Internship vs Residency vs Postdoc

[473912]

I was perusing the State of Oregon psychologist license requirements for when I graduate (in 2020 yeah, I know, I'm really fun at parties, too), and there is a section for internships, for residency, and optional about post docs. This is the first time I've seen "residency" in reference to psych. I'm just curious about distinctions on the three. Let me see if I got this right:

Internship: Usually in the last year of education, for an entire year anywhere in the US, needed for graduation/degree, kneecap for APA spots

Residency: Requirements for state licensure, practice under a supervision of a psych in the specific state you want to get licensed, depends on the state, there's a 4 page list (large font) of possible residency supervisors in Oregon, potential for kneecapping level 2 for spots.

Post Doc: An academic position, for sharpening skills further or doing research, optional position


That about sum it up? How do internships and residency differ when it comes to supervision? Is residency way more hands-off, or is it drumming into you state specific things and such? Thanks in advance.

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[deleted343839]

As far as I can tell, the term 'residency' is gratuitous in clinical psychology. I've seen both predoctoral internships and postdoctoral training programs described as 'residencies' and I fail to see how this distinguishes these programs. I'm surprised that the Oregon licensure regs even use this term.

A postdoc can be clinically oriented, research oriented, or both. Many research oriented postdocs include some supervised clinical hours. The specific rules about what counts toward licensure vary state by state.

 

[thewesternsky]

Strange. In Canada, "pre-doctoral internship" and "pre-doctoral residency" are used interchangeably--There's been a movement for a couple years to change the term "internship" to "residency" to convey our level of training more accurately to our patients and multi-disciplinary colleagues. Generally, both are considered acceptable terms now. I've never heard the term residency to refer to the step after internship but before/during licensure. In Ontario, at least, we call that step "supervised practice".

 

[soccercat]

I wonder if this refers to programs that are MD/PhD where the medical residency also counts as a pre-doctoral internship?

 

[MCParent]

"Internship" is called both "doctoral" and "predoctoral" depending on who is writing/saying it; both usually refer to the last year of clinical-focused training required for a clinical/counseling PhD/PsyD.

Other fields, and even other area of psych (e.g., human factors) also do "internships" that are more like the "internships" in other areas, like engineering (i.e., job experience, but not the capstone thing clin/couns "internship" is).

Some psych internships call themselves residencies. I've noticed this more in medical settings. I think it's bc a medical "intern" is fairly early in training and a psych intern is closer to a medical resident in terms of time spent in training (so as not to mistake the psych intern for a newbie). I don't actually know if that's super appropriate (some definitions of "resident" I see specifically say a resident is post-degree, which is true for medicine but not for psych if the intern is being called a resident, though I've never been able to figure out if that's an actual legal distinction).

Post-docs aren't necessarily academic (can be, and often are, clinically-focused). It's not optional for licensure in most states; you need post-doc hours for to be licensed in many (most?) states.

 

[cara susanna]

I was perusing the State of Oregon psychologist license requirements for when I graduate (in 2020 yeah, I know, I'm really fun at parties, too), and there is a section for internships, for residency, and optional about post docs. This is the first time I've seen "residency" in reference to psych. I'm just curious about distinctions on the three. Let me see if I got this right:

Internship: Usually in the last year of education, for an entire year anywhere in the US, needed for graduation/degree, kneecap for APA spots

Residency: Requirements for state licensure, practice under a supervision of a psych in the specific state you want to get licensed, depends on the state, there's a 4 page list (large font) of possible residency supervisors in Oregon, potential for kneecapping level 2 for spots.

Post Doc: An academic position, for sharpening skills further or doing research, optional position


That about sum it up? How do internships and residency differ when it comes to supervision? Is residency way more hands-off, or is it drumming into you state specific things and such? Thanks in advance.

As MCParent was saying, post-docs are not just academic. Many are clinical. In fact, something I have noticed recently is that more and more people are doing them, so it's getting to the point where someone who doesn't do one may be at a serious disadvantage in the job market. If you apply for jobs fresh out of internship, you will be competing with people who are finishing post-doc.

 

[473912]

To make matter's worse, there's a place on the Oregon residency form where... you have to pay your supervisor? ...what? Is this going to be another year where we're not only working for free, but have to pay our supervisor? What the hell....

 

[erg923]

To make matter's worse, there's a place on the Oregon residency form where... you have to pay your supervisor? ...what? Is this going to be another year where we're not only working for free, but have to pay our supervisor? What the hell....

I think thats illegal in most states. Its obviously a conflict of interest from an ethical standpoint.

 

[473912]

I think thats illegal in most states. Its obviously a conflict of interest from an ethical standpoint.

That makes perfect sense to me. Maybe it's just an old form that's not updated. Or Oregon psych is super corrupt. lol.

 

[cara susanna]

I'm pretty sure it's legal in Oregon. Not entirely positive but I heard it somewhere.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

That makes perfect sense to me. Maybe it's just an old form that's not updated. Or Oregon psych is super corrupt. lol.

It's legal in my state. Fee cannot exceed the hourly rate for therapy. For many post docs this isn't an issue because they employer often covers paying for supervision. It will occasionally come into play for folks doing post doc hrs in PP.

Stop worrying about 2020!

 

[cara susanna]

Yeah, if anything I'd be worrying about getting an internship.

 

[473912]

It's legal in my state. Fee cannot exceed the hourly rate for therapy. For many post docs this isn't an issue because they employer often covers paying for supervision. It will occasionally come into play for folks doing post doc hrs in PP.

Stop worrying about 2020!

I guess it's not that bad because I only need 2 hours supervising time every two weeks or something. ...and I'm not worrying about. I was just curious so I'm looking it up. My biggest next worry will be dealing with my money and paying for it.

...and I am worrying about internships Cara. I'm wanting to set myself up so I'm able to go above and beyond in hours... elbowing my way into some research programs, etc.... We'll see!

 

[erg923]

I guess it's not that bad because I only need 2 hours supervising time every two weeks or something. ...and I'm not worrying about. I was just curious so I'm looking it up. My biggest next worry will be dealing with my money and paying for it.

...and I am worrying about internships Cara. I'm wanting to set myself up so I'm able to go above and beyond in hours... elbowing my way into some research programs, etc.... We'll see!

Acumulated hours have no bearing on obtaining internship at a research heavy/oriented intenrship site

 

[473912]

Acumulated hours have no bearing on obtaining internship at a research heavy/oriented intenrship site

I don't have any interest in going into a research heavy/oriented internship site.

 

[erg923]

...and I am worrying about internships Cara. I'm wanting to set myself up so I'm able to go above and beyond in hours... elbowing my way into some research programs, etc.... We'll see!

? What were you indicating here?

 

[473912]

? What were you indicating here?

I'm talking about perhaps doing research while in my PsyD and getting published. If that means getting in some one my professor's research or doing work with PhD student's or their professor's research, I'm fine with that too.

 

[bcliff]

I've heard postdoc and residency used interchangeably. I think in almost all states you need postdoctoral supervision hours before you can get licensed, which is where the residency component comes into play (i.e. you're a doctor, but you're not a clinical psychologist yet)

 

[erg923]

I think in almost all states you need postdoctoral supervision hours before you can get licensed, which is where the residency component comes into play (i.e. you're a doctor, but your not a clinical psychologist yet)

37 states

 

[bcliff]

37 states

I wonder how licensure reciprocity is affected between states if you're licensed in one of those 13 w/o a postdoc requirement?

 

[DynamicDidactic]

I wonder how licensure reciprocity is affected between states if you're licensed in one of those 13 w/o a postdoc requirement?

its a sticky situation. It also differs between states. However, its recommended that trainees always get prelicensure postdoc supervision if they think they may move out of that state in the future.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

its a sticky situation. It also differs between states. However, its recommended that trainees always get prelicensure postdoc supervision if they think they may move out of that state in the future.

Yeah, it's been my understanding that unless you have a certain number of years practicing in the field (5, 10, 15+), you wouldn't be eligible for licensure without the supervised hours. I'd imagine it's on a case-by-case basis by each state, though.