Career Prospects for Future Nonlicensed Clinical Neuropsychologists as Scientist-Practitioners: The Double Track

Career Prospects for Future Nonlicensed Clinical Neuropsychologists as Scientist-Practitioners: The Double Track Abstract: The current comprehensive changes to the university psychology curriculum in Germany are also changing the qualification paths of those interested in clinical work. There is now a specialized master's program leading to a license to practice. But not all students may want to - or they simply may not get the chance to - choose this clinical master's program because of limited admissions. Presently, alternative pathways are unclear. For example, the perspectives and qualification paths via a research-oriented master's degree in psychology (without the license to practice) are still unclear for potential junior scientists interested in the field of clinical neuropsychology. In this article, we outline the current situation from the viewpoint of a junior research group and propose a combined scientific and clinical neuropsychological qualification as an option for scientist-practitioners. Hypothetically, by exploiting synergies, this model (or an adapted version thereof) could form an important bridge between academic and patient-centered fields of practice and provide a pillar for securing applied research in clinical neuropsychology and health services. It seems essential to us that future young scientists will be fostered to secure new developments and recommendations, and to sustain state-of-the-art scientific standards for applied research. Further, a two-track internationalized model may ensure more flexibility in career planning for psychology graduates. The greatest limitation lies in the yet undetermined feasibility of the model, for which responsibilities would have to be clarified and legal options evaluated as well as potential extensions implemented as new occupational perspectives become evident. We put this model up for discussion based on the motivation outlined in this article.

Automated summary

This article discusses the career prospects for future nonlicensed clinical neuropsychologists as scientist-practitioners, proposing a combined scientific and clinical qualification as an option and exploring current qualification paths and potential future developments.