Teacher thinking of retraining as a psychologist... any thoughts?

[usingapseudonym]

I have 2 children, 3 years old and newborn and am currently thinking about career options. I left teaching as we moved for my husbands career while I was pregnant so have been out of circulation for a few years. I have however gained a first in psychology with the OU in that time!

When I first started the OU degree it was with an eye to retraining but that was also pre-children. I would still love the challenge of a psychology training doctorate but am aware it is incredibly competitive. Are there any psychologists out there happy to chat? Or anyone who career changed from teaching to psychology?

I'm currently thinking about the amount of experience I need to rack up before applying, and whether the Msc at Bournemouth is worth doing. I'm also aware I'd be in my mid 30s when applying and wondering if that would go against me.

I'd also need to commute quite a long way to Southampton for the training, which would mean long days with the childminder - would it be better to move for the 3 year course (and disrupt children's education etc)?

I'd be interested to hear if anyone else managed to combine retraining with being a mother? Part of me is wondering if it would be easier for me just to go back to part time teaching and stay with life as it is.

Thanks!

Just wanted to say well done on getting a first in Psychology! Thats very good going with small children. I can't help much with the rest of the enquiry - do the OU not offer MA courses or any other Uni via distance learning? I may be wrong, but I think that Liverpool may do.

If its something you want to do then I think it will be worth the effort.

I'm not sure from what you have written whether its educational or clinical training you are thinking of doing. I don't know much about educational I'm afraid - although it sounds like you have a lot of teaching experience which would stand you in good stead with getting on to a course.

If its clinical, yes, its horribly competitive. I trained before i had children, and it was no walk in the park i have to admit. I have known a couple of people who have trained with children, and i think the attitude of the course team where you train does play a part (shouldn't, i know). However i suspect that if you have managed an OU degree whilst having two young children you can manage the training course. Its worth talking to courses directly about the travelling aspect - some of them cover quite big areas and you might be able to get placements nearer to home for at least some of the course, limiting the travel time on non-university days.

Your age is unlikely to go against you and many of the courses will view it positively. One of the reasons why the application process gets such bad press, so to speak, is that people tend to apply when they are quite young, and courses tend to prefer at least some of the cohort to have some 'life experience.' After 2 or 3 years applying people give up, just at the point they become likely to be offered a place. You get to miss all this bit out.

Unfortunately, you are ulikely to be offered a place without significant clinical experience or a MSc/PHD (suprisingly common) so its worth exploring the Msc. However be really careful that the content is relevent to clincial training. To make matters more complex, courses differ in what they are looking for from potential trainees, so its worth trying to speak to a current trainee on the courses that you are interested in to see if they will talk to you about the range of experience within the year group. Its also really useful if you can get some direct NHS experience in a hands on role - so working as a support worker role in an acute mental health setting or with people with demenita, for example. This is where it might get tricky for you, as these roles may involve shift work and given you have a very young baby might not be what you want to do right now!

I have to point out the other downside in that, like all NHS posts, vacancies are few and far between at the moment. Psychologists are seen as expensive and, particularly in adult mental health, most clinicans and therapists are not qualified psychologists. Those of us who are fortunate to have NHS jobs, are, like most other professions, stretched to the max. The role often also involves close links with social care services and a daily battle to try to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society from the relentless cutting of service, often without success .

Sorry if thats all a bit negative and a bit long! I do think its worth having a realistic idea of the process and pitfalls, but from what you have said it is certainly possible

I am guessing you are not looking at doing the Dr, sound choice, don't bother, years of being shipped about to do placements, alongside exams, a research thesis all for having your hours cut or forced to take a lower grade. The NHS is no place to be until the public realise that historically the Tories always have and always will cut services for those in need and line the pockets of CEOs at Barclays etc.

Educational Psyc is a different beast and definately worth considering I would think. I believe if you have been a teacher your training for ed Psyc reduces to a one year course so I would say definately do able.

I did the OU Psyc aged 19, took most of my exams in hospital as have been ill since 15 months old. Tough course but came out trumps. I feel conventional uni is not so well organised and a bit dim on being flexible, but if you go with long distance really check it out, it is shocking how much variation exists between the high standard of the OU compared to other organisations,my husband started a LDC as a graphic artist, tutors never called him, never gave feedback or useless feedback like "I look forward to your work arriving" he struggled to meet deadlines having not been a student for years, in the end I got onto the course admin, demanded his money back, told them they were a shoddy organisation hehe!

My mum retrained as a Social Worker once she got her OU Psyc degree, she got a first but struggled to get on a Dr course because they insisted on "experience" and she was still carting me from the Scottish Borders to Great Ormand Street, pretty darn good experience of realities and harshness of life I think we all would agree, not so the Doctrate panel! She attended local college for Social worl,might be another option to consider as I bet you are well adapted to working with children and their parents! Social Services are crying out for Child Social Workers,again with Tories in power you can always expect the need for Social Workers to go up along with high youth unemployment etc. Mum said after the OU Psyc degree anything else was a walk in the park.

I have just had a son I never dreamt I would have and need more blooming surgery as various joints have collapsed with pregnancy but I hope to go onto training as a Social Worker or Ed Psyc some day, girls have to have goals, please keep in touch and let us all know how you get on.

Heck the world is your oyster, if you can do an OU degree and juggle your family you will breeze anything!

Good luck and just above all enjoy what you have achieved so far because it sounds to me you are a fantastic role model for your children.

P. S I am 34 , there is life in us old ladies yet haha.

disabledpositiveparents.blogspot.com

Thankyou for the replies!

I believe the EdPysch is no longer "just" a one year course if you have been a teacher, like it used to be, but a full doctorate training course like the clinical psych is, albeit funded slightly differently.

It was the clinical psych that I was interested in (and Bournemouth do a clincial psych masters that looks interesting, but would be expensive and possibly pointless if I wasn't accepted! I think the emphasis is on relevant experience more so I would really need to spend the year building up work experience (and paying child care at the same time) to even get a chance of getting on. I'd rather do the studying...!)

I really did enjoy the OU degree and luckily didn't find it too hard (my first degree was Oxford so I was well prepared for the self study!) I think its fairly well respected as you do have to be very self motivated, however it does lack in terms of forming contacts with unis and actual placements for experience. I currently miss studying and its partly the academic challenge of the doctorate that fascinates me, but I do lack relevant experience so am unlikely to get in as I currently am.

I do realise with my background that an EdPsych course would be easier to get onto so it might be worth trying to shadow an EdPsych for a day but it wasn't initially what appealed to me. When I taught I taught in very "good" schools and didn't have to deal with behaviour management from that perspective.

I think I partly have mummy brain having been out of work for several years, and getting bored with teaching want a new challenge. But thinking through the practical side of it, and the physical toil on me when I do want to give time to my children as well it might just be too much :(

I do appreciate the feedback - thankyou.