2014-2015 APPIC (internship) interview thread

[PSYPAS002]

I received neither. Fingers crossed they're doing waves.

I feel a bit more optimistic since I'm not the only one. I was afraid my app didn't go through, or they got my email wrong, or I was simply overlooked, or something. Who knows. Maybe we will still be invited yet - good luck!

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[cara susanna]

I've not heard either way from Reading, CT VA, or Yale. Since some have invites at this point is it safe to assume I've been rejected from those three sites?

Is it the same track you applied to at Yale? The tracks don't all invite at the same time.

 

[WisNeuro]

Again, I would caution people to relax for a couple weeks. I know several VA's which aren't even having their selection committee meetings until next week.

 

[Madkrisjazz]

I feel a bit more optimistic since I'm not the only one. I was afraid my app didn't go through, or they got my email wrong, or I was simply overlooked, or something. Who knows. Maybe we will still be invited yet - good luck!

I felt exactly the same way until I got my first invite days after my friends got theirs. Hand in there!

 

[pittpsych2014]

Has anyone received a rejection from the Washington DC VAMC? Didn't get an invite but...

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

So, maybe a bit off topic, but what constitutes a black suit for women? Black dress pants and a suit jacket with a nice blouse? I keep feeling like I'm missing something as my cohort goes out shopping specifically for a suit. I have black dress pants, don't I just need a suit jacket to go with it? I admit I'm not the most fashionable of the lot..

 

[Madkrisjazz]

Has anyone received a rejection from the Washington DC VAMC? Didn't get an invite but...

Not a word yet.

 

[EmotRegulation]

So, maybe a bit off topic, but what constitutes a black suit for women? Black dress pants and a suit jacket with a nice blouse? I keep feeling like I'm missing something as my cohort goes out shopping specifically for a suit. I have black dress pants, don't I just need a suit jacket to go with it? I admit I'm not the most fashionable of the lot..

You'd be surprised at how many shades of "black" there are. Some people want to make sure the pants/skirt are of the same fabric/color match as the jacket. That said, it doesn't really matter THAT much. You need to look professional, but there are many ways to do that. For example, you could wear those black dress pants and get a grey blazer or something; it doesn't have to match exactly. I did that and got no dirty looks or anything. Also it is worth having two interview outfits on hand for if you do back-to-back interviews and something gets dirty.....

 

[psychinnola]

So, maybe a bit off topic, but what constitutes a black suit for women? Black dress pants and a suit jacket with a nice blouse? I keep feeling like I'm missing something as my cohort goes out shopping specifically for a suit. I have black dress pants, don't I just need a suit jacket to go with it? I admit I'm not the most fashionable of the lot..

I got a navy suit skirt and jacket.. and the nice man at Banana Republic said people wear black shoes with navy suits now! In the other thread, I asked about needing a legitimate suit (I really liked these formal looking jackets that weren't "suit" jackets/blazers), and most everyone said that's the way to go.

Now I'm wondering what one wears to an open house the day before.. I don't want to wear my suit two days in a row if I can avoid it, and I imagine we don't need to look as professional for that kind of event. Thoughts anyone?

 

[Phipps]

I got a navy suit skirt and jacket.. and the nice man at Banana Republic said people wear black shoes with navy suits now! In the other thread, I asked about needing a legitimate suit (I really liked these formal looking jackets that weren't "suit" jackets/blazers), and most everyone said that's the way to go.

Now I'm wondering what one wears to an open house the day before.. I don't want to wear my suit two days in a row if I can avoid it, and I imagine we don't need to look as professional for that kind of event. Thoughts anyone?

Different question - same (off) topic: I would like to get a better sense about questions being asked during the interviews. I am aware that they might differ, depending on the site, but I also assume there are some standard ones. Anybody who previously interviewed or has an idea willing to share?? Thx~~ Ms. Phipps

 

[cara susanna]

I just wore my suit for pretty much every interview. I dry cleaned it between interview "rounds" but because I flew city to city with interviews pretty much stacked I had no time to get it cleaned after every interview. It worked fine--a good suit takes a while to get really dirty, I found. Just be sure to change shirts!

Also, not everyone wears suits and it's fine, but it all depends on what you feel comfortable with. Most of the applicants will be wearing suits. Heck, one site I interviewed at specified business casual, with exact specifications as to what that meant, and some applicants still wore suits. So if you feel okay with not wearing a suit when everyone else is, no problem, but if that will bother you a suit is probably the safest choice.

As for questions, it really varies. Some sites just want to have a conversation with you. Some sites do have a list of questions that they ask. I can tell you that pretty much every site that interviewed me asked something like "Why are you interested in this site?" Oh, and do have a list of questions for the site ready. You never not want to have any questions.

Then again, the site where I matched doesn't do interviews so I have no proof that I'm a good interviewer

 

[nycegurl]

Also, not everyone wears suits and it's fine, but it all depends on what you feel comfortable with.

So glad you said this! For all my years of interviewing for externships, I've never worn a suit. I've always done something like black dress pants with a button up collared shirt and a sweater (maybe cardigan or something that closes over the buttoned shirt). I just don't think I look good in suit jackets and I don't particularly feel comfortable in them.

 

[463951]

I got a navy suit skirt and jacket.. and the nice man at Banana Republic said people wear black shoes with navy suits now! In the other thread, I asked about needing a legitimate suit (I really liked these formal looking jackets that weren't "suit" jackets/blazers), and most everyone said that's the way to go.

Now I'm wondering what one wears to an open house the day before.. I don't want to wear my suit two days in a row if I can avoid it, and I imagine we don't need to look as professional for that kind of event. Thoughts anyone?ow I'm wondering what one wears to an open house the day before.. I don't want to wear my suit two days in a row if I can avoid it, and I imagine we don't need to look as professional for that kind of event. Thoughts anyone?

I had an open house type of interview last year, I wore a suit, and almost everybody else did (95%). I would err on the side of caution and wear your suit.

 

[463951]

As for questions, it really varies. Some sites just want to have a conversation with you. Some sites do have a list of questions that they ask. I can tell you that pretty much every site that interviewed me asked something like "Why are you interested in this site?" Oh, and do have a list of questions for the site ready. You never not want to have any questions.

What @cara susanna said is so true. It will vary widely from site to site. Some sites shuffled me between multiple interviewers who asked a set list of questions (e.g., why are you interested in this site, tell me about a difficult case, tell me about an ethical dilemma you have encountered and how you handled it, interpret this MMPI), other sites were more relaxed, and they barely asked me any questions – we talked about football, cats, and what it was like to live in their area of the country. Also the list of questions – you definitely want to have this ready, and have a lot of questions on it. Sometimes during the interview, questions you have for the site will get inadvertently answered, so you want to make sure you have plenty of back up questions. Or there may be a group Q & A with the current interns (or the TD), and the other applicants may ask the questions you were planning to ask, so again, good to have back up questions. On one of my interviews, one of the people interviewing me said, "I let the other psychologists ask all of the technical questions. So I'm just going to answer your questions. What questions do you have for me?" So for a 1/2 hour, I had to ask him questions. Luckily, it was my last interview, and I had quite a few questions on my list and committed to memory, but still, not my favorite interview. Another good reason to have a lengthy list of questions – you may get interviewed by 3–4 separate people, and you will want to ask each of them questions. Sure, you can ask them some of the same questions (e.g., what are they looking for in an intern), but you there are some questions you don't want to ask multiple times (e.g., what is a typical day like at your site). I even had two separate lists ready (one for the interviewers, and one for the current interns). Because these questions will vary somewhat.

 

[Phipps]

What @cara susanna said

Thanks a bunch cara susanna and siamesekitten!

 

[cara susanna]

Oh, I forgot something that I learned last year! A lot of sites have staff that also interned there, so if you run out of questions you can often ask them about their own experience as an intern.

 

[heartdignan]

I got a navy suit skirt and jacket.. and the nice man at Banana Republic said people wear black shoes with navy suits now! In the other thread, I asked about needing a legitimate suit (I really liked these formal looking jackets that weren't "suit" jackets/blazers), and most everyone said that's the way to go.

Now I'm wondering what one wears to an open house the day before.. I don't want to wear my suit two days in a row if I can avoid it, and I imagine we don't need to look as professional for that kind of event. Thoughts anyone?

I wanted a black suit but only found the style I liked in navy and I feel very clueless about the shoes. It shouldn't be that difficult but it baffles me! I should just go barefoot.

 

[heartdignan]

I just wore my suit for pretty much every interview. I dry cleaned it between interview "rounds" but because I flew city to city with interviews pretty much stacked I had no time to get it cleaned after every interview. It worked fine--a good suit takes a while to get really dirty, I found. Just be sure to change shirts!

Also, not everyone wears suits and it's fine, but it all depends on what you feel comfortable with. Most of the applicants will be wearing suits. Heck, one site I interviewed at specified business casual, with exact specifications as to what that meant, and some applicants still wore suits. So if you feel okay with not wearing a suit when everyone else is, no problem, but if that will bother you a suit is probably the safest choice.

As for questions, it really varies. Some sites just want to have a conversation with you. Some sites do have a list of questions that they ask. I can tell you that pretty much every site that interviewed me asked something like "Why are you interested in this site?" Oh, and do have a list of questions for the site ready. You never not want to have any questions.

Then again, the site where I matched doesn't do interviews so I have no proof that I'm a good interviewer

I'm crossing my fingers for the conversation-based interviews. It just seems more pleasant, less nerve-racking, and what's really important to the site - that you're tolerable to be around for a whole year.

 

[psychinnola]

I had an open house type of interview last year, I wore a suit, and almost everybody else did (95%). I would err on the side of caution and wear your suit.

I don't think it's an open house interview, more like a tour of the facilities. Then the actual interview is the following day. Still think a suit both days (presumably the same suit)?

 

[heartdignan]

What @cara susanna said is so true. It will vary widely from site to site. Some sites shuffled me between multiple interviewers who asked a set list of questions (e.g., why are you interested in this site, tell me about a difficult case, tell me about an ethical dilemma you have encountered and how you handled it, interpret this MMPI), other sites were more relaxed, and they barely asked me any questions – we talked about football, cats, and what it was like to live in their area of the country. Also the list of questions – you definitely want to have this ready, and have a lot of questions on it. Sometimes during the interview, questions you have for the site will get inadvertently answered, so you want to make sure you have plenty of back up questions. Or there may be a group Q & A with the current interns (or the TD), and the other applicants may ask the questions you were planning to ask, so again, good to have back up questions. On one of my interviews, one of the people interviewing me said, "I let the other psychologists ask all of the technical questions. So I'm just going to answer your questions. What questions do you have for me?" So for a 1/2 hour, I had to ask him questions. Luckily, it was my last interview, and I had quite a few questions on my list and committed to memory, but still, not my favorite interview. Another good reason to have a lengthy list of questions – you may get interviewed by 3–4 separate people, and you will want to ask each of them questions. Sure, you can ask them some of the same questions (e.g., what are they looking for in an intern), but you there are some questions you don't want to ask multiple times (e.g., what is a typical day like at your site). I even had two separate lists ready (one for the interviewers, and one for the current interns). Because these questions will vary somewhat.

This is for you and the other folks who interviewed last year or beyond -- How much do they expect you to do with those assessment vignettes? I feel like it's reasonable to expect us to be able to say, "Oh well the validity scales suggest this to me and overall, this is the vibe of what's escalating and what that can tell us." But are they wanting you to give more detailed answers? I can't imagine they'd expect people to get it with 100% accuracy. I would hope it'd be more like, "Does this student have a decent grasp with this and/or feel comfortable with the task?" Cause clearly it's not remotely realistic to expect anyone in the field (psychologist or student) to ever interpret results without consulting a manual or guide.

 

[psychrat]

This is for you and the other folks who interviewed last year or beyond -- How much do they expect you to do with those assessment vignettes? I feel like it's reasonable to expect us to be able to say, "Oh well the validity scales suggest this to me and overall, this is the vibe of what's escalating and what that can tell us." But are they wanting you to give more detailed answers? I can't imagine they'd expect people to get it with 100% accuracy. I would hope it'd be more like, "Does this student have a decent grasp with this and/or feel comfortable with the task?" Cause clearly it's not remotely realistic to expect anyone in the field (psychologist or student) to ever interpret results without consulting a manual or guide.

I had a few clinical vignettes last year (diagnosis, thoughts about tx, etc), but no assessment ones.

 

[PsychPhDone]

For those worrying about wardrobe - Ideel has a nice selection of suits and is offering free shipping today.

 

[463951]

This is for you and the other folks who interviewed last year or beyond -- How much do they expect you to do with those assessment vignettes? I feel like it's reasonable to expect us to be able to say, "Oh well the validity scales suggest this to me and overall, this is the vibe of what's escalating and what that can tell us." But are they wanting you to give more detailed answers? I can't imagine they'd expect people to get it with 100% accuracy. I would hope it'd be more like, "Does this student have a decent grasp with this and/or feel comfortable with the task?" Cause clearly it's not remotely realistic to expect anyone in the field (psychologist or student) to ever interpret results without consulting a manual or guide.

Yes, in my experience last year, they were just looking to see if I could look at an MMPI and tell them if it was valid or invalid, or maybe say, this scale is a little high, but it doesn't invalidate the protocol. And then, something like, these two scales are elevated, which suggests the presence of depression and anxiety, or whatever. So like you said, a decent grasp, nothing crazy detailed.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

For those worrying about wardrobe - Ideel has a nice selection of suits and is offering free shipping today.

Thanks, everybody, for the tips! It's funny, my TD at school says to stay off this thread because it's anxiety provoking, but I've found it to be so helpful. You all are the best!

 

[463951]

Thanks, everybody, for the tips! It's funny, my TD at school says to stay off this thread because it's anxiety provoking, but I've found it to be so helpful. You all are the best!

My school said the same thing, but I found the advice on here really helpful last year (whether it was from those applying for internship along with me, or from those who had already been through the process). It's an incredibly stressful process, so the more support the better. Good luck to everybody applying!

 

[463951]

I don't think it's an open house interview, more like a tour of the facilities. Then the actual interview is the following day. Still think a suit both days (presumably the same suit)?

Well, that is different to what I was referring to. Do you mean you will be at this same site for two days, first the tour, then the interview? If it were me, I would still want to wear a suit on both days, but maybe somebody else will come along that had an interview similar to the one you are describing and has a better answer.

 

[philLaSallePsyD]

Not at all-- don't count yourself out unless you get an official rejection notice! Sites often have rolling invite processes (i.e., they notify in batches over time) or notify on different dates based on the track to which you applied. You may have applied to a different track than those posting on this website. Hope this helps! Crossing fingers for ya.

Thanks! I had just gotten my first rejection and I think it spooked me a little. I think the initial jolt has faded, back to dissertation while I wait

 

[philLaSallePsyD]

Is it the same track you applied to at Yale? The tracks don't all invite at the same time.

Indeed, but I'm not giving up. I think I was just a little spooked by having gotten my first rejection shortly before reading this post. I also have an interview, so I'm going to go focus on that and dissertation for now

 

[PsychPhDone]

There are pros and cons to paying attention to this thread. From the "other side", I'm curious to see how long it takes to go from notifying applicants to it showing up on here. I did want to reiterate that "it ain't over til it's over" -- not all sites can notify everyone all at once. Hang in there. You've done all you can, so go do something nice for yourself.

 

[Social Butterfly]

I'd like to get some opinions from others- what is more appropriate for this type of interview (for a woman)... skirt or pants suit?

 

[aly cat]

I'd like to get some opinions from others- what is more appropriate for this type of interview (for a woman)... skirt or pants suit?

Either is fine. I'd just be thoughtful about where the interview is... For example, Boston in January will probably not be comfortable skirt weather, but Miami in January... you'd be just fine. When I purchased my suit I got both the skirt and the pants so that I could have a choice in the event of back-to-back interviews.

 

[Phipps]

Not a word yet.

Has anyone heard from Pilgrim Psychiatric Hospital?? I noticed that last year invites went out on 11/19 or so...--just wondering. Based on last years list, I expect at least a few invites/rejections this T-week. Preparing myself for the worst and hoping for the best.

 

[JRC4112]

Rejection from Cincinnati VA via mass email just now. Boo!

 

[Lemons11]

Invite received via mass track specific email for Cincinnati VA (general track). Interview dates: Dec. 10th, 15th, Jan. 6th, 14th, 22nd.

 

[Phipps]

Rejection from Cincinnati VA via mass email just now. Boo!

Rejection from Lancaster General Hospital, received 11/19.

 

[PSYPAS002]

Invite mass email Cincinnati VA health and general tracks. Same interview dates as mentioned above.

 

[PSYPAS002]

Rejection from Cincinnati VA via mass email just now. Boo!

So sorry to hear that!

 

[PSYPAS002]

Lesson learned: check your emails often on weekends too! I didn't expect to hear anything on a Sunday. I responded to my invite much later than I would have liked (30 minutes after received, but still, in this game...that's too long). I hope I get a good interview date.

 

[PSYPAS002]

I'd like to get some opinions from others- what is more appropriate for this type of interview (for a woman)... skirt or pants suit?

I agree with aly cat that being weather-appropriate is the best way to go. It will make you more comfortable, and might even make you seem more sensible. Otherwise, I personally don't think one looks more professional than the other (so long as the skirt isn't too short or tight or something like that). I would go with what you think looks best on you. That way you are more likely to feel good in what you're wearing and will be more yourself.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

Invite received via mass track specific email for Cincinnati VA (general track). Interview dates: Dec. 10th, 15th, Jan. 6th, 14th, 22nd.

On a Sunday?? Oh dear..

 

[heartdignan]

On a Sunday?? Oh dear..

Seriously! I assumed weekends were dead zones. As if we needed more motivation to compulsively check our emails.

 

[AudreyGriswold]

Just received a phone call to schedule an interview with the Asheville, NC (Charles George) VAMC. (dates: 1/7 or 1/14)

 

[boomshakalaka]

Has anyone heard from Pilgrim Psychiatric Hospital?? I noticed that last year invites went out on 11/19 or so...--just wondering. Based on last years list, I expect at least a few invites/rejections this T-week. Preparing myself for the worst and hoping for the best.

I was wondering the same thing, but their due date was earlier last year.

 

[Phipps]

I was wondering the same thing, but their due date was earlier last year.

Ahhh. That would make sense!!

 

[healthpsych5]

-Site name: Charles George VA Medical Center (Asheville, NC)

-Date notified: 11/23

-Invite or rejection: Invitation

-Track: General

-How notified: Personal call from TD

-Interview dates offered: 1/7, 1/14

Answer your phones on Sundays, y'all!

 

[Phipps]

-Site name: Charles George VA Medical Center (Asheville, NC)

-Date notified: 11/23

-Invite or rejection: Invitation

-Track: General

-How notified: Personal call from DCT

Answer your phones on Sundays, y'all!

Congrats!!! OMG

 

[healthpsych5]

Congrats!!! OMG

Thank you!

 

[ClinicStudent]

I'm really hoping they are doing these phone calls in waves

 

[healthpsych5]

I'm really hoping they are doing these phone calls in waves

I would think phone calls you can be more sure happen in waves since they take more time to do than mass emails. I chatted with the DCT for about 15 minutes or so.

 

[clps123456]

Anyone else not heard either way from Geisinger?