Forensic Psychology Personal Statement

When I tell people I am studying the field of forensic psychology I typically get the response, “oh, so you’re going to be like one of the actors on CSI or Criminal Minds?”. My typical response leads to me further explaining the field in general, and continue by informing them that many crime related dramas could actually be quite misleading. Prior to taking an actual course in forensic psychology, I probably would have made the same assumption. I did not fully understand how broad the field was and how much it had to offer. At this point of my undergraduate program I was trying to figure out what direction I wanted to pursue my psychological studies in. However, after the first few weeks into my forensic psychology class it became quite evident where my interests fell and by the end of the course, it became my passion to further my education to pursue the field of forensic psychology.
There are many directions you can take within the field and numerous ways to become trained. However, I feel privileged knowing that upon completion of the Psy. D program I will have the proper clinical experience needed within the field. Whereas many others who consider themselves forensic psychologists, often times do not have the training required to prepare them to recognize some of the most pertinent research and clinical literature (Weiner & Otto,