2015-2016 APPIC Internship Interview Thread

[sms06h]

ugh. sick. ugh, not feeling like doing this at all.

<<self-pity moment>>

I hear ya. I'm sitting at the gate for my first flight to my first on site interview. Stomach is in knots, despite having no fear or anxiety about flying (I'm a crazy person who loves flying). This upcoming week is going to be so busy with travel and interviews. Eek!!

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[hamsterpants]

I hear ya. I'm sitting at the gate for my first flight to my first on site interview. Stomach is in knots, despite having no fear or anxiety about flying (I'm a crazy person who loves flying). This upcoming week is going to be so busy with travel and interviews. Eek!!

That too! It was great to see family last week but one of them gifted me with a bad cold.

 

[ClinicalTears]

A speeding ticket isn't a big deterrent in internship selection is it?

Because I just got my first one

 

[CounselingPsychAU]

Just taking a moment to celebrate the tentative match registration numbers just sent out by Greg Keilin! Who knows what this means for final numbers, trends for other years, etc. For the time being- I'm just excited that there might be a balance between applicants and positions available! Best wishes to all as we enter interview weeks!

 

[hamsterpants]

Just taking a moment to celebrate the tentative match registration numbers just sent out by Greg Keilin! Who knows what this means for final numbers, trends for other years, etc. For the time being- I'm just excited that there might be a balance between applicants and positions available! Best wishes to all as we enter interview weeks!

Hey, where did you see those? I'm on the two APPIC listservs and I didn't see it. Thx.

 

[CounselingPsychAU]

Hey, where did you see those? I'm on the two APPIC listservs and I didn't see it. Thx.

Here is the text of the email I received:

APPIC MATCH NEWS
---

APPIC is pleased to announce some positive news for the psychology education and training community to welcome in the new year:

• The three-year trend of improvement in the imbalance between applicants and positions continued this year.
• There are currently only 148 more registered applicants than available positions (compared to a difference of 498 last year and
1,148 only four years ago).• Based on previous experience, we know that over 200 students withdraw from the Match each year after registering. This suggests that
the number of positions in the 2016 Match could equal, or even slightly exceed, the number of students who submit a Rank Order List.
Please note, however, that this does not mean that all applicants will get placed, nor will all positions get filled.
• As a result, the 2016 APPIC Match will likely show the closest balance between applicants and positions of any APPIC Match to date.• The number of accredited positions, while significantly improved this year, is far lower than the number of registeredapplicants (2,956 vs. 3,940) and remains a significant concern.

Below are the details.

==========

As of December 31, 2015, the total numbers of applicants and internship sites registered to participate in the 2016 APPIC Match were:

• 3,940 registered applicants• 3,792 positions offered by 786 registered internship sites (744 of these registered sites are APPIC members)

Compared to last year at this time, these numbers reflect a decrease of 223 applicants, an increase of 127 positions, and an increase of 14 internship sites. Furthermore, the number of APA- and CPA-accredited positions has increased by 231.

Compared to four years ago at this time, which was the year of the worst imbalance between applicants and positions:

• The number of registered applicants has decreased by 418 (4,358 to 3,940)
• The number of registered positions has increased by 582 (3,210 to 3,792)
• The difference between the numbers of registered positions and applicants has decreased by 1,000 (1,148 to 148)

• The number of registered APA- or CPA-accredited positions has increased by 590 (2,366 to 2,956)
• The number of registered internship sites has increased by 74 (712 to 786)
• The number of registered APPIC-member internship sites has increased by 77 (667 to 744)

IMPORTANT NOTE: These numbers change daily and are only a "snapshot" as of December 31 of each year. The final numbers of participating sites, positions, and applicants will be significantly different from those presented above. For example, in every APPIC Match to date, more than 200 applicants withdrew from the Match after registering (applicants withdraw from the Match for a variety of reasons, such as not having received any interview offers, deciding to delay their internship until another year, seeking or obtaining a position outside the APPIC Match, etc.).

 

[erg923]

A speeding ticket isn't a big deterrent in internship selection is it?

Because I just got my first one

I am climbed a large flag pole drunk during March madness around year 2000. Made it in the papers. Night in the drunk tank. I am your Assistant TD.

 

[tartar]

For tartar and anyone else interviewing at the Canandaigua VA...have you found it nary impossible to get a confirmation/response from the TD about your interview date? I am getting really antsy because I responded to the invitation to interview with my date selection, following which has been complete radio silence! I emailed again, politely, to make sure that the TD got my date selection response...again, nothing. I called and got a voice message. I don't want to send too many messages but I am not hearing a darned thing. Nothing. Are others having this same problem????

I haven't heard anything either! I'll email the TD tonight because I need to purchase my flight ASAP since I'm coming from the west coast. Will keep you updated if he responds!

 

[boscoTheCat]

what are people's thoughts on piercings during interviews? I have a small nose stud and I'm not sure if I should remove it.

 

[tartar]

Yep!!

The TD confirmed my date this morning! Question: do you think it's better to rent a car from the airport or is there a train?

 

[WisNeuro]

what are people's thoughts on piercings during interviews? I have a small nose stud and I'm not sure if I should remove it.

I could care less and probably wouldn't even notice. But, I would imagine there is the occasional interviewer who takes note of irrelevant things during interviews. I have actually heard an interview comment on shoe choice before in a ranking meeting. Ridiculous, I know.

 

[boscoTheCat]

I could care less and probably wouldn't even notice. But, I would imagine there is the occasional interviewer who takes note of irrelevant things during interviews. I have actually heard an interview comment on shoe choice before in a ranking meeting. Ridiculous, I know.

thanks! I guess I'll take it off to play it safe!

 

[WisNeuro]

thanks! I guess I'll take it off to play it safe!

Honestly, I don't think it'd be much of a big deal. But, I always caution people to always err on the side of conservative dress and/or appearance in formal interviews. Just in case you get that random interviewer who has some sway, that decides to nitpick about stupid things that are not relevant to the actual applicant/application.

 

[IntrnshpReady]

I don't know if anyone else has been interested in trying some local joints when they're interviewing..... BUT I'm happy to provide some restaurant recs for numerous florida cities.... Anyone willing to post some of their favorite places in cities which people may be interviewing?!!?

Anyone have favorite places to eat in either Phoenix, AZ or Columbus, Oh

 

[GoPokes]

I don't know if anyone else has been interested in trying some local joints when they're interviewing..... BUT I'm happy to provide some restaurant recs for numerous florida cities.... Anyone willing to post some of their favorite places in cities which people may be interviewing?!!?

Anyone have favorite places to eat in either Phoenix, AZ or Columbus, Oh

New Orleans - Port of Call. Best burger you've ever had.

 

[123EW]

I don't know if anyone else has been interested in trying some local joints when they're interviewing..... BUT I'm happy to provide some restaurant recs for numerous florida cities.... Anyone willing to post some of their favorite places in cities which people may be interviewing?!!?

Anyone have favorite places to eat in either Phoenix, AZ or Columbus, Oh

Barleys in Columbus

 

[PSYquailman]

New Orleans - Port of Call. Best burger you've ever had.

Company burger is better IMO. But Port of Call is great as well.

If you want a po boy, do Parkways shrimp.

For Charleston, Butcher and Bee is a great sandwich place.

In NYC, artichoke is great for pizza. Happy to provide many a recommendation for various areas of the city for anyone who's interviewing.

In Nashville, I was recommended tavern and enjoyed it a lot. Great cocktails.

Anyone have any for west/new haven or Memphis?

 

[GoPokes]

Company burger is better IMO. But Port of Call is great as well.

If you want a po boy, do Parkways shrimp.

For Charleston, Butcher and Bee is a great sandwich place.

In NYC, artichoke is great for pizza. Happy to provide many a recommendation for various areas of the city for anyone who's interviewing.

In Nashville, I was recommended tavern and enjoyed it a lot. Great cocktails.

Anyone have any for west/new haven or Memphis?

Memphis -- Stay away from rendezvous BBQ. Appeals to tourists.. isn't that great. Central BBQ is awesome.

 

[Justanothergrad]

Anyone have any for west/new haven or Memphis?

Rudy's and Modern Apizza in New Haven

 

[Justanothergrad]

New Orleans - Port of Call. Best burger you've ever had.

Jackomos in New Orleans. I expect christmas cards for this tip

 

[NY-Psych-Dream]

Company burger is better IMO. But Port of Call is great as well.

If you want a po boy, do Parkways shrimp.

For Charleston, Butcher and Bee is a great sandwich place.

In NYC, artichoke is great for pizza. Happy to provide many a recommendation for various areas of the city for anyone who's interviewing.

In Nashville, I was recommended tavern and enjoyed it a lot. Great cocktails.

Anyone have any for west/new haven or Memphis?

For NYC Lower East Side, any tips?

 

[PSYquailman]

For NYC Lower East Side, any tips?

L

For pizza, artichoke. For bacon wrapped delicious hot dogs, crif dog. For David chang's new fried chicken sandwich place, Fuku. Little Italy for authentic Italian and Chinatown for Chinese. Both are on the non expensive side. The meatball shop is good as well. There may be a shake shack (burger) place nearby as well if you're in the mood for that.

Those are all grad school budget type places. If you want something a bit more upscale, try Freeman's.

There's a ton of noodle and tai restaurants down there as well. That's not my thing but I'm sure if you just do a quick Search on eater you'll find something very good. I think another of Chang's momofuku restaurants is down in the LES.

 

[Dizzybelle]

Anyone hear from Denver VA and the gero track?

 

[inpsychful]

I hope the unclear, bumbling replies I made to some of the questions I had at my first interview subside for the remaining interviews.

 

[PsychePsych]

Has anyone heard from the Children's Institute in LA?

 

[PsycFun3000]

Has anyone heard from University of Central Florida CAPS about the Open House on January 25th?

 

[awishingstar]

I hope the unclear, bumbling replies I made to some of the questions I had at my first interview subside for the remaining interviews.

You're in good company. What a steep learning curve. I'm glad my first interview wasn't my favorite site!

 

[PBCocce]

I hope the unclear, bumbling replies I made to some of the questions I had at my first interview subside for the remaining interviews.

Practice makes perfect!

 

[Maccus]

Oops sorry - I missed that you said you emailed them. I actually emailed them like 2 weeks after I submitted my application and he didn't get back to me for about a week. Then when I was trying to schedule my phone interviews with faculty, most of them suggested that I email him again to see about coming in person. Then I emailed him again and that's when he said all the in person slots were full. So now I scheduled a couple 60 minute phone interviews with faculty I'm interested in. So hopefully you get a chance to talk to them over the phone. It is a bummer that we can't just go see the site!

I'm among those waiting for a second reply from WVU-Charleston (going on, what, 2 weeks?) after expressing interest in scheduling a phone interview *after* receiving solidly positive feedback about my application *after* I took initiative to inquire. Unfortunately, I already have reservations about the site if their process at present is disorganized at best. Note that I applied enthusiastically, so I don't believe confirmation bias is shaping my thoughts, here. I originally admired their program for its apparent respect for applicants as communicated in its brochure, but now? Well . . . not so much, lol. I'm indifferent at this point and probably won't follow up again.

 

[sms06h]

Has anyone heard from University of Central Florida CAPS about the Open House on January 25th?

Hey! They just sent out an email this afternoon. Hopefully I'll see you there!

 

[butterfly wings]

Has anyone heard from the Children's Institute in LA?

Haven't heard anything here either. Hopefully they will notify by this weekend which was their deadline.

 

[SublimeNature]

I have a site visit on a different day than one of my interviews. Is it appropriate to wear my interview suit on both days? If not, what does one wear? I'm also curious….how are site visits usually structured? Are they just a site tour, or is it usually more?

 

[SublimeNature]

L

For pizza, artichoke. For bacon wrapped delicious hot dogs, crif dog. For David chang's new fried chicken sandwich place, Fuku. Little Italy for authentic Italian and Chinatown for Chinese. Both are on the non expensive side. The meatball shop is good as well. There may be a shake shack (burger) place nearby as well if you're in the mood for that..

I second, third, and fourth Artichoke for pizza!! So happy that place is still around!

 

[dlp217]

Company burger is better IMO. But Port of Call is great as well.

If you want a po boy, do Parkways shrimp.

For Charleston, Butcher and Bee is a great sandwich place.

In NYC, artichoke is great for pizza. Happy to provide many a recommendation for various areas of the city for anyone who's interviewing.

In Nashville, I was recommended tavern and enjoyed it a lot. Great cocktails.

Anyone have any for west/new haven or Memphis?

Hog and Hominy in Memphis is awesome!

 

[sms06h]

I have a site visit on a different day than one of my interviews. Is it appropriate to wear my interview suit on both days? If not, what does one wear? I'm also curious….how are site visits usually structured? Are they just a site tour, or is it usually more?

I'm not entirely sure how to answer this, but my gut would say that it probably doesn't make much of a difference. I would guess that most people wouldn't notice. Plus, I feel like some sites may be forgiving and recognize that you're a student and may not be able to afford multiple suits. I think if you were to wear it twice to the same site, I would try to wear a different shirt/color underneath. If you're a female, perhaps even wear different jewelry. Just a thought...

In terms of site visits, I have done two on-site interviews at this point. Both included a tour, an informational session, an informal meet-and-greet with the staff, and structured individual interviews. One of these sites had a structured group interview (3 of the applicants in a room with 5 staff members). I haven't yet been to an open house or site visit that didn't have an interview component. My guess is that it would be similar to the on-site interview just without the interview portion.

I hope this helps. Best of luck with everything!!

 

[GoPokes]

Had first Skype interview this morning. Surprisingly, it was much more difficult then any of my in-person interviews!

 

[KGrabowski]

I am interviewing at my first BOP (at Butner) site Monday, and I will need to complete my CVA. However, I am not sure if I need to arrive earlier than the interview start time stated in the email, and I never heard back from the site regarding this questions. Anyone done a CVA, even one at Butner, know if we are supposed to show up early to complete that? Thanks!

 

[madeincanada]

I had to take my carry-on on two interviews. I asked in advanced if it was ok as they did not specify if they had a room. Both times it was fine. With the first I just left it in the main room and picked it up when leaving and with the second I just took it to each of the interviews. It wasn't weird at all. It was actually a funny conversation piece with one interviewer.

Agreed. This happens frequently. So long as your suitcase doesn't look like this fellas:

 

[Hope4Grad]

INTERVIEW PREP:

Hey Everyone,

Now that we have some interviews under our belts but are still very much in the midst of interview season...

What have folks found to be the most helpful in terms of interview prep? What has worked for getting you through the tough questions and helping you leave an interview with a feeling that you did well?

And, conversely, what have you felt like you could have done without/spent needless time prepping for?

 

[RejectClinical]

INTERVIEW PREP:

Hey Everyone,

Now that we have some interviews under our belts but are still very much in the midst of interview season...

What have folks found to be the most helpful in terms of interview prep? What has worked for getting you through the tough questions and helping you leave an interview with a feeling that you did well?

And, conversely, what have you felt like you could have done without/spent needless time prepping for?

I think the most important thing is to make sure you're ready to talk about your dissertation and why you want to attend a specific program. I'd say reading over the brochure before I arrive is definitely helpful. Beyond that, just having some cases in mind for the typical set of questions (e.g., ethical dilemma, disagreeing with a supervisor, tough case). With that said, I think it is a mistake to practice your specific answer. Have some bullet points, but coming off rehearsed is a definite no-no.

Based on my interviews thus far, spending time reading over interviewers research seems to be a big waste of time....this is not graduate school.

 

[Pragma]

In the interviews I have conducted so far this cycle I would say that a couple have people have come off as overly or underly energetic/enthusiastic. I certainly empathize with the stressful process and understand hopping redeye flights. But just some advice - keep your energy level moderated as best you can. If I am having trouble seeing how you will mesh with our clinical population then it makes it hard to justify a good ranking.

 

[thryothorusfelix]

I think the most important thing is to make sure you're ready to talk about your dissertation and why you want to attend a specific program. I'd say reading over the brochure before I arrive is definitely helpful. Beyond that, just having some cases in mind for the typical set of questions (e.g., ethical dilemma, disagreeing with a supervisor, tough case). With that said, I think it is a mistake to practice your specific answer. Have some bullet points, but coming off rehearsed is a definite no-no.

Based on my interviews thus far, spending time reading over interviewers research seems to be a big waste of time....this is not graduate school.

I agree ^ I looked up people's specific research areas and found it never came up, though I could force it awkwardly into conversation if I had wanted I suppose.

 

[schoolpsychlove]

Is anyone interviewing at Devereux 1/13 and possibly going to be driving to CIDDS or from CIDDS to CES? I have a family member that's driving me to the overview in the morning but I'm hoping to carpool to CIDDS and or CES with another applicant to make transportation easier during the day. Message me if you're interested in carpooling or something!

 

[GoPokes]

Question -- had a Skype interview with a site, and they don't offer an open house. Is this typical? I figured most sites would want potential interns to see their facilities.

 

[JedMosley]

I had to take my carry-on on two interviews. I asked in advanced if it was ok as they did not specify if they had a room. Both times it was fine. With the first I just left it in the main room and picked it up when leaving and with the second I just took it to each of the interviews. It wasn't weird at all. It was actually a funny conversation piece with one interviewer.

Would you encourage asking in advance? Is it rude to assume they will just give us the option of bringing our luggage?

 

[madeincanada]

Would you encourage asking in advance? Is it rude to assume they will just give us the option of bringing our luggage?

Let them know that you need to travel after interviews, and would like to bring your bags.

 

[PSYquailman]

Would you encourage asking in advance? Is it rude to assume they will just give us the option of bringing our luggage?

I brought it to one recently. Didn't ask, and they didn't have a problem with it.

 

[awishingstar]

INTERVIEW PREP:

I've only had one interview so far. I suspect the next will go much better in terms of talking about specific cases, good/bad instances of supervision, etc. The one thing that took me aback was how awkward I felt asking questions about the sites. I had come up with lots of questions to ask beforehand, but in a fit of panic on the actual interview day I ended up asking really vague, at times nonsensical questions (one of those "learning what I'm saying as it comes out of my mouth" situations). Not good! My interview had a tonne of time to ask questions so I'll really be working on preparing on that front for the rest of my interviews.

 

[Hope4Grad]

I've only had one interview so far. I suspect the next will go much better in terms of talking about specific cases, good/bad instances of supervision, etc. The one thing that took me aback was how awkward I felt asking questions about the sites. I had come up with lots of questions to ask beforehand, but in a fit of panic on the actual interview day I ended up asking really vague, at times nonsensical questions (one of those "learning what I'm saying as it comes out of my mouth" situations). Not good! My interview had a tonne of time to ask questions so I'll really be working on preparing on that front for the rest of my interviews.

Yes, I would just like to echo all sentiments here - the difficulty/steep learning curve of first interviews, but especially the challenge of asking questions that don't make it sound as if a) you didn't read the brochure or do your homework on the site, b) are not canned (e.g., "What are you looking for in an ideal applicant?")

I also had read the journal articles a site put out before attending and it turns out they are not even doing that work anymore, so that could have been more awkward than it was! (I was saved in finding out ahead of time - just barely - about this change.)

I have found that giving applicants vignettes seems to be the most popular way of interviewing candidates. Have others found this to be true??

 

[Pragma]

In my view the questions generated by applicants are pretty important. It shows that you did your homework, applied a little bit of critical thinking, and came prepared. Questions can come up during the interview as well.

There are so many things to ask about - things about rotations specifically, things about the population and intervention selection, things about life in the area in general, things about postdoc preparation, things about intern outcomes, etc. It isn't really that tough to think sbout some nuances to ask about, so if you have nothing to say at the end then it would seem negative to me in most cases.