Weekly Post 5: A Interview of Firsts

Last week, I conducted my first research interview with a Forensic Psychologist in the area. I've been told by many that the first interview is usually the worst and to get it out of the way as soon as possible, but I didn't feel that it was cringe worthy. Sure there may have been some awkward parts but practically all interviews have a few. The psychologist I was able to interview was quite nice and very approachable which helped a lot. I don't think I could have asked for a better person to interview! Although I can't go into too many details of the interview itself, I'd like to share two of the most interesting and wise things I learnt.

First, the interesting thing I learnt. When I was interviewing Dr. Owens (not her real name) the topic of police officer interactions with mentally ill individuals came up. The fact is that many of these interactions are not handled the way they should be handled and as a result oftentimes, end in violent altercations. However, Dr. Owens has been working with law enforcement for good amount of time and informed me that the interactions have actually been improving. In fact, a large city in my metroplex has a relatively new program where a well-qualified mental health worker goes along with police officers on suspected mental illness calls.

Secondly, the wise advice portion. One of the main piece of advice Dr. Owens gave me was the following. Don't settle for a bachelor’s or master's degree, get that PhD. While that may be unreasonable and excessive for some, the reasoning behind it made sense. With a lower degree you most probably will forever be working for someone else and on someone else's hours. There is less flexibility and you won't be able to decide as much which cases to evaluate and which ones to not. Take control of your life. Be your own boss.

~Shrinidhi Joshi

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