| I'm replying as a middle-aged PhD psychologist. Note that I work in academia, so I have a somewhat biased perspective. I don't see tremendous "burnout" among psychologists, but many are in private practice. Similarly, the social workers who have private practices don't seem to burn-out too much either. As a private therapist, you can ramp up or ramp down your volume, and ensure that you maintain peer supervision for support. It is my impression that social worker burnout is less related to burnout due to working with patients than with frustration in dealing with unresponsive social service systems, but perhaps social workers reading this thread have a different view.
You note that you are more "medical model" oriented. It strikes me that, whether you choose to go the MSW or PHD route, it's important to find the specific program that meets your career goals and conceptualization of mental illness/health. Some PhD programs are likely to be a poor fit for you. Similarly, you should steer clear of MSW programs that are policy oriented. |