PSYCHOLOGY ORAL EXAM & BEYOND ...

By: Dr. Evelyn Jagpat

On The Road Again…

To move or not to move?  In reality, while you may envision yourself happily in the state you are in, your future may turn out quite differently than planned.  Of course, here come the magic questions…  “What do you envision for your future?  What are your dreams?  What path should you follow to get to where you want to be?”  Given, the future is not certain, it makes good sense for every career professional to consider the mobility question, “What is required for me to be able to practice psychology in another state or region?”  (more…)

Evelyn Jagpat O’Halloran, Psy.D.

Seems like the best advice I ever received from anyone about studying was quite simple and perhaps you have heard it as well, “Don’t study hard… Study smart!”  

This advice is most poignant when it comes to the Psychology Oral Exam.  Often, candidates feel lost about how to best prepare and seem to spend a considerable amount of time and energy using ineffective study methods.  This often results in them feeling overwhelmed,  exhausted and anxious.  What are the most common reasons candidates underperform or fail?  Simply, poor preparation and nerves.

Poor preparation most often relates to a non-targeted and inefficient study method which does not take into consideration what the real exam experience will be like and what it will be assessing.

Here a few pointers which you may find helpful in your Psychology Oral Exam preparation. (more…)

by Evelyn Jagpat O’Halloran, Psy.D.

In psychology, as in any profession or business, the key rule of entrepreneurship is to always stay informed about the laws and rules which regulate your professional practice.  This is especially important in professions and industries, regulated by licensing boards and state laws. 

Monitoring legislation & bills up for review is always a good idea.

Admittedly, it can be very difficult to budget the time to actually stay informed, given the multiple demands of professional and personal life and relationships.  Additionally, Texas laws and rules are always under review and subject to change.  What I have personally found helpful is joining a professional organization which actively follows issues related to the professional practice of psychology and provides avenues to keep members informed. 

For example, in Texas, TPA (Texas Psychological Association) serves such a function. It not only keeps members up to date regionally, but also provides information on the national front.  Further, it serves an advocacy function for all psychologists throughout Texas and actively lobbies to protect the rights and professional practice of psychologists.  It is also noteworthy to mention that TPA is a great source for fulfilling TSBEP professional development credits and for getting discounts on professional services.

It is also useful to regularly monitor the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists’ website, where you can download the most recent version of Act and Rules of the Board.  You can also read about new developments and requirements.  However, not all of the changes to State Law and the Board Rules will be listed here.  Many are not.  For monitoring house and senate bills which impact the laws which govern the practice of psychology, a great resource is LegiScan.com.

What’s New? (more…)