2014 APPIC internship Application Thread

[racho]

I am working on my essays, working on my dissertation, writing reports for my dx practicum and still taking classes! I know there are others on the same boat and would love to hear from you. I saw there was a thread like this from last year (titled the same on purpose with the updayed year for those of us applying this year) with super helpful info.
How many sites will you apply to?
Where are you in the essay(s) writing process? Tips on writing?
Interview practice?
Will you leave your state? If so, how are you deciding on location?
Dissertation progress? Defending before applying?
....and everything else!
I look forward to supporting each other through this process.

INTERVIEW LIST CAN BE FOUND ON A SEPARATE THREAD

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[cara susanna]

Oh God, already? I wasn't going to start my application materials until, like, June.

Just started data collection on my dissertation. I'll be applying all over the country. So far I have like 16 or 17 sites on my prospective list. Fit matters more than location to me.

 

[racho]

My DOT wants our essays done by july so we can work on cover letters, site lists and interview skills. I didn't mean to freak you out:what:
I just got back my results and am in analysis hell! I want to defend before I apply because I'll be lacking in intervention hours :/

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[cara susanna]

Wow, that's really early! Best of luck getting that done.

How many intervention hours do you have and what kind of sites are you applying to?

 

[ela]

Oh man I was working on bio and theoretical orientation essays today. Much like staring into the abyss.

 

[racho]

Wow, that's really early! Best of luck getting that done.

How many intervention hours do you have and what kind of sites are you applying to?

I have abput 75 face to face therapy hours and the rest are assessment hours. I want to go to a forensic hospital ideally. If not then any hospital. What aboit you?

 

[racho]

Oh man I was working on bio and theoretical orientation essays today. Much like staring into the abyss.

Tell me about it...ugh.

I thought I was a pretty decent writer till now....

 

[cara susanna]

I have abput 75 face to face therapy hours and the rest are assessment hours. I want to go to a forensic hospital ideally. If not then any hospital. What aboit you?

I'm almost at 500 intervention + assessment, which is my goal for when I submit my AAPI. I'm looking at VAs, medical schools, and research-friendly sites that offer training in my two main areas of interest.

 

[racho]

I'm almost at 500 intervention + assessment, which is my goal for when I submit my AAPI. I'm looking at VAs, medical schools, and research-friendly sites that offer training in my two main areas of interest.

Wow! That's great! Looks like you are in great shape! It seems like you are applying to some pretty competitive sites. How many will you apply to?

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[cara susanna]

Thanks, that makes me feel good Probably 16-18, but I'm not quite sure yet. Seems like my list changes every week or so!

 

[psychrat]

My advisor is also encouraging me to start the essays, but the application material for 2014 is not up yet. Where could I download the essay questions?

 

[Ollie123]

I'm definitely starting to feel behind now! I've begun narrowing down my list of sites and tallying up my hours but that is literally it. I do at least have a good starting point for sites since we have a "core" list of places everyone in my lab applies to, so that should help tremendously. As much as I'm dreading this process (and mostly...the costs associated with it) I'm very much looking forward to being done. I'm about to start dissertation data collection and am somewhat concerned if its realistic for me to get it done in a year given its a pretty intensive project.

I should have ~800 combined face-to-face hours by the time I apply and will almost exclusively be targeting research-heavy sites, with a few "slightly" less research-heavy VAs that are conveniently located (i.e. near places I'm eyeing for post-doc). The number isn't bad, but I worry my breakdown is a little weird. I only have 150-200 individual therapy hours since the areas I focused on (substance use and behavioral medicine) are group-heavy. Those are the areas I'll be applying to for internship though so hopefully it flies. I have a fair amount of other things I think will look good (supervision of other students, clinical-related teaching, creating my own externships) so I'm hoping that gives a boost as well. I'm also hoping to break into the double digits for pubs before I submit but its hard to predict how the review process will go (or whether I'll even be able to get things out the door) so I may or may not achieve that. I think my CV is solid but I'm definitely not in one of those labs that "cranks stuff out" (particularly given we do lengthy, time-intensive projects) so my numbers there won't be as good as some.

Fingers crossed for everyone!

 

[cara susanna]

Ollie, I didn't know you were applying this year! Exciting

Psychrat: If you purchase the Internships in Psychology APAGS Workbook, it lists the questions as well as sample essays.

 

[racho]

I'm definitely starting to feel behind now! I've begun narrowing down my list of sites and tallying up my hours but that is literally it. I do at least have a good starting point for sites since we have a "core" list of places everyone in my lab applies to, so that should help tremendously. As much as I'm dreading this process (and mostly...the costs associated with it) I'm very much looking forward to being done. I'm about to start dissertation data collection and am somewhat concerned if its realistic for me to get it done in a year given its a pretty intensive project.

I should have ~800 combined face-to-face hours by the time I apply and will almost exclusively be targeting research-heavy sites, with a few "slightly" less research-heavy VAs that are conveniently located (i.e. near places I'm eyeing for post-doc). The number isn't bad, but I worry my breakdown is a little weird. I only have 150-200 individual therapy hours since the areas I focused on (substance use and behavioral medicine) are group-heavy. Those are the areas I'll be applying to for internship though so hopefully it flies. I have a fair amount of other things I think will look good (supervision of other students, clinical-related teaching, creating my own externships) so I'm hoping that gives a boost as well. I'm also hoping to break into the double digits for pubs before I submit but its hard to predict how the review process will go (or whether I'll even be able to get things out the door) so I may or may not achieve that. I think my CV is solid but I'm definitely not in one of those labs that "cranks stuff out" (particularly given we do lengthy, time-intensive projects) so my numbers there won't be as good as some.

Fingers crossed for everyone!

Omg! You all have so much! I don't have a single publication, haven't supervised anyone and am in a private school (APA accredited) that most people haven't heard of. I'm also in a psyd program.

I feel like it will be a miracle if I get accepted anywhere! I am only applying to APA sites since I can allow myself to stay an extra year and do an additional practicum if needed. Last year, 60% of my colleagues matched to APA sites all over the country (only 1 person matched to a VA).

I wonder if there is anything I can do to increase my chances of getting an APA accredited hospital site. I know I'm crazy for this...but I'm considering applying to over 30 sites! Eek!

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[cara susanna]

Thanks to this thread, I now have (extremely!!!) rough drafts of my theoretical orientation and autobio essays, although they are over the word count right now.

racho: Statistically, applying to more than 16 sites doesn't increase your chances of matching. However I know people who applied to more than 20 last year and they felt that it helped them.

 

[Ollie123]

Ollie, I didn't know you were applying this year! Exciting

Yup! Its about time, given I'll be a 7th year (though that's not that unusual for my program)! Its going to be a very busy time and I almost hate to go given the amount of other things I feel like I could accomplish/learn here, but I'm just increasingly coming to accept that this is a lifelong learning process with no true end in sight. The fact that I could continue writing grants to fund my stick around indefinitely so I can learn computational modeling techniques, new assessment tools, or whatever else strikes my fancy on a given day isn't a reason not to move on. I can write grants to do those as post-doc faculty and get a much higher salary for doing so!

racho: Statistically, applying to more than 16 sites doesn't increase your chances of matching. However I know people who applied to more than 20 last year and they felt that it helped them.

Honestly, I hate how APPIC always frames that issue of number of applications in their materials. It reeks of research naivety and the folks there should know better (or maybe they don't, which would explain a whole lot about this process...). We aren't randomizing how many sites people are applying to and they don't co-vary anything in their analyses (unless there are other reports I haven't seen). From what I've seen, many weaker candidates apply to more places to hedge their bets. That people applying to more sites don't have a higher match rate doesn't mean its a bad idea to do so or that your odds of matching are lower if you do. That such a major organizational body has fallen prey to the "correlation does not equal causation" axiom is embarrassing.

That said, there are limited places I would seriously consider and I'd rather switch to experimental and not get a clinical degree than spend a year in a counseling center or similar setting, so I probably won't be applying to more than 16. Realistically, based on my current list I have ~8-9 top choices any of which I'd be fine with, I'm on a first name basis with the folks I'd be working with at 5 of them and have connections through my mentors at a couple others. I suspect these are the places I'm most likely to end up at and the rest are really just filler just because I'd hate to have to go through the process again in case something weird happens. My final rankings may be odd though since some sites may be driven more by post-doc opportunities available that wouldn't necessitate an additional move than by the internship itself.

 

[cara susanna]

That's cool. I suspect we'll have a lot of site overlap, although maybe not because you're more behavioral medicine-oriented than I am.

 

[PHD12]

You guys are in very good shape. I started the internship application process in June (applied to over 15 sites) and I had plenty of time to obsess, get feedback, and re-write essays and application materials (more than once). It dragged out till the end of Feb so I am glad I didn't start any earlier, but that will depend on your style and circumstances. I remember sending my application materials in early too (sometime in October) and having time to relax before the interviews began in January. This prevented burnout for me.

 

[erg923]

Omg! You all have so much! I don't have a single publication, haven't supervised anyone and am in a private school (APA accredited) that most people haven't heard of. I'm also in a psyd program.

I feel like it will be a miracle if I get accepted anywhere! I am only applying to APA sites since I can allow myself to stay an extra year and do an additional practicum if needed. Last year, 60% of my colleagues matched to APA sites all over the country (only 1 person matched to a VA).

I wonder if there is anything I can do to increase my chances of getting an APA accredited hospital site. I know I'm crazy for this...but I'm considering applying to over 30 sites! Eek!

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May I ask why you only have 75 therapy hours? That seems really really low to me. Even most research intensive program applicants (like Ollie) have at least twice that. I think I had about 250 therapy hours (individual, group, and couples) and probably 500 assessment hours (both testing and interviews..mainly research SCIDs).

 

[Ollie123]

To clarify, I'm at more like 450 true intervention hours (and will be over 500 for APPIC since they count some other things as intervention). I'm just weighted towards group therapy rather than individual. Even our neuropsych folks typically have well over 200 intervention hours (with TONS more assessment...) and that seems true of most research intensive places I'm familiar with.

 

[cara susanna]

I should be at 350 intervention or so by the time I apply.

 

[PsychPhDone]

Bluuurrrgh, this thread already?! My program discourages us from starting before June. I'm sticking with that discouragement for now.

 

[erg923]

Yup! Its about time, given I'll be a 7th year (though that's not that unusual for my program)! Its going to be a very busy time and I almost hate to go given the amount of other things I feel like I could accomplish/learn here, but I'm just increasingly coming to accept that this is a lifelong learning process with no true end in sight. The fact that I could continue writing grants to fund my stick around indefinitely so I can learn computational modeling techniques, new assessment tools, or whatever else strikes my fancy on a given day isn't a reason not to move on. I can write grants to do those as post-doc faculty and get a much higher salary for doing so!

Hats off Ollie.

By the time I applied, I was more interested in finishing, getting a nice 9-5, buying a house, and improving my golf game....

 

[racho]

May I ask why you only have 75 therapy hours? That seems really really low to me. Even most research intensive program applicants (like Ollie) have at least twice that. I think I had about 250 therapy hours (individual, group, and couples) and probably 500 assessment hours (both testing and interviews..mainly research SCIDs).

I have very few hours because I am doing my diagnostic practicum right now. I was able to get my supervisor to allow me to do individual therapy so therefore I have some tx hours. The way my program works is our first practicum is assessment only, then the next year we do therapy (and some ax if we want/available). They have now changed my program so that we do an extra tx year but because I was in the program before the new policy, I can apply early.

You might be wondering why I want to apply early...I am spending a ton of money on school and would like to finish asap so I can pay off my student loans ($100k +). I also want to start a family with my husband who has been super patient and supportive (I'm 36 years old).

I realize that my chances are not that great due to my lack of tx hours so I plan on taking on as many patients as possible when I start my next practicum (if they agree to it). I am also working my butt off to finish my dissertation and work on my essays, etc. hoping that my chances will be improved. If I don't get placed, I will do another tx practicum and reapply the following year.

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[ExhaustedInGrad]

I haven't really started my application process yet. We have our first "internship meeting" in a few weeks. I am thinking of applying to 15 or so sites, mostly within driving distance of my home. Hoping to defend before applying... my data is collected, it is just waiting to be analyzed!

 

[erg923]

I haven't really started my application process yet. We have our first "internship meeting" in a few weeks. I am thinking of applying to 15 or so sites, mostly within driving distance of my home. Hoping to defend before applying... my data is collected, it is just waiting to be analyzed!

Geographic restriction is probably the number one reason for failing to match,

 

[erg923]

I have very few hours because I am doing my diagnostic practicum right now. I was able to get my supervisor to allow me to do individual therapy so therefore I have some tx hours. The way my program works is our first practicum is assessment only, then the next year we do therapy (and some ax if we want/available). They have now changed my program so that we do an extra tx year but because I was in the program before the new policy, I can apply early.

You might be wondering why I want to apply early...I am spending a ton of money on school and would like to finish asap so I can pay off my student loans ($100k +). I also want to start a family with my husband who has been super patient and supportive (I'm 36 years old).

I realize that my chances are not that great due to my lack of tx hours so I plan on taking on as many patients as possible when I start my next practicum (if they agree to it). I am also working my butt off to finish my dissertation and work on my essays, etc. hoping that my chances will be improved. If I don't get placed, I will do another tx practicum and reapply the following year.

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I thought the point of a PsyD. degree was too focus on clinical training, and thus get more clinical contact hours? I'm confused.

 

[racho]

I thought the point of a PsyD. degree was too focus on clinical training, and thus get more clinical contact hours? I'm confused.

yeah, ax is considered clinical as well. We assess for psychiatric dosorders, learning disorders, etc. Many other programs do not require an ax practicum. APA programs do.
I was actually surprised that phd students do a lot ax and tx since it seems that their focus is research based and not really clinically based.

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[cara susanna]

What exactly is the difference between ax and dx-focused practicum?

 

[thewesternsky]

I was actually surprised that phd students do a lot ax and tx since it seems that their focus is research based and not really clinically based.

The idea that Clinical Psych Ph.D. programs are not "clinically based" is a myth, and a destructive one. Actually, the data show that on average Ph.D. students have more clinical contact hours at the end of their training than Psy.D. students.

I'm applying this year, too! I haven't started the app yet, but likely will start the essays around June. I currently have just about 225 assessment hours and about 225 treatment hours, but that will be higher by app time because I have my last (treatment focused) external practicum set up for the summer.

My hours will still be around the low end of average, but I'm research-focused so that's pretty inevitable. On the plus side, my clinical experiences are high-quality ones and they tie in well with the sites I'm applying to. I'll also have all my dissertation data analyzed by application time and am in good shape to defend before leaving for internship, so hopefully that will help a little.

 

[erg923]

yeah, ax is considered clinical as well. We assess for psychiatric dosorders, learning disorders, etc. Many other programs do not require an ax practicum. APA programs do.
I was actually surprised that phd students do a lot ax and tx since it seems that their focus is research based and not really clinically based.

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Well... it is a Ph.D in clinical psychology, not experimental psychology, so yes, of course we have clinical training.

And really, I was referring to the fact that you appear to be applying to internship with much less clinical exposure (treatment and assessment) than the typical applicant (Ph.D or Psy.D). I would probably advise that you not apply with what sound like very limited clinical experience (1 assessment prac and half of a treatment focused prac?). I really feel it would largely be a waste for you this year. Sorry. Most people will have about 3-4 full years worth of practica at different settings by the time they apply. I had one year at in-house training clinic, 4 years in an academic medical center doing primarily research oriented clinical work (SCIDs and protocol therapies), one year at a VA medical center, and one year at county hospital.

PS: I would not suggest that you "take on as many patients as possible" in order to try to make up for deficit treatment hours. Overburdening yourself is not really fair to your patients, and because an oversized caseload decreases the utility of your supervision and increases liability (both on you and the supervisor), is unlikley to result in incremental learning/knowledge acquisition.

 

[erg923]

I would give the input that I stll think it early to really be doing much of anything besides look at sites. Get your diss rolling, if you haven't already done so. Write essays over the summer. Just make sure you defend your proposal before you go, but if you can defend the whole thing, great. Try not to have more than just the discussion to write by the time you relocate would be my personal advice.

Have essays proofread by faculty, but not more than 2 faculty members because everyone is gonna have diff opinions and you'll be changing them nonstop if you take it to multiple people in your department. Number one matters most. The rest are silly, imho. Practice interviewing in the fall. You will need practice in your ability to be appropriately professional but not complete stiff...most likely.

 

[PHD12]

I have very few hours because I am doing my diagnostic practicum right now. I was able to get my supervisor to allow me to do individual therapy so therefore I have some tx hours. The way my program works is our first practicum is assessment only, then the next year we do therapy (and some ax if we want/available). They have now changed my program so that we do an extra tx year but because I was in the program before the new policy, I can apply early.

You might be wondering why I want to apply early...I am spending a ton of money on school and would like to finish asap so I can pay off my student loans ($100k +). I also want to start a family with my husband who has been super patient and supportive (I'm 36 years old).

I/QUOTE]

Wait, so are you applying in your 2nd or 3rd year? Do you know anyone in your program who matched to an APA site applying in their 3rd year?

 

[racho]

I have very few hours because I am doing my diagnostic practicum right now. I was able to get my supervisor to allow me to do individual therapy so therefore I have some tx hours. The way my program works is our first practicum is assessment only, then the next year we do therapy (and some ax if we want/available). They have now changed my program so that we do an extra tx year but because I was in the program before the new policy, I can apply early.

You might be wondering why I want to apply early...I am spending a ton of money on school and would like to finish asap so I can pay off my student loans ($100k +). I also want to start a family with my husband who has been super patient and supportive (I'm 36 years old).

I/QUOTE]

Wait, so are you applying in your 2nd or 3rd year? Do you know anyone in your program who matched to an APA site applying in their 3rd year?

Yes the people that applied before me did it the way I'm doing it. Some got APA some didn't. People in my program typically don't get many calls for interviews, except fpr the bilingual folks.


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[racho]

Well... it is a Ph.D in clinical psychology, not experimental psychology, so yes, of course we have clinical training.

And really, I was referring to the fact that you appear to be applying to internship with much less clinical exposure (treatment and assessment) than the typical applicant (Ph.D or Psy.D). I would probably advise that you not apply with what sound like very limited clinical experience (1 assessment prac and half of a treatment focused prac?). I really feel it would largely be a waste for you this year. Sorry. Most people will have about 3-4 full years worth of practica at different settings by the time they apply. I had one year at in-house training clinic, 4 years in an academic medical center doing primarily research oriented clinical work (SCIDs and protocol therapies), one year at a VA medical center, and one year at county hospital.

PS: I would not suggest that you "take on as many patients as possible" in order to try to make up for deficit treatment hours. Overburdening yourself is not really fair to your patients, and because an oversized caseload decreases the utility of your supervision and increases liability (both on you and the supervisor), is unlikley to result in incremental learning/knowledge acquisition.

You have very valid points. Thank you for your input. I definitely do not want to harm my patients, compromise supervision, etc.

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[AcronymAllergy]

Just to hopefully help people freak out a little bit less: like erg mentioned, the only thing I did before late July/early August was narrow down my list of sites from 60+ to about 20.

And yes, avoid having too many people review your essays. Case in point (again, as erg mentioned): I had two faculty members look mine over--one made a few minor tweaks while the other suggested I consider changing the entire focus of the first essay and then re-write the whole thing (although to be fair, that supervisor also prefaced it by saying that it was only a suggestion, and ultimately I should just submit whatever I was most comfortable with). I also got light feedback from two or three other grad students.

I personally didn't practice interviewing, but can certainly see how it would have been very useful, and would definitely recommend that others do so. In effect, my first few site visits served as my practice...although funny enough, I matched to one of said sites.

 

[bmedclinic]

I just matched a few months ago.

If I could go back and change anything, I'd actually change 2 things:

1) Defend diss prior to interviews. That way I could tell them "I've already defended". I think to many VA's, that sounded very different than "I'm trying to defend in April." BTW, I'm now looking to defend in August... so take that fwiw.

2) I'd apply to more quality backup sites (that are still a good enough fit). Now, in my case, something must have gone terribly wrong, and I matched at my only "backup" spot- spot 8. And uh, I would do anything I could to change it tbh.

 

[LETSGONYR]

I just matched a few months ago.

If I could go back and change anything, I'd actually change 2 things:

1) Defend diss prior to interviews. That way I could tell them "I've already defended". I think to many VA's, that sounded very different than "I'm trying to defend in April." BTW, I'm now looking to defend in August... so take that fwiw.

2) I'd apply to more quality backup sites (that are still a good enough fit). Now, in my case, something must have gone terribly wrong, and I matched at my only "backup" spot- spot 8. And uh, I would do anything I could to change it tbh.

I second that.

I matched in Phase II, and the biggest thing I'd recommend is to NOT LIMIT YOURSELF GEOGRAPHICALLY. I applied all over the country but there are several sites I eliminated because "I don't want to wind up in Texas..." or something. Then I didn't match, and I was looking at the list of sites available in Phase II and thinking, "OMG I'd love to be in Oklahoma! It's only a year!"

Overall, I'm really happy with where I ended up, but the path that led there was filled with lots of unnecessary stress. I don't think there's anything you really have to do now besides start looking at sites and figuring out what you want... it's still really early. Best of luck to everyone.

 

[SAKAGIRL]

Are any of you including your master level hours?

 

[SAKAGIRL]

I'm applying to USAF sites, VA's, and consortiums.... I just got a VA externship for this fall/spring, I wish I would have gotten it sooner, but it should still help me. I know we get to predict our remaining hours as well. I am shooting for a jail this summer for therapy hours... nothing like varied experiences, right?

 

[ela]

Are any of you including your master level hours?

There is a separate section on the APPI to include masters level hours if they were accrued in a terminal masters degree.

 

[psychRA]

It's still really early in the process. I didn't even have a list of sites until September, and I did just fine.

RE: PhD hours - I come from a fairly research-oriented PhD program, and I had around 750 direct hours (including therapy and assessment) when I applied to internship, which was about average for my cohort. It's true that researchy sites require fewer hours (some of the places where I interviewed only required 300), but people in my program are generally well beyond the minimums, just to be safe.

 

[Lyra33]

I didn't expect to see this thread for a couple months yet! Wow. I'm going to be applying this fall as well. I've started making a list of sites but plan on really sitting down and looking during my break from school next month. Right now I have about 580 intervention and 111 assessment hours, but I'm hoping to gain more before I apply.
Anyone have any other advice? I've bought the APAGS book on Internships and have read through that, and I know our school will have meetings this summer to begin preparing us, but I feel like talking to others who have been through this process will be extremely helpful.

 

[paramour]

Yikes. This thread seems to pop up earlier every year.

 

[Mein Traum]

Hello, everyone.

I am jumping in the ring too. I have the APAGS book, have read it and am going to start on my essays in a week or two. I am really concentrating on finishing my dissertation and being able to prioritize is helpful. I am not worried about contact hours or background. I can and will travel anywhere so, I am really focused on finding a good fit.

"Let the internship games begin and may the odds be ever in your favor...."

 

[researchgirl]

Hey -
Is anyone applying to Charleston? I was just looking at their brochure packet and it says "Accordingly, interns selected for this program should have considerable supervised clinical practicum experience (a minimum of 1500 hours is recommended)..."
They are a pretty research focused site so I can't imagine they mean 1500 F2F.... does anyone know what they mean by 1500?? Seems high....

 

[thewesternsky]

Hey -
Is anyone applying to Charleston? I was just looking at their brochure packet and it says "Accordingly, interns selected for this program should have considerable supervised clinical practicum experience (a minimum of 1500 hours is recommended)..."
They are a pretty research focused site so I can't imagine they mean 1500 F2F.... does anyone know what they mean by 1500?? Seems high....

They probably mean total, including supervision and support hours.

 

[cara susanna]

Didn't know that they had updated their application for this cycle, thanks for the info. I suspect that it's 1500 total hours. I know people who got interviewed at MUSC with less, if it helps.

 

[PHD12]

I've bought the APAGS book on Internships and have read through that, and I know our school will have meetings this summer to begin preparing us, but I feel like talking to others who have been through this process will be extremely helpful.

I hope people in your programs share information. When I applied several older students who matched successfully to good sites sent me their essays and provided me with useful tips. I found that people were more than willing to sent me their information even if they didn't know me that well. I think I looked at 4-5 different essays from people who matched at similar sites before writing my own. The essays were incredibly varied (particularly #1). I personally felt that they were stronger and more unique/interesting compared to the ones in the APAGS book.

 

[Ollie123]

No way MUSC expects 1500 F2F unless that is a recent change. I know many who interviewed there and several who matched there in recent years and no one had close to that amount (the folks who matched were closer to half that). I suspect it is aggregate (i.e. F2F, supervision, support).