Staff Perspective: Preparing for a Career in Military Psychology
In the late ‘90s I did not give much thought to preparing for a career in military psychology while I was in graduate school. It was only towards the end of my third year of school that I began to entertain the idea of a military internship, but even then my thoughts were not heavily centered on what courses I should take, what practicum I should pursue, what treatments did I need to learn, what specific disorders should I gain experience treating, or what I needed to know about military culture. Instead, my thoughts centered on questions like, “What does a military psychologist do? What assignments or duty stations might I be given? Would I want to do those jobs? Was I willing to join the military and support their missions? Was I willing to live a military lifestyle?” I also worried a lot about being capable of meeting the physical requirements as someone with a lifelong hatred of running. These were all good concerns for anyone considering a career as a military psychologist, but hardly enough to render me prepared for the military. Looking back, I would describe my younger self as having been blissfully naive. I began running and doing push-ups, decided I was willing to be in the military, and set off on my adventure of a lifetime. It was only when I joined the faculty of my own internship program years later (and after the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) that I realized how much I had learned on the job rather than in my graduate program. Somehow seeing other students go through the process of internship interviews, watching some of the breeze through internship and others struggle, I was able see clearly that there were steps one can take to be prepared for a career in the military. I cannot offer my younger self any advice, but I can share my thoughts here for anyone now in that position.
Let me start by addressing one of those questions I had as a graduate student. Anyone considering becoming a military psychologist should ask the question, “What does a military psychologist do?”
You might work in a hospital or medical center outpatient clinic. You might work on a ship, in what amounts to an outpatient clinic. Some providers will work in a primary care medical clinic or as a hospital unit liaison. You might work at a military training school seeing trainees who are experiencing behavioral health problems. Once you have more experience you might be embedded in a military unit, working as the psychologist treating unit members in your office and advising your leadership on behavioral health concerns. A handful of positions are available in less traditional roles like working for recruiting commands or with the Special Forces or a senior policy position, but these are offered to more seasoned officers as they progress through their career. One of the perks of a military career in psychology is the potential to branch out beyond the traditional outpatient clinic or hospital setting and to apply for advanced trainings such as a fellowship in health psychology, neuropsychology, or child psychology.
What I had not asked myself was, “What should a military psychologist know and/or be?”
At the core of all psychology billets, the individual should be thoroughly grounded as a good clinician. The military is commissioning you for your expertise as a psychologist and that is what will set you apart from all other officers. You must be able to perform your duties as a clinician with the highest quality of care for your patients. When a Service member experiences depression, anxiety, trauma, or any other behavioral health problem they and their unit depend on having access to effective, high-quality care that will help them return to full functioning as soon as possible. It is imperative that military psychologist seek training in treatments that are empirically-supported and are dedicated to providing those treatments in a manner consistent with treatment protocol. At a minimum, I would recommend a solid grounding in treatments for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal behavior. As a faculty member on military psychology internships, I have seen more hopeful applicants fail to impress during their internship interviews because they could not present a basic treatment plan for one of these disorders. (Take that as a hint if you are applying for internship to not only be familiar with a treatment, but also be able to outline a treatment plan as it might apply a sample patient). All of those juicy and exciting non-traditional psychology billets, even the department leadership roles, are typically reserved for those who have demonstrated mastery of the basic clinical skills, as they will need to bring those with them to their new position
In addition to being a well-rounded clinician grounded in evidence-based treatments, a military psychologist must be willing and able to be an officer. Similar to being a parent and a clinician, these two roles are both demanding and require specific behavioral responses that do not always peacefully co-exist. It can be challenging to be in the role of military officer and psychologist, when a patient does not want his or her command to know they have a disqualifying disorder that would prevent them from continued military service. As an officer, you must have a thorough understanding of the military policies that govern military behavioral health and be able to negotiate the interplay between those rules and best clinical practices and ethical guidelines.
Furthermore, you must be willing to act as an officer in the US military, which might limit your choice of appearance and behaviors in your free time. For example, one of my good friends in graduate school had beautiful, thick long hair that he cut when he applied for a military scholarship. For women, there are limits on the colors you can paint your nails, the colors you can dye your hair, and how you can wear your hair. There are also limits on the type of jewelry you can wear (hint: it’s regulation uniform jewelry). Each military base also has a list of “off-limits” establishments in the local community where Service members are forbidden to frequent. Even some countries or cities are deemed “off-limits” for military members, putting a damper on some vacation plans for the adventure traveler. An officer willing to abide by all those rules may still end up having their vacation cut short by a “recall,” where they are immediately required to report back for duty in an emergency situation. I will never forget the beautiful, San Francisco restaurant I was sitting in on my second wedding anniversary when my boss called to tell me I had to catch the next flight home and report immediately to the hospital, as the war in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom), began. I had just arrived that morning and already my trip was ending – at my own expense. If I had been a civilian at the time, I would have gone on enjoying my romantic getaway, but I was a Naval officer and this was a mild sacrifice compared to what many of my fellow Service members would make over the coming years. I encourage anyone looking to be a military psychologist be sure they are ready to drop all other plans, even family commitments, to fulfill the needs of the military on a moment’s notice. When you are actually asked to do this, it is often harder than you imagined when you were a student applying for internship or signing those commissioning papers. Explaining to your fiancé why you will miss the wedding is never easy!
Here is the advice I most want to give to students or professionals considering becoming a military psychologist:
- Seek out military psychologists and ask about their experiences on internship, in the service and what do they recommend.
- Seek out training in evidence based treatments for particular disorders (not just general CBT); CBT for Depression, CBT for Anxiety Disorders, CBT for Suicidal Patients, CBT for Insomnia, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy, EMDR, Dialectic Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy etc.
- Seek training experiences that will allow you to work with military members or veterans – this goes a long way on internship applications.
- Be personable and professional. Military members move often and it is a valuable trait to be able to easily meet new people and establish a good connection. People who can do this on interviews or when reporting to a new command will really stand out. (Trust me, as someone who naturally runs towards being shy and quiet – this is worth developing as a skill.)
- Learn about military culture because your patients will be immersed in it whether they like it or not, as will you. This will make your life easier as an officer and make you a better clinician.
As I complete this blog of unrequested advice, I will end with a shameless plug for the CDP’s Summer Institute: Preparing for a Military-Focused Career. This one-week course would have been like a dream come true to me when I was considering joining the military while in graduate school. It targets students in their 2nd – 4th years of graduate school who will be applying for internship sometime after they complete the course. The week will feature panel discussions with current and former military psychologists, Service members, and internship training directors in addition to didactics on military culture, an introduction to military psychologist activities, clinical presentations among military members, CBT within military settings (even if you are familiar with CBT, it’s well worth the review to always be improving your skills), and many other valuable topics and activities. Not only is the week filled with great training content, participants will have an opportunity to meet other students preparing for a career in the military and begin building their professional networks. Check http://deploymentpsych.org/the-summer-career for more information or to apply.
For non-graduate student professionals seeing to embark on a career as a military psychologist, I offer the same advice as above. The military has amazing fellowships as well as direct accession programs for licensed providers. While the Summer Institute would not be available to non-psychology graduate students, I encourage them to consider attending on of our Regional Civilian 1-Week Trainings. These are offered 4 times a year and focus on deployment-spectrum behavioral health concerns facing the military population. In addition, CDP offers numerous online and in-person trainings, such as military culture, suicide prevention, and evidence-based treatments. To find a training, visit http://deploymentpsych.org/psychological-training.
Finally, if you are considering a career in military psychology, I want to say thank you and good luck. Joining the Navy was the best career decision I’ve ever made as it opened the door to my future. I have never looked back with regret, only pride, and a tremendous sense of satisfaction for a career I love.
The opinions in CDP Staff Perspective blogs are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science or the Department of Defense.
Dr. Elizabeth Parins, Psy.D. is a project developer and trainer in military and civilian programs with the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.
In the late ‘90s I did not give much thought to preparing for a career in military psychology while I was in graduate school. It was only towards the end of my third year of school that I began to entertain the idea of a military internship, but even then my thoughts were not heavily centered on what courses I should take, what practicum I should pursue, what treatments did I need to learn, what specific disorders should I gain experience treating, or what I needed to know about military culture. Instead, my thoughts centered on questions like, “What does a military psychologist do? What assignments or duty stations might I be given? Would I want to do those jobs? Was I willing to join the military and support their missions? Was I willing to live a military lifestyle?” I also worried a lot about being capable of meeting the physical requirements as someone with a lifelong hatred of running. These were all good concerns for anyone considering a career as a military psychologist, but hardly enough to render me prepared for the military. Looking back, I would describe my younger self as having been blissfully naive. I began running and doing push-ups, decided I was willing to be in the military, and set off on my adventure of a lifetime. It was only when I joined the faculty of my own internship program years later (and after the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) that I realized how much I had learned on the job rather than in my graduate program. Somehow seeing other students go through the process of internship interviews, watching some of the breeze through internship and others struggle, I was able see clearly that there were steps one can take to be prepared for a career in the military. I cannot offer my younger self any advice, but I can share my thoughts here for anyone now in that position.
Let me start by addressing one of those questions I had as a graduate student. Anyone considering becoming a military psychologist should ask the question, “What does a military psychologist do?”
You might work in a hospital or medical center outpatient clinic. You might work on a ship, in what amounts to an outpatient clinic. Some providers will work in a primary care medical clinic or as a hospital unit liaison. You might work at a military training school seeing trainees who are experiencing behavioral health problems. Once you have more experience you might be embedded in a military unit, working as the psychologist treating unit members in your office and advising your leadership on behavioral health concerns. A handful of positions are available in less traditional roles like working for recruiting commands or with the Special Forces or a senior policy position, but these are offered to more seasoned officers as they progress through their career. One of the perks of a military career in psychology is the potential to branch out beyond the traditional outpatient clinic or hospital setting and to apply for advanced trainings such as a fellowship in health psychology, neuropsychology, or child psychology.
What I had not asked myself was, “What should a military psychologist know and/or be?”
At the core of all psychology billets, the individual should be thoroughly grounded as a good clinician. The military is commissioning you for your expertise as a psychologist and that is what will set you apart from all other officers. You must be able to perform your duties as a clinician with the highest quality of care for your patients. When a Service member experiences depression, anxiety, trauma, or any other behavioral health problem they and their unit depend on having access to effective, high-quality care that will help them return to full functioning as soon as possible. It is imperative that military psychologist seek training in treatments that are empirically-supported and are dedicated to providing those treatments in a manner consistent with treatment protocol. At a minimum, I would recommend a solid grounding in treatments for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal behavior. As a faculty member on military psychology internships, I have seen more hopeful applicants fail to impress during their internship interviews because they could not present a basic treatment plan for one of these disorders. (Take that as a hint if you are applying for internship to not only be familiar with a treatment, but also be able to outline a treatment plan as it might apply a sample patient). All of those juicy and exciting non-traditional psychology billets, even the department leadership roles, are typically reserved for those who have demonstrated mastery of the basic clinical skills, as they will need to bring those with them to their new position
In addition to being a well-rounded clinician grounded in evidence-based treatments, a military psychologist must be willing and able to be an officer. Similar to being a parent and a clinician, these two roles are both demanding and require specific behavioral responses that do not always peacefully co-exist. It can be challenging to be in the role of military officer and psychologist, when a patient does not want his or her command to know they have a disqualifying disorder that would prevent them from continued military service. As an officer, you must have a thorough understanding of the military policies that govern military behavioral health and be able to negotiate the interplay between those rules and best clinical practices and ethical guidelines.
Furthermore, you must be willing to act as an officer in the US military, which might limit your choice of appearance and behaviors in your free time. For example, one of my good friends in graduate school had beautiful, thick long hair that he cut when he applied for a military scholarship. For women, there are limits on the colors you can paint your nails, the colors you can dye your hair, and how you can wear your hair. There are also limits on the type of jewelry you can wear (hint: it’s regulation uniform jewelry). Each military base also has a list of “off-limits” establishments in the local community where Service members are forbidden to frequent. Even some countries or cities are deemed “off-limits” for military members, putting a damper on some vacation plans for the adventure traveler. An officer willing to abide by all those rules may still end up having their vacation cut short by a “recall,” where they are immediately required to report back for duty in an emergency situation. I will never forget the beautiful, San Francisco restaurant I was sitting in on my second wedding anniversary when my boss called to tell me I had to catch the next flight home and report immediately to the hospital, as the war in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom), began. I had just arrived that morning and already my trip was ending – at my own expense. If I had been a civilian at the time, I would have gone on enjoying my romantic getaway, but I was a Naval officer and this was a mild sacrifice compared to what many of my fellow Service members would make over the coming years. I encourage anyone looking to be a military psychologist be sure they are ready to drop all other plans, even family commitments, to fulfill the needs of the military on a moment’s notice. When you are actually asked to do this, it is often harder than you imagined when you were a student applying for internship or signing those commissioning papers. Explaining to your fiancé why you will miss the wedding is never easy!
Here is the advice I most want to give to students or professionals considering becoming a military psychologist:
- Seek out military psychologists and ask about their experiences on internship, in the service and what do they recommend.
- Seek out training in evidence based treatments for particular disorders (not just general CBT); CBT for Depression, CBT for Anxiety Disorders, CBT for Suicidal Patients, CBT for Insomnia, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy, EMDR, Dialectic Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy etc.
- Seek training experiences that will allow you to work with military members or veterans – this goes a long way on internship applications.
- Be personable and professional. Military members move often and it is a valuable trait to be able to easily meet new people and establish a good connection. People who can do this on interviews or when reporting to a new command will really stand out. (Trust me, as someone who naturally runs towards being shy and quiet – this is worth developing as a skill.)
- Learn about military culture because your patients will be immersed in it whether they like it or not, as will you. This will make your life easier as an officer and make you a better clinician.
As I complete this blog of unrequested advice, I will end with a shameless plug for the CDP’s Summer Institute: Preparing for a Military-Focused Career. This one-week course would have been like a dream come true to me when I was considering joining the military while in graduate school. It targets students in their 2nd – 4th years of graduate school who will be applying for internship sometime after they complete the course. The week will feature panel discussions with current and former military psychologists, Service members, and internship training directors in addition to didactics on military culture, an introduction to military psychologist activities, clinical presentations among military members, CBT within military settings (even if you are familiar with CBT, it’s well worth the review to always be improving your skills), and many other valuable topics and activities. Not only is the week filled with great training content, participants will have an opportunity to meet other students preparing for a career in the military and begin building their professional networks. Check http://deploymentpsych.org/the-summer-career for more information or to apply.
For non-graduate student professionals seeing to embark on a career as a military psychologist, I offer the same advice as above. The military has amazing fellowships as well as direct accession programs for licensed providers. While the Summer Institute would not be available to non-psychology graduate students, I encourage them to consider attending on of our Regional Civilian 1-Week Trainings. These are offered 4 times a year and focus on deployment-spectrum behavioral health concerns facing the military population. In addition, CDP offers numerous online and in-person trainings, such as military culture, suicide prevention, and evidence-based treatments. To find a training, visit http://deploymentpsych.org/psychological-training.
Finally, if you are considering a career in military psychology, I want to say thank you and good luck. Joining the Navy was the best career decision I’ve ever made as it opened the door to my future. I have never looked back with regret, only pride, and a tremendous sense of satisfaction for a career I love.
The opinions in CDP Staff Perspective blogs are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science or the Department of Defense.
Dr. Elizabeth Parins, Psy.D. is a project developer and trainer in military and civilian programs with the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.