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CUA Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 201312-1 Internship

Chapter 12. Clinical Internship and the Post-doctoral, Pre-licensure Period

The clinical psychology program requires a calendar-year clinical internship (or half-time over 2 years) as the culmination of clinical training.

Competitiveness of Internships

Clinical internships have become highly competitive, especially in popular areas such as Washington and Boston. Although CUA students have long held a strong reputation at internship settings, careful preparation of your internship application and consideration of a wide range of alternative placements is strongly encouraged. We also strongly urge you to add to your application list, internship sites outside of the immediate area and other very desirable places to live. Sites in the midwest and in small towns are not inundated with applications as are sites in attractive urban environments. Do apply in the DC area if you would like to stay here, because our students have done extremely well in the area, but you will increase the chances of getting an internship that you are pleased with if you also plan to apply more widely. But also keep in mind our great success rate in the last many years in placing students on internship in their first year of applying! As a final and important consideration, your application for clinical internships has implications for the larger program, our reputation, and the maintenance of our accreditation. Applying for internship requires that you are ready and that you make the maximum effort to ensure success. For example, some students consider applying when they are perhaps less than fully prepared or consider applying to only 1-2 sites thinking that if they don’t get in, they can try again next year. This kind of approach has implications beyond the student applicant—such an approach can adversely affect the larger program if you fail to obtain an internship on a first try. If there are any questions about your readiness or strategy, please talk to your faculty advisor, the Associate DCT, or the DCT.

Preparation and Applications

Gather information about internships early. The summer before applying is a good time to collect information about sites, although the sites will typically not have their actual materials available until around September. The source for information on sites and many other aspects of internship application is the website of the Association for Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), the professional organization of internship sites, http://www.appic.org/. APPIC has a searchable database of internships with links to internship websites.

APPIC has several listservs that can be joined by going to the APPIC website. Students applying for internship must subscribe to the Match listserv because the information is essential (and yields few messages). There is also a discussion list for applicants, which some students find useful and others find anxiety-provoking and not helpful

The Associate DCT and DCT hold a meeting each September for those who are planning

http://www.appic.org/


to apply for internship. All facets of the application process are discussed. Students who are currently on internship are invited to this meeting, because their advice is invaluable. Beyond this meeting, a listserv of applicants and current/recent interns is created each year to facilitate questions and answers.

APPIC has an application form, the AAPI, which is accessed via their web site (see link above) that all sites use. Note that, the AAPI is completed entirely online. The application includes a detailed break-down of hours spent in various clinical activities, as well as tests administered. There is also a set of essays on the AAPI. In addition to the standard AAPI, many sites add their own set of questions.

Application deadlines range from late October to December. Most are November 1 currently, although they keep getting earlier. Give yourself time to work and re-work your internship applications. It is essential to tailor your application to each site in the final essay, and the new online AAPI allows for doing so. General statements (e.g., "I want to intern at your setting because it offers the best training") are less effective than those that can detail what is unique about each internship and how it fits into your overall plan for professional development. In our experience, in preparing your essays it can be helpful to look at other essays of peers or in books, but then be sure to put them away before writing your own. Your essays must reflect your original work and you never want to literally or inadvertently use the work of others! But be sure to ask your advisor to read all your essays and give you feedback.

High-quality internships are geared toward training, not providing service cheaply through student labor. It stands to reason, then, that the best internships consider more than just the quantity of prior clinical experience. The quality of experience and the student's demonstrated scholarship in all areas of psychology are equally or more important. Give consideration, therefore, to soliciting recommendations from advisors who may know you primarily through research collaboration or seminar work, as well as from clinical supervisors.

Readiness to Apply for Internship

Students must receive program approval (from their advisor or the DCT) prior to applying for internship. All criteria are included in the Clinical Practica and Externship Policies and Procedures Guide (Appendix A of this handbook). Faculty meet early in the Fall semester to review the list of students intending to apply for internship that year. Briefly, the criteria are: students must be in good academic standing; students must have submitted their brief (2-page) dissertation proposal to the department faculty by October 1 of the year in which they are applying for internship; students will have completed at least two 9 month clinical externships by the time they begin internship (this rule effective with classes entering in Fall 2011 and later), students will have received satisfactory evaluations from all on-campus and off-campus practicum and externship supervisors, or have satisfied the requirements of any remediation plans that were developed for unsatisfactory evaluations; students will have received satisfactory faculty ratings on the clinical case conference (beginning with classes entering in Fall 2009 or


later). In addition to these specific criteria, faculty make a global determination of whether the sum total of each student’s training experiences will have provided sufficient breadth of training to satisfy program expectations and requirements. Operationally, the Director of Clinical Training will not complete the portion of the internship applications that attests to the student’s readiness for internship unless the student has met these criteria.

APA-Accredited Internships

All APA-accredited internships are acceptable to the program, and non-accredited sites are acceptable if they meet the criteria below as determined by the Director of Clinical Training. The program strongly encourages students to go to accredited sites. APPIC’s database of sites indicates which are APA-accredited. A list can also be found at http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/. An APA-accredited internship is not required for licensing in most jurisdictions, although it is in some. Those jurisdictions that do not require an accredited site may require the applicant for licensing to provide much more documentation than an applicant with an accredited internship. Further, some employers give preference to job candidates who have had an accredited internship.

Here are some useful websites for investigating the rules about internship in different jurisdictions:

http://www.asppb.net/ (general information on licensing requirements and specific licensing requirements of every jurisdiction in the US and Canada)

http://www.uky.edu/Education/EDP/psyinfo2.html (links to psychology boards and licensure laws in all U.S. jurisdictions)

The clinical faculty has devised a set of guidelines for non-APA-accredited internships (see below). A student must demonstrate that such an internship meets these minimum standards for the internship to be an acceptable placement. Any student who wishes to undertake such an internship should submit all information necessary for the clinical faculty to evaluate the internship's acceptability, such as the description of the training and the list of faculty. This should be done at least 4 weeks prior to the date for submitting your rank-order list. (Don’t wait until the day before you must submit your list to ask the Director of Clinical Training if it is acceptable to take a non-accredited site.)

Specialty Internships

Some internships offer specialized training in a particular treatment modality (e.g., psychodynamic) or with a particular population (e.g., inpatients; children and adolescents; college students). Decisions about whether to do such an internship should be made in light of the student's overall training experience (pre- and post-internship) and career goals.

http://www.uky.edu/Education/EDP/psyinfo2.html

http://www.asppb.net/

http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/


Guidelines for Non-APA Accredited Internships

Students in the CUA Clinical Psychology Training Program are encouraged to seek an APA-accredited clinical internship. However, occasionally a student elects a non-accredited internship. In order to assure the quality of training, the following guidelines serve as minimum standards for non-APA-accredited internship programs. Any internship that fails to meet these guidelines will not qualify as an acceptable training experience for CUA clinical psychology students. The guidelines are not meant to suggest what constitutes a good internship program, merely a minimally acceptable one. An attempt is made to specify certain features which we feel are essential, as well as other features which may be desirable but not absolutely necessary.

1. The student must be clearly designated as a trainee in a formally identified training program, in contrast to being hired as a junior staff member of the facility itself.

2. The program must have a licensed/certified psychologist (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) who functions as training director and who is responsible for the following:

a) establishing a contract with the trainee regarding the content of the training program. This contract should take into account the trainee's specific skill deficits. It should specify a set of required training experiences (number of hours of direct client contact, seminars, conferences, etc.), and a set of elective training experiences.

b) insuring that the trainee's program is evaluated periodically, so that the training program can be modified, if necessary.

c) insuring that mid-year and end-of-year evaluations are made of the trainee's skills and deficits as a clinical psychologist and that these are sent to the CUA Director of Clinical Training.

3. The trainee must receive broad exposure to a reasonable variety of significant clinical

problems. It is difficult to specify in advance just what constitutes "broad exposure" or "significant problems." For example, exclusive contact with just one of the following problem groups would constitute too restricted a training experience: an incarcerated prison population, or a chemically dependent sample (even if both in-patient and out-patient). The internship facility itself could provide direct service only to a limited clientele, as in the case of a prison. However, the training director will be responsible for providing supplementary training experiences at outside training agencies, in order to insure broad exposure to diverse problems as well.

4. It is desirable that the trainee gain experience in a wide variety of treatment modalities, such as individual, group, marital/family, long-term, short-term inpatient and outpatient treatment. Moreover, it is desirable that the trainee receive exposure to a variety of theoretical approaches to treatment (e.g., cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic). However,


exposure to a variety of treatment modes and models does not substitute for experience with a broad client population.

5. The trainee's internship experiences should represent a reasonable balance of activities undertaken by a clinical psychologist, including direct treatment, consultation, assessment, and research. Formal seminars and case conferences are also desirable components of the training year.

6. Adequate supervision time must be allocated for all training activities in which the intern is engaged. This supervision must be provided by two or more licensed/certified psychologists (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) on the training program staff. Total supervision time should amount to at least 5 or 6 hours per week, at least 2 hours of which should constitute individual supervision by a licensed/certified staff psychologist. In addition, it is desirable that the trainee receive some consultation with, and/or supervision by, other mental health professionals, in order to foster a multidisciplinary perspective.

Very important: If you do an unaccredited internship, you may be asked by the jurisdiction in which you seek licensing to provide voluminous documentation on the hours you spent on internship. Track your hours just as you did earlier in the program in preparation for internship application, e.g., by how many face-to-face hours with what type of client, and so on. It is important to know that some future employers (like the VA system) may require an APA accredited internship experience, which may influence your decision-making therein.

The Match Process

APPIC administers a matching process of applicants and sites. In other words, after a process of applications and rank ordering, a complex computer program comes up with the best match of an applicant to the highest rank-ordered site possible. Applicants are told where they are going, and sites are told who their interns will be. Information on the match can be found on the APPIC website, http://www.appic.org.

Students must sign up for the match with APPIC and pay a fee. Most applications are due about November 1, and interviews take place in December and January. In Phase I of the match, both applicants and sites submit rank-ordered lists early in February. In other words, students rank-order all the sites they are willing to attend, and sites rank-order all the applicants they are willing to train. APPIC convincingly demonstrates that it is in applicants’ (and sites’) best interest to submit an honest rank-order list, regardless of what chance the applicant thinks he or she has of getting the top-ranked site. The Phase I match outcome is announced on a Friday in late February.

Sites are never told what rank an applicant with whom they are matched gave the site, and vice versa. In submitting a rank-order list, applicants are guaranteeing that they will attend the site to which they are matched; it is ethically unacceptable to change one’s mind after the



match has been announced. That is why it is so important to rank-order only those sites to which an applicant is willing to go.

Beginning in 2011, students who do not obtain a position in this first phase of the match are eligible to participate in a Phase II match. Those applicants use the AAPI Online service to submit applications to programs with unfilled positions from Phase I approximately one week after the Phase I match. Applicants and programs submit new rank order lists for Phase II of the Match by a deadline that is roughly 3 weeks after the Phase I match. A second matching process is carried out, and the results of Phase II of the match are distributed 1 week later.

Preparation Tips for Applications and Interviews (From the Experience of Past CUA Students)

A. Applications

In addition to the standard AAPI form and questions specific to each site, you will need:

1. An up-to-date vita.

2. Copies of graduate school (and occasionally undergraduate) transcripts.

3. One or two places ask for a recording or transcript of a therapy session. (Some students have gotten by with a treatment summary, though.)

4. One or two places ask for descriptions of every graduate psychology course you have taken.

5. Several places ask for copies of assessment reports (usually two) that you have written from complete batteries. Be sure to omit the client’s name!

6. At least 3 letters of reference, as well as the APPIC form attesting to readiness for internship that must be submitted by the Director of Clinical Training.

B. The Interviews (Note: This section is very helpful for externships too, although externship interviews will take into account that the student has less experience.)

Most places give individual interviews. A few places interview applicants in groups. A few internships have two interviewers talk to you together.

Since interviews take place in the winter, you might ask what to do if there’s bad weather.


Some typical questions are below. 1. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a person? As a professional?2. What makes you interested in this internship program? How is this setting relevant to

your professional goals?3. Tell me about your supervision experiences. Ever had a conflict with a supervisor?

How did you handle it? What were your best and worst supervision experiences?4. What would you do if your supervisor wanted you to do something you thought was

unethical?

5. Why do you think you entered this field?6. What have you learned about yourself in supervision?7. How well do you know Exner scoring, MMPI interpretation?8. What have you read in psychodynamic theory? (Often by psychodynamic sites or

supervisors)9. Describe a client you have treated...Why did you pick that case? (By the way, it’s a

good idea to have a case prepared that’s similar to the clientele at that site, if possible.) Keep your case presentation short and clear. You might practice it aloud beforehand; many sites ask this.

10. What is special about you, why should we take you instead of other applicants?11. Why didn't you get an A in this one course? (Don't get defensive and don't panic.

Think about explanations for any low grades you may have gotten in graduate school in advance of your interviews.)

12. How far along are you on your dissertation? Why did you choose your topic?13. What do you see yourself doing in 10 years? What would you like people to say

about you at your retirement party?14. What is your theoretical orientation? Why? (If eclectic or integrative, a survey of

internship training directors says that’s fine but you must be able to articulate a system for deciding what to do when.)

15. Interviewer describes case and asks how you would intervene.16. What was your most/least successful therapy case? What types of clients are

easiest/hardest for you to deal with?17. Interviewer points out an area of inexperience, in your background, asks you to

comment. Previous students' advice (which may not be the only way to go, but which worked for them): Avoid becoming defensive. Acknowledge the weakness and say this is why you are interested in this internship, because you feel it can help fill in the gap in that part of your experience, that you are committed to working on "X" and believe your record demonstrates that you can be successful at it. An alternative strategy: beat them to the punch if you have a glaring weakness in your experience or knowledge. Tell them right off the bat that one reason you are interested in their program is to become proficient at "X," an area you are very excited about but one in which you would like to gain more competency.

18. What do you think the role of diagnosis is in psychotherapy? What do you think of the DSM? What are its strengths and weaknesses? How would you change it?

19. Imagine you are asked to assess a client. What one (they asked for two at one site)


test(s) would you use and why?20. The interviewer presents you with an ethical dilemma, asks what you would do etc.,

followed by the question, "would you turn in your colleague to hospital administration?"21. How would you feel about/deal with working with murderers, rapists, and/or child

abusers? We have some patients like that here. How would you handle it?22. How do you make sense of doing clinical work with individuals based on research,

when research uses means?23. How would your best friend describe you?24. Sites with a high percentage of ethnic minority clients, if you’re not a minority

yourself, may ask how it would feel being white working with a predominantly African American clientele.

25. You may be asked about any personal therapy you’ve had. A good way of responding is to talk about its relevance to your clinical work.

26. What do you like best about your program, and what would you change about your program if you could?

27. Is there anything else you'd like me to know about you?

Have questions ready for them, but not things you can readily find out from their website, or it will annoy them. Good questions include:

1. What your interviewer’s interests are.2. What do your interns do after internship here? Do you help interns get jobs?3. If there are new faculty and/or some have left, what kinds of changes will that have on

the program? Also you can ask about upcoming changes or who might not be supervising in the coming year.

4. One good question to ask is what sort of trainees do you think are happiest here?

Here’s a list of questions that was posted one year on the APPIC website:

PRACTICE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Personal/Professional1. How did you become interested in psychology?2. How did you become interested in (specific interest area)?3. What would you be doing if you were not in psychology?4. Personal strengths and weaknesses? How do they influence your work? What have you

done to deal with your shortcomings?5. What are your goals after internship? In 5 years?6. Tell me about yourself?7. Personal strengths and weaknesses? Who are you, personally?8. What do you do in your spare time? To relax?9. Tell me about your interest in this area (geography)?10. Why did you choose your training program?


11. Why should we accept you over other equally qualified candidates?12. What do you have to contribute to us?

Research1. Dissertation topic? How is your research progressing? Where do you see it going?2. How did you get interested in this topic?3. Clinical relevance of research?4. Master's thesis?

Assessment1. Tell me about an instrument with which you feel competent.2. Opinion of projective testing.3. What Rorschach scoring system? Why?4. Opinion of MMPI-2.5. What further assessment training or experiences do you need?

Treatment1. Greatest strength as a therapist?2. Type of client most difficult to work with? What types of feelings do you have toward such

cases? How do these feelings interfere with treatment?3. Orientation in therapy? What do you think of __ approach?4. How do you see yourself as a therapist?5. Challenges you expect to face as a therapist?6. Experience with family/group/inpatient/etc. treatment?7. Talk about a therapy case you had. How did you conceptualize the case? What was most

effective? (mini-case presentation, 5 minutes)8. Most challenging case?9. What type of client do you work best with?10. What sort of supervisors have you had? What type of supervision is best for you?11. What further therapy training or experience do you need?

Recruiting1. What can we do to make you want to come here?2. How do you see us fitting with your goals?3. Which of your interest areas are (not) addressed by our program?4. Where else have you applied and what attracted you to these places?5. What attracts you most to our internship?

Other1. What else would like me know about you that isn't apparent from your CV?2. What is the one question you would like me to ask you?

C. Some Extra Suggestions to Consider


1. Give the people from whom you want recommendations and the Director of Clinical Training a lot of advance notice. Ask for letters in September if you can. Provide each reference person with a list of deadlines for your places. If you are not self-managing your applications, give your letter writers stamped, addressed envelopes to make their job easier. If you are self-managing your applications, give them envelopes with the site indicated on them. Keep in touch with these people as the weeks go by, making sure they have all the information they need.

2. After your interviews, write to EVERY program in which you are interested. You shouldn't lie, but it's a good idea to indicate enthusiasm and interest in EVERY place you plan to rank-order. It is against the rules for an internship site, however, to use information on whether the site is a first choice for an applicant. Don’t put the internship in an awkward position by conveying first-choice information. If you are pressured for a first-choice response, discuss it with the Director of Clinical Training.

3. Something you should prepare yourself for: competing against friends/classmates is no fun. Once you're all down to the wire, it's hard to know whether to stay in close touch and lend each other support, or distance yourself for a little while. All we can say is, try to be sensitive to each other. One person may want to keep in touch, another may say "call me next week."

4. Although interviewing is unavoidably an anxiety-provoking process, try to relax and be yourself. It's to your advantage as well as to the internship site's to learn whether or not the internship is a good match for you, and the best way to discover that is by being honest. That's not to say that complete, embarrassing self-revelation is called for; it's always best to present yourself in a positive light. Just remember that you're interviewing them, too. Both you and the site have determined from paper information that you may be a good match. A major purpose of the interview is to determine if they would like to have you around for a year, and if you would like to be there for a year.

D. Some Advice from Alumni

From Jessica Sandham Swope:

Regarding essay writing: - For the biographical essay, pick a theme, something about you that is special or unique and that conveys the essence of what you have to offer and write to that. Don't try to be all things to all people, just be the best and truest version of yourself as you can be and try to sell that. Example: I wrote about my background as a journalist and related it to my interest in becomming a psychologist and emphasized the strengths of having a nontraditional background. Also, if you have a good/solid theme in the biographical essay, try to weave it into the other essays when possible and appropriate.


-Leave enough time to write and edit and have someone else read it and revise, revise, revise until your essays sing and become everything they can be in the space allowed. I had several interviewers comment to me that they really appreciated how well-written my essays were and I think it made a difference in my landing interviews. Regarding the application process: -Don't freak out if you are very close to the deadline by which you are supposed to hear from programs and haven't heard from very many programs. I heard from about 1/2 of the programs on the last day or two before the deadline and it was an even mix of interview invitations and rejections. The timing of when a program contacts you means nothing! Regarding the interview process: -Prepare as much as possible, but don't overprepare to such a degree that you lose yourself in the process. Know what your general response will be to the expected questions (read the APPIC guide and the list of questions and think through your answers for each), but also leave room for spontenaity and thinking on your feet. Practice with a friend before your first interview--you will get better and more polished the more you do it. -Also, don't get so caught up in trying to have programs think highly of you that you forget to actually assess whether you want the program. Think of yourself as a catch that they would be lucky to land and try to also ask them about things that are important to you in your training. Thinking this way will also help you feel more confident. --Be energetic and enthusiastic and sell, sell, sell the match between you and the program. From Ranon Cortell:

Sample Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself The Match

o Goalso Good feeling from brochure, previous interns, facultyo Multidisciplinary, Multiculturalo Supervision/Mentorshipo Rotationso My training experienceso Contributions I could makeo Other aspects of the program


o Research Case Conceptualization

o Theoretical orientationo Short-term goalso Long-term goalso Methods usedo Measuring changeo Conceptualizationo Determined goals were meto Agreeing to termination

Theoretical orientation Challenging clients Successful Client Experiences Challenges/weakness/growth areas Ethical dilemma Where working after internship Specific clinical interests Challenging clients for me: Short-term goals/Training objectives Long-term goals. Pressing issues facing psychologists Training Experiences Positive Supervision Negative supervision Traits looking for in supervisor Clients find it difficult to work with: Clinical issues most skilled with: Culturally diverse clients Dissertation Status: Why chose clinical psychology: Strengths and weaknesses of graduate program What would you do if not psychology: Where is profession heading

Internship Interview Sample Questions

Generic ones (i.e. Qs you can expect to be asked at many places):Why are you interested in our program?Tell me about a (difficult, interesting, fun, ethically challenging…) case.What are your strengths/weaknesses?Tell me about a challenging time during supervision and how you handled it.What do you ultimately want to do/where do you see yourself in 5 (or 10) years?


What do you like to do outside of psychology?What is your theoretical orientation?What are your research interests?

Other questions submitted by specific people:Corine Bell:"What gaps in training would our program have compared to what you want in your internship

year or for your future career?" ('what don't we have?')"What is a systemic change that you've witnessed?""How do cultural considerations specifically affect assessment?""How do you establish yourself as a new employee?"Talk about an ethical dilemma.What did you do wrong in a case?Is there an age or presenting problem that is a challenge for you?What makes you unique?What is a recent book you read for pleasure? Most influential book? Professional book you’d

carry?What would you ask a potential intern? (of course think- 'I'm going to have to answer this')What do you wish we would ask you? (of course think- 'I'm going to have to answer this')Define transference and countertransference.Lots of vignettes-tell us your impressions, give a possible dx, talk out loud about your process to

get to a dx, what more information would you want?

Raquel Cumba:Printout of a kid's cognitive assessment and state my impressions

Melinda Moore:Who in psychology would you most like to be like?

Betsy Ballard:"Tell me a simple story about yourself that does not have to do with psychology." "You’re at a coffee shop and overhear your client on the phone, talking about suicide, what do

you do?"

Ali Mattu:What’s a television show you’re embarrassed to tell that you watch?

Melissa SmithWhat is your view on self-disclosure in therapy?What theoretical orientation do you have toward assessment (reaction to treatment, strengths

orientation, discrepancy model)?How do you incorporate your spirituality in therapy (philhaven)?What do you look for in a supervisor?


Blake ZakarinTell me something about yourself that’s not in your application?Tell me about a Family Systems issue that you wish you had handled differently?Tell me something that you’ve been told is one of your strengths and you agree? Then tell me

something you’ve been told is a strength but you don’t yet think of it as a strength?What would your co-workers say is annoying about you?Tell me about a case where you made a mistake?What kind of mistakes do you expect to make as an intern?What is something that I didn’t ask you that you think I should know?Tell me how race/ethnicity impacts your clinical work? Give a specific case example. Is there a population or presentation that is particularly challenging for you? Or with whom you

don’t like to work?What about your family or childhood led you to become a psychologist?What do you think the mechanism of change is in treatment for pediatric anxiety (in context of

conversation about my experience with pediatric anxiety)?Given clinical vignettes (asked to give impressions, select further assessments, diagnosis,

treatment)Given sample cognitive/achievement assessment scores and asked to discuss impressions

Advice from 2011 & 2012 Applicants (Adult: Betsy Ballard) & (CFCers: Corine Bell, Blake Zakarin, Melissa Smith, Brie Kohrt). This advice is not to replace the official internship handbook this is just ad hoc advice. Everything here is opinion, take it, leave it, adapt it for you. Email the people next to the advice if you have questions. 1. Before applying (Relevant for students in all years):

a. Experiences By Yeari. 1st year/2nd year

o If you can volunteer at places to get some clinical hours that’s awesome but don’t stress about it; I would try to have a placement to get hours by summer after 2nd year especially if you want to apply 4th year, (Corine)

o I don’t think it hurts to get some child-focused clinical hours during your 2nd year, if possible, but I agree with Corine that it’s not essential. I do think getting hours the summer after 2nd year is a good idea – if you can’t find a summer externship, see if you can start your full-year externship in June or July. Also, the DC Courts (Conducting assessments with Adolescents in court system) have taken students as early as summer after 1st year. (Blake)

o **When applying for 3rd year externship (which you’ll do in the spring of your 2nd year), it’s important to be aware of requirements for internship and the type of internship you’re interested in, especially if you plan to


apply 4th year because third year will comprise the majority of your child-focused hours/experiences. For example, consider the hours that you’ll get, assessment/therapy experiences, type of institution (e.g if you want to intern in a children’s hospital, it’s a good idea to get a 3rd year externship in a hospital) (Blake).

ii. 3rd yro If you want to apply 4th year, make sure to have some assessment either in

this school year or summer after 3rd year so that you have reports to send with applications; I started a heavy hour externship (Corine). I agree with this, since I was struggling to find a good report to send in my applications (Betsy)

o Assessments are becoming increasingly important. Particularly integrative report writing. Report out of the match in 2011 said that most people had more than 10 integrative reports when they applied. (Melissa)

o Realistically, I think that if you want to apply to internship in your 4th year, you need to get clinical hours in addition to your externship. For example, taking on an extra day of assessment - if you can’t find part-time clinical work to supplement your externship, you could look into opportunities to gain hours (likely assessment) through research. (Blake)

o When applying to externships for 4th year (in spring of 3rd year) it’s important to start thinking about gaps in your training that you need to fill for internship (Blake)

iii. 4th yearo I had an hour heavy externship and still did extra neuropsych testing an

additional 1 day a week (Corine)o I did two externships my 3rd year, so I was worn out by 4th year. I did one

externship and took on fewer clients as the year went on. This freed up my time for the internship application/interviews as well as finishing my dissertation (which I strongly recommend). (Betsy)

o Same – did a full externship with lots of hours and did 4 assessment a month with part time externship in assessment (Melissa)

o I needed to catch up on assessments and integrative reports but also wanted to gain some more individual child therapy clients, so I applied to Inova Kellar Center for 4th year and started in the summer after 3rd year. I also did a summer externship at PIW the summer before 4th year to get some experience with projectives (which some child sites require/prefer) in time for internship applications. (Blake)


b. Overview on Types of experiences to gain before applyingo For internship, all CFCers should plan to have:

Child Therapy hrs Child Assessment hrs Exposure to different assessment instruments Integrative Reports

o I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted so I set myself up for a generalist child/adolescent internship. I got a wide variety of experiences: developmental assessment, indiv therapy, group therapy, neuropsych; working in a hospital and private practice; tons of diff presenting problems; short and long-term therapy; CBT and other orientations. I think if you know what you want to do (ped health, neuro,…) try to get a lot of experience in that area and pepper your CV with other things; the people I talked to who got the neuro interviews had 2-3 yrs of neuro experience and then some random therapy experiences here and there, same with if you want to work in a hospital-make sure to work a lot in a hospital; and if you know you want to do research, publish a lot…(Corine)

o Totally agree with Corine. I decided that I wanted a more general hospital-based internship with children/adolescents/families where I could get diverse experiences, training in EBTs and assessment, so I tried to get hospital-based experiences at different levels of care (e.g. outpatient, PHP, inpatient), but also supplemented with other opportunities to help boost my hours (e.g. private practice). I also tried to get exposure to different assessments and indiv/group/family therapy. Regarding presenting problems – I think it’s a balance – focusing too much (e.g. working only with anxiety or trauma) can limit your options, so I found it ideal to gain experience in an area of focus/interest (e.g. outpatient anxiety) my 3rd year while also supplementing with more diverse presentations during summer and 4th year. (Blake)

o (From adult applicant perspective) Having generalist experiences early really helps, even if you want a specialized internship. You can always say that a particular client or issue led to your interest in an area, like trauma. I felt what helped me was having an exposure to a wide range of psychopathology as well as serious mental illness, particularly for VA or hospital internships. For some of these experiences, I think it’s more about the severity of the psychopathology, rather than the setting itself. I have never worked on an inpatient unit, but I’d worked with patients with borderline PD on an outpatient basis, so there was a sense I could “handle it.” However, if you


think you might want to work in a VA, extern in a VA, even if it’s not for a full externship. – contact me if you have any more questions about this (Betsy).

o Also, if you can get exposure to any evidence based practice, do it! Especially for academic medical centers and VA’s there’s a big push in this area, and saying that you already have familiarity with ACT, Seeking Safety, Social Skills training, DBT, etc, will give you a leg up. (Betsy). Would agree for Child Medical Centers too (Blake).

c. Hourso I don’t think number of hours make all the difference for applicants but it’s

important to be at or a little above the minimum so I’d say go for at least 500 hours-I felt like I didn’t have too many other things to stand out on like lots of publications or another language so I think having more hrs was good for me (Corine)

o I agree, I don’t think hours are very important after you get beyond a certain level (Melissa).

o Totally agree with Corine, but definitely would aim to have at least over 500, and more realistically over 600 if applying to competitive child sites, unless you have another stand out quality (e.g. bilingual). Also, keep in mind that you need to report hours for assessment and therapy separately and some sites will require a certain number of hours within each of these categories, while others will just look at total. So, it is important to make sure you get a balance of assessment and therapy experiences with children by the fall of the year you plan to apply. You will also need to report the number of integrative reports, so make sure to get experience with this as well. It is also a good idea to get a range of individual child clients, both in terms of ethnicity and presentations (Blake).

d. Time2Track.com o I am completely for this, start as soon as you start clinical work, it is worth it!

And it will also help with licensure.(Corine)

2. Application Process:a. Working Together

o Work together with classmates or another applicant if possible! It will help throughout the entire process-share everything, don’t compete, there are so many variables that go into interviews and matching that you will not affect each other and you’ll benefit from the support (*Corine-this is my most important piece of advice*)


o Yes! Having Corine and Catherine read through my essays was crucial and sharing stories from the interviews kept me sane through a very tough month. (Betsy)

o Working together really helps, and don’t be afraid to have other students look over your essays. (Melissa)

b. Number of applications o I say if you can afford it and start enough in advance so you have the time, apply

to as many as you want; I’m glad that I can say I applied everywhere I wanted to go. Another $15 was worth it if it meant not going through the process again (Corine)

o I do think there’s something to be said for applying broadly in terms of geography. Don’t apply anywhere you wouldn’t move, but the sites in the NE are very competitive compared to other areas. It’s really just a year, and a very busy year at that (Betsy).

o While the APPIC report said there was not a higher match rate for people who applied to more than 15, I would say as things are getting more competitive, the more you can apply to, the better. I applied regionally because of family and health issues, but extended myself as far as Pennsylvania. If you can go across the country, go for it! But make sure to listen to yourself and factor in your own needs and wants. It’s all about work/life balance and prioritizing your needs individually. (Melissa)

o I was also limited geographically (from Richmond to NY), so I applied to 20 programs, including about 5-6 that weren’t a great fit – interestingly, I didn’t get interviews at most of these ill-fitting programs so it’s not just about the number of programs, but also the fit of those that you apply to. As long as you can afford it (financially and time-wise), and are willing to go on all the interviews that you get, the more the merrier!

c. Essaysi. Overallo Play up unique skills/qualities-bilingual, worked with very unique population,…

(Corine)o The advice I received was to write your essays before reading anyone else’s.

That way your voice can come through. (Betsy)o I wrote my own essay first as well, not even looking at demo essays. (Melissa)

ii. Biographical essayo get a good theme that you can weave throughout (Corine)


o While this is “personal,” make sure you can connect it back to your professional development and what it says about you as a psychologist. This is the essay where Corine and Catherine’s help was the most important (Betsy).

o Personally, I found this essay most challenging because it is quite open and there’s a delicate balance between personal and professional info. I decided to start with the other two Essays first and found it much easier to write this one at the end – but maybe that’s just me (Blake)

iii. Theoretical orientation-o Give a case example or 2 without going into too much detail. I think now I

would’ve changed it to be the same throughout, I said I conceptualized in more dynamic and systems ways but then did intervention with CBT and I wonder now if it would’ve been better to be the same throughout (it makes sense if I conceptualize C-B to then intervene with CBT) (Corine)

o I think this is a place where they make sure you can use therapy terms correctly. So, if you’re talking about CBT, make sure that you sprinkle the CBT terms throughout so they know you know what you’re talking about (Betsy).

iv. Cultural/Diversity Essayo It’s a good idea to use sample cases, but also convey your general understanding

of cultural competency and how culture impacts different aspects of your work (e.g. assessment, treatment, case conceptualization, etc.) (Blake)

v. Research essayo I was going for more clinical sites over research heavy sites, I kept this one

business-like, short, factual, and didn’t spend as much time on (Corine)

3. Interview Process:a. Typical interviews and related info

o I think I always met with the director, therapy supervisors, and assessment supervisors. There was time with current interns to ask questions about environment and supervision. Sometimes they fed you and sometimes they didn’t so I kept cereal bars with me (Corine).

o I had to fly all over, which was rough. If at all possible, don’t schedule interviews on subsequent days, as you’ll be exhausted. Also, with the weather in January, your flights will get cancelled and delayed. Wednesday interview days are tough to come by (most interviews seemed to be on Mondays and Fridays), so snap them up whenever possible. Try to schedule your interviews in one area- so that you won’t be flying back and forth from the coasts. Always bring snacks with you- some interviews won’t feed you (!!) and you want to feel your best. In


terms of scheduling, I think I “peaked” around the 4th or 5th interview. The first interviews I was nervous and by the last interviews, I was jaded and just wanted to go home. Make friends with fellow applicants—they are the only ones who truly understand what you are going through. You can get info on other interviews as well as split rides to the airport. I saw one applicant at three interviews- we became friends and compared notes on the sites. Now, we are actually at the same site, which is really nice. This amount of travel put a real strain on my clinical work at home. Looking back, I wish I had gotten full coverage for my clients during the time I was interviewing, because it was pretty chaotic, especially when I had to reschedule interviews due to the snow. It really wasn’t fair to them. (Betsy)

o Unfortunately, I found that it was almost impossible to have much control over scheduling, since interview offers come in at all different times, offer specific dates and you have to grab them as they come in. Fortunately, I didn’t have any two on the same day, but did have to schedule interviews on subsequent days. It was totally fine, but just think it’s worth knowing in advance that it might be out of your control. Also, many sites do offer multiple dates to choose from on a first respond basis, so I always tried to get back to sites ASAP to increase chances of getting my preference. In general, I really enjoyed the interview process and seeing different sites! (Blake)

b. Dress codeo Business suits. Also, I had a purple suit and a green suit a alternative which I felt

was professional, but also helped me stand out from the blues and blacks (Melissa)

o You all interviewed for grad school – I think it’s pretty much the same – in fact, I wore the same suit for grad school and internship interviews! (Blake)

c. Interview Questionsi. See “internship question” document

d. What (not) to sayo Give several, specific reasons why you like their program and how you match

that (Corine)o When you get your future goals question, I think it’s better to say something

similar to the site you are applying at, hopefully that is true to some extent or you wouldn’t be applying there; I don’t think saying “private practice” is a good idea generally (Corine)

o Make sure you have a lot of questions for the site. I always prepped questions before the interview and would be able to come up with several more during the


interview. You need to have a lot of questions because you often interview with multiple people and will be asking each one of them different questions (Melissa)

o Agree with the above – definitely prepare questions and come up with additional based on your conversation and the interviewer’s expertise. Although, to be honest, at some sites I definitely repeated the same questions with different interviewers –I figured it was better to repeat my good questions than ask fluff questions (just my assumption)! In general, interviews were pretty straightforward and no major surprises (Blake).

e. What to look for o Do the interns look happy/exhausted or exhausted/resentful? What do they say is

an average workweek? Are you required to take call? How do interns pick their rotations? This is really important and something I didn’t think about until a former intern mentioned it. Some places have certain “spots” they have to fill, so people end up in placements that they aren’t thrilled about. Also, (unfortunately), at a certain point, you are going to start thinking about postdocs and jobs. Where you do your first rotation may really help in this process. How does the faculty treat you on the interview? There are some places where people are very sympathetic to the application process and generally interested in training/getting to know you. There are some places where faculty act like you should be grateful that you have gotten this far. These are going to be your supervisors. (Betsy)

o What is the paperwork like? This can contribute to your hours. How many clients do they have? You want to make sure that you get enough client hours without having so many you will never be able to see them. Do they work evenings? How easy is it to get your vacation/sick time? This question is best asked gently and to interns rather than directors (Melissa).

4. Rankingo Try to pick a place you would be happy at; someone asked me “Is there any place you

would regret if you didn’t go there?” I thought that was helpful; money was also important for me (Corine)

o It’s so easy to get caught up over where you “match” that you lose sight of the fact that you have some sort of choice over where you go. You will be reminded over and over again that “you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you.” Internship is one of the last times you can have intensive clinical supervision. It’s also probably the last time that we can “try on” different clinical roles. For me, I knew that I wanted to have experiences in inpatient psych and with trauma patients. I do not


want to work on an inpatient psych unit or do research on trauma, but felt it was important to have those experiences to be the kind of psychologist I want to be. It’s hard, because of the panic over matching, but think about what kind of training and setting would be the best for you, rather than what’s the most prestigious or the “safest.” (Betsy)

o Don’t try to 2nd guess the process, just be genuine. However, I ranked a site last that on hindsight I really would have regretted if I went there. So don’t rank sites if you know you wont be happy there just to get an internship (Melissa).

o Luckily, you just rank according to your preference and don’t even need to consider how much the program liked or wants you. Some things I considered when ranking: location, family, clinical training/experiences, supervision environment, quality of life, implications for post-doc/career. Also found it helpful to speak with faculty. (Blake)

5. Miscellaneous Adviceo Be nice to fellow interviewees, you may keep seeing the same people again, and they

may be your co-workers. It’s not a bad idea to see a therapist during this process! (Corine)

o Really interview the interns. You will get some much great information from them. Keep in mind that they are evaluating you, but the more questions you have the more you appear to be really interested in the program. I would ask the interns: what’s a typical day like? What type of paperwork do they have? How many assessment do they have? What is their supervision for assessments? What do they think is really special about the place? What is really challenging? How easy was it to find housing? How often do you interact with your other interns. What was the most surprising thing about this externship? Anything you can think of to give you the best picture of the place. Also, it is generally acceptable to ask them their hours, and whether they take work home. I also asked what they were planning on doing next. If they wanted to stay there for a post-doc that was a good sign. (Melissa)

o Starting to be strategic about your experiences earlier in the program will help reduce stress surrounding internship applications (Blake).

o Take some notes about your impression of each site right after your interview – it will come in handy when ranking. (Blake)

E. Some readings you may find helpful

Grace, W. C. (1985). Evaluating a prospective clinical internship: Tips for the applicant.


Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 16, 475-480.

Lopez, S. J., Oehlert, M. E., & Moberly, R. L. (1996). Selection criteria for American Psychological Association-accredited internship programs: A survey of training directors. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 27, 518-520.

Mellott, R. N., Arden, I A., & Cho, M. E. (1997). Preparing for internship: Tips for the prospective applicant. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 28, 190-196.

Mitchell, S. L. (1996). Getting a foot in the door: The written internship application. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 27, 90-92.

Stedman, J. M., Neff, J. A., Donahoe, C. P., Kopel, K., & Hays, J. R. (1995). Applicant characterization of the most desirable internship training program. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26, 396-400.

Stewart, A. E., & Stewart, E. A. (1996). A decision-making technique for choosing a psychology internship. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 27, 521-526.

Williams-Nickelson, C., Prinstein, M. J., & Keilin, W. G. (2012). Internships in psychology: The APAGS workbook for writing successful applications and finding the right fit (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Suggestions for the Post-Doctoral/Pre-Licensure Period

APS Postdoc Exchange

The Association for Psychological Science has a free and searchable database of post-docs: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/post-doc-exchange.

Advice for During the Program

Rachel Mann: One piece of advice that I would pass along is, whenever possible/feasible students should research the licensure requirements in the state(s) where they think they might want to get licensed while they are in graduate school - as many states have specific course requirements that may differ from the usual curriculum of the program. I almost had to take 2 courses for NYS. I was able to convince them through submission of course syllabi that I had fulfilled the requirements. Which brings me to my next piece of advice...keep all your notebooks and syllabi. I first had to submitt a course description for every course and then the syllabi. It is my experience that states are making the requirements more difficult as time goes on especially in states that have a large number of licensed psychologists. Therefore, I think it's helpful to be as proactive in the process as possible.

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/post-doc-exchange


Choosing What to do After Graduation

Craig Burns: I have found the post-doc and new psychologist listservs to be helpful resources. http://www.appic.org/ (click on "E-mail Lists") http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NewPsychList/

A few words on post-docs: A formal post-doc will typically pay less, but will be more secure and guarantee you the necessary numbers of hours of supervision and training. However, community mental health centers may also be good resources for experience as there always seems to be need there.

Jenna LeJeune and Jason Luoma: 1. CUA students are incredibly well prepared. Without sounding too egotistical, I really do believe that we have "better" (i.e. more breadth and depth) of training that just about any other clinical student I encountered. I was surprised by this both on my internship and then again when I started working after internship. Students should not rest on their laurels, but they should feel confident that they will be well prepared to go on internship and to look very attractive to employers after internship. 2. Don't just look at official postdocs that are posted. Honestly, I found almost all of those completely useless because they pay so miserably, there are so few of them, the training is poor (it's generally just another year of internship with no further advanced training), and the competition for them is incredible. For me, this is how I went about finding my postdoc hours: a. Figure out where you are going to want to get licensed, or at least narrow it down to a couple of places. You postdoc year/s is largely about making professional contacts in the community in which you will want to practice. (I'm speaking here for people who are primarily going to be clinicians). It doesn't make any sense to spend 2 years accruing hours and contacts in North Dakota if you don't want to eventually practice there. b. Figure out what the licensure requirements are for that given state. Some states require a certain number of your postdoc hours to be direct clinical services and others don't. In many places you can count hours doing things like research or teaching as long as you still get supervision. Also, some states have rules about how many different supervisors or placements from which you are accruing your hours. c. Look at job listings in that given geographical area. Look in the Monitor, the Chronicle, local papers (generally less helpful), and talk to people. I, more than anyone else in existence (I am certain!), hate networking. However, the only reason I got the job I got at University of Portland, which hadn't even been posted, was because of a contact I talked to at Pacific Lutheran University who happened to know that there was going to be an opening at UP. Contact as many people you know in your network, even secondary contacts can be helpful, to just let them know what things you are looking for. Also, consider taking part-time positions. Honestly, one part time position will frequently pay more than a full-time postdoc. Don't reject jobs just because they say they are looking for "licensed or licensed-eligible" people. The job I got was listed as such, but after I talked with the director about what taking on a "postdoc" would entail (i.e. some supervision and training on their part, but likely less money), they were willing to give it a shot.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NewPsychList/



d. If you don't find anything from job listings, start putting your "ideal" position together. For example, CMHCs are always looking for someone to do testing. Call private practice groups to see if you can rent office space for a few hours in the evenings and if they would be willing to contract for supervision. Consider "special population" group clinics (e.g. HIV clinics) to contract for a few hours. Look up teaching a class at a local community college. For me, I really wanted the security of knowing that I will get a certain number of hours per week with one, stable job. But Jason, for example, really wanted to get a variety of experience, so his piecemeal approach of putting together several different jobs worked out really well (and also paid more than most postdocs). e. Make sure you contract for supervision. My supervision was part of my contract, but sometimes you may have to pay for that I think. 3. The last thing I would suggest is be creative. Start thinking about what it is that you would like to do as far as your career and then how you can get supervision doing that to count towards licensure. Don't think of postdoc as another hoop you have to job through like internship. More than anything, it's a time to continue and specialize your training and start making contacts. Getting the supervision hours can always be arranged. Just make sure you document!!! I had a form I filled out every week listing the number of direct and indirect service hours, individual and group supervision, etc. I did every week and had my supervisor sign it. That made it A LOT easier when I had to start filling out licensure forms and will also I think be helpful if I decide to get licensed in another state.

Marian Tanofsky-Kraff: In terms of licensing hours, it is important to remember that the hours do not need to be strictly clinical. The licensing requirement (at least in MD) is that the hours must consist of time "working as a psychologist" and supervised by a psychologist. Since I did a full-time post doc (more research, teaching, and advising than clinical, but always working as a psychologist) after internship that counts for my licensing requirement. In sum, post doctoral fellowships are a relatively convenient way to get hours met. [Note from Diane: In DC, the hours may need to be clinical.]

Kristina Lyhus: All I can suggest from my experience is that a formal post-doc clinical position, though it pays less (but often more than internship) was very worthwhile for me in terms of receiving additional training and easily getting all of the supervised clinical hours I needed. I think it made me more competitive for the job market too, since I was able to get licensed so quickly and had an extra year of experience.

Fontaine Ewell: Especially if one is not willing to move, like me, my options were limited. There are fewer formal post-docs available than in years past, so most people in Baltimore end up piecing together hours in various part-time jobs. It took me longer this way (almost 1 1/2 years) and I had to pay for some of the supervision. But in the long run I believe it will serve me well, for most of these positions have led into professional work that will continue after licensure. For example, I am part of a private practice already.


Another important lesson I learned is that few jobs in psychology are advertised, and the ones that are may not be worth having! All of my positions have come from word of mouth. Also, it seems that fewer and fewer psychologists are willing to take in psychology associates into their practices due to the added liability. In fact, I was told by one psychologist that the official recommendation from APA's legal department is for private practitioners not to do this - something I found shocking given the field's training is built on the supervision model! So, this results in someone taking on a psych associate only if they know them well.

Aaron Jacoby: Different work settings require licensure and others do not. Obviously private practice (on your own) requires licensure. Working in the VA hospital system requires licensure no later than 2 years after your start date, but you don't have to be licensed in any particular state because the hospital is on federal ground. Thus, there people here in Pittsburgh, PA who are licensed only in the state of OH (and even someone else who is licensed in Kansas!). Research settings, by in large, typically do not require licensure, but some encourage it, especially if it is a clinical research setting.

Accrual of hours is tricky. Because some states require a certain amount of direct clinical hours, it is often prudent to be aware of these requirements ahead of time, so that you can accept post-docs that will help you fulfill those requirements. Taking a research position (what I did) is even more risky because you often accrue much less clinical time than you would in a clinical position (and some states count direct hours differently--e.g., some states, from what I understand, consider the informed consent process a clinical contact, and others do not). It's good to be upfront with potential post-doc employers about your needs for hours prior to taking a position.

Burt Grenell: Pretty much anyplace you get a job will want to get best value out of you by having you operate in the capacity of being a psychologist- and to do so they are required to provide you with supervision which should meet the minimum requirements of the local state's licensing board for your pre-licensure supervision. However, the quality and even actual existence of the supervision is likely to vary widely- Let the buyer beware.... I think that post-graduate supervision is truly important in the development of a practicing clinician. The immersion in and constant focus on the work, the variety of skills demanded, and the responsibility involved focus one. I paid for additional supervision during my pre-licensure period- and have paid for a lot of supervision post-licensure. After about ten years of 1&1/2 to 3 hours of supervision per week, I have moved to participating in a weekly 1&1/2 hour peer supervision group with 7 other therapists. I also belong to the American Academy of Psychotherapists- an organization that encourages members to join peer groups within the organization- an important source of professional growth for me. I also strongly recommend that any developing therapist get themselves into therapy, and that you choose your therapist carefully- they will likely have an enormous influence on your career. Thanks for the opportunity to share my experience, Burt Grenell, Ph.D.


Loring Ingraham: In our experience, the best (and probably most frequent) solution is for recent grads to stay on a second year in a "post-doc" or "fellow" capacity at the internship site. Many sites offer this as an option (sometimes informally, so it pays to ask), and particularly if the fit between site and student is good, it offers advanced training, salary, and licensure preparation.

Next best is a mid-internship-year (over the holidays) flurry of letters to every past supervisor and placement that the student acquitted themselves well with asking for suggestions or knowledge of potential openings.

Applying to advertised post-docs is fine, but the inside (already at the site) competition is fierce.

Students seeking private practice employment, who have a good rapport with an existing group, often trade services (or accept reduced compensation) in exchange for post-doctoral supervision.

Brian Cross: 1. Contact any group in the APA directory, local yellow pages, etc...run by either a psychologist or psychiatrist that includes the word 'Associates' as in Maria Cohn, Ph.D. and Associates. These folks, and other similar groups, have some turnover for staff, more so than most. They are often groups that have folks seeking private practice and licensure hours. Many leave after a brief 2-5 year stint for greener pastures and more control. Lots of my class cohort did something like this.

2. I have had non-licensed folks simply call me to ask me if I had any work to farm out. This is a bit of direct mail/phone approach, but sometimes it works. Send out the message far and cast a wide net - the universe responds.

Michele Piquet: In terms of networking, I got information about job and post-doc opportunities through my internship site (Springfield Hospital Center), from internship supervisors, from CUA faculty, and from other students, both those at Catholic and ones met at pre-doc training sites.

Preparation for Application for LicensureSome states are moving to requiring fewer post-doc hours, for example, MD.

Diane Arnkoff: Here are some useful websites for planning for licensing in different jurisdictions:

http://www.asppb.net (general information on licensing requirements and specific licensing requirements of every jurisdiction in the US and Canada)

http://www.asppb.net/


http://www.uky.edu/Education/EDP/psyinfo2.html (links to psychology boards and licensure laws in all U.S. jurisdictions)

Craig Burns: All of the licensure requirements state by state are listed at www.asppb.org. [see address above] These listings also include the state contact person who can help with specific questions. Know your state's requirements as early as possible. You may need to take specific courses that you don't need for graduation from the PhD!

Erika Siegel: As with one's notes, document, document, document your experience -- and systematize records of your hours/experience in an orderly/easily accessible manner for you (the same advice as is given to pre-internship folks). Whatever system works for you is fine -- as long as you can access/understand it when you need to (since there is sometimes a lag between consolidating and submitting the record of your experiences to the appropriate Board). Again, as an example, good record-keeping was crucial for me, since I had done two very different externships and did not register in full for either of them (a condition which I'm given to understand no longer exists in the program -- being able to consult one's transcript is invaluable in registering for licensure hours!). Years had lapsed between my first externship and postgraduate experience -- but fortunately, I'd recorded nearly every hour spent on each externship, volunteer experience, research project, etc., and it helped me to submit an accurate list of experiences (the VA Board wanted everything). This may seem over the top but it helps you determine how much time you've accrued and when you accrued it (an up-to-date c.v. helps, too, of course). I firmly believe we all spend much more time on our work than we usually give ourselves credit for -- eventually, you'll likely have to bill for your time and you're only cheating yourself (or your agency or practice) if that time isn't accounted for fully/fairly.

Rachel Mann: I also found in the application process that it was helpful to have stayed in touch with my internship program because they were required to submit forms related to the length and substance of my internship.

As far as getting supervision goes, probably the internship is a great place to look for that experience and/or connections to other jobs. I actually took a job without supervision and then convinced them that it was in everyone's best interest to hire a consulting psychologist to supervise me for my license. It was not an easy sell and it set me back a couple of years but I am fortunate enough that I was able to arrange it and in the field/specialty I wanted to be in.

Studying for Licensing Exam

Barry Wagner: I obtained statistics for our program on the EPPP: For the 50 alumni of our program who took the EPPP exam between 1997 and 2006, the mean score was 166.0 with a standard deviation of 12.3. The mean for the population of 4355 graduates of doctoral programs who took the exam in this period was 135.2 (SD = 23.5). Based on a recent survey of our program graduates, all alumni who sat for the licensing exam from 1999 to 2010 passed it.

http://www.uky.edu/Education/EDP/psyinfo2.html


Craig Burns: The exam is long and tedious. I strongly encourage people to use test prep materials. They can be bought used on line through either of the above list-serves (typically about $400-$500 for recent editions). [For the listservs, see under “Choosing What to Do After Graduation.] There are 3 companies, and I haven't heard anybody explain much difference between them, so go with whichever one you get a good deal on. Be sure to get practice tests in the package. This is the most useful part of the studying from my experience (and from others who I've talked with). Much of the test doesn't have anything to do with what you learned in grad school, so the materials are important!

Erika Siegel: As for the licensing exam, well I'm a bit in the thick of things right now and have little but the obvious advice -- break the content areas into workable "chunks," create a manageable study schedule with deadlines that can be met reasonably (just like comps), and build in time for things that keep you balanced and anxiety-free -- family, friends, self-care -- whatever it takes (usually a sound support system is invaluable, of course).

Aaron Jacoby: Another issue is the ever-increasing cost of study materials for the EPPP. The test preparation materials are quite expensive, so I have known some people to share materials while studying or to simply get one or two-year old materials from someone. The materials are copyrighted, and you are not officially allowed to duplicate them, but I know people in the field who have done this. Just food for thought.

Sarah Shia: My short story on studying for the license exam is that it IS necessary to have the EPPP materials, although not necessarily the updated ones. i used the 99 materials on the 2002 licensure exam. Also, I studied sporadically two months before the test, then studied pretty much every night/weekend with increasing intensity in the one month before the exam. I felt the practice tests from the materials were harder than the actual exam, and were a great study guide. Essentially, you'll pass if you know the basics from the study materials - the rest is somewhat obscure research they're asking about so you kind of have to get lucky and have those areas be within your expertise.

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