Emily gravitated towards child development in her Bachelor degree so much that she pursued it for her dissertation and Master’s degree here at Kent.
Why did you choose Kent?
I chose Kent for my BSc as the psychology department had an excellent reputation. I also loved the campus style of the University as well as the city of Canterbury – so much so that I stayed for my MSc! I really liked how you could specialise in a particular area (I chose developmental psychology which is the area I still work in) and being able to choose your own modules was an opportunity to try out different topics.
I also felt I had made really good relationships with my dissertation supervisor from my BSc and other staff in the Child Development Unit and so I was really excited for further opportunities to get involved in research.
What is your current role and how did you get that role?
I am currently a practicing Clinical Psychologist working in the NHS in North London. My team completes diagnostic neurodevelopmental assessments for children aged 2-6-years and we also support families after the diagnosis.
Following my BSc in Psychology at the University of Kent, I did the MSc in Developmental Psychology*. During my MSc, I also worked as a research assistant for my dissertation supervisor Dr Kirsten Abbot-Smith in the Child Development Unit. I then moved to the University of Reading to complete my PhD before working as an assistant psychologist and then in a research position. I did my clinical psychology doctorate at King’s College London before starting my current position.
What about your time at Kent prepared you for your chosen career?
There are so many things! I feel like my time at Kent was the starting point for my career. My BSc and MSc provided me with a really strong foundation in child development and language development which has been crucial for my current role. During my MSc I also completed modules in mental health and learning disabilities which again have been really relevant.
As part of my BSc dissertation, I visited nurseries and completed standardised language assessments with children. This gave me experience of working with nursery staff and engaging young children in assessment. It also provided me with an introduction to administering, scoring and interpreting standardised assessment. These are all things I do in my current role!
Finally, my experience at Kent gave me a really strong foundation in research skills which is a core part of being a Clinical psychologist. I had never considered (or thought it would even be an option) to do a PhD but my dissertation supervisor Kirsten suggested this to me – she encouraged me to apply and supported me with my application. She also helped me with other opportunities, such as presenting my research at a British Psychological Society (BPS) conference in Amsterdam and publishing my MSc dissertation in an academic journal.
What advice would you give to incoming or current students?
A core part of being a Clinical psychologist is research and so engaging in different research opportunities is so valuable if this is the career you’re interested in. One thing I loved about Kent was that staff in the psychology department had such different and varied research interests, which as a student meant I could really think about what my interests were and then pursue those for my dissertation.
It’s also a fantastic time and opportunity to explore different areas/topics and see what interests you the most. I knew that I wanted to work with children, but I hadn’t really considered language development and really enjoyed the teaching on this.
Finally, from anything you to do, always think about the transferable skills. Something like doing a dissertation will give you expertise in your chosen topic, but its also a great opportunity in terms of designing and implementing a project, as well as disseminating the results and thinking about the clinical implications.
Finally, what’s your best memory of studying at Kent?
There’s too many to choose from… I have really fond memories of my time at the University of Kent, it’s where I met lifelong friends and also my husband! I lived in Parkwood during my first year and I loved the style of the accommodation and how the area felt like its own community (I even ended up having a part-time job at Woody’s during my third year).
Find out more about the Psychology BSc and the Developmental and Educational Psychology MSc at Kent.
*MSc Developmental Psychology has been renamed MSc Developmental and Educational Psychology