Psychology x Medicine

[bejapuskas]

Hey everyone,

Recently, I've been thinking about what career path to choose, what university to go to etc...

To give you some idea about where I'm at: 

I am 16 years old, living in Czechia (Central Europe), 2nd year of high school. For the last couple of months, I've been studying psychology quite a lot with some neuroscience here and there and it's been really interesting, so I began thinking about choosing a career path as a psychotherapist. 

But today, I went to visit my friends from which one of them is a psychologist and a psychiatrist and his husband and daughter are somewhere in the field of medicine, and the psychologist told me, that studying psychology at the university is very much about theory (mental masturbation) and that he feels like I would be wasting my potential, if I only studied that. 

It kind of sounds like a typical response from someone who studied medicine, but then he started telling me what it really is like with studying psychology here and there are some psycho/hypno/gestalt/integral therapy courses, that are of greater value in his eyes, as they are more practical. And that I could even be more independent as a psychiatrist (or perhaps something related like neurologist/sexuologist), because I would understand both the psychological and physiological side. 

And I mean, I see what he means and I am impressed when someone who understands these things like biology, chemistry, talks about them, but it feels like a very reckless idea to reorient myself like that.

I have a couple of questions:

Do you think studying psychology in other countries (preferably in Europe) is more advanced than in Czechia (theory, mental masturbation), how?

Do you guys think it's possible to develop an interest that seems crazy at first and become good at it, use it well, do you have a similar experience?

Do you think there is a better way beyond all this, that would make me the most useful as a person? What is your experience?

[Identity]

@bejapuskas I’m not an expert in the field of psychology, but I did start, and quit, a Master in Work and Organizational psychology.

My guess is that there is indeed a lot of unnecessary and flawed theory in psychology as taught in most universities. There is definitely degrees though.

Personally, I would choose a more individual route. Doing courses/training with experts. Maybe an expert takes you under their wing. Reading tons of high quality books. Experimenting and learning as you go. 

Im quite convinced that if you would put a budget similar to that which would cost you a bachelor and master degree, you can get a lot more value from it.

The question is though, can you handle that degree of responsibility? Are you willing to take that type of risk? 
 

There is a good reason most people don’t take a route like that. University/society brings safety and security. It sets your lower limit, but also an upper limit.

Amazing that you are thinking about this though at your age. I actually started giving workshops in highschools centered around vision creation and possibilities after school. If you want to talk more, hit me up ? 

[bejapuskas]

@Identity  Thank you for responding  

Yeh I am kind of trying to do that now... Developing myseld in this field, doing the work on myself very seriously. I don't want to be a hypocritical therapist, too many of these already. But yeh... Have you tried anything like that? What would you recommend?

Other than that, education in Czech Republic is free/cheap so I am not limited in terms of money  

Gonna hit you up hahahahaha, sounds super cool!

[Identity]

@bejapuskas I sent you a personal message, thought that works better ?

[supremeyingyang]

Boy, 16 years old, you don't know how lucky you are to question on your path so seriously! If you start now you can be relatively easy going and in 10 years, bam, you are a master. You can do it:):)

 

On 12/22/2019 at 8:24 PM, bejapuskas said:

Do you think studying psychology in other countries (preferably in Europe) is more advanced than in Czechia (theory, mental masturbation), how?

Not important, sure, there are better universities. Better names. But if you go full in you could reach to the top. For example could you go in Bachelors to Czechia and in Master wherever you want.. That is my opinion

 

 

On 12/22/2019 at 8:24 PM, bejapuskas said:

Do you guys think it's possible to develop an interest that seems crazy at first and become good at it, use it well, do you have a similar experience?

Yes

On 12/22/2019 at 8:24 PM, bejapuskas said:

Do you think there is a better way beyond all this, that would make me the most useful as a person? What is your experience?

Probably yes, but you would need to find it first. Give some lines to describe it:

So what would I do? Back then I was 16 I would have choose Psychology, however, medicine and psychology combined are the shit. Sometimes they call this clinical psychology as a combined study path. So why is it important? It means that you are allowed to write prescriptions (but not as a psychology major) - at least in good ol' germany.

So how do I know that? I studied Psychology, on the side, to soften my flaws. My Girlfriend is at the end of her master of psychology and II know several others master of that major. My Psychotherapist has studied both medicine and psychology.

Okay, now I answer your Question: Do you think there is a better way beyond all this, that would make me the most useful as a person?  Think about why would you want to go into the field. For example you decide 'because i want to help metally sick people REALLY good, to make the world a better place'. Ok, you write it down and hold it to yourself, not talking it around. Now you let the days, weeks and months (because you have to go to highschool ether way) go by and then think about it. SOMEDAY you notice something that somebody tells you in a conversation or on in a video on youtube. You write that down and research. Be open minded. Then decide when the day comes if you want to go the outlined way with university and so on (sacrificing 5+ years). Be prepared that they will teach you stupid shit, statistics (math! ahhhh) and some useful bits. In medicine you'll have to learn the right methods and study 8+ hours (with inefficient methods more like all day long like most medicine studentes ==> bad culture in this major). If not you have to come up with something.

• Plan all the way to the end
• stategise often

Book tips: Robert Greene - Mastery (a classic read about the path, because you'll need 10+ years to be a master), Aaron Clarey - Worthless (good read on the worth of majors, but a lil harsh and cinyc), Daniel Coyle - The Littel Book of Talent (Techniques to learn), Marcus Aurelius - Meditations, Knut Hamsun - Hunger/ Fyodor Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment (Two romans with a severe metally ill protagonist - do you can help extremes like that?)

[bejapuskas]

@supremeyingyang  Wow, thank you so much!  

I'll make sure to read some of those, I resonated with Authentic happiness from Martin Seligman and Radical honesty by Brad Blanton, both are from the field of positive psychology. 

Did your girlfriend and friends give you any feedback on their past decisions, as to what major they would choose differently or whether they did everything well?

PS: Merry Christmas! <3

[supremeyingyang]

@bejapuskas

Well, Psychology has much of Statistics. Be prepared if you are bad at math. This is a very worthwhile skill, which can help you whatever happens. If you learn statistical programming you'll be the unicorn in you department and will be recruited right away. That can be a good thing because they take money for the apprenticeship as a psychoterapist in some countries. Statistical Programming can easily earn your degree and hold your way free when you are a pdychotherapist.

Also... Depending on you specific major on the specific university you can have almost 0% of technique you can use in the praxis of a psychotherapist. You have to do that in you spare time for yourself.

Merry Christmas:)

 

[bejapuskas]

@supremeyingyang  Ok, I am learning statistics, I am about to do my own psychological experiment at my school with a friend of mine.  I am also talking to people a lot and I have a lot of good feedback so I think I am doing great at the moment, thank you for asuring me hahahaha. 

I still don't know whether I should read about therapy and gain experience, probably get better at maths by myself and study something like psychiatry or neurology or something else... There is so much to master hahahaahaha. Maybe if I studied multiple things, I could go interdisciplinary or change career if I realize I made the wrong choice...  

[supremeyingyang]

To read some books is definetly a good start. You can surely find some youtube channels about psychology.

[Salvijus]

This is how enlightened people do therapy. Every therapist must see. Pure gold. Too much amaze. The way she's interacting.. I doubt many can appreaciate what is happening here.

I didn't read everything but dude, your path is enlightenment, not university. It's written on your forehead  no no.. joking. Psychotherapy is the closest thing to spirituality I guess, so that would be smarter choice. But still you can't avoid many useless esseys you'll have to write etc. 

My mom is psychologist and is studying gestalt therapy now. Good stuff. I learnt a lot from her. There is some value in it. Is it practical? Only if you combine it with spirituality. Otherwise it is just dry theory.

Better focus on spirituality. If you must become a therapist then become like her. Just too amazing.

Good luck

Edited December 30, 2019 by Salvijus

[Salvijus]

This is also a good example how gods do therapy.

 

Edited December 30, 2019 by Salvijus

[bejapuskas]

27 minutes ago, Salvijus said:

This is how enlightened people do therapy. Every therapist must see. Pure gold. Too much amaze. The way she's interacting.. I doubt many can appreaciate what is happening here.

I cried watching this!

28 minutes ago, Salvijus said:

I didn't read everything but dude, your path is enlightenment, not university. It's written on your forehead  no no.. joking. Psychotherapy is the closest thing to spirituality I guess, so that would be smarter choice. But still you can't avoid many useless esseys you'll have to write etc. 

No no.. are you joking?  I don't know if you can appreciate what's happening here.

29 minutes ago, Salvijus said:

My mom is psychologist and is studying gestalt therapy now. Good stuff. I learnt a lot from her. There is some value in it. Is it practical? Only if you combine it with spirituality. Otherwise it is just dry theory.

Yeh I really liked Brad Blanton's book called Radical honesty, he was talking a lot about Gestalt therapy there, and even from what I've read about it, it seems very good if done correctly.

31 minutes ago, Salvijus said:

Better focus on spirituality. If you must become a therapist then become like her. Just too amazing.

Good luck

Yes yes, you are on point Salvijus, and beautiful also ❤