Supervision practices - post doc

[IT514]

I work with neuropsychologist (a colleague) who makes all trainees use a standardized interview form that's like 16 pages long. It seems odd to me at the post doc level. Sure, some interns may need some more structure initially, but at a post doc level I generally expect some autonomy. Plus, I have noticed that these interviews take up to two hours, with 1.5 being typical, which is really clogging our system. We have a busy service line and see a number of inpatients per week along with a high outpatient volume.

I observe folks to make sure they can do a good interview, but beyond that they can use whatever form they want as long as it works. Just wondering if the above approach strikes anyone else as odd, or am I in the minority.

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[AcronymAllergy]

In clinical settings, I haven't run into that and wouldn't do it myself. For forensic neuropsych evals, even at the fellowship level, it may not be entirely unusual.

 

[DrMikeP]

I work with neuropsychologist (a colleague) who makes all trainees use a standardized interview form that's like 16 pages long. It seems odd to me at the post doc level. Sure, some interns may need some more structure initially, but at a post doc level I generally expect some autonomy. Plus, I have noticed that these interviews take up to two hours, with 1.5 being typical, which is really clogging our system. We have a busy service line and see a number of inpatients per week along with a high outpatient volume.

I observe folks to make sure they can do a good interview, but beyond that they can use whatever form they want as long as it works. Just wondering if the above approach strikes anyone else as odd, or am I in the minority.

Depends on what the eval is being used for as to how appropriate the standardized interview. I train my interns and residents to use a one page list of topics vs a structured interview, with the goal of they learn to discuss required information vs. just Q&A.

 

[IT514]

In clinical settings, I haven't run into that and wouldn't do it myself. For forensic neuropsych evals, even at the fellowship level, it may not be entirely unusual.

That may explain part of it, as we are definitely NOT forensic, but this person comes from a forensic/IME background. Its frustrating. I like residents to learn to do an interview more quickly without missing anything important, not take longer and gather a bunch of information that has no relevance to answering the referral question.

 

[smalltownpsych]

That may explain part of it, as we are definitely NOT forensic, but this person comes from a forensic/IME background. Its frustrating. I like residents to learn to do an interview more quickly without missing anything important, not take longer and gather a bunch of information that has no relevance to answering the referral question.

So train the residents you supervise to do more focused clinical interviews and the other neuropsychologist can train them to do comprehensive forensic style structured interviews. I have always been the short and sweet and to the point kind of guy myself, but that doesn't meant that the other way is necessarily wrong. I could see how it could be frustrating when it comes to heavier workloads when efficiency becomes more important and if you are the more efficient, then you end up doing more of the work. Especially frustrating if there are no incentives for doing more work.

 

[DrMikeP]

I tend to agree with the 2 page consultation model myself, but I know many clinicians who use the very academic 30 page report style for everything. Part of the goal in making students use such is that you are assuring they learn and gather what is needed. Is it less efficient when such is not needed in a clinical setting, yes but it isn't as per say "wrong." I do find that a shorter report will have a slightly greater chance of being read or at least the summary section. Speak with the other Psychologist and discuss such if you have a concern.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Hopefully they can expose to other styles bc that approach won't fly in most settings once they are out in the real world.