Dr. Richmonds e-mail: avpsyrich@aol.com
R.R.: I passed both the written and the oral on the first try. I learned one important point from this: both tests, the oral more than the written, are games, nothing more. Master the game and you pass. I've prepared several persons for the oral exam, and they have all passed. cs: PERHAPS YOU UNDERSTAND THE GAME AND YOU CAN TEACH THE RULES. BUT PERHAPS YOU DON'T, REALLY, AND PERHAPS THE PASSES SO FAR HAVE BEEN FORTUITOUS. MY PROBLEM IS THAT THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE CLAIMING TO UNDERSTAND THE RULES AND TEACHING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THEM FOR LARGE FEES TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHOSE UNDERSTANDING OF THE RULES IS CORRECT. IS IT CENTERING? IS IT MEDITATION? IS IT KNOWING EVERYTHING ABOUT THE DSM4 OR IS IT KNOWING EVERYTHING ABOUT ASSESSMENT OR IS IT KNOWING EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING? HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH AND IS SAYING TOO MUCH WRONG? ON THE DAY OF THE TEST WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? CONSERVATIVE SUIT? LOUD TIE? IS IT BEST TO DRINK COFFEE, TAKE VALIUM OR EAT BROCCOLI? Return to Orals Home page?BOTTOM LINE THE TEST SHOULD BE A TEST NOT A GAME WITH SECRET RULES TO BE DISCOVERED BY THE CANDIDATE WITH THE HELP OF A SEER OF UNKNOWN QUALIFICATIONS. WHEN YOU SAY THE PROCESS IS JUST A GAME YOU SEEM TO BE SAYING: "ACCEPT THE SITUATION AS IT IS." THAT CAN BE GOOD ADVICE FOR SOME CANDIDATES. BUT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE CANDIDATES WHO ARE COMPETENT AND UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE RULES OF THE GAME IS UNCONSCIONABLE.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHAPPY ABOUT THIS AREN'T JUST DISGRUNTLED CANDIDATES WHO CAN'T PAST THE TEST. THERE ARE LICENSED PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO ARE OUTRAGED BY THIS PROCESS AND DEFINITELY DO NOT ACCEPT THE SITUATION. PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING AHEAD AND PLANNING TO BE LICENSED ARE FRIGHTENED TO DEATH. THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS OF THIS DREADFUL BUREAUCRATIC PROCEDURE WHICH ARE NOT WORTHY OF OUR PROFESSION. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE GUARDIANS OF ETHICAL TESTING PROCEDURES AND OUR BOARD DOES NOT MAKE ME PROUD. I FIND IT PARTICULARLY HARD TO TAKE THAT FELLOW PSYCHOLOGISTS ARE GETTING THEIR CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS BY BECOMING EXAMINERS IN THIS CORRUPT PROCESS.
RR: I don't think the rules are so much "secret" as difficult to understand without help. The best thing you can do is emphasize the point that clinical experience doesn't help much at all in passing the exam. Consequently, applicants need to get as much additional information as possible, such as from AATBS (and from your site), and to practice with other applicants. Applicants are better prepared if they have some idea of the types of questions to expect. But it really comes down to being able to answer, concisely but thoroughly, any questions from any of the domain areas. That's fair play. (By the way--it's the same process I went through with the FAA to get my pilot's license.) cs: COMPARING THE TEST WITH A DRIVER’S OR PILOTS LICENSE DOESN’T WORK FOR ME. IN THE LATTER THE QUESTIONS ARE PRECISE, THE ANSWER UNEQUIVOCAL AND OPEN. THE ORAL’S QUESTIONS ARE IMPRECISE, THE CORRECT ANSWERS EQUIVOCAL AND SECRET. I ASSUME THAT SINCE YOU PASSED THE FAA TEST YOU ARE A SAFE PILOT. THE FACT THAT YOU PASSED THE ORAL DOES NOT DO THE SAME FOR ME. I AM SURE YOU ARE A QUALIFIED PSYCHOLOGIST BUT THE FACT THAT YOU PASSED THE ORALS DOES NOT PERSUADE ME OF THAT FACT. RR: When I listen to the complaints of those who have failed--"the vignette was so vague," or "it was such a weird question," etc.--I just roll my eyes and say, They just didn't get it. If my students try to complain like this, I tell them, "Stop whining, take what you're given, and milk it for all it's worth.If you hear the words 'one parent reports drinking on weekends' then think (a)ETOH assessment, (b) depression, (c) suicide evaluation, (d) possible child abuse, (e) possible domestic violence, and anything else that comes to mind. Just remember it's all a game."
It's an open question whether the ability to master the game relates to any skills of a psychologist. I can say that my method does force a student to thoroughly master the material (e.g., I insist that an applicant essentially memorize the entire DSM IV), and that the effects of this process of studying do remain in the background of clinical practice, even if the method doesn't literally equate with day-to-day clinical practice per se.
cs: THAT IS A FAMILIAR ARGUMENT OF TRAINERS, NAMELY THAT EVEN IF THE TEST HAS NO VALIDITY THE PROCESS IS GOOD FOR THE PSYCHOLOGIST AND WILL MAKE HIM A BETTER PRACTITIONER. PERHAPS, BUT THAT TOO IS A HIGHLY ARGUABLE PROPOSITION. SOME PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE LITERALLY RUINED FOR YEARS BY THIS PROCESS EVEN IF THEY EVENTUALLY PASS, NOT TO SPEAK OF THE FACT THAT MATERIAL THAT IS CRAMMED GOES IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER AND IS OF NO PARTICULAR USE LATER, ANYWAY.IT IS NOT THE BOARD'S JOB TO MAKE US DO THINGS THAT ARE GOOD FOR US BUT TO EVALUATE OUR QUALIFICATIONS TO PRACTICE.
RR: I agree that the CA Oral Exam is not a valid representation of the type of activities found in the day-to-day clinical practice of psychotherapy. I do believe, however, that the exam is FAIR. The board has delineated the several domains of knowledge relating to the general practice of psychology, and the exam tests those domains. There's no deception here. And no mystery. cs: THAT THE TEST IS "FAIR" IS ANOTHER FAMILIAR STATEMENT. I AGREE THE TEST IS RELIABLE; AN ANSWER WILL ACHIEVE A CERTAIN SCORE NO MATTER WHO SCORES IT. BUT THIS CONCEPT OF FAIRNESS BAFFLES ME. YES, THERE IS NO DECEPTION. THERE IS PLENTY OF MYSTERY THOUGH, SINCE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CORRECT ANSWERS ARE UNDER PENALTY OF LICENSURE DEATH. THE DOMAINS MAY BE CLEAR BUT THE QUESTIONS EXAMINING COMPETENCE IN THOSE DOMAINS ARE ARBITRARY. WOULD IT BE "FAIR" IF WE WERE FOREWARNED THAT WE WILL NEED TO KNOW ALL THE NUMBERS AS WELL AS ALL THE DIAGNOSES OF THE DSM4?AND THE FACT IS THAT IT IS THE EASIEST THING IN HE WORLD TO RECORD THE EXAM, IN SPITE OF ALL THE RIDICULOUS PRECAUTIONS TAKEN BY THE BOARD. SOME PEOPLE ARE DOING THAT AND THEY HAVE A CLEAR, UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OVER THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES. IN ADDITION NOT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD THE EXPENSIVE CONSULTANTS SEEMINGLY REQUIRED. HOW IS THAT FAIR?
THE BEST ADVICE I HAVE IS TO START A STUDY GROUP AND PRACTICE VIGNETTES ALL YEAR AROUND. I WOULD LIKE THIS WEB PAGE TO BECOME A CLEARING HOUSE FOR CANDIDATES WHO WANT TO MEET WITH OTHERS IN THEIR AREA TO PRACTICE VIGNETTES AND EXCHANGE INFORMATION.
PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS AFTER EACH EXAM. THEORETICALLY PEOPLE COULD POST THE QUESTIONS OF THE EXAM RIGHT AFTER EACH EXAMINATION ON A SITE LIKE THIS, ANONYMOUSLY. I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER TACTIC TO FORCE THE BOARD TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS. BUT DUE TO THE PASSAGE OF A RECENT LAW WHOEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SITE WOULD BE VULNERABLE THE LOSS OF HIS OR HER LICENSE. I WOULD BE WILLING TO CHALLENGE THAT LAW AND PUT MY LICENSE ON THE LINE BUT WOULD HAVE TO GET MORAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO PAY LAWYERS AND FINES IF THEY OCCUR. STAY TUNED
THE PURPOSE OF THIS WEB PAGE IS TO CREATE A FORUM FOR DISSATISFIED PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO CAN PRESSURE THE BOARD TO STOP PLAYING GAMES AND GIVE LICENSES TO ALL APPLICANTS EXCEPT THOSE THAT CAN BE OBJECTIVELY SHOWN TO UNQUALIFIED. THAT IS THE MANDATE OF THE DEPT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND SHOULD BE THE MANDATE OF THE BOARD.
RR: I do admit--all the clinical experience in the world will not help someone pass the oral exam. Accepting that fact is the first step in passing the exam. That's what I teach. It's not MY reality (I learned that from Lacan), it's helping someone come to terms with his or her own reality. And I'll tell you, the Oral Exam is one heck of a reality to come to terms with.cs: CAN'T ARGUE WITH YOU THERE...