Oct. 16, 2018

Comprehensive expertise in adolescent health risk behavior. Deep know-how of addiction science and treatment. Nationally recognized ADHD research. Multidisciplinary faculty committed to improving the health and well-being of Oregonians.

These strengths and more in the field of clinical psychology combined with the rich learning environment of OHSU and VA clinical settings – all located in beautiful Portland, Oregon, – are the hallmarks of OHSU School of Medicine's newest graduate program: a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

"This exciting program will give people comprehensive training in Clinical Psychology in a way that's practical and relevant and will prepare them to be competitive candidates for internships required to be a practicing clinical psychologist," said Inaugural Director of Clinical Training, Sarah Feldstein Ewing, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, OHSU School of Medicine, and director of the OHSU Adolescent Behavioral Health Clinic.

Applications are being accepted between now and December 3, 2018, for the initial class of students who will matriculate in fall of 2019. Learn more about admissions criteria and information.

No other public Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs exists in Portland, said Dr. Feldstein Ewing, and OHSU is the only integrated clinical psychology training program that is embedded in an academic health center within the state. This facilitates natural intersection and learning experiences for students across three key areas: 1) health psychology, 2) neuroscience of mental health disorders, 3) development and implementation of behavioral clinical trials.

Core faculty mentors draw from the Departments of Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Behavioral Neuroscience, and from veterans' health services and research. They include Joel Nigg, Ph.D., Bonnie Nagel, Ph.D., Amy Holley, Ph.D., Anna Wilson, Ph.D., Suzanne Mitchell, Ph.D., Travis Lovejoy, Ph.D., Ben Morasco, Ph.D., among others.

"Oregon struggles with very high rates of mental health issues, but has a very limited mental health services workforce," said Dr. Feldstein Ewing. "There is a need for more mental health providers. This program will help increase clinical science training in this critical area, and that can be ideal for potential scholars already rooted in Oregon."

The catalyst for the new program began several years ago, explained Dr. Feldstein Ewing, when faculty noticed that despite being in an exemplary academic setting, many talented potential graduate students had to leave Portland in order to pursue Clinical Psychology Ph.D. training in other states. OHSU was ripe to create a program that would meet student needs with nationally recognized faculty, strong research programs, top-ranked hospitals and clinics and an exceptional Ph.D. training infrastructure already in place.

"This is a way to retain those amazing people for Oregon," said Dr. Feldstein Ewing. 

Pictured above: core faculty of the OHSU Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program.