Is it worth doing the PIR? (7 advantages and 4 disadvantages)

Today the job market situation can be quite grim. The moment in which a university degree is finished is tremendously rewarding, but it is also a critical point in which it is common for many doubts to appear. Deciding which path to take in our professional life is a complicated step and it is important that we make our final decision with all the information available on the table.

In the event that you have completed your degree in Psychology, it is common for you to find yourself in a state of confusion, because there are several possibilities that you have in front of you. Psychology consists of various branches or areas, so it is important that you value which area best suits your interests. If, after thinking about this, you decide to opt for clinical psychology, you will see that there are essentially two possible paths to practice your profession.

On the one hand, you can enroll in the Master of General Health Psychology at a university. This postgraduate training is enabling, which means that, legally, it enables you to work as a health psychologist in private sector centers and organizations.

On the other hand, you can consider taking an examination-opposition called PIR (Internal Resident Psychologist). To be able to take the exam, you will only have to meet the requirement of having completed your degree or degree in Psychology. This system is aimed at obtaining a title of Specialist in Clinical Psychology. This alternative will allow you to access practical training with certain theoretical supplements that lasts four years and is carried out within the framework of Public Services.

In addition to taking with you a wide range of learning, at the end of your residency you will be able to practice psychology in the private sector, but also in the public sector, where some competitive examinations are held by Facultative Specialists in Clinical Psychology by autonomous communities. The PIR is the only way that allows psychologists to obtain the title of Specialist in Clinical Psychology. However, it is a test of great hardness that requires a thorough, long-lasting and complete preparation.

Many recently graduated psychologists often have many doubts as to which alternative to choose. There is no doubt that the PIR offers undeniable learning, but it is also a complex test with limited places. If you are in the middle of the decision-making process and need to clarify your ideas a bit, in this article we are going to reflect on the pros and cons of facing the PIR.

What are the advantages of doing the PIR?

As we have been commenting, first of all we are going to analyze the advantages that doing the PIR can bring you.

1. It is a paid job

The economic aspect is, without a doubt, a fundamental part to value when it comes to directing our professional life. In this sense, occupying a position as PIR can be very interesting, since you will be able to enjoy the conditions of a job, such as the guaranteed salary each month, vacation permits, fixed hours, etc. Although it is a training process, residency is an investment that the government makes so that psychologists can be trained in the best way from a practical perspective. Therefore, you will be working and learning at the same time.

2. Contract insured for 4 years

In line with the above, becoming a PIR implies that you will enjoy job stability during the four years that the residency lasts. Although it is true that the contracts are renewed annually, the usual thing is that all the psychologists who have achieved a position remain in training throughout that time without setbacks.

3. Mobility

If you are one of those who get bored quickly when it is established in the same place, that does not mean that the PIR is not for you. Although you will get a place for a specific hospital, this route allows you to carry out stays as a resident abroad.

4. Supervision

Getting started in psychological practice can be very challenging. The beginnings are hard, so being PIR can be a good alternative. In this training program you will have a supervisor who will guide and advise you, leaving you with increasing autonomy in your performance as a professional.

Although in private practice you can contract payment supervision services, in the public system supervision is not only a free service, but it is a right of all residents. Having the guarantee of supervision can give you a lot of peace of mind, because you will feel that you are not alone and you will be able to pick up boards safely.

5. Real learning

Although theory is necessary, the clinical reality observed in practice is much broader and more complex. A 4-year residency experience will allow you to fully open up to that reality, meet patients with very different profiles and, ultimately, learn all those things that are not taught on paper.

6. Richer view of psychology

Achieving a position as PIR can be a good way to adopt a much more diverse vision of psychology. Beyond the cognitive-behavioral approach, you will be able to know numerous perspectives and open your mind to possibilities that you had not even considered.

7. Interdisciplinary work

Another positive point of the PIR is that, although you will practice as a psychologist, you will do it in an environment shared with other professionals, such as doctors or nurses. This will help you to look beyond your field, learn from other health workers and carry out your work in a much more coordinated way with other colleagues.

What are the drawbacks of doing the PIR?

Next, we are going to review the main drawbacks involved in doing the PIR.

1. Shortage of places

Although, as we have seen, the PIR can provide numerous advantages, one of its great disadvantages is the shortage of places. Accessing this system is therefore very difficult, since the number of candidates far exceeds the number of vacancies. This leads to many psychologists spending years of preparation and submitting to various calls until they achieve their goal. Although of course it is not impossible and there are those who achieve it, there are also others who decide to opt for other professional paths given the daunting of the situation.

2. Your place will depend on the grade you get

Obtaining a place is an ambitious goal and, if you achieve it, it will boost you enormously in your professional career. However, the hospital where you do your residency will depend on the grade you get on your exam. Therefore, it is more than likely that you will have to move to another city. If leaving your place of origin is not among your plans, even for a few years, you should consider this alternative.

3. The test is not always fair

As with other exams of this type, the knowledge that you truly possess is not always accurately reflected on paper. This causes that, after many months of effort, you feel very frustrated if you have not achieved the place that you wanted so much.

Although of course it is essential to prepare this test thoroughly, we must not forget that nerves, the type of questions, the quality of their writing and the difficulty of the exam are factors that influence and that many times cannot be controlled. Thus, Facing an opposition exam requires doing important psychological work that allows us to deal with these issues and be fair to ourselves.

4. Preparation takes time, preferably with full dedication to the opposition

As we have been commenting, preparing an exam of these characteristics involves a lot of difficulty, so it requires exhaustive dedication. This means that, under ideal conditions, you should dedicate yourself entirely to studying. Although it is possible to combine employment with the opposition, this will undoubtedly make your process slower and more exhausting.

The problem with total dedication to this goal is that you will not be able to have your own income, with all that this entails. In addition, the time that you will dedicate to the PIR cannot be determined a priori, because as we have commented, each person is different and not everyone achieves it in the same period.

Conclusions.

In this article we have assessed the advantages and disadvantages of preparing the PIR. Assessing whether or not this path is worth it is a very personal, but to make things a bit easier for you here we have tried to weigh both sides of the scale. There is no doubt that the PIR is a training path of excellent quality, which will offer you stability and a salary during the years of residence. In addition, when you finish, you will do so with an excellent knowledge of the exercise of psychology and you will be able to start your journey in a much safer way.

Also, if you like to travel and get to know other places, you can opt for a stay abroad to make the most of this experience. Added to all this, it should be noted that the learning process as PIR will allow you to acquire a more diverse knowledge of psychology and work in coordination with professionals from other disciplines.

Despite everything mentioned, this exam offers a very limited number of places, so there are many more applicants who are left out than those who get it. Although it is not impossible to achieve it, preparing this test requires absolute and exhaustive dedication, and sometimes even with all the work done we are not guaranteed to achieve the objective we want. This is because factors such as nerves or the difficulty of the exam come into play.