2014-2015 APPIC (internship) interview thread

[DontDissTheDiss]

Once everyone gets to this point (I still have 2 interviews left myself), can we talk ranking? What factors are you all considering? I know this will be tough for me.

So far, I have training rotations, supervisors, opportunity to supervise, location, reputation (though I don't know this for most of my sites), postdoc options, research opportunities. Benefits are kind of on there, but not prioritized. Any one have other factors they're considering? Or anyone from prior matches who have suggestions?

Several aspects, and I had to think hard (and am still thinking, really) about what things were more important to me than others. Thankfully, I think I did a fairly good job of applying to sites who do the kind of clinical experiences I m interested in doing, so that's been less of a deciding factor. For instance, all of the sites I got interviews at offer the opportunity to supervise prac students, which I love doing.

Multiculturalism: This is a huge value of mine and I tried to ask questions that got at how strongly MCism is valued and integrated into the site. I was trying to figure out what places gave lip service to MCism versus what sites had a strong identity and could name several concrete things they do or ways that they uphold MCism. I definitely saw a lot of variety among sites regarding this, and it was interesting to see.

Interpersonal Atmosphere: Are people getting along? Are there any weird inter-office politics going on? How formal is everything? I want to be able to joke around and be sarcastic, so I tended to like sites that had more of a casual atmosphere.

Intern Cohort Bonding: My intern cohort will be my main social supports, so I want a site that encourages cohort bonding. Do interns have a regular time to spend with each other, such as an intern lunch? Are the interns acting like friends, and consider each other friends? Are they spending time with each other outside of work?

Pace and Self-Care: I expect to be busy and challenged on internship, but I have no desire to be treated as a workhorse. I wanted to know if interns were supported and that supervisors made sure that interns' workload was balanced. So, are interns reasonably able to manage their time? How often are they staying late to finish notes or reports? Are they being encouraged to leave at 5pm?

Clinical Experiences: So for me, there are a few specific issues. I want to have the freedom to do testing if it's needed/wanted, so I like sites that offer that opportunity. I also would prefer to not do couples work if I don't have to, so having couples be a required component is more of a disadvantage for me. Also, how much freedom I have to construct my caseload is a big consideration. Will I be allowed to pursue my interests, or do I have to work with only who walks through the door?

Family Friendliness: I have a little one, so I wanted a site that has taken on interns who have had families, and that it was not a strange thing. To some extent, looking closely at employee benefits such as number of leave days was appealing--I don't plan on (or want to) miss days of work, but knowing that there is a safety net there if I need it is appealing.

Location Considerations: As I am moving with my partner, I do have to consider quality of life of the environment and geography. So crime rate and safety, availability of a variety of foods/restaurants, general appeal of the environment, and proximity to family.

Dissertation Time: Unfortunately, I will still be working on my dissertation during internship. I could use a site that has research time built into the schedule.

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[AppsAintNoThang]

Yes, let's please discuss. I have an idea of my top few and bottom few sites, but have no clue how to rank the middle ones. I have a few that do not offer a health insurance policy, but otherwise seem like solid training sites, but I do not want to live a year without insurance. Some offer a stipend of under 2000 to purchase a plan, but that seems impossible for that price. I will no longer be eligible for insurance through my program because I will no longer be fulltime. I am also finding it hard not to prioritize location. Moving across the country is so expensive.

You could get an insurance plan for that amount- but it wouldn't be a great one. I've been on a catastrophe plan (free general practitioner visits, discounted prescriptions, but high deductible) for years and years and have never paid more than 120/month for that. But if you have kids, any prior health issues, or are used to using your health insurance all the time, then it wouldn't work.

I'm having a tough time with the location piece, too. Several of my sites are ideal in terms of training/culture, but in realllllyyyy unappealing parts of the country.

 

[psychrat]

Where did you sign up for that type of plan? I thought about Obama Care, but will miss open enrollment since I will not need it until August/September.

I am having the same issue with location. I was in a long-distance relationship with my finance for five years when I was living in the state where my program is located. I would hate to move again, although some of those sites are more appealing. I would eventually like to live in the same area as I am now. Would it make more sense to do internship around here (or at least the same side of the country) in order to make connections? Also, how important is prestige? Some of the sites I interviewed at have fancier and better-known names than others. Would a fancy name open more doors in the future?

 

[pittpsych2014]

Several aspects, and I had to think hard (and am still thinking, really) about what things were more important to me than others. Thankfully, I think I did a fairly good job of applying to sites who do the kind of clinical experiences I m interested in doing, so that's been less of a deciding factor. For instance, all of the sites I got interviews at offer the opportunity to supervise prac students, which I love doing.

Multiculturalism: This is a huge value of mine and I tried to ask questions that got at how strongly MCism is valued and integrated into the site. I was trying to figure out what places gave lip service to MCism versus what sites had a strong identity and could name several concrete things they do or ways that they uphold MCism. I definitely saw a lot of variety among sites regarding this, and it was interesting to see.

Interpersonal Atmosphere: Are people getting along? Are there any weird inter-office politics going on? How formal is everything? I want to be able to joke around and be sarcastic, so I tended to like sites that had more of a casual atmosphere.

Intern Cohort Bonding: My intern cohort will be my main social supports, so I want a site that encourages cohort bonding. Do interns have a regular time to spend with each other, such as an intern lunch? Are the interns acting like friends, and consider each other friends? Are they spending time with each other outside of work?

Pace and Self-Care: I expect to be busy and challenged on internship, but I have no desire to be treated as a workhorse. I wanted to know if interns were supported and that supervisors made sure that interns' workload was balanced. So, are interns reasonably able to manage their time? How often are they staying late to finish notes or reports? Are they being encouraged to leave at 5pm?

Clinical Experiences: So for me, there are a few specific issues. I want to have the freedom to do testing if it's needed/wanted, so I like sites that offer that opportunity. I also would prefer to not do couples work if I don't have to, so having couples be a required component is more of a disadvantage for me. Also, how much freedom I have to construct my caseload is a big consideration. Will I be allowed to pursue my interests, or do I have to work with only who walks through the door?

Family Friendliness: I have a little one, so I wanted a site that has taken on interns who have had families, and that it was not a strange thing. To some extent, looking closely at employee benefits such as number of leave days was appealing--I don't plan on (or want to) miss days of work, but knowing that there is a safety net there if I need it is appealing.

Location Considerations: As I am moving with my partner, I do have to consider quality of life of the environment and geography. So crime rate and safety, availability of a variety of foods/restaurants, general appeal of the environment, and proximity to family.

Dissertation Time: Unfortunately, I will still be working on my dissertation during internship. I could use a site that has research time built into the schedule.

This is very helpful! Thank you. I'm also thinking about these factors. I also think how you felt during the internship day says a lot (e.g., did you come home talking about it nonstop, etc).

 

[psychgirl77]

I am having a tough time with rankings also. Does anyone have a quantitative spreadsheet/ranking algorithm that they are using and are willing to share?

 

[heartdignan]

I think no matter how hard you try to perfect your ranking strategize by maximizing the number of factors that go into the order (i.e., this site had 5 good things going for it, while this one only had 3), that email on Match Day will be bittersweet. No matter what, something you want is likely to be compromised, such as location or prestige or what have you. (Assuming I match) I'm expecting it to feel like, "Yay, I matched!! And I got this site I wanted!! But now I have to put in the effort to move across the country! ." I've been trying to come to grips with that now so that it's easier to process on Match Day.

 

[AphFall63LLN]

I am having a tough time with rankings also. Does anyone have a quantitative spreadsheet/ranking algorithm that they are using and are willing to share?

So I made a spreadsheet of everything I valued- no matter how big (internship goals) or how small (dating scene, location etc). I ranked each site on a scale of 1-10 for how it met my needs in each category. Then I weighted each of them based on importance (so internship goals got multiplied by "1" and dating scene got multiplied by ".2" etc etc then I added everything up. That gave me how my rankings should be as "objectively" as possible, then I gave myself permission to move them around based on feeling. I will say... this was USELESS. lol The top four were within 3 points of each other (out of 150 points) so it did nothing in helping and I'm still completely stuck. lol

 

[weeblewobble]

So I made a spreadsheet of everything I valued- no matter how big (internship goals) or how small (dating scene, location etc). I ranked each site on a scale of 1-10 for how it met my needs in each category. Then I weighted each of them based on importance (so internship goals got multiplied by "1" and dating scene got multiplied by ".2" etc etc then I added everything up. That gave me how my rankings should be as "objectively" as possible, then I gave myself permission to move them around based on feeling. I will say... this was USELESS. lol The top four were within 3 points of each other (out of 150 points) so it did nothing in helping and I'm still completely stuck. lol

Agreed.

I did something similar. I picked categories, but I gave them weight up front (so some were scored out of 10, some out of 5, etc) and scored them rather than ranking. But all my sites are within 10 points of each other, so as an objective rating it's not that helpful.

What has been helpful is the notes I take so I have a record of what each site has (or doesn't have) going for it in each category, and most importantly how I feel when I see how each site "ranks" according to my system. Sometimes I feel like the number is totally wrong and the site deserves more points, and then I know I want to rank that site highly. Sometimes I feel the opposite. And so on. So I think in that sense it's been a good test of how much I really like each site.

 

[psychrat]

Is anyone else concerned that sites that interviewed us early in the process (early to mid December) and then other applicants later (this week) are going to forget about us?

 

[PsychologyPhD33]

I'm flying into the northeast for an interview and I feel 100% confident that I am not going to make it tomorrow night! Is anyone else in this situation?

 

[heartdignan]

I'm flying into the northeast for an interview and I feel 100% confident that I am not going to make it tomorrow night! Is anyone else in this situation?

I just flew out of there yesterday and my heart goes out to you and anyone else heading in that direction. At least the flights I saw out of Baltimore heading in that direction were still able to make it, and that was when it was actively snowing up there. You are not a super human, sites know about the weather. It feels really frustrating and awful and high pressure and annoying, but just do what you can. Keep in touch with the site if you think you'll be late or unable to make it. Remember you're not going to be the only one in this situation! Good luck!

 

[heartdignan]

Is anyone else concerned that sites that interviewed us early in the process (early to mid December) and then other applicants later (this week) are going to forget about us?

Yeah, I thought that was kind of funny myself. I figured the sites who only do early interviews probably decide right away and sit on it. But sites that do interviews over 6-8 weeks, I don't know how they could keep everyone straight and at equal awareness.

 

[Deeogee28]

Yes, let's please discuss. I have an idea of my top few and bottom few sites, but have no clue how to rank the middle ones. I have a few that do not offer a health insurance policy, but otherwise seem like solid training sites, but I do not want to live a year without insurance. Some offer a stipend of under 2000 to purchase a plan, but that seems impossible for that price. I will no longer be eligible for insurance through my program because I will no longer be fulltime. I am also finding it hard not to prioritize location. Moving across the country is so expensive.

Just an anecdote to support prioritizing health insurance...I took the chance of going without for one month this past summer because I've never had a major medical problem in my life, what could possibly go wrong! Well Murphy's law I had a major medical emergency during that time and would have had $50,000 in medical bills if it wasn't for an amazing financial aid/charity program through my local hospital. Odds are you'd be fine but I've learned the hard way not to gamble with that stuff.

 

[Deeogee28]

Does anyone with a neuro focus know if coming out of an internship program with a formal neuropsych track will make a big difference for getting a good post doc? I have some sites with formal tracks but other sites that will offer the same amount (and same great quality) of training in neuro but are technically part of the generalist program and I'm not sure if that will make it more of an uphill battle for post doc.

 

[weeblewobble]

Yeah, I thought that was kind of funny myself. I figured the sites who only do early interviews probably decide right away and sit on it. But sites that do interviews over 6-8 weeks, I don't know how they could keep everyone straight and at equal awareness.

Yeah, it does seem hard. I guess I'm putting faith in the programs/TDs that they've been doing this for years/decades and probably have some method figured out to make sure recency effects don't hugely bias final rankings. It probably helps that most programs seem to have an idea of their top candidates prior to interviews.

 

[ChiPhD99]

This is my second time around, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little anxious about getting bad news on Match day...how's everyone else coping with all of this?

 

[psychrat]

I'm flying into the northeast for an interview and I feel 100% confident that I am not going to make it tomorrow night! Is anyone else in this situation?

I have an interview in the NE (a state away from where I live) and am concerned about driving there.

 

[psychrat]

This is my second time around, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little anxious about getting bad news on Match day...how's everyone else coping with all of this?

This is also my second time. I was pretty devastated last year and already have anxiety about opening this year's email. I am trying to modify my negative thoughts by thinking about the positive feedback I received on some interviews this year and channeling my energy towards things I have control over.

 

[aly cat]

Re: ranking decisions, I don't remember who it was, but last year someone offered the advice of writing down the very worst thing about sites you are stuck between-- then you can think about which 'worst thing' is easiest to live with for you and perhaps make some headway in the decision making process.

Right now my top 2 and bottom 6 are rock solid.. but I have a huge chunk in the middle that keeps playing musical chairs.

 

[adsekhon]

is it bad form to NOT send Thank You notes.

I haven't been. I;ve been thanking everyone I meet at the interviews for their time and consideration as we end the interviews. Just been concerned that it may come off as bad form for not doing so.

If I were to send notes, does it make sense to send them to sites I interviewed at earlier in the month

 

[WisNeuro]

It is not bad form to do so. In the selection committee meetings, I have never heard whether or not someone sent a thank you note brought up. Unless it was weird. That has happened in the past. You don't have to send one, it will not affect your ranking in any meaningful positive manner.

 

[PhDToBe]

I know some people have had friends send them emails pretending they were giving them the name of the site to whom they were matched so the applicant could gauge their gut feeling upon receiving the email.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

Where did you sign up for that type of plan? I thought about Obama Care, but will miss open enrollment since I will not need it until August/September.

I am having the same issue with location. I was in a long-distance relationship with my finance for five years when I was living in the state where my program is located. I would hate to move again, although some of those sites are more appealing. I would eventually like to live in the same area as I am now. Would it make more sense to do internship around here (or at least the same side of the country) in order to make connections? Also, how important is prestige? Some of the sites I interviewed at have fancier and better-known names than others. Would a fancy name open more doors in the future?

Sorry for the slow response- I currently go through my state's ACA for my insurance, but in years past I've always just gone through individual insurances like blue cross/blue shield.

 

[EEpsychstudent]

This is my second time around, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little anxious about getting bad news on Match day...how's everyone else coping with all of this?

definitely super anxious about this time around but feeling much better than expected. this entire cycle i have been trying to prioritize self-care by eating more mindfully, exercising, and doing daily mindfulness practices, which i think have helped. however, i don't know if anything is going to help in the moments that we are clicking on that email....and imagining that moment is where my anxiety comes from

 

[EEpsychstudent]

This is also my second time. I was pretty devastated last year and already have anxiety about opening this year's email. I am trying to modify my negative thoughts by thinking about the positive feedback I received on some interviews this year and channeling my energy towards things I have control over.

great point...we are in a different place this year and focusing on the positive feedback is a good suggestion.

 

[463951]

Regarding how to rank sites, last year, I also did what a couple of others have mentioned. I had a spreadsheet with maybe ten things that were important, and then I weighted each one in terms of how important they were. This was really helpful, because it forced me to evaluate all aspects of the site. Like others have mentioned, I also found that several sites were within a few points of each other. At this point, I personally think you just have to go with your instinct. I remember flipping a coin between a couple of sites, and found I was disappointed because based on the coin toss, Site A won over Site B, and realized I had my answer - Site B should be ranked higher. I remember being so obsessed with this ranking list, and now, a year later, I can barely remember how I ended up ranking all of those sites. Good luck to everyone.

 

[howdoesthatmakeyoufeel]

You could get an insurance plan for that amount- but it wouldn't be a great one. I've been on a catastrophe plan (free general practitioner visits, discounted prescriptions, but high deductible) for years and years and have never paid more than 120/month for that. But if you have kids, any prior health issues, or are used to using your health insurance all the time, then it wouldn't work.

I'm having a tough time with the location piece, too. Several of my sites are ideal in terms of training/culture, but in realllllyyyy unappealing parts of the country.

I hear you on that… I've decided to go with training as long as it wasn't going to definitely be the very worst year of my entire life. I did interview in one location where I knew, it would be the very worst year of my life - and that would impact my training- so that was an easy no. But I think my top choice is in a place that's only a few steps up - but those few steps really matter. I can survive the year and may even be surprised. Plus, two major cities are 2-3 hours away - weekend trips?

 

[howdoesthatmakeyoufeel]

I'm flying into the northeast for an interview and I feel 100% confident that I am not going to make it tomorrow night! Is anyone else in this situation?

I live in Philadelphia and it's not snowing yet - classes starting on a one hour delay tomorrow (for now) but I'm sure evening classes will be out.

 

[howdoesthatmakeyoufeel]

This is my second time around, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little anxious about getting bad news on Match day...how's everyone else coping with all of this?

best wishes to you!!

 

[howdoesthatmakeyoufeel]

Re: ranking decisions, I don't remember who it was, but last year someone offered the advice of writing down the very worst thing about sites you are stuck between-- then you can think about which 'worst thing' is easiest to live with for you and perhaps make some headway in the decision making process.

Right now my top 2 and bottom 6 are rock solid.. but I have a huge chunk in the middle that keeps playing musical chairs.

sounds like a solid problem to have at this point

 

[cpw1984]

I'm flying into the northeast for an interview and I feel 100% confident that I am not going to make it tomorrow night! Is anyone else in this situation?

I was supposed to interview in Boston today and was told when I arrived at the airport yesterday that all flights out of Boston were cancelled for the foreseeable future if I didn't leave right away. So I emailed the DCT told them what was up and flew back home instead. If they can't be understanding that it's not necessarily safe/realistic for us to be driving through a blizzard and sleeping in airports for three days just to be interviewed and go on a tour then you wouldn't want to train there anyway.

 

[cpw1984]

Has anyone who didn't make it to the Cleveland VA open house heard anything from them since? I know their email offer to attend said that attending/absence did not impact you for ranking but I have emailed them twice to check in and see how to remain in consideration and get the details and have heard nothing back. Any news from anyone about what's going on with that?

 

[RebelOwl]

Has anyone who didn't make it to the Cleveland VA open house heard anything from them since? I know their email offer to attend said that attending/absence did not impact you for ranking but I have emailed them twice to check in and see how to remain in consideration and get the details and have heard nothing back. Any news from anyone about what's going on with that?

I replied to the invitation to the open house the day we got it. I asked if I could speak with someone on faculty and a current intern. A couple of weeks later a member of the faculty sent me an email and offered to answer any of my questions. We spoke on the phone and I literally asked her all of my questions. She was very pleasant and helpful. She said not making it to the open house really does not hold any bearing on the ranking AT ALL. Never got to speak to a current intern. I'm guessing if you didn't go to the open house/speak with any current faculty or interns, you are still under consideration. It seems as they rank us based on our materials alone. For your own benefit, you might want to request to speak with someone to get your questions answered.

 

[RebelOwl]

All done with interviews. Rank order list complete. Exorbitant amount of cookies and chocolate consumed. Borderline obsession with yoga. Come on, Match Day! (24 more days, but whooooo's counting.)

 

[ClinicStudent]

The IOL CBT track (probably all tracks though) just cancelled interviews for tomorrow. They said they are going to offer Skype or in-person interviews before ranks are due---stresssssed now

Also, has anyone heard from Dallas VA about no longer being considered? They said they would let us know. Just curious if anyone received that email? I have not, and am wondering if I'm on the clear or just still be worried about that.

 

[cpw1984]

The IOL CBT track (probably all tracks though) just cancelled interviews for tomorrow. They said they are going to offer Skype or in-person interviews before ranks are due---stresssssed now

Also, has anyone heard from Dallas VA about no longer being considered? They said they would let us know. Just curious if anyone received that email? I have not, and am wondering if I'm on the clear or just still be worried about that.

I also haven't heard from the Dallas VA yet. I bet we will hear by the end of the week.

 

[psychrat]

The IOL CBT track (probably all tracks though) just cancelled interviews for tomorrow. They said they are going to offer Skype or in-person interviews before ranks are due---stresssssed now

Also, has anyone heard from Dallas VA about no longer being considered? They said they would let us know. Just curious if anyone received that email? I have not, and am wondering if I'm on the clear or just still be worried about that.

Did they email you? My adult track interview at IOL is Wed.

 

[Psydoct]

It is not bad form to do so. In the selection committee meetings, I have never heard whether or not someone sent a thank you note brought up. Unless it was weird. That has happened in the past. You don't have to send one, it will not affect your ranking in any meaningful positive manner.

This is good to know - thanks for that!
Can you remember why some of the thank you notes were weird? I sent handwritten notes to some sites and am now worried if I did anything weird... oh this appic anxiety!

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

The IOL CBT track (probably all tracks though) just cancelled interviews for tomorrow. They said they are going to offer Skype or in-person interviews before ranks are due---stresssssed now

Also, has anyone heard from Dallas VA about no longer being considered? They said they would let us know. Just curious if anyone received that email? I have not, and am wondering if I'm on the clear or just still be worried about that.

Wow, I guess it worked out that they changed my interview date- what a mess, I'm so sorry that happened!

 

[WisNeuro]

This is good to know - thanks for that!
Can you remember why some of the thank you notes were weird? I sent handwritten notes to some sites and am now worried if I did anything weird... oh this appic anxiety!

They just went well beyond a thank you and were incredibly effusive, about certain people, or they thanked people they never even met, etc. Simply put, keep it simple if you do send one.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

How are people doing with east coast travel? Has anyone been successful in making it over or back?

 

[psychrat]

How are people doing with east coast travel? Has anyone been successful in making it over or back?

It wasn't as bad as anticipated in NYC, but I am heading north later tonight.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

It wasn't as bad as anticipated in NYC, but I am heading north later tonight.

Definitely sending positive vibes your way! I hope it's much easier and smoother than the media on my side of the world is making it out to be.

 

[psychrat]

Definitely sending positive vibes your way! I hope it's much easier and smoother than the media on my side of the world is making it out to be.

Thanks! It is my last interview so hopefully I will make it

 

[Bag of Owls]

There's no tactful way to ask this, I guess, but maybe my pseudo-anonymity will serve. Has anyone received emails from certain sites just in the past few days emphasizing that you are an excellent fit and they are strongly considering you (and that they have ranked you accordingly)? I had never heard of this before, not that I'm against it.

 

[docma]

There's no tactful way to ask this, I guess, but maybe my pseudo-anonymity will serve. Has anyone received emails from certain sites just in the past few days emphasizing that you are an excellent fit and they are strongly considering you (and that they have ranked you accordingly)? I had never heard of this before, not that I'm against it.

That is definitely walking the line of what is appropriate.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

There's no tactful way to ask this, I guess, but maybe my pseudo-anonymity will serve. Has anyone received emails from certain sites just in the past few days emphasizing that you are an excellent fit and they are strongly considering you (and that they have ranked you accordingly)? I had never heard of this before, not that I'm against it.

I did from one site- sadly not one I'm ranking highly, though. I imagine that's not standard due to APPIC rules, though maybe it is? What types of sites, if I may ask?

 

[Bag of Owls]

I did from one site- sadly not one I'm ranking highly, though. I imagine that's not standard due to APPIC rules, though maybe it is? What types of sites, if I may ask?

Neuropsych-oriented with highly ranked medical centers attached. Only one did the "and ranked you accordingly" part, so I felt like the others were totally appropriate. The former was a little iffy but technically follows the rules. I don't know. Just wondering. Glad to hear it's happened with other people. I guess you just respond politely or ignore it.

 

[Psydoct]

They just went well beyond a thank you and were incredibly effusive, about certain people, or they thanked people they never even met, etc. Simply put, keep it simple if you do send one.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[weeblewobble]

Neuropsych-oriented with highly ranked medical centers attached. Only one did the "and ranked you accordingly" part, so I felt like the others were totally appropriate. The former was a little iffy but technically follows the rules. I don't know. Just wondering. Glad to hear it's happened with other people. I guess you just respond politely or ignore it.

I've had a site say some similar things to me, in person though, which was surprising.

My advisor warned me about this so I'll pass it along to y'all- this sorts of comments can me really misleading and easy to misinterpret. We had a great student who received communications from one of her top sites which she (and my advisor) felt conveyed that they were ranking her #1. She ranked them first and matched with a different, lower ranked site. The site who sent her the emails acted like they sent similar ones to everyone they ranked. So just be cautious, and don't change your rankings based on this feedback because it may be meaningless.