What a Clinical Psychologist at UCLA wishes they had known before entering the Psychology industry
Reina, a Clinical Psychologist, wishes they had known the significant "mental agility" required, describing a day that involved "a session with a suicidal individual" followed by studying and data entry. This highlights the demanding nature of the field, requiring constant mental shifting between diverse tasks, even exceeding the challenges of graduate school.
Mental Agility, Stress Management, Adaptability, Diversity of Experience, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Reina Factor
Clinical Psychologist
UCLA and Spectrum Psych LA
Emory University 2012
Virginia Tech PhD Clinical Psychology
Psychology
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness
Medical
Honors Student, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. The career requires significant mental agility and the ability to switch between diverse tasks rapidly. This includes transitioning between patient sessions, studying, and administrative work.
2. Graduate school does not fully prepare you for the intensity and variety of tasks involved in the profession. The work requires a high degree of adaptability and mental flexibility.
3. The work is diverse and involves a mix of patient interaction, studying, and administrative work. While this variety is positive, it also requires a significant amount of mental stamina and adaptability.
Transcript
What is something you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
I didn't fully realize how much mental agility it would take. Even in grad school, I remember one day where I went from having a session with a suicidal individual to then studying for a neuropsych test, and then focusing on an assessment and entering data into a database.
You need to do so much. People think, "Oh, grad school is unlike anything that you've done before," and it's so true. That's been true. It does take a lot of that mental shifting. I like that diversity of experience; it just takes a lot.