Welcome to the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology.
Our department was founded in 1976. The Ph.D. program in Medical Psychology (research oriented) graduated its first students in 1984 and continues to this day. Alumni have achieved international and national recognition as scientists and educators. In the early 1990s, the U.S. Congress directed the Uniformed Services University (USU) to develop a Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology to train active duty psychologists for the military services. The department was renamed Medical and Clinical Psychology to encompass the expanded mission with two distinct programs. In the late 1990s, the department added the civilian track to the Clinical Psychology program. The goal of this track is to train scientist-practitioners who are prepared to contribute to clinically-relevant science. Graduates of this clinical program have become leaders in military clinical psychology, clinical research, and are contributing to clinical practice and scholarship.
These two programs, the Medical Psychology Program and the Clinical Psychology Program continue today. The motto of USU is “Learning to Care for Those in Harm’s Way.” Both programs are committed to training graduates who want to devote their professional lives to contributing to the science and/or clinical care of those throughout the Uniformed Services and the Nation who may come in harm’s way due to disease or war.Each program has two tracks, a military track and a civilian track. The military tracks include individuals who are civilians when they apply, but want to join one of the military services when they start their graduate program. The civilian tracks are for individuals who are civilians and who will remain civilians after graduation.
The Department is unique in many ways compared to other psychology departments. Military and civilian graduate students train together and are exposed to military and National health concerns. The Department is deeply integrated into the School of Medicine and extensively collaborates with the School of Nursing; therefore, students and faculty have numerous opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinary training with other medical and nursing personnel. The location of the Department--down the block from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, “across the street” from NIH, and within the National Capital Area--provides unparalleled opportunities for research and training.
To date, the Department has trained over 125 Ph.D. psychologists and helped the University train more than 4,500 physicians. Department faculty have published extensively (including empirical, theoretical, and review papers; textbooks, handbooks, edited volumes, and patient-oriented books), founded and served as editors of many different scientific journals, and are nationally and internationally recognized for contributions to psychology, behavioral and medical sciences, education, and public health.
Questions related to the Clinical Program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation. Correspondence information is provided below.
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Website: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/
