Hi Vicky,
Your post seems to have sparked some very interesting debate!
In terms of your initial question about whether it would be worth applying for
the doctorate , my response would be an emphatic yes! I think your
experience and qualifications would make your application stand out in a
positive way to the 90% of others with 2:1s and AP posts. I'm on the Surrey
and people have got on straight from undergraduate, being an NHS manager
and best of all international journalist, without AP experience. I myself worked
as a primary care mental health worker prior to training-these posts may be a
bit easier to get into, but provide many experiences similar to being an AP. I
think it is important to remember that courses are looking for potential and
this is about being able to demonstrate what you have learnt, rather than
merely having acquired certain experiences.
Some courses are more open minded than others about in what they are
looking for in trainees, Exeter for instance would probably be a good fit for
your experience-there is an alternative handbook about the courses that
would be useful for you to get hold of. I think it is easy to get disheartened
by applying for AP jobs, with often hundreds of people applying for 1 or 2 jobs,
whereas applying for training your odds are a lot better. In terms of your
application it is important to have a CP as a reference, so if you don't have
anyone in mind this would be something to think about asap. In terms of
further information and advice are you familiar with
http://www.psyclick.org.uk/ this site is an invaluable resource in terms of
applying for both AP and research posts and also in terms of applying for
training-although be warned the forum can descend into mass hysteria at
times.
The very best of luck-it sounds like you would bring some much needed
perspectives to any cohort you joined.
Joel
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