Is clinical psychology the closest thing to neuropsychology in Ireland?

Alison Corbally

Hey

Does anybody know what is the closest you can get to studdying neuropsychology in ireland? I know that there aren't any neurology courses in Ireland but i'm thinking of going into psychology and i'm really interested in what is actually going on in the brain when people are experiencing certain thing. As far as I know the closest you can get to it is clinical psychology and I was just wondering of anybody here can either confirm this or let me know what area is actually the closest to neuropsychology?

Thanks

Velvety

I'm fairly sure you can't do an undergraduate course on neuropsychology anywhere, not just not in Ireland. You would certainly touch on aspects of neuropsychology and the biological bases of behaviour in a psychology degree. You could then study neuropsychology as a postgraduate. Probably in Britain or further afield. I know there's a neuropharmacology postgraduate course in NUIG.

As far as I know, most people working in the field of neuropsychology would be doing research. I'm really not sure how many clinical neuropsychologists work in the HSE. Hopefully someone might.

JuliusCaesar

Alison Corbally wrote: »

As far as I know the closest you can get to it is clinical psychology and I was just wondering of anybody here can either confirm this or let me know what area is actually the closest to neuropsychology?

Hi Alison, neuropsychologists are firstly clinical psychologists who have additional training/experience in neuro. See PSI or BPS for details - or even the stickies above might have some information.

Myksyk

As JC said. You have to somehow get on to a clinical course, during which it is possible usually to do an elective specialist placement in neuro-psychology. Most people interested in the area then do a postgraduate part-time course to further their training. The one I've heard everyone doing is based in London at weekends but I can't recall the details. Perhaps others will know.

CiaranMT

Friend of mine who graduated last Sept. from UL with a Psych & Soc B.A. is now doing a postgrad in Neuro in London. Will ask her again what college it is.

TrollHammaren

I'm finishing my undergrad in Psychology in Trinity, and my final year project is neuropsychology-based, but I've never heard of a pure neuropsychology undergrad. A few guys in the lab did an M.SC in Neuroscience in Trinity and now they're working in Headway, the brain injury clinic.

Do you want to do research in neuropsychology, or work as a clinical neuropsychologist?

A neurologist is a medical doctor who specialises in the brain.

Gibs

Clinical Neuropsychology is a specialist field in its own right but all clinical neuropsychologists (at least those not grandparented in to the profession) will have a postgraduate qualification in clinical psychology, which typically first requires an undergrad degree in psychology.

All clinical psychologists will have a grounding in neuropsychology but in order to reasonably describe oneself as a neuropsychologist, you would probably need to do a formal post graduate qualification after you have finished your clinical training. There are no formal courses in ireland at the moment but there has been a series of neuropsychology seminars over the past couple of years that could potentially be the beginnings of a training set-up (currently they are presented as stand alone professional development days).

There are several courses available in the UK. The best regarded of these is probably the Glasgow University Course. In addition, there is a cpourse run by nottingham university.

They differ in format and emphasis but both have a good reputation. Demand for these courses is high but from talking to people who have done them, the standard is exceptionally good.

There is also a pediatric neuropsych course in London but I'm not sure what the details are.

Squirm

Hi,

Check out the IICN website.

http://www.iicn.ie/education/education.477.html

Alison Corbally

Thanks for all the replies. They're all very helpful

curadh

Hey all, Im also very interested in working in neuro. Im about to finish an undergrad degree in psychology, would love to go the neuro road however like the OP am not sure exactly what this entails. From what I have gathered, there are masters courses in neuro eg. http://psychology.psy.bris.ac.uk/pgrad/Neuropsychology.htm also http://www.nuigalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/neuropharmacology.html which can be applied for after the basic psychology degree. Then there are masters courses in neuro that can be applied for after the clinical degree eg. http://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/clinicalneuropsychology/ (thanks Gibs). My confusion is with why the masters courses exist in neuro(for post basic degree applications) when it is clear in order to work in neuro related careers you must do clinical followed by neuro training. Am I wrong?

TrollHammaren

curadh wrote: »

Hey all, Im also very interested in working in neuro. Im about to finish an undergrad degree in psychology, would love to go the neuro road however like the OP am not sure exactly what this entails. From what I have gathered, there are masters courses in neuro eg. http://psychology.psy.bris.ac.uk/pgrad/Neuropsychology.htm also http://www.nuigalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/neuropharmacology.html which can be applied for after the basic psychology degree. Then there are masters courses in neuro that can be applied for after the clinical degree eg. http://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/clinicalneuropsychology/ (thanks Gibs). My confusion is with why the masters courses exist in neuro(for post basic degree applications) when it is clear in order to work in neuro related careers you must do clinical followed by neuro training. Am I wrong?

I don't know about other neuroscience courses, but the one in Trinity is designed to follow up your science degree if you specialised in neuro in your latter two years, and to allow for neuroscience entry for psychology graduates. After that, there's no formal training in neuropsychology (that I know of), so you're essentially looking at doing research as a neuropsychologist. I'm also not entirely sure clinical psychologists practise neuropsychology in Ireland.

Gibs

TrollHammaren wrote: »

I don't know about other neuroscience courses, but the one in Trinity is designed to follow up your science degree if you specialised in neuro in your latter two years, and to allow for neuroscience entry for psychology graduates. After that, there's no formal training in neuropsychology (that I know of), so you're essentially looking at doing research as a neuropsychologist. I'm also not entirely sure clinical psychologists practise neuropsychology in Ireland.

Perhaps some of the confusion is in the terminology and the use of the diminutive "neuro". It depends on whether "neuro" refers here to neuropsychology, neuroscience, or even to clinical neuropsychology.

Clinical Psychologists do practise neuropsychology in Ireland. They tend to have job titles like "clinical neuropsychologist". There are many such posts in hospitals such as Beaumont or the NRH and I know Temple St Hospital and the AMNCH (Tallaght) and Crumlin also have officially designated positions for clinical neuropsychologists.

On the other hand, there are many people who work mainly in Universities in Ireland who call themselves neuropsychologists. These people usually focus mainly on research. The confusion lies in the fact that Neuropsychology is a relatively recently recognised specialisation in Ireland. The PSI only established a neuropsychology division a year or two ago.

My understanding is that, grandparenting aside, anyone wishing to become a full practitioner member of the neuropsychology division must be a clinical psychologist and then must also have a neuropsychology qualification (or considerable neuropsychology experience in a work setting). This requirement is in line with the way the term "neuropsychologist" is used in other countries, with an emphasis on the clinician status of the practitioner.

One can also be a member of the Neuropsychology division of the PSI without being a clinical psychologist, but as far as I know, that would mean you cannot have full member status.

Doing a postgraduate degree in neuroscience might make one eligible to be a member of the neuropsychology division of PSI but it does not make one a neuropsychologist.

Of course, in the continued absence of any proper legislation re psychology titles in this country, all of the above may be a bit moot. In reality, anyone can call themselves by any title they want to, irrespective of training and/or experience. :eek:

curadh

Thats a good post Gibs. In relation to the crux of the query, that of actual employment, how do you think both avenues of education would fare? Can anyone suggest some career paths within the 'neurological' area, and what possible qualifications one would need?

Also, in addition to courses already mentioned, UCD do a masters in cognitive science.