Faculty of Clinical Psychology

Saratov State Medical University has been offering on-campus and distance degree programs in Clinical Psychology since 2007, making it the newest program at SSMU.

The program requires 5.5 years to graduate, with the distance degree program taking up 6 years. There are currently more than 200 students pursuing this degree.

Clinical Psychology is a broad psychological speciality. Clinical psychologists find jobs in healthcare, education, and social work. They work on improving psychological resources of their patients, helping them to adjust, harmonizing psychological development, they also prevent and treat disorders, and provide rehabilitation therapy.

Clinical Psychology is a branch of Psychology that utilizes theoretical insights of general psychology in medical practice: it studies all psychologically-based disorders and dysfunctions, analyzes the effect of a person’s relationship with his/her environment on his/her health and wellbeing, in order to diagnose, treat, and prevent such disorders.

SSMU’s program on Clinical Psychology is designed to ensure that its graduates are well-qualified to work with all types of people, be they adult or child patients, their relatives and friends, people with disabilities, or the staff of hospitals and educational institutions. The program’s expectation is that, as practicing clinical psychologists, its graduates must be able to develop and maintain successful relationships with patients and their relatives/carers in order to prepare them for a medical treatment and to give them the necessary psychological tools to overcome obstacles and succeed in life.

The program’s curriculum is a modern medical curriculum that integrates theoretical courses on general psychology and clinical psychology, and practical sessions. The curriculum places an emphasis on diagnostic techniques and methods of psychological manipulation. Students have access to modern labs on psychophysiology and psychodiagnozing. The curriculum also includes varied clinical experience, with clinical seminars and placements in medical care and educational settings. This experience helps students develop practical skills of using diagnostic and psycho-corrective techniques in a real-life setting, and promotes independent decision-making and successful professional collaboration.

Clinical Psychology offers wide-ranging career options. The program’s curricular outcomes prepare its graduates to become successful diagnosticians, therapists, consultants, psychologists working in preventive care and rehabilitation, as well as researchers and educators. They are employed in schools, special education schools, social care organizations, and healthcare centers.

Dean of the faculty: D.L.Dorogoikin, PhD (Medicine), Associate Professor.