Reports by a cohort of clinical psychologists about their graduate education and professional activities : adaptation, continuity and mood

The present study obtained survey data from 101 Ph.D. graduates of a BoulderModel clinical psychology program. The objective of this study was to identify continuity between education preparation activities and current professional activities among Ph.D.graduates by means of their ratings of their educational experience and their current professional experience. Three activities were found to be the preferred educational experiences and they were: (1) Long-term psychotherapy in (2) Outpatient settings with(3) Adult populations. I predicted that as a result of revolutionary changes in health care,participants' highly rated clinical training activities would not persist into their current professional activities and might be replaced by non-clinical activities such as research,teaching and public service. Results showed this cohort, as students, to be largely focussed on applied areas of the field and less focussed on research, teaching, and public service. In their work lives as professionals, the cohort reported this same pattern of activities, but with a reduction in their use of long term psychotherapy. Narrative reports by these professionals indicated a range of affect statements and a range of plans to maintain or improve their work skills. Analyses of these reports depicted the professionals as largely neutral in their appraisals of work and largely in a holding pattern in reference to their work activities.