The Path to Becoming Dr.Kayla Johnson, PhD by Kayla

The Path to Becoming Dr.Kayla Johnson, PhD by Kayla - March 2020 Scholarship Essay

Waking up in a beautiful house with a beautiful family, Dr. Johnson leaves her house heading to her psychology clinic, Dr. Kayla Johnson, Ph.D. After settling in she calls for her first patient of the day. As they enter she immediately greets them by asking her signature question: “What brings you here today?” In 10 years this is what I want my life to be. My ten-year plan will help me set goals, define what I hope to accomplish, and give me a road path to getting from where I am today to where I want to be in ten years. The goal of my ten-year plan consists of me owning my own private practice of psychiatry. In order to meet that goal, I must earn my master’s in psychology, obtain my doctorates and work in a hospital prior to owning my own practice.
The first phase of attaining this goal starts with me earning my master’s in psychology. After graduating from high school I plan to attend Spelman College, an all-girls HBCU in Atlanta, Georgia. There I will earn my bachelor of psychology then obtain my master’s in clinical psychology. By earning my bachelor’s and master’s degrees I will be able to gain specialized knowledge in psychology. Spelman has a great psychology program that will prepare me for the study and service of psychology. I will learn the skills to answer the question of why people do the things that they do. Immediately after earning my bachelor’s degree I plan on going to graduate school where I plan on studying clinical psychology. Working towards my doctorate will follow upon my completion of earning my master’s in psychology. A doctorate in psychology is required for me to open my own private practice. The plan is to earn a PhD. in clinical or counseling psychology. My chosen area of specialization I wish to work in is a psychiatrist. In psychiatry, I will diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional illnesses, where I will be able to prescribe medicine if need be. As a psychiatrist, I can work in a hospital setting. This moves me towards my third objective of working in a hospital prior to opening my practice. I want to immediately jump into putting my degrees to use. My main goal is to own my own private practice of psychiatry but I would need the money and I rather not take out a loan. So I plan on working in a hospital as a psychiatrist where I will save up money to put up for my practice. At the hospital, I will also be able to build up my clientele, who I will take with me once my practice is open.
My ten-year career plan will all come in motion and I plan on making sure this happens by creating a vision board. A vision board will motivate me to keep pushing so that I can make something out of myself. This 10-year plan is not set into motion 100 percent because as life goes on I plan to make changes for the better. But this is a draft of what I currently hope to see in my future. I will no longer be Kayla Johnson but instead, Dr.Kayla Johnson, Ph.D. My name will definitely be known.