Meet Tulip
Our latest guest on the Inside Clinical blog series features Tulip Marawi, a 2nd year clinical psychology PhD student at the University of Toronto Scarborough. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Tulip discovered a passion for psychology, aging, and cognition that ultimately shaped her academic and professional journey. Based at Sunnybrook Hospital, her current research explores the relationship between mental health, cognition, and aging, particularly how symptoms such as depression and anxiety may relate to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. She also has a strong interest in understanding ethnoracial disparities in dementia risk among Canadians. Throughout our conversation, Tulip reflected on her path into clinical psychology, the experiences that sparked her passion for working with older adults, and the lessons she learned while navigating the highly competitive process of applying to graduate school.
Tulip’s journey into clinical psychology did not begin with a perfectly mapped-out plan. In fact, when she first arrived in Canada to begin her undergraduate studies psychology was not even on her radar. She thought she would pursue her studies in life sciences or biology.
“I hadn't really been exposed to psych in the past and so my interest sort of grew throughout my undergraduate degree.”
Upon completion of her undergrad degree, Tulip had yet to discover clinical psychology. By this time she knew she liked research, mental health, cognition and working with older adults. This led her into completing her first masters degree at the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto. This is where she focused heavily on the relationship between brain structures and cognitive performance in older individuals with mild cognitive impairment or depression. It was during this time, Tulip discovered the world of clinical psychology after attending an online webinar held by Dr. Jennifer Rabin, who is now her current supervisor. While watching, Tulip noticed “C-Psych” beside her name, something she was not familiar with. Curious, Tulip later looked into the profession and realized it combined everything she loved.
“I noticed that next to her name, she had PhD C-Psych. I'm like, wow, I don't know what C-Psych is, but I really like the work that she does and it sounds like something that I'd want to do. So I looked it up and I'm like, wow, there is such a thing that's called a clinical psychologist where I can do research, clinical work, and I can teach, I can do all the things that I am passionate about.”
Tulip’s story is a powerful reminder that you do not need to have your entire career path figured out at a young age. It is completely okay to feel uncertain and to spend time exploring different interests and career possibilities within your field before discovering what truly excites and motivates you.
Learning From Rejection and Seeking Feedback
Tulip applied to clinical psychology programs in her second year of her first masters program, however was unsuccessful. Instead of seeing rejection as the end of her road, Tulip used it as an opportunity to grow. She sought feedback from mentors and professionals in the field to better understand how she could improve her application. One major recommendation was for her to gain more clinical experience. With this in mind, Tulip spent one year working as a clinical research assistant at Sunnybrook Hospital. There, she gained hands-on experience conducting neuropsychological testing and clinical interviews.
“The feedback I always got from people was that I needed to increase or gain more clinical experience. I'm like, okay, super, what I'm going to do is take a year off and work as a clinical research assistant to get that clinical experience. So that's what I've done.”
With this new set of experiences and skills, Tulip reapplied to clinical psychology programs with a much stronger application and greater confidence in her abilities. Looking back, she believes that seeking feedback was one of the most important decisions she made throughout her academic journey.
The Volunteer Experience that Changed Everything
While reflecting on her undergraduate years, Tulip shared how a volunteer opportunity with the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) became one of the most transformative experiences of her academic career.
“It's truly one of the most life-changing experiences that continues to have an impact on me.”
Tulip spent nearly five years volunteering with hospitalized older adults who were at risk of developing delirium. Sometimes this involved helping patients complete cognitive exercises or physical activities, while other times it simply meant sitting with them and listening to their stories. Through this experience, she discovered her passion for cognition, aging, and mental health.
“I knew that I was really, really passionate about working with older adults. I knew that I was super passionate about understanding cognition because I did see older adults who varied on the cognitive spectrum. I saw people with dementia, Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment and wanted to gain stronger insight into these illnesses.”
Turning Passion Into Award Winning Success
Tulip received the Canadian Graduate Research Scholarship at the masters level, one of the most prestigious awards available at this level. During our conversation, Tulip explained that the application process requires more than just good grades, it involved personal statements, academic references, publications, conference presentations, and evidence of leadership and mentorship experiences. Tulip emphasized that one of the things she believes strengthened her application was her willingness to show who she was beyond her academic accomplishments. Rather than simply listing achievements, she incorporated her passion for mentorship, teaching, and helping other students navigate clinical psychology applications through her online platform, Tulip Studies.
“So I'm somebody who's very passionate about teaching and mentorship. I think that really shines through in my application and I've really tried to highlight it as much as I can because it is a big part of who I am in terms of my professional identity and my own passions. Oftentimes I actually mention my Instagram, Tulip Studies, where I chat a lot about clinical psych applications and help candidates who are interested in the program.”
From Research to Published Work
Tulip shared that gaining publications during graduate school was not simply about luck, but about being intentional, proactive, and transparent about her goals. Early in her master’s degree, she openly communicated to her supervisor that she wanted to become more productive academically and learn every stage of the publication process.
“I think sometimes students shy away from being honest with their supervisors.”
“I tried to be very transparent and be like, hey, I really want to get this experience. I really want to learn how to walk through the publication process. I want to learn how to develop a research question, how to analyze the data, how to write, how to present, how to do the journal submission process, the peer review process. I want to learn. Framing it as a learning opportunity has always been very well received for me.”
One strategy that greatly helped her was turning the literature reviews she was already completing for her thesis into publishable systematic reviews and manuscripts. Tulip also encourages students not to shy away from collaboration opportunities, explaining that she often reached out to join ongoing projects simply because she wanted to learn new skills and contribute where she could.
“Another thing that I think is really helpful is not to shy away from asking to collaborate on other research projects.”
Tulip emphasized that many students are afraid to advocate for themselves, but believes growth happens when students clearly communicate their goals and seek out opportunities.
Quality Over Quantity
Tulip has built an impressive research portfolio, one that is well thought out and grounded in strong research. Tulip strongly values quality over quantity when it comes to publications. She explained that not every project necessarily needs to become a paper, and that meaningful, well-developed research is far more important than simply increasing publication numbers. Tulip shared that mentorship played a major role in helping her learn which ideas were worth pursuing further, noting that mentors often encouraged her to continue refining projects before trying to publish them. She also explained that she produces her best work when she is genuinely passionate about the topic, saying that passion fuels creativity, critical thinking, and motivation throughout the research process. For Tulip, impactful research comes from curiosity and purpose rather than simply trying to publish as much as possible.
“When I'm truly super passionate about a project, I do so well, I'm very creative, I'm a critical thinker. I get it done, you know, way more efficiently than other studies.”
The Three Buckets
Throughout our conversation Tulip made reference to the “three buckets” explaining that successful clinical psychology applicants often gain experience across three aspects of clinical psychology. The first bucket is research experience, which includes conducting studies, presenting at conferences, and developing strong analytical skills. The second bucket is clinical experience, such as volunteering or working with patient populations to develop interpersonal and helping skills. The third bucket focuses on leadership, teaching, and passion-driven experiences. Tulip shared that strong applicants typically have experiences in all three areas, which in turn means a well balanced application.
“I always say that for a PhD program in clinical psych applicants, there's like three buckets in every application. There's the research experience bucket, there's the clinical experience bucket, and there's the teaching slash leadership slash passion bucket.”
Choosing the Right Program
When deciding which clinical psychology programs to apply to and ultimately accept, Tulip considered both academic and personal factors that would support her long-term goals and overall well-being, including:
Strong research alignment with her interests in neuropsychology, cognition, aging, and older adult populations
Programs with a strong emphasis on research training and a clinician-scientist model
Remaining close to family and her support system in the Toronto area
Mentorship, Conferences and Growth
Tulip continuously spoke very highly of the mentors who shaped and continue to shape her career. She shared that her supervisor during her first master’s degree had a particularly lasting impact on her development as a researcher, teaching her how to critically think about research and the importance of asking thoughtful, well-crafted research questions. Tulip also expressed deep appreciation for the support she receives from her current supervisor, who encourages her curiosity and provides the flexibility to explore her own research interests and ideas.
“She gave me a lot of resources, flexibility, ideas, and really allowed me to carve my own path. She's somebody who I'm sure will have a long lasting impact on me.”
Building on the support and guidance she received from her mentors, Tulip also highlighted the importance of stepping outside of her comfort zone and engaging with the broader academic community. One experience that particularly shaped her growth as a researcher was attending and presenting her work at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry conference. It was the first time she independently traveled to a major academic conference, presented her own research findings, and immersed herself in an environment filled with researchers and clinicians who shared similar interests. Beyond simply showcasing her work, Tulip described the experience as incredibly instrumental in teaching her the value of seeking feedback, asking questions, and learning collaboratively from others in the field.
“We don’t have the ability to know everything, but we have the ability to know people who know different things, and we can combine that knowledge.”
Final Words
Tulip’s story challenges the idea that students need to have everything figured out from the beginning. Instead, her journey highlights the importance of exploration, curiosity, and being open to opportunities that gradually shape your path over time. Through mentorship, research, volunteering, and self-advocacy, Tulip built a career direction that genuinely aligned with her passions and goals.
When asked what advice she would give students hoping to pursue clinical psychology, especially neuropsychology, her answer was both simple and impactful:
“Be very intentional with what you do, whether it's towards your professional journey or personal one, and don't be afraid to be yourself and get excited about the things that you're excited about. People love passion.”
.png)
Comments