We’re not afraid to admit that we’re still mourning the fact that Alex McCord’s season of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip will probably never see the light of day. Her life after Bravo is truly one of a kind, and she deserves the shine. However, with or without the cameras, she just shared a major career update. Alex has earned her PhD, so you can call this Real Housewives of New York alum Dr. McCord.
Former RHONY star Alex McCord got her PhD
After leaving RHONY, Alex, whose real name isn’t actually Alex, moved to Australia with her hubby, Simon Van Kempen, and their two kids. There, she’s been studying clinical psychology, inching towards a PhD over the last few years. All of that hard work just paid off this week!
“Guess who just got her PhD?!? Me!!” the RHONY alum wrote on Instagram, along with the exciting update.
She continued, “Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Clinical Psychology = conferred!! Of course there will be an in-person ceremony with a big hat and much celebration next May, but for now….IT’S DONE!!!”
This achievement has been a long time coming, and she’s been keeping RHONY fans updated along the way. Back in September 2025, she shared with her Instagram followers that she had completed the final stage of her program. She published research on child and adolescent eating disorders.
“The final stage of my PhD research has been published, with a new tool designed to help identify what extra supports individual families in eating disorder treatment might need, so treatment options can be tailored,” Alex explained.
So, Alex went from being called a “social climber” on RHONY to making a real impact in the world. It’s a vastly different lifestyle from the rest of the RHONY OGs, and it makes us love her even more.
The Real Housewives of New York is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – DO YOU HAVE ANY CONGRATULATORY WORDS FOR ALEX FOLLOWING THIS MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT? DO YOU THINK WE WILL EVER SEE DR. MCCORD BACK ON BRAVO?
