| The profession of clinical psychology is one that is drawing an increasing amount of interest among prospective graduate students. However, due to limited training slots, the majority of applicants continue to be denied admission. This supply/demand ratio of applicants to available slots in training programs places pressure on admissions committees to best select only those applicants who are most appropriate to be trained as psychologists. Studies on the prediction of diagnostic and therapeutic competence among trainees are reviewed.;For the present study, it was hypothesized that academic factors would predict measures of diagnostic competence while failing to predict measures of clinical competence. Non-academic factors were hypothesized to predict measures of therapeutic competence while failing to predict measures of diagnostic competence. Academic factors were hypothesized to be better predictors of diagnostic competence than non-academic factors. Non-academic factors were hypothesized to be better predictors of therapeutic competence than academic factors. Records from ninety-two doctoral students in clinical psychology who entered the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in the years 1994 and 1995 (N = 92) representing two consecutive classes were gathered. Academic factors included Undergraduate GPA, Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical GRE test scores, as well as a measure of previous research experience. Non-academic factors included age, a measure of previous clinical experience, scores derived from letters of recommendation, as well as scores of students' admissions interview performance. Diagnostic competence was measured by students' scores on diagnostic practicum evaluations. Therapeutic competence was measured by students' scores on therapy practicum evaluations, and by scores on a clinical competency exam.;Upon the application of a hierarchical setwise regression analysis, academic variables as a group were found to significantly predict graduate students' performance on measures of diagnostic skill while non-academic variables failed to predict students' scores in this area. A hierarchical setwise regression analysis on therapeutic competence as measured by therapy practicum evaluation scores demonstrated the failure of both academic and non-academic factors' ability to predict therapeutic competence. A third hierarchical setwise regression analysis on therapeutic competence as measured by clinical competency exams also demonstrated the failure of both academic and non-academic factors' ability to predict therapuetic competence. Therefore, the continued use of academic admissions variables is supported, in the effort to select competent diagnostician trainees. At present, no group of admissions variables were found to be particularly effective in the effort to select competent therapist trainees. |
