What geropsychology trainees think geropsychologists do and what we actually do: A mixed-methods Study

Identification and selection of jobs in clinical geropsychology: A survey to inform career mentoring, job search, and helpful resources.

“…Finally, only one trainee respondent indicated interest in an academic career. While this may reflect a bias in the sample, it is consistent with multiple surveys of geropsychology trainees highlighting greater interest in clinical than academic careers (Carpenter et al, 2016; Merz et al, 2017; Moye et al, 2019, Strong, Allen, et al, 2019). Interested readers are directed to Dorman and colleagues’ (in press) examination of perceptions of geropsychology career paths, including attractive and unattractive aspects of common career paths.…”

“…This study was also posted with permission on the following professional listservs, either directly by researchers or by board members of these groups: (a) Psychologists in Long-Term Care (PLTC), (b) Aging Leadership Group, (c) the Emerging Scholars Professional Organization (ESPO) of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), (d) Council of Chairs of Training Councils, (e) Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs, (f) APA Division 12 (Clinical Psychology), (g) Society of Clinical Geropsychology (SCG), and (h) CoPGTP. Our recruitment procedures and sample size were consistent with other survey studies of training and career trajectories in geropsychology (e.g., Carpenter, Sakai, Karel, Molinari, & Moye, 2016; Dorman et al, in press; Karel, Sakai, Molinari, Moye, & Carpenter, 2016; Strong, Allen, et al, 2019). It is unknown how many individuals were reached using this recruitment method.…”

“…Data were analyzed for those participants who responded to Ͼ75% of quantitative items on the trainee survey or at least one qualitative item on the professional survey. Our recruitment procedures and sample size were consistent with other survey studies of training and career trajectories in geropsychology (e.g., Dorman et al, in press;Strong, Allen, et al, 2019). It is unknown how many individuals were reached using this recruitment method.…”

“…While many individuals complete their training with a general idea of their desired career path (e.g., independent practice, academia), they may not have enough information on the numerous job opportunities in geropsychology. Indeed, a recent survey of geropsychology trainees and professionals highlighted that trainees may have inaccurate perceptions of how geropsychologists, particularly those in academic settings, spend their time (Strong, Allen, et al, 2019). How, then, do early career professionals access information on differing job opportunities?…”

Students’ Attitudes and Intention to Work with Older Adults in the Era of COVID-19

“…Throughout the literature, ageism has been consistently found to be a barrier to students pursuing a career in geriatrics (Blackwood & Sweet, 2017; Mejia et al, 2018; Merz et al, 2017). Strong and colleagues (2019) note that there are both individual and personal level barriers (e.g., ageism and negative attitudes toward older adults) as well as systemic level barriers (e.g., lack of formal training opportunities) for students in psychology considering additional training in geriatrics. Studies with students across a variety of disciplines (e.g., nursing, social work, physician) found that students are worried about careers in geriatrics because of numerous factors, including the complexity of geriatric work (Meiboom et al 2015), lack of formal training or role models (Gendron et al, 2016), and, importantly, negative ageism (Blackwood & Sweet, 2017; Merz et al, 2017).…”