Small but mighty.
That鈥檚 an accurate way to describe . It鈥檚 among the smallest of its kind in the country, but the program is home to some of Canada鈥檚 top researchers, according to a recent study.
The study, titled assesses Canadian clinical psychology profs according to their number of publications and their number of citations in other publications. It then lists the top 11 male and 11 female professors in Canada.
AV俱乐部 outperformed many universities, tying for the title of school with the largest number of high-performing professors. Three Dal profs rank among the top 11 in the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 categories: in the men鈥檚 group and and in the women鈥檚.
鈥淭his article shows the outstanding calibre of our clinical psychologists and program,鈥� says Dean of Science Chris Moore. 鈥淭hree of our profs are among the top 22 out of 255 in Canada. That鈥檚 a phenomenal achievement.鈥�
A supportive community at Dal
As the founder of the program, Dr. McGrath has a deep knowledge of clinical psychology at Dal and credits the spirit of teamwork for helping him achieve success.
鈥淎t Dal, you don鈥檛 compete with each other; you compete with the rest of the world,鈥� he says.
Dr. Chambers agrees. She also acknowledges the support she received during her maternity leaves as contributing to her productivity.
鈥淚鈥檝e had three maternity leaves in the last six years and I鈥檝e received excellent support during that time from my granting agencies, staff, faculty and Dal,鈥� she says. 鈥淗aving that support makes me more productive.鈥�
The encouraging atmosphere coupled with a strong dedication to research are what makes Dal a great place to work says Dr. Stewart. 鈥淎V俱乐部鈥檚 clinical psychology program is integrated within a psychology and neuroscience department that is steeped in a research tradition. The program also works closely with the local clinical community in training students clinically, rather than housing a stand-alone clinic for training. This means that Dal profs have more time for research and that research is highly valued.鈥�
A team effort
When asked their secret to success, Dr. Chambers, Dr. Stewart and Dr. McGrath had the same answer: an excellent team of students.
鈥淭he single best thing you can do as a professor is recruit excellent trainees and prioritize time for mentorship,鈥� says Dr. Chambers. 鈥淏elieving in the power of your students has a huge payoff.鈥�
Dr. Stewart adds, 鈥淪tudy things you鈥檙e really passionate about with wonderful, productive students.鈥�
鈥淲ork with a team of students and staff that are twice as smart as you are," advises Dr. McGrath. "That鈥檚 what I鈥檝e done.鈥�
For more information about AV俱乐部鈥檚 psychology programs, visit .