ways.
I know not everyone has that opportunity, but but for me, that was very moving.
Okay.
Which courses are most grueling?
Which year is most grueling?
That's a great question.
Year two is pretty, widely accepted as the most difficult year, which is what I'm doing.
So, pray for me.
I prayers for me, please.
So and part of the reason that that is the case is that your first year starts very academic heavy.
In fact, that's really all you're doing is you're just doing academic classes.
Once you start your second year, you're now taking on clinic responsibilities.
So DMU has a, an in house clinic that the second year staff.
So at this point, you have your pretty heavy academic load, and now you're adding on a clinic work.
And then also in your second year, you're beginning to look at dissertation topics and beginning work on that.
So that's just kind of another thing you add on top is okay.
Your dissertation doesn't have to be done your second year, but you really gotta start getting a plan for for that and how it's gonna be laid out.
So that's the second year.
The classes that are probably the most difficult would be now you might have some variance depending on the on on who you ask.
Statistical courses can be pretty difficult for people just because it's not always people's wheelhouse.
They're not as comfortable as statistics.
So those can be they can be difficult for people.
But I think maybe the most labor intensive classes would be the assessment courses.
And these are these are the class I just actually got.
That's the class I was running from.
The the few minutes I was late, I was my assessment class.
So we we learn how to administer, psychological assessments, and there's just a lot to that.
Learning how to look at the data, and then make interpretations based on that and apply that to the person that's in front of you.
There's just so much there's so many moving parts involved with it, and it's a really beautiful process, but it's it's complex, and it's there's a lot to it.
So I would say the assessment courses are probably the most difficult.
And it's not even difficult.
It's just, you know, time consuming and and giving yourself time to wrap your head around it.
I do see some students, walking around with these briefcases.
And I I I'll ask, what's that?
And they'll say, well, this is a child assessment, kit.
I think it'd be interesting to talk a little bit about that and and share.
I don't know if you've done those assessments just yet, but, you do have, like, some gear you had to work with.
Yeah.
Exactly.
So, I think the one you're probably referring to is it's called the WISC.
So it's the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.
And so that is one one class, that we take on assessment.
There's a there's a sequence of three assessment courses.
The first one you take is focused on cognitive and behavioral observations and and assessments.
So when you're working with kids, there's different ways to measure different abilities, different reasoning abilities, attention spans, those type of things.
So those briefcases that, you know, that you see, Ebony, sometimes they're filled with, like, I wouldn't call them toys, but there's, like, manipulatable objects that help with that process, to to assess that.
I can't actually reveal too much because, an important part about assessments is that they're they're kind of if you know how they work, then they're invalid, and and they they you can't get the results that you want.
So there's a there's a level of security that we have actually have to have with assessments and not letting people know how they work type of thing.
So, yeah, but very interesting.
I absolutely love assessments.
Okay.
Another question here.
Do you work in groups a lot or more independence required?
Now this is actually it's kinda up to your cohort to decide how much you work together.
My I would say my cohort's a little bit more independent.
There were certain projects where we collaborated, when we were able to.
There are certain like, the there are definitely assignments where it has to be individual, and you can't collaborate, and that's made very explicit.
But there are other opportunities where, yeah, we'll get together, and we'll kinda make a study guide together and go through it so we can be prepared for exams or something like that.
So some group work kinda depends on the cohort and what people want.
Alright.
How's the doctoral experience different from a master as far as homework reading time?
I can't actually speak to that because, the PsyD program I didn't do a master's.
You don't need a master's to start the PsyD program.
You get a master's along the way as a part of the doctorate program.
So this spring, I will actually, receive my master's assuming I make it through and survive.
So I can't really speak to the difference.
I have a few friends in, like, say, the master's in counseling program, and that is difficult.
I mean, the readings, I would say they're comparable as far as amount of reading.
But the problem that people run into with those programs, the hybrid programs that they're trying to work also while doing, they're trying to work full time while doing a a a counseling program, and I think that's more of the issue.
Whereas in some ways, the luxury of the PsyD program is that I can just focus.
Like, school is my job in some ways.
I do a few things on this side, but, like, most of my time is devoted to that.
So readings, there's a lot of them, and I would say that's probably close to maybe how a master's goes, but just a lot of in-depth reading and a lot of different subjects as well.
What is considered full time?
I guess I'm not sure how the distinction is made between, like, a counseling program and a and PsyD program.
But full time, I mean, you're putting in at least forty hours of work, in a PsyD program.
So I suppose that's kinda what makes it full time there.
And, like yeah.
So maybe to give to paint that picture a little more clearly, in the PsyD program, I'm taking, like, five classes right now.
I have friends who are doing the the online masters, and they're taking one and or maybe two classes at a time.
I think two is kind of the maximum that you take.
So there's just a lot more.
We're taking, like, sixteen to seventeen credit hours every semester.
So just generally more time put in.
Okay.
Oh my gosh.
So many good questions.
Trying to get through all of them.
Student experience outside of classroom.
I'll speak a bit to that.
So we're in the DC area.
There's a lot of opportunities for social events.
I'm one of the more social people in my cohort.
So I'm always, like, going out, and I was in, like, DC last night hanging out with people.
So there's a lot of opportunities to kinda just do whatever you want, to join young adult groups.
There's a lot of hiking around here.
The mountains are are fairly close to Shenandoah.
Some people like to just kind of adventure and see nature, as well as just attend various events in the area.
So that's pretty fun.
Lot lot of opportunities in this area.
Maybe I'll come back to some of those, but wanna make sure everyone's questions.
Can an individual can an individual with a, PhD in educational psych be admitted into your PsyD?
If so, what level?
Okay.
So what I think this question is getting at you can correct me if I'm wrong.
And you can apply.
Even if you have a doctorate, you could certainly pursue another one.
What I think the question is getting at is is there a way to transfer credits?
There are some classes that transfer.
I think you can only transfer up to 18 credits from other programs.
So there there is a possibility for that, but that's not ever really a guarantee.
So you'd wanna be checking in, as you apply to see what what classes may possibly transfer.
Generally, those are gonna be more of your basic classes like psychopathology, maybe research design.
Trying to think of other classes that might transfer.
So just, yeah, check-in if you're if that applies to you and see if there might be some room for credits to be transferred.
Okay.
How are you finding the financial management of the program?
Yeah.
That's a great question.
So it's I'd be straight up.
It's not it's not a cheap endeavor in a lot of ways.
For one living on the East Coast, like I said, I'm from the Midwest.
So, everything is cheaper there.
I mean, I remember I had rent for, like, $2.50 a month when I lived in the Midwest.
So living out here where things are just a lot more expensive, it is.
It's it's it's a lot it's a change of how you view things.
So just being out here is expensive, and then the program itself is I mean, it it costs money.
Certainly, the scholarships are very, very helpful.
But I think the most important thing about handling the financial aspect of it is really you really do have to start viewing it as, an investment.
It's gonna you're gonna have to, like, in some ways, bite that bullet and say, okay.
I'm I'm gonna go into debt over this unless you have fantastic finances, you know, leading up to it.
But you to really view it as an investment is like, okay.
I'm putting this money and this time into it with the with the trust that it's going to pay off in several years.
And that can be very difficult.
I think the world we live in is we we don't tend towards that.
We kinda just want the results immediately.
So really shifting to that mindset of this is investment.
And more than that, it's an intense investment.
I really am putting a lot into this, but knowing that the outcome will definitely be worth it.
So for me, I I will share that I, have taken out loans, and so I'm kind of, relying on those loans to provide for me at this time.
But also just speaking about the field of psychology, if that's any concern, like, there's job security.
Like, you'll have a job for the rest of your life.
Just I mean, if you look around at the world, like, there's just so much brokenness.
And so just finding security in that and, knowing that there's just so many opportunities for you.
And the debt thing, I really do think it's manageable.
I I don't think that should be the I I think it's a very important factor, but I think you have to keep in mind the end goal.
Hopefully, that speaks to your question there.
Okay.
Questions about library resources, technical assistance.
Yeah.
So the library, you get help from that kind of just as you request it.
So we have an online library system where you can access databases all the time twenty four seven.
And, if you need a, like, a book or an article that we don't actually have, yeah, the librarians are incredibly helpful.
They will get it.
Sometimes I've had the article given to me, like, an hour later, or if they have, like, send for a book, it'll be in a in a few days.
So, yeah, very helpful in that way.
They kinda just help you out when you ask for it.
So kind of your prerogative to reach out for help there.
Okay.
Turn that.
Couple places for questions.
Attend enrolling in 2023.
Is it too early to begin registration?
I, yeah, I believe so.
Yeah.
I don't think applications are gonna open for 2023 until, would that would be, like, next summer or something like that.
So '22 is the focus.
I would start maybe looking at things.
Obviously, that's if you're, you know, if you're attending this panel, then then you're kind of beginning that process.
Definitely start applying for those scholarships, since you do have a one year gap, that will be my top recommendation outside scholarships.
Yeah.
Exactly.
It's gonna be good.
Just start looking at everything and getting a sense of how it's all gonna go.
What could be the average number of persons admitted?
So I think I'm gonna I'm gonna give a ballpark estimate.
I think that 20 might be the maximum for a cohort, give or take a few.
The average cohort is generally closer to 15 or 16.
So that's generally what you're gonna be looking at.
I think, as far as this year with COVID and everything, we had one smaller cohort that just came in.
But, generally, you're looking at yeah.
I would say safely, you know, 10 to 16 is a good range of cohort size, which you're gonna find is really helpful.
It's enough to get to know your cohort really well, but not, yeah, it's not too much, and it's not too little where you just feel like you know everyone's secrets or something like that.
So okay.
Students ask whether they can transfer credits from their MSC, Master's of science in clinical psych, I assume, their program.
Yeah.
That's one thing.
If if there's specific credits like that, that's probably gonna be a case by case basis.
It really depends on what they are, what the credits are.
If it's gonna be if it's like, DMU is obviously very philosophically and theologically oriented.
So we're going we're we have our own way of teaching that and introducing those ideas.
And so we probably in that realm, we won't accept really credits from other places even if they're philosophically minded.
It's because our mission is so specific and has, like, its its own system, basically, that that we we won't every every student needs to take that class here, basically, so we can ensure that we're getting the information that we wanna provide in that way.
So as far as credits and transferring, definitely case by case, I would reach out to, the rep for that.
So let's see.
How does DMU combine a theological perspective with the psychology aspect?
Yeah.
That's a good question.
I'm trying to think of how to break that down because that's that's such a rich question.
And, really, that's what we spend five years doing, while we're here is learning how to put those two together.
So I think philosophy being kind of the basis of how we evaluate things.
Right?
We have to get this idea of who the person is and what they are, and that's our foundation.
And theology informs that.
Right?
We know it's been revealed to us that humans are, inherently good, and we are made by God and made in his image.
And so because of that, we are very good.
That alone transforms everything in psychology and therapy.
Right?
Because now instead of this random, you know, clump of cells in front of me for a lack of better term.
Now it's like, oh, no.
This is a person.
Like, this is someone who reflects God and has such, like, incredible dignity.
It just transforms the way that you look at a person and how you interact with them.
So just from the very beginning, that that that first principle of life being and humans being good and and filled with profound dignity is where we start.
And then we just build from there, learning how to incorporate, like, emotions.
Emotions are important to us.
Our desires are important.
The passions, they make up who we are.
And so, like, just sifting through how that relates to a person's psychology.
We're made to be interpersonally relational.
We learned that from the trinity.
Right?
Like, god is relational.
Love is relational, between persons.
And so we transfer that to psychology, and we say, well, if a person doesn't have relationships, then there's a part missing from what they were made for.
Right?
Like, they were made to reflect God and be, communal and have relationship.
And if they don't have that, there's a defect there.
So it's just taking all these truths of of theology and and philosophy regarding the human person.
And, like, okay.
Now how do we implement that?
And where that's lacking, how do we speak to that and help a person grow, say, in virtue and and lead them more towards their flourishing as a whole person?
So, hopefully, that gets at that question.
Five years to to learn to to begin to learn all that.
It's really a lifelong process of incorporating, you know, god's design for creation and and psychology.
Lot of good things there.
Okay.
What advice would you recommend based on your overall experience?
As far probably as as far I'm taking that as as far as applying to the program.
Yeah.
I think like I said before, just really taking time to reflect on what you want from this program and if this is actually what you desire and why.
I think that reveals a lot about you.
They I always kinda joke with people.
I did my undergrad in psychology, and I would always kinda joke like, oh, I'm doing I'm studying psychology so I can figure myself out.
And I was, like, kinda joking, kind of, like, honest.
And that's, yeah, that's kind of the thing.
In undergrad, it feels like people are just trying to, like, figure themselves out and solve their own problems.
And that's really important.
But I would say at this level, it's not the best approach to have when you're starting a program like this.
I I think it has to be others oriented.
There can be parts of that.
Of course, we wanna know more about ourselves and and why we work the way that we do.
But it I think the more important thing is learning and and, yeah, just looking in yourself and seeing why am I actually doing this.
Is it to help others?
Does is it to serve others, or is it really just, like, I wanna figure my family out type of thing?
So really just questioning your motivations.
I think that's gonna be very helpful in deciding whether this program is for you or not.
Also, just taking a look at the practicals.
Right?
Like, you have to move all the way across the country.
You have to move to the East Coast to do this program.
So is that feasible?
Do I think I can handle moving to a new place?
All those sorts of things, you have to take into account.
And, yeah, a lot of big questions.
No doubt there.
But just start start grappling with those and being honest with you with with yourself and asking those questions.
Okay.
Are you able to find reasonable accommodations nearby for adults and family?
So I I personally don't have, my own family, in the area.
I'm I'm a single person, so I'm not married.
I do know several people who are married and moved even to the area to start this program, and it seems like they have been able to adjust very well.
The Northern Virginia area is actually quite family oriented.
So there's a lot of opportunities for good things there.
Yeah.
Just I would say just opportunities in every regard.
Like, this is such a populated area, with DC being close and other major cities being close.
There's you can pretty much find, anything that you need out here.
Oh, so does DMU offer a post, baccalaureate in psychology?
I'm actually not a 100% sure post bacc, what that means.
I I don't I'm I can say pretty certainly that we don't offer that.
We just offer the the master's programs in the in the, the doctorate program.
If you're asking about, like, a postdoc, which I'm not sure you are, DMU doesn't offer those.
Those postdocs would be at other sites throughout The US that a person could apply to.
So yeah.
So I guess I I'm not a 100% sure how to answer that question, but I can say that DMU just offers the master's programs and the, the doctorate program as areas of study.
You may I'm not sure you're able to audit.
You may be able to audit classes, but I think those are those are rare exceptions, and that would also be a case by case situation.
Can you do the course in four years?
No.
Not really.
So it's a five year program, and I guess there's a couple ways to think about it.
So it's one way to think is it's four years of academic work and then one year of internship.
So in some senses, it is four years of class, and then you go and the the internship is, a program where you apply to different sites throughout throughout the country, and you kinda match.
If you have any familiarity with how med school works, once a person graduates from med school, they apply to these residencies, throughout The US to start specializing in things that they're interested in.
So and and the psychology program is very much like that, except you don't get your doctorate until after you finish that, until you've gotten your hours for that.
So internship, very generally, yeah, that's how it works.
You those are paid.
So it depends on the site.
Like I said, there's different sites throughout the entire US that you can apply to.
Some pay better than others.
Some pay don't pay as well.
They do pay you, and you're generally able to cover your your expenses.
So that's something to keep in mind is you do move to the area for four years.
And then in all likelihood, you will be moving to another part of the country for your fifth year for your internship.
But as far as the sequence, there's really no way to do it any quicker.
There's just so much involved in the training that I don't I personally don't think it would be healthy to try and make it go any faster.
And that's tough because I like I said, I think, nowadays, we just we tend towards wanting things very quickly, and I feel that way myself.
Right?
We just wanna be done with it and get the degree.
And, it's something where you definitely need to put the work in, but it's all worth it.
Maybe just say a little bit more about internships.
Internships can be any state, basically.
Yeah, throughout the country, there's just several, several opportunities that people apply to.
Those can be at college counseling centers.
Those can be at hospitals.
Just a wide range.
As you get into the field, you get a sense of how much and how many different opportunities there are in different populations that you can work with.
So that kinda covers that.
Let's see here.
I feel like I've got most of these questions.
Okay.
I see Ebony's sharing the screen there.
Yeah.
So that's kind of a run through of of how everything works through the program.
So you'll find that as you progress, as you get closer to that internship, your work shifts more from academic to being more clinical.
So you get a lot of the theory upfront, and then you start applying it, and then you eventually move towards externships working on community.
And then finally, your fifth year.
For all intents and purposes, you're working as a psychologist, but you're not licensed and you don't have your degree yet.
So it's just getting that that final training before you actually get your degree.
So let's see here.
A lot of good questions.
Yeah.
I don't see any other questions.
If you have some more, definitely feel free to type those up.
It's you know?
And I I I do wanna just take an opportunity to say, you know, as you're as you're looking at coming here, I think the logistics and all of the details of things kind of, you know, take over.
And that that makes sense, and that's a really important thing.
You have to make sure that you're able to do it, you know, that you have the that's a practical opportunity for you.
But maybe to just speak a little bit about the results of it and the experience of actually doing it.
For me, it's just been an absolute gift, and I have definitely enjoyed it.
It's not been without its challenges, but, like, what good thing doesn't have its challenges?
You know?
So for me, all of this all of the discernment of, you know, costs, relocation, just all the details that you're talking about, the interview process, worrying about that.
It's all just been so worth it for me, and it's just paid off.
I'm only my second year, but the the and as I start as a therapist in the clinic, it becomes more and more clear that this is, like, yeah, what I meant to do.
And being in those moments with people and their suffering and seeing hope, like, come into those places, it makes all of the trouble worth it.
And so, again, like, the that discernment process, if this is what you feel called to do and and you think that this is really what your life is aiming towards, then I can say, and I feel this way, that all of the, work and the struggle that goes into it is absolutely always worth it.
Yeah.
So just wanted to share that piece because it can be easy to focus on just the logistics of things.
Let's see here.
Good relationship between students and lecturers.
Yes.
Kind of speaking to that, the small size of cohorts.
And we don't have, like, a huge faculty.
I think there's probably 10 around 10 PsyD faculty.
So you definitely get to know your your professors very, very well.
And you oftentimes, you'll have the same professor multiple times throughout the program.
So that's one thing I love about it.
I just love developing those relationships with my professors and really getting to know them and seeing them as humans, which sometimes you don't get the experience of if like, me, my undergrad was a big was a big university.
So you get some if you started out, you could get to know your professors somewhat well, but here, it's very different.
You really feel cared for and that they're looking out for your well-being.
Okay.
Another question here about vacation time.
This is a good one and good to be aware of.
It's it's good to think of the program as kind of like a job in that you will certainly get breaks around Christmas between terms, But your summers are gonna be a lot more limited and have a lot more responsibilities.
As you get into clinical work, you are starting to work as a clinician.
And so, unfortunately, you can't really take a month off to go do things because, because you have clients to attend to, and, you need to be around and being able to provide for them in that way.
So your first year when you're doing pre like, when it's academic work and not so much clinical work, you have really nice breaks.
You get a great Christmas break.
The summer before you start your first year, you have to enjoy.
But then after your first year, you start working in the clinic during the summer.
So, sometimes when people are in between externships, they get more of a break because maybe one externship ends in May and the next one doesn't start till August or something like that.
In that case, you get a a free summer, and that's really great.
People love that.
But it's it's best to not rely on that and to kind of view it as a full time job.
Once you start, you'll get occasional breaks, but, generally, it's full time.
Okay.
Let's see here.
All the questions.
Maybe just leave a couple minutes in case there are any more questions.
But, yeah.
Thanks for sharing all of that information.
It makes me understand the student experience even more.
And I used to wonder why am I seeing students during the summertime, and you kinda answered that.
So Yeah.
Exactly.
It's, it is.
It's a full time thing and takes a lot of, commitment.
But, like I said, it's all worth it.
So alright.
I see one last question here.
Can one be admitted with, GRE results pending?
I don't believe trying to think here with the GRE.
I think you can be interviewed, with unofficial results, but there has to be at least unofficial results, given to to be to qualify to be interviewed.
But they cannot make a decision until the GRE scores are official, because that is a part of the decision process.
So hopefully, that answers that question.
Okay.
Great.
I don't know if there's any more.
I know we have a few more minutes, but, okay.
Late admission.
As far as late admission, I mean, once the deadlines have passed, I think those are pretty hard deadlines.
I wouldn't count on that being the case.
So I know there I think there's any Ebony, you can connect.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there are three deadlines.
There's one in October and then two in the spring semester.
So I would really aim for those because at a certain point, you're doing you're not doing yourself a favor by not being prepared and not hitting those deadlines.
Yeah, it's And, also, the earlier you apply, the more scholarships you qualify for as well.
Yeah.
Exactly.
So you just wanna put yourself in the best position possible there.
And just if you're thinking about it, you're thinking pretty seriously about it, I would just, you know, start the application process as soon as you can and then go from there.
But I won't count on a late admission.
Great.
These have been great questions.
Really enjoyed this this time with you guys.
Yeah.
Thanks.
Like I said, it's a great program, and there's a lot of wonderful things about this this this school and this program in particular.
So I definitely just encourage you.
Like I said, you know, ask those questions about yourself.
Is this really what I think I wanna do, and does it feel like I have the ability to do it?
And then go for it.
That's gonna be a huge thing.
It's just just taking the initiative and going for it.
I think that's incredibly important.
And for me, that's been a huge thing is at a certain point, you just have to take the leap and and just do it.
So great.
Alright.
Thanks again, Isaiah.
And I know that I hope that you ate lunch already before you head back to your classes.
But, if you haven't, hopefully, you can grab something to eat.
I've put a few things in the chat that, if you haven't been paying attention to the chat, please make sure you write down the application fee waiver, which is code CCMMP1999.
That's so that you do not have to pay the application fee.
So then what's what's there to hurt?
You know?
Let's just just go for it.
And if you have any additional questions, our admissions rep, in the interim is Steve Showalter.
His email address is sshowalter@divinemercy.edu.
And you can also, give him a call.
His cell is (571) 290-7580, and he can receive text messages at that number as well.
But I do again thank you, Isaiah, for your time.
Hopefully hopefully, you won't have to run too fast to your next class, and, we'll be sending a recording just in case you missed anything.
So, you all have a a blessed day.
Great.
Thank you.