Become a Psychologist

As a clinical psychologist in the U.S. Army, you’ll have the opportunity to work with a rewarding patient base — Soldiers and their families — in a variety of settings, and conduct vital, life-saving research alongside committed and focused colleagues.

Job Duties

• Apply psychological principles, theories, methods and techniques through direct patient services, consultation, education and research in problems of human effectiveness, adjustment and emotional disturbance in medical and other settings
  
• Focus on investigation, evaluation and amelioration of mental and behavioral disorders, prevention of mental illness and promotion of effective mental health
  
• Conduct and supervise direct patient care, and plan and execute disease prevention and health promotion programs
  
• Exercise command of medical units as provided by law and regulation
  
• Perform special staff functions in health support for commanders at all levels
  
• Conduct medical research on diseases of military importance, and conduct, supervise and participate in graduate medical education and training of other medical personnel needed to sustain a robust and readily available medical system

Unique duty positions include: clinical psychology consultant, Office of the Surgeon General; clinical psychology consultant; director of training, psychology internship/fellowship program; staff psychologist, Clinical Psychology Service; combat stress control detachment/company psychologist; division psychologist

Requirements

Active Duty:

• Doctoral degree in clinical psychology, counseling psychology or other subspecialty
  
• Current, unrestricted license for practice
  
• Must be between 21 and 42 years of age
  
• U.S. citizenship

Army Reserve:

• Doctorate in clinical psychology or counseling psychology from an accredited program acceptable to the Surgeon General
  
• Completion of a one-year, American Psychological Association—approved clinical psychology internship
  
• Current license to practice psychology
• Permanent U.S. residency

Training

In the U.S. Army, the case diversity psychologists experience in caring for Soldiers and their families far exceeds the medical care environment of the private sector. As an Army Medical Service Corps officer, you’ll have access to the most sophisticated technologies, methods and techniques, the opportunity to consult with experts in both the military and private sector, plus exceptional professional growth opportunities, including continuing education courses, seminars and conferences. Psychiatrists may even serve as faculty at one of our prestigious graduate medical education programs.