Mindset and Resilience: Yash's Road to Acceptance

“Inside Clinical” Series, Episode 2

By Dr. John W. Lee (Clinical Psychologist; University of Waterloo alum)

With Yash Joshi, M.A. Candidate in Clinical Psychology (University of British Columbia)

I first came across Yash Joshi when he announced that he’d been accepted into the Clinical Psychology MA+PhD program at UBC. His post stopped me mid-scroll. Even though I didn’t know him personally, I felt this wave of vicarious happiness– the kind you get when you see someone break through such a tough process. Anyone in this field knows how rare those acceptance posts are, and how much perseverance they represent.

That moment led me to pay closer attention to Yash’s journey. In his post, he gave a heartfelt shoutout to his mentors, including Dr. Karen Rowa at the Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton – someone who also happens to be my former grad school classmate. Karen is a superstar in the field of anxiety research, and seeing her name in his story instantly piqued my curiosity.

I reached out to Yash to learn more about how he did it, and he graciously accepted, despite being in the middle of a big move to Vancouver. What I discovered is that Yash’s success wasn’t the product of a single breakthrough, but rather a collection of deliberate choices and sustained effort. He built resilience through cold emails and near misses. He leaned on mentorship, not just for opportunities but for perspective. And perhaps most striking, he chose to turn what many students see as a dreaded hurdle - statistics  - into a defining strength that set him apart.

Episode 2 of Inside Clinical dives into Yash’s playbook: how he positioned himself, the mindset shifts that carried him forward, and the lessons any aspiring clinical student can borrow for their own journey.

Meet Yash

Our second guest is Yash Joshi, who grew up in Toronto and earned his undergraduate degree at McMaster University in Integrated Science, specializing in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour (PNB). Some of his most recent work experience includes his research coordinator position at the Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Outside of academics and work, Yash is the definition of well-rounded: lifelong soccer player, baker, reader and hiker.

At the beginning of his undergrad, the goal was medical school to become an oncologist. Then, one might say that Yash had his light bulb moment - an 8:30am abnormal psychology class combined with his own experience with mental health. 

“I thought I’d be an oncologist—then I took abnormal psych at 8:30 a.m. and fell in love with psychology.”

Despite initially dreading the morning class, he quickly found himself captivated– not only by the engaging content but also by the way it sparked his curiosity outside the classroom. When he later went on to meet more clinical psychologists and became involved in research, the pieces fell into place - clinical psychology was the path he wanted to pursue. 

"I think just being in that class, and just all the content I learned… it just really got me interested. Even outside of the schoolwork, I was diving into papers, reading upon things… And also, probably my own experience and journey with mental health… I know I want to be in this realm. It was just about figuring out what I wanted to do."

Experience Portfolio (Pre-Masters)

For many students hoping to pursue clinical psychology, the path is anything but linear, marked by detours, pauses, and unexpected turns. Yash’s pre-grad-school experience was far from linear, building his skills in an animal behaviour lab first and then moving to cancer research, where he studied psychosocial oncology. 

From there, he pivoted to family, developmental and community psychology, with Dr. Andrea Gonzalez where he built up his skill-set and a network that later opened doors. His thesis work moved him closer to his true interests in anxiety (with Dr. Karen Rowa and Dr. Irena Milosevic), and a part-time lab position followed in OCD/neurostimulation. 

“There is an emphasis on research nowadays. It’s really hard to get opportunities to present things or publish, but that has such an importance now on applications. So to build those foundations, it’s really important to start early.”

Along the way he also mentored peers, volunteered on helplines, and served in campus roles focused on wellness and violence prevention. That sequence built hard skills—literature and systematic reviews, data analysis, writing—and soft skills such as teamwork, science communication, and relationship-building that later translated into strong references and new opportunities.

“Whether its just by volunteering, and oftentimes paid opportunities aren’t available, so it’s volunteering, getting involved and building that foundation with supervisors over years to eventually build up to a point where you can work on bigger projects, or new skills or publish.” 

Two Application Cycles, One Critical Decision

For many individuals in their final year of their psychology undergrad, they contemplate whether to apply for graduate training in psychology, take a gap year, or even pursue a master’s degree in a different area. Yash treated his first application cycle– during his final undergraduate year– as a rehearsal. He wasn’t convinced that the research fit was right, and after earning an interview he ultimately withdrew his application rather than committing to a lab that didn’t align with his interests. 

He then spent a focused year in full-time research to clarify his research interests and long-term goals. In cycle two, he applied to ten programs (seven in Canada and three in the United States), earned six first-round interviews, advanced to multiple finals, and finished with two offers. He chose UBC for its advisor fit, research culture, and Vancouver’s wide range of practicum placements.

Rapid Fire with Yash

What Actually Mattered (and How Much) 

Many students applying for Clinical Psychology question what’s really required of them to be considered a strong and competitive applicant. If you ask Yash, he views letters of reference as a critical component, as references are read closely, and people do reach out behind the scenes. Among the requirements, Yash argues how important publications and presentations are, explaining that many of those accepted had multiple presentations, and even publications in work or submitted. Posters and presentations help demonstrate you can communicate science. An A to A- average keeps doors open and B’s can be offset by strong research experience– BUT it is not the definitive factor: 

“I also feel like there’s less importance on GPA now. I think this definitely shifted more towards research.” 

Finally, and most notably, Yash expressed an interest and passion for quantitative statistics in his statement of intent, which is an area of psychology that many students dislike. Seeing as the field of research psychology is statistically driven, discussing his curiosity for running factor analyses and other advanced statistical models made him a standout candidate. So you might be asking yourself– how can I become an expert in statistics? Don’t be fooled, Yash did not start out loving statistics. But, he sat down and began reading the methods section closely of journal articles, and then researching the what’s and why’s of the different statistical analyses being used. 

To me, this is a brilliant way a student can set themselves apart in an application. Principal investigators see students brilliant at statistics as invaluable assets. And given that most students often visibly detest statistics, it’s a sure way method to stand out. This should give students that extra motivation and drive to excel in stats and embrace it.  And becoming an expert in advanced stats will make your Masters and Ph.D. journey that much easier. 

Rapid Fire Secrets: What Really Matters

Yash's most surprising takes from our discussion

Mistakes Along the Way 

No journey in the pursuit of Clinical Psychology is perfect. And looking back on Yash’s journey, he tells us that one of his biggest mistakes was applying to multiple schools to maximize the chance of an acceptance. Applying to an unfocused list of programs can sometimes suggest that you simply want to “get in” rather than contribute to a particular lab’s trajectory. 

Another mistake he mentioned was overthinking emails. At times he would spend hours drafting and redrafting messages to professors and even follow-up emails, only to be met with a one word response. So, don’t get stuck obsessing over the “perfect email” - being clear and showing genuine interest is what truly matters. 

Why UBC Was the Right Choice

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For Yash, his decision was partially based on the fit with his supervisor, Dr. Joelle Lamalt. It was a combination of the research being conducted, the program that she has built over time, and the track-record of her past students going into post-doctorate and faculty positions.

“I knew this since 3 years ago when I first started looking into clinical psychology… it’s a really cool lab—this is where I would love to be.”

Beyond the research aspect, UBC’s clinical training is what sealed the deal. The Greater Vancouver area provides a wide range of practicum sites across hospitals and private clinics, that will help grow his skills as a clinician. 

Having visited Vancouver many times, I can attest to how beautiful and vibrant this city is. While Simon Fraser University isn’t in Vancouver per se, it was one of the schools I received and acceptance to, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say part of me wonders what life would have been life if I had accepted an offer there.  I think there is something to be said about expanding your horizons by planting yourself in a completely different environment.

Mindset and Mentality

Yash's Honours Thesis

There were plenty of moments where he questioned whether pursuing clinical psychology was even worth it, especially with the amount of effort and time he was investing. What helped Yash was staying resilient, but most importantly cultivating a support system. Whether that’s friends outside of the field or likewise people navigating the same terminals of cold emails and statements of intents. 

“One of the biggest things for me was having that support group, whether it's my friends who don't know anything about this world but are there to support me, or people who are going through the same things… dealing with that stress of, like, okay, how do I boast about myself without looking arrogant and whatnot."

His last parting advice was keeping true to your most authentic self. You don’t need to have every skill—show genuine curiosity, energy for tedious tasks, and the willingness to learn. That combination earned him trust and responsibility, and ultimately got him into the UBC Clinical Psychology Master’s Program. 

"I think… it's definitely the resilience. I know there were so many times where I was like, do we even really want to do this, or is it even worth it, like, all this investment… but I think it's… if it is something that you really want to do, it will be worth it in the end."