An Exploratory Examination of Student Dismissals and Prompted Resignations From Clinical Psychology PhD Training Programs: Does Clinical Competency Matter?

How do clinical psychology PhD training programs decide whether a student should be dismissed? Are these decisions related to the student's clinical competency or suitability? Accredited, scientist-practitioner clinical psychology PhD training programs were surveyed about their experiences with dismissal decisions and clinical competency evaluations. Average rates of student dismissal and prompted resignations were low (less than 3% and 6%, respectively) but highly variable across programs. The most common basis for dismissals and resignations pertained to clinical competency concerns and academic standards. However, for 29% of programs, documented dismissal criteria did not include expectations for achievement of a prescribed level of clinical skills proficiency. Implications and suggested courses of action are discussed.