There are no formal ways at Columbia in which preclinical students can get this experience. This course involves supervised placements. Interested students should contact Prof. Stingle or the Barnard Psychology Department for further information. Many relevant informal volunteer opportunities exist. A list of some possibilities is given at the back of this handout.
Some students get experience with clinical populations through summer work or through research.
Most clinical programs do not require you to have developed a high level of expertize in clinical work. They will teach you that. They want to know that you have some idea of what is involved in working with clinical or high-risk populations. Ph.D. programs require applicants' scores on both the General GRE and the Advanced Subject Test in Psychology. High GRE scores, especially on the general part of the test, are particularly important.