Expert: Bruce Borkosky, Psy.D. - 1/23/2011

Question
Hi, there! I'm so glad I found your page. I've been mulling over my options for my future and I've been a bit confused.

Right now I'm majoring in Psychology at UCI and I'm going to start minors in Criminology/Law&Society and maybe Biology (I want to take neuroscience classes, particularly on behavior and disorders). I'm interested in Forensic Psychology but not exactly sure what I want to do after I graduate and I'm also not entirely sure what I want to be.

I know for a fact that I don't want to get a PhD. I'm not very fond of the idea of writing a doctoral dissertation nor having a career in research. I noticed you have a PsyD, which is what I'm thinking of doing. I was wondering if you could tell me more about how you went about getting that. Undergraduate school, masters, then PsyD program? Or can you go from undergraduate school to a PsyD program?

Also, I was wondering what Forensic Psychology really entails. I've been watching Criminal Minds a lot lately and it's so fascinating although I don't want to be in the FBI, haha. So I was wondering what it was you do if you don't mind sharing. What do you do? Is it fulfilling? I'm sorry if I have way too many questions. I'm just a kind of confused second year in college and I've really been wanting help.

Thank you so much for your time!!!

Answer
Hi cristine, all great questions. In forensics, perhaps like many fields, there are many different, related fields and applications of knowledge. There isn't a single field or area of expertise, really. Forensic psychologists learn about general psychology and the law, with a little bit of science/statistics thrown in. Thee 'field' of "BAU", ala the FBI, is more of a case-based study, since the numbers are too small to study as samples.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of other 'forensic' kinds of fields - just substitute psychology for any other field, as above.

What forensic psychologists do is to evaluate a single person, comparing that person to different samples, and then applying the legal requirements to that evaluation. For example, is the person competent to stand trial? Are they legally insane? Has this person been traumatized by the accident? Are they capable of handling their financial affairs?

Another aspect involves treatment of those involved in the legal system. For example, you might provide individual counseling to prison inmates, for example.

Any 'professional' field, of course, no matter what the subject area is, is improved by how much the professional studies and applies him/herself. There is a wide variation in skill of all professionals - doctors, accountants, pilots, etc. If you want to be a professional, then you make a committment to a lifelong habit of study and preparation. The more you are able to bring a scientific methodology to your work, the more respect you will eventually gain. At the very least, you will have self respect.

Perhaps another way of saying it is that phd types of people choose their own methods of doing things, while masters level people do what they are told to do.

I would not count out getting a phd at this point - who knows what the future may bring?