of psychologists (e.g., American Psychological
Association, 1987b). More recent revisions were
published in 2001 by the Association of State and
Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB, http://
http://www.asppb.org/)) and in 2010 by the American
Psychological Association (American Psychological
Association, 2011). States and provinces have used
these guidelines to develop their own specific
requirements for licensure in their jurisdictions
(e.g., see DiLillo, DeGue, Cohen, & Morgan,
2006). Although licensing laws vary from state to
state (and province to province), there are several
common requirements. These are summarized in
Table 3-1.
Most states and provinces require applicants for
licensure to take an examination (sometimes both a
written exam and an oral exam). In addition, the
licensing board usually examines the applicant’sBOX3-2 Graduate Student Perspective: Christine MaldonadoChristine Maldonado recently completed her internship
(and Ph.D.!) in clinical psychology. She provided the
following insights regarding her graduate school
experience.What has graduate school in clinical psychology been
for you?
Graduate school has been like an academic marathon
for me. It pushes you to academic and emotional
limits that you thought you never had. It is reward-
ing, exhausting, stressful, and exhilarating all at once.
However, I have learned that just when you think you
can’t go on for much longer, you reach a milestone
(e.g., finishing your first year, getting your master’sor
completing the comprehensive exam process) and at
least for me, upon the completion of these events,
I’m infused with pride, a feeling of accomplishment
and confidence, and a renewed strength to keep on
going. In some ways, graduate school mimics the
Peace Corps slogan: it is the hardest job you’ll ever
love!What things have you least expected about graduate
school?
Success in graduate school has less to do with your
“smarts”than it does with your ability to persevere
and be dedicated and disciplined to your research and
your studies. You might find that many of your peers
who were very much intellectually capable of finishing
graduate school leave the program not because they
were unable to perform academically, but that they
were unable to“keep their eye on the prize”and
think of the long-term investment that graduate work
is. While it is not the most pleasant experience attimes, it will pay off in the long run. The key is to
remember why you came here, what you want, and
to keep these reasons posted on your desk for those
3 A.M. nights when you are still running analyses and
ready to give up.Has graduate school changed you? If yes, how so?
Yes, most definitely. Paradoxically, graduate school
humbles you greatly, but in the same breath, instills
great confidence within you. When I first came to
graduate school, I thought I was“hot stuff.”In some
ways, I think many incoming students think this, and
it is not surprising because they would not have got-
ten into a clinical program if they were not the cream
of the crop in their undergraduate institute. How-
ever, upon entering the program, you realize that
you have now been thrown into an environment
where all your peers were the cream of the crop, and
you quickly realize how little you do know. However,
as you move through the program, you come to
understand and think about the field of psychology
from different perspectives, to be critical of research,
and to develop your own line of research. It is in
these processes that you come to be more confident
in your knowledge of the field in that you are no
longer merely memorizing facts and bits of informa-
tion for your survey on abnormal psychology, but you
are now seeing how these facts fit in the greater
scope of the research literature, the limitations of
these facts, and how you could develop a study to
address these limitations. I think it is ability to do the
latter that builds confidence in you as a researcher,
academic, and member of the psychological
community.68 CHAPTER 3