North Carolina Psychological Association (NCPA)/24th Psychology Undergraduate Conference (Fall 2017)/Neuropsychology

Leader: Sarah Cook from Duke University

Day to day
- She works at Duke at an outpatient clinic
- 3 patients/day 3 days/week
- Supervises training: has practicum students, postdoc program
- Talking with families and individuals about diagnosis, prognosis, and setting a plan going forward
Difference between cognitive psychology and neuropsychology
- Cognitive psych is more experimental rather than clinical/applied
  - Conducts research on things like language, speech, decision making, learning, memory
  - No patients seen
- Neuropsychology focuses on assessment and diagnostics
  - Referrals come from neurology dept.
  - However they also do research
  - Can balance research and clinical experience depending on the job they are in
- Becoming a neuropsychology technicians
  - Also referred to as "psychometrists"
  - Do nothing but standard administration
  - Have positions at Duke
  - Excellent use of time between undergraduate and graduate school
  - Most hospitals and private practices use technicians (more than 2/3 of neuropsychologists use them)
  - Programs will provide all of the training, so you don't need experience beforehand
  - Generally very good to take a year off (or more) between your undergraduate experience and going to graduate school.
    - Will help your maturity and general experience, also getting into better schools that appeal to you, finding out your interests and exploring them
Depends on setting with how much money you will make
- In university setting with research starting is 60,000
- In clinical setting, the starting salary is about 80,000-90,000
- You typically incur more student loans if you take the PsyD. route as opposed to the Ph.D route
For the most part, the path to neuropsychology is a Ph.D in clinical psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology
- After acquiring your Ph.D, you spend a year doing an internship and then another two years for post-doc
Most master's programs will not allow you to have a job during education
Most neuropsychologists do not do therapy, but some do
- Refer to other people that do that kind of work
Neuropsychologists work in industry, like pharmaceuticals
- Other ways to make money: forensic work, consultation
- Consultation with AI?
Lots of research continuing with substance abuse