Clinical externship vs clinical psychologist

The differences between clinical externships and clinical psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a clinical externship, becoming a clinical psychologist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical psychologist has an average salary of $97,659, which is higher than the $35,831 average annual salary of a clinical externship.

The top three skills for a clinical externship include patients, mental health and patient care. The most important skills for a clinical psychologist are patients, rehabilitation, and clinical psychology.

Clinical externship vs clinical psychologist overview

	Clinical Externship	Clinical Psychologist
Yearly salary	$35,831	$97,659
Hourly rate	$17.23	$46.95
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	63,061	69,762
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	4	2

What does a clinical externship do?

A clinical externship is a short medical student program directly mentored by professionals within their chosen career path in healthcare. Clinical externs work in various settings such as hospitals, a doctor's office, or clinics and work directly with patients to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired in the classroom. They will be graded and must pass the program to be able to graduate from medical school. Externs must request a letter of recommendation from their site supervisor when applying for jobs.

What does a clinical psychologist do?

A clinical psychologist is a healthcare professional who treats patients with various mental disorders through one-on-one or group settings. Clinical psychologists assist their patients in identifying their psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues so that a plan of action is created to help patients achieve personal and social development. To create a patient treatment plan, clinical psychologists must interview their patients who have different mental problems. They also collaborate with professionals such as social workers, nurses, and occupational therapists to provide the right treatment to their patients.

Clinical externship vs clinical psychologist salary

Clinical externships and clinical psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Externship	Clinical Psychologist
Average salary	$35,831	$97,659
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $51,000	Between $72,000 And $132,000
Highest paying City	Alameda, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Genentech	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	Education	Government

Differences between clinical externship and clinical psychologist education

There are a few differences between a clinical externship and a clinical psychologist in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Externship	Clinical Psychologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Psychology	Clinical Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Northwestern University

Clinical externship vs clinical psychologist demographics

Here are the differences between clinical externships' and clinical psychologists' demographics:

	Clinical Externship	Clinical Psychologist
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2%	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	15%	12%

Differences between clinical externship and clinical psychologist duties and responsibilities

Clinical externship example responsibilities.

Set up and manage new medical transcription department.
Manage large scale TMF inventory/file cleanup projects in preparation for FDA and EMA inspections.
Manage difficult or emotional patient situations, with compassion and professionalism.
Participate in multiple studies managing CTM activities for various therapeutic areas simultaneously including oncology, urology, transplant, and immunology.
Monitor EKG's, assess blood pressure, palpate heart rates, safely progress patients in exercise.
Perform manual data entry in CTMS, TMF, CRF imaging and various departmental databases.

Clinical psychologist example responsibilities.

Manage high-utilizing patients with chronic health and behavioral health concerns to reduce inappropriate medical utilization and to promote better functional outcomes.
Supervise by Amanda Quayle, PsyD.
Utilize CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing techniques.
Provide CBT, DBT and psychodynamic-orient psychotherapy to adolescent and adult clients.
Intern with Dr. Ann-Marie Tripp-Pendelton, PsyD, in a therapeutic capacity.
Collaborate with a team of social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists to develop individualize treatment plans for war veterans.

Clinical externship vs clinical psychologist skills

Common clinical externship skills

Patients, 32%
Mental Health, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 4%
Vital Signs, 4%
Substance Abuse, 4%

Common clinical psychologist skills

Patients, 16%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Clinical Psychology, 6%
Group Therapy, 5%
Veterans, 5%
Patient Care, 5%

Clinical Externship vs. similar jobs

Clinical Externship related careers

Clinical Externship related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Clinical Externship
Clinical Externship vs Clinical Psychologist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs